Presto K-8 questions (newbie!)

[MCD]

Hi I am also a newbie to this group and will shortly take delivery of a Presto K8. Its the first of two cutters I'd like, this one to practice on and perhaps cut weird substrates one day, and I'd like a Neumann or Scully set up to do acetate 45's and 331/3 Albums at a near future date. I was using a service locally but they sold their cutter to some kids who were setting up a cutting service in another state! I need to have the ability to work with acetates to get songs promoted in the market (mainly through DJ's) before pressing, probably just what the kids who bought the cutter are doing.

Now, I saw somewhere on the group that a 0.405" pulley spec for a Presto K-8 was proposed for cutting 45's was posted, but is that the exact size? I can get one made in local machine shops, then the poster appended "approx" to the dimension spec, so it would need confirming! Anyone?

I also saw that cutting a lead in and tail out groove is somewhat difficult in the Presto K8 probably due to the toothed cam and screw gearing being transferred to a cantilever pivot, all driven by a single motor/transfer feed. So, any manual adjustments to try to introduce lead in/out probably would transfer to the recording at some stage. I suppose that only parallel lathe drives can really offer the smooth lead in/out, with separately controlled feed and turntable drives. The only way to do that on a K8 would be to introduce a second motor that drove the toothed cam separately. My K-8 has an adjustable plate/amateur I noted, so it could be set back (shortened maybe with additional slot extension) to allow the introduction of another geared feed from below, to drive it.

I guess that would also allow one to change the lpi rate too probably with a variable voltage control to speed up 1 to 1.5 turns run in, and create a 1.5 to 2.5 run out with a power out at the end of the cycle. I'm sure a small enough step geared motor of sufficient power could be mounted to feed the toothed cam lever without destroying the current below plinth architecture (there isn't that much there) and a short series of push buttons could manually service the need to speed up feeds and stop them - with a simultaneous shut off to the main motor while in the closed loop. That may be the minimalist interference to the existing workings and wouldn't compromise the current external workings much either. The original turntable drive would be unaffected and one could always leave the original pivot gears in place too. The biggest problem is finding the motor and gears, and probably damping the vibration. It could make the K8 into a whole new prospect for modernized recording.

If its successful I'm sure it could even be packaged as a DIY kit for anyone interested, but its extra work compared finding an alternative lathe.

Which brings me to the last subject, in as much as anyone who has a pro lathe for sale to make pre-production quality masters drop me a line. I think I'd still use the pressing plants we use to finalize more sensitive albums, but we do a lot of 12" and 45 dance music.

Thanks for looking!