Is polycarbonate a high fidelity material to emboss/cut records with?

[plasticmastic]

Hi there,


First post, new to records, eager to learn.
Hope I'm not breaking and forum decorum.

I’m trying to learn which material is best to emboss/lathe records with.

 Several sources make note of polycarbonate.

1. https://thevinylfactory.com/features/a-beginners-guide-to-lathe-cutting-your-own-records/
2. https://www.lathetrolls.com/viewtopic.php?t=5986
3. https://nylathecuts.com/quality

[Question 1]: What other materials could I use? My research shows that lacquer and PVC are viable options but do they objectively sound better than polycarbonate?



I’m wondering if polycarbonate is indeed a good material to emboss/lathe records with. There seems to be chatter online about how it is static-prone and creates a noise generated by the polycarbonate material, as stated anecdotally on forums like this: https://www.ilxor.com/ILX/ThreadSelectedControllerServlet?boardid=41&threadid=14190


[Question 2]: Are anecdotal reports of polycarbonate lathe/emboss records true in that they convey less bass, produce a polycarbonate-specific noise, and are prone to static?

[Question 3]: If you could, hypothetically, create a new medium to emboss/cut records with, what plastic/other materials would you use?

Thanks for the thoughts and replies.
Cheers,

[boryo]

Welcome! Take a look at this: https://www.lathetrolls.com/viewtopic.php?f=22&t=8328

[plasticmastic]

Hi boryo,

What a great guide.

This further confirms that polycarbonate is a viable and decent-fidelity material.

(PC) Polycarbonate Plastic – The standard for affordability meets durability and fidelity Available from any plastic supplier, these discs are affordable and can yield a very nice sounding record.

If this is the case, I must refer to my first question:
I’m wondering if polycarbonate is indeed a good material to emboss/lathe records with. There seems to be chatter online about how it is static-prone and creates a noise generated by the polycarbonate material, as stated anecdotally on forums like this: https://www.ilxor.com/ILX/ThreadSelectedControllerServlet?boardid=41&threadid=14190


Are these reports purely anecdotaal? Perhaps improperly cut?

[boryo]

i would say if your main concern is hi-fi then don't even thing about embossing. your only option is cutting

[piaptk]

having embossed tens of thousands (if not over 100,000) of records at my studio over the last 15 years, I can tell you it is more than anecdotally proven that Polycarbonate is the best material for embossing. But it DOES create static and draw dust, but it can be cleaned off, and if properly stored (not left outside of the sleeve for longer than it takes to play it), it is not a huge deal. Embossed Records and Diamond Cut/Lacquer Dubs are two very different products for two very different markets. Embossed records are "pretty good" and "relatively cheap" to produce in small qtys. Diamond cuts and Lacquer dubs are at least 3 times as expensive and are usually made as one-off personal copies.

But, for "high fidelity", Boryo is correct... you must cut with diamonds onto PETG or use NOS sapphire cutting styli on lacquers.

However, as a newbie, I highly recommend you start with embossing on polycarbonate to get to know your machine. Embossing is much less complicated and much cheaper. If you make a mistake (you will) and toast a neeedle, it is much cheaper to resharpen than a diamond would be. And some people who start off requiring "high fidelity", start with embossing and find that they prefer it and never upgrade.

Embossing can yield very nice sounding records for a very low price and a relatively low frustration level.

I also sell Tech Support calls via Skype to answer all your questions and help you get rolling very quickly. I can give you more information in 2 hours than you can glean in months trying to sort through all the info on this site. And then you can come back to the site with a better understanding of the vocabulary and process, which makes the information easier to parse.

http://www.RecordLatheParts.com

[plasticmastic]

Hi piaptk,

Thanks for your thorough reply.

I'm actually not trying to enter into the world of embossing/lathing per se. Rather, I'm trying to create a 'new' type of 12inch record and was curious to see which material and cutting method would be best according to its material.

From your reply, polycarbonate + embossing is a good and economic product and given that my prototype is currently made out of polycarbonate, this will be the first method that I will try.

Out of curiosity, would a polycarbonate + diamond-cut yield better results than if it was embossed? I understand there are several variables at play (cutting technician, the cutting machine itself, needle sharpness, etc) but in general, I'm curious to hear about your experience.

Cheers

[piaptk]

I have cut plenty of diamond hifi discs, but because of the fragile and expensive nature of diamonds, i have done zero experimentation with them. I have been told that polycarbonate gives an inferior cut to petg and is harder on the needle by someone who has experimented.

[piaptk]

I have cut plenty of diamond hifi discs, but because of the fragile and expensive nature of diamonds, i have done zero experimentation with them. Ive experimented heavily with every other type of needle and material, but don’t want to put a $300 stylus at risk. I have been told that polycarbonate gives an inferior cut to petg and is harder on the needle by someone who has experimented, but i cant tell you first hand.

[plasticmastic]

piatk,

Thanks for your input.
If I've understood you correctly, embossing polycarbonate yields good results.
Further, you've yet to use a diamond tip for polycarbs cuts due to risk and damange to the diamond tip.

Cheers for your help