DIY Overhead Lathe

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chaosbc
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DIY Overhead Lathe

Post: # 19901Unread post chaosbc
Sun May 27, 2012 7:39 am

Hi there, as a newbie, I open this new topic since I decided to try to build the impossible : a DIY stereo record lathe.
I am french and I don't know anyone here who even heard about record lathe so you will be (if you agree :wink:) my only support
I have read a ton on the web and on this very message board.
Obviously, it will be very difficult but I am 100 % determined to succeed ...
Yesterday, I went to my local electronic store and I bought two 40w 8 ohm small speakers for the head. I noticed afterward these are boomer miniature, so I guess not the best for what I plan to do but hey...it's a first try, it will be possible to change it after anyway.
My turntable is a Stanton STR8-150 and my amp is an old school Teac AS-100. (1973 baby !)

No sleep 'till the records will be cut !
Last edited by chaosbc on Tue Jan 01, 2013 3:33 pm, edited 3 times in total.

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Angus McCarthy
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Post: # 19902Unread post Angus McCarthy
Sun May 27, 2012 8:44 am

Welcome to the forum!

I'm sure you've already come across many of the scratch-built stereo heads out there on the web. There are quite a few examples in this sub-forum as well. I never got to the point of trying to build a stereo head. My experiments with a rudimentary mono head proved to me that I just don't have the tools to make that kind of fine machinery. Keep us posted!

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markrob
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Post: # 19905Unread post markrob
Sun May 27, 2012 1:01 pm

Hi,

Welcome and good luck with you DIY project. Here are some suggestions based on what I have learned from my experiments.

The 40W drivers are probably a bad choice. I suspect that while they can handle large amounts of power, the moving mass will be way too high for this application. You want the total moving mass to be as low as possible and the coupled system resonance to be in the 800Hz - 2Khz. If the moving mass is too high, you won't be able to provide enough power to the head to accelerate the stylus without burning the head coils up.

I have had decent results using a small CUI driver P/N CMS0401KL-3X

http://www.digikey.com/product-search/en?lang=en&site=us&KeyWords=CMS0401KL-3X

This driver has a moving mass of about 1 gram and can handle 5 Watts. Keep in mind that the professional Neumann and Ortophon heads can only handle about 10 Watts on a continuous basis. You will need much more power than this on a short term basis. Also, without any motional feedback, you will need to employ an extreme amount of EQ to make the head have a flat response.

Let us know how you progress.

Mark

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chaosbc
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Post: # 19908Unread post chaosbc
Sun May 27, 2012 6:48 pm

Hello guys
markrob, thank you for your help...I assume this was a bad starting.
I ordered 2 of the speaker you mentioned...

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chaosbc
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Post: # 20943Unread post chaosbc
Thu Sep 06, 2012 1:15 am

Here is a photo of the head I built. Probably not as nice as those I can see in this message board but I hope it will work ! I need now to build the rest of the lathe :lol:
Image
The aluminium cones comes from the cereal cans of my baby-daughter, the leading screw (nylon one ) are spare parts (brand new :P ) for fixing toilet covers and I had to bend an aluminium slab to 45 degrees since I could not find an aluminium profile the size I needed. Well...pure DIY I guess...don't be too tough with this first tryout...I don't have a CNC machine or this kind of stuff....by the way..I think I will use sharpened grammophone needles for a start but the mounted stylus is a mimaki plotter blade (I want to know how are 45 degree ones since I know other models has already been tried by some trolls here)

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Serif
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Post: # 20944Unread post Serif
Thu Sep 06, 2012 7:46 am

Nice prototype.



Keep at it, and let us see what else you make!


- Andrew
Last edited by Serif on Sun Jan 20, 2013 8:42 pm, edited 2 times in total.

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Serif
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Post: # 20945Unread post Serif
Thu Sep 06, 2012 8:01 am

Image
Last edited by Serif on Sun Jan 20, 2013 8:46 pm, edited 3 times in total.

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chaosbc
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Post: # 20946Unread post chaosbc
Thu Sep 06, 2012 8:11 am

Serif : thanks for your comments and lol for the plotter blade !!! ...and yes I bent the aluminium slab to 90° (my mistake)...about the name, I am undecided :wink: ...If this cutterhead does not end to the toilet and properly works, then I'll pick one :lol:
If the cantilever is the screw where the two alu cones meet each other the answer is yes

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Serif
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Post: # 20947Unread post Serif
Thu Sep 06, 2012 9:42 am

Merci pour votre sense d'humeur.
Bravo pour votre primum opus. J'espere que la tete ne se trouvera dans la w.c.



- André
Last edited by Serif on Sun Jan 20, 2013 8:44 pm, edited 2 times in total.

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markrob
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Post: # 20948Unread post markrob
Thu Sep 06, 2012 10:15 am

Hi,

Looks like a nice first pass given the tools at your disposal. If you have a oscope available, you can use it to get an idea of the system resonance. Just hook one of the drivers to the vertical input and tap on the stylus holder with a small screwdriver. You should see a damped sine wave at the resonance.

If you want to test in more detail before you get the lathe up and running, couple the stylus holder to a cheap phono pickup and drive the head with white/pink noise.

For example:

http://www.numark.com/product/groovetool

Monitor the output (don't forget the RIAA preamp for the pickup) with a spectrum analyser and you'll get a good idea of the performance. Here is a link to a nice inexpensive analyzer that includes the signal generator.

http://www.trueaudio.com/

Good luck with the project.

Mark

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chaosbc
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Post: # 21296Unread post chaosbc
Sun Oct 07, 2012 4:28 am

A photo of the work in progress...

M12 cantilever, bolts..
2 pillowblock+M12 bearing
1 drawer rail-bearing
Several brass hollow pipe clips (very usefull).
Well, I don't know if the drawer rail bearing is the best solution...maybe I better should have used needle roller bearing...we will see after the first test....it will still possible to change it afterward.
It takes a lot of time to figure out how it is supposed to work from pictures (grabbed in this message board and elsewhere over the internet...) and also avoiding backlashes.
When everything will be assembled, I will try with a handcranker instead of an electric engine, just to be sure it works (I mean I get something like a sound, even a dirty sounding noise !)
Any help, comments, remarks, insults are welcome
Image :lol:
Last edited by chaosbc on Sun Oct 07, 2012 8:30 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Angus McCarthy
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Post: # 21298Unread post Angus McCarthy
Sun Oct 07, 2012 8:06 am

Looks good! Pretty close to my first, aborted attempt actually (except yours looks like it may actually work!)

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chaosbc
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Post: # 21300Unread post chaosbc
Sun Oct 07, 2012 8:31 am

Thanks Angus. I hope so, I hope so !

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chaosbc
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Post: # 21821Unread post chaosbc
Sun Nov 11, 2012 5:03 pm

I finished assembling my lathe today...well actually ...not really but at least the minimum to try to check if I can get something out of this machine...
I manually turned the cantilever so you can imagine how dodgy it was...So far I gave it three quick tryouts (with invert riaa) and the sound was really barely listenable. Or the needle had hard time staying into the groove (not deep enough) or I only cound hear a "shhhhhhhhhhh"(groove way too deep).
Well I did not have the time to try more but well I know I have A LOT of work to really complete my lathe.
some pics below...
Image

Image

Image

Image

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the_ducktail
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Post: # 22331Unread post the_ducktail
Sat Dec 29, 2012 11:12 am

Hey Chaosbc, did you finished this? looks cool. great job :)

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markrob
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Post: # 22332Unread post markrob
Sat Dec 29, 2012 3:33 pm

Hi,

Looking good. I can't tell by the pictures, but you must wire one of the two speakers in the opposite polarity to cut a proper stereo signal. Otherwise, when you cut a mono signal (or the center channel of the stereo source) the cut will be hill and dale (vertical) instead of lateral (horizontal). The speakes are marked with a red dot to indicate the positive terminal. Just make sure one of these is wired opposite of the other.

Mark

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chaosbc
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Post: # 22334Unread post chaosbc
Sat Dec 29, 2012 3:54 pm

Thanks a lot for your comment, the_ducktail
Actually, it is close to be completed : I need to change a speaker (too much glue !) on the head and I am now waiting for the UPS guy to come !
I think the mechanical part should be oK now : here is a small video (nothing impressive but you can have an overview of the changes I made)

http://youtu.be/KmBZfDnsHOY
Markrob, your help on this messageboard is priceless : I am pretty sure I made this error ! Can't wait for the new speaker now !

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chaosbc
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Post: # 22349Unread post chaosbc
Mon Dec 31, 2012 1:30 pm

Ok 2012 is almost over and my Lathe is eventually totally assembled !
I will be able to do my first test maybe tomorrow if the hangover is not too strong :lol:
I played the copycat with my head redux and diy_cutter project as you will see in my photos http://www.flickr.com/photos/49941863@N04/sets/72157632396669506/


Happy new year to everyone ! Take care of yourselves trolls !

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chaosbc
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IT WORKS !!!!!!!

Post: # 22355Unread post chaosbc
Tue Jan 01, 2013 12:07 pm

Guys, I have to say a big "THANK YOU" to this communauty !
Thanks to your help, my lathe is working ! I need to do some fine tunings because the sound is not so great to say the least but it works ! I will add more samples (one video is currently uploading)
The Secret Society of Lathe Trolls Rocks ! Big time !

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pj24ylkcwgQ
The "SSsshhhh" comes from the fact it is an old CDR that was already scrached. The stylus I used for recording was actually the plotter blade (embossing position). No Har Bal filter so far, only reverse-RIAA.

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the_ducktail
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cool job keep working on it

Post: # 22420Unread post the_ducktail
Mon Jan 07, 2013 8:28 pm

keep working on it bro, youre very talented ;)

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