FLEXI's?

[cymbalism]

does anyone remember the records you used to get on cereal boxes? i remember getting count chocula and boo berry and frankenberry cereal when i was a kid and getting the records on the back of the box you had to cut out with a pair of scissors.

i know this is a CRAZY idea, but those boxes were just plain cardboard and the back was like laminated or something. has anyone thought of cutting on laminated cardboard?

[Aussie0zborn]

That sounds like a Rainbo Records product... the record stamped into the cereal box. That's how they started before buying the Decca Records plant and making real records.

[emorritt]

I read an article about the cereal box (cardboard laminate) records a while back; they were different that EvaTone's 'Soundsheet' product. They were pressed on a large machine with 4 dies that looked like windmill turned on it's side. I don't recall the description of the exact workings of the machine but it punched out 4 panels at a time on the pre-printed boxes with the plastic laminate already in place. I have a few of these from the 60's, Archies, Bobby Sherman, etc. Sound quality isn't really that bad considering.

[mossboss]

Yep Emmorit you are right
For an accurate description of the process do a search on patents it is all there There was also a design which had the plates mounted on a large cylinder
The earlier post's on this thread point to threads in the UK 3-5 years ago dated 2003 and 2005 with no information in them apart from what has been posted here 3-5 years later
It is the nature of forums I suppose for information to be regurgitated time and again by new people joining
The point is No one is going to invest money in equipment to make flexis or such like products unless there is sufficient quantity on an ongoing basis to justify that investment
The 1000-2000 request would have been laughed at even when flexis where readily available
These machines where geared up to push out 1000's per day not 200-300 runs or even 1000 as it is requested today
Imagine Kellog's Corn Flakes production line producing 2lb's packs with a flexi alike back on it and National advertising to that effect as to what was on it
Would have been a million or two or three packs produced?
That is where Flexi's used to live A nice gimmick so as to sell whatever
The flexi production line certainly pushed them out at the rate that product lines required and it was in the tens of tousands per day with very little cost attached to them
Now how can this msg get across? Here lays the quandary!
I did had an evil thought Though I should really start up the small 7" machine make a few hundred Flexi's and give them to members of this forum who made 10 worthwhile post's for the cost of materials plus the postage to wherever they are
They all can than have a flexi for their collection we can than live them where they belong in the annals of history
So since no one picked up my last Flexi Challenge lets see how this one is going to go
So any one here is prepared to open up a page for people to register their interest once we get to 50 request I WILL DO IT
5 per person please and hopefully we can then lay them to a well deseved rest
Requesting members must have 10 post's here on this forum
No I will not do any production runs and NO I will not cut anyones tune on them It will have some good tracks on it and no special request please as they will be refused categorically No offence it is just not worthwhile
Cheers

[Jesus H Chrysler]

I read somewhere that in the early days of flexi manufacturing they were done on modified letterpresses like they use to do hot foil stamping and embossing. A used kluge or heidelberg with hot foil apparatus can be had for as little as 5k$. one could probably be adapted to making flexis without much difficulty.

just a thought

[flozki]

hello. i pressed 1000 flexis per hand about 2 years ago..with really primitive equipment.it is made for a friend doing experimental music and noise.

it was for the cover of a cd of a friend. the first track on the cd is actually playable on a turntable. it is a glued flexi-disk on top of the cd cover.


you can see here
http://www.klangware.com/de/shop/list-media/strotter-inst.-monstranz-cd-2.html




more infos:
http://www.tectonics.ch/monstranz/Monstranz_releasesheet.pdf


at the beginning he asked if i can do 300. i said yes. if i knew it will be 1000 i would have rejected... but well at the end we did it.

and i will come with more as soon as i have automated the process a little bit more. i wanted to keep it quiet until now.but just to say it is possible. it doesnt need crazy equipment. an old heidelberg would be great. but i dont have the space and the money for one. so i go for a smaller solution...

i invested quite some time and money into all that. so please be a litte more patient. .. i think 200-300 series will be realistic.
for runs up to 50 pcs ask some people with a vinylrecorder....
i would only cut small runs, if i can automate one of my lathes for full automatic cutting process. it is not a big step from disk-o-mat to a small automated lathe for cutting 50-100 series... another winter project...
too boring to cut 50 from the same by hand...

but flexis will be come one day.