Completely new to recording. I have restored several old Wilcox Gay etc records for friends in past. Have now acquired a Wilcox Gay1J11 recorder-single arm. Cleaned it up and it plays. It records . I found the best result to date is using a circle cut from a plasticiced For Sale sheet bought at local hardware store with suitable holes drilled in it, stuck to old Recordio record. I recorded from radio (that works OK as well as play back). Analyzed signal as played back on Stanton, using Cool Edit and unfortunately the hum is 40db above signal. Am about to go buy a used oscilloscope and a sig gen to debug electronics and get rid of the giant hum plus numerous harmonics.
I wondered if there is a drawing showing all details of the 78 rpm cutting tool. Might be able to get a jeweller to hone it to shape if have details.
If all works well final step will be to obtain some new blanks.
Also anyone know what pressure on cutting tool should be? Also where is adjustment for it.
cheers ottawaguy
Cutting tool shape
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cuttercollector
- Posts: 431
- Joined: Sun Jun 11, 2006 4:49 pm
- Location: San Jose, CA
To answer some of your questions in random order, the hum if it exists on all sources and with the volume down is probably a bad filter capacitor. It is one of the typical multi section silver cans of the era.
I have seen drawings of the cutting stylus shape - somewhere, I will have to look again. In general, they are sort of a modified chisel shape with the point and 2 little flats flaking on either side at an angle, then the back is a broad flat. There were proprietary differences between manufacturers and there are coarse or "standard" groove (78) ones and microgroove ones and ones with various shank lengths to fit various cutters.
Some versions of your Recordette had a dual needle for cutting and playback . Since the arm pulls up to an extreme angle for cutting, a front cutting stylus rotates to contact the disc. When it is in the normal down position for playback, a rear playback stylus is in position and the front cutting one clears the disc.
There is pretty much no weight/cutting depth adjustment on these. They just worked it out to cut their thin lacquer coated cardboard discs. Of course modern materials will vary, but it should be made to cut a groove of a depth which produces a width that is roughly equal to the land area between grooves, using a proper sharp cutting stylus for 78 groove width. You will find slightly shallower ones play back better with a modern small microgroove stylus.
Properly restored, these things can produce pretty good sound on a typical
modern lacquer coated aluminum blank. New styli for cutting are still available too. New old steel ones are not too hard to find. Pro jewel ones can be pretty expensive.
One big resource for us is West Tech services.
http://www.west-techservices.com
There have been and currently are many many discussions about Recordettes on this forum. Just dig back through the posts.
I have seen drawings of the cutting stylus shape - somewhere, I will have to look again. In general, they are sort of a modified chisel shape with the point and 2 little flats flaking on either side at an angle, then the back is a broad flat. There were proprietary differences between manufacturers and there are coarse or "standard" groove (78) ones and microgroove ones and ones with various shank lengths to fit various cutters.
Some versions of your Recordette had a dual needle for cutting and playback . Since the arm pulls up to an extreme angle for cutting, a front cutting stylus rotates to contact the disc. When it is in the normal down position for playback, a rear playback stylus is in position and the front cutting one clears the disc.
There is pretty much no weight/cutting depth adjustment on these. They just worked it out to cut their thin lacquer coated cardboard discs. Of course modern materials will vary, but it should be made to cut a groove of a depth which produces a width that is roughly equal to the land area between grooves, using a proper sharp cutting stylus for 78 groove width. You will find slightly shallower ones play back better with a modern small microgroove stylus.
Properly restored, these things can produce pretty good sound on a typical
modern lacquer coated aluminum blank. New styli for cutting are still available too. New old steel ones are not too hard to find. Pro jewel ones can be pretty expensive.
One big resource for us is West Tech services.
http://www.west-techservices.com
There have been and currently are many many discussions about Recordettes on this forum. Just dig back through the posts.
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cuttercollector
- Posts: 431
- Joined: Sun Jun 11, 2006 4:49 pm
- Location: San Jose, CA
Stylus specs
Hi there Ottawa guy
Here is a link that may be of some help to you in so far as the specifications of cutting styli is concerned
There is nothing else that I am aware off on the net or at least that i can find
If you do find a diamond cutter that is prepared to undertake such a task let the rest of us know
It would be handy
I have not been successful so far in finding one but I was given a number in the USA to try and it come from a very good source PM me if you wish the number as it would be unfair to post it in a public forum
Here is the link anyway, there are 3-4 sheets there for you to study
http://www.apollomasters.com/adamanttechspec.html
Good luck
Chris
Here is a link that may be of some help to you in so far as the specifications of cutting styli is concerned
There is nothing else that I am aware off on the net or at least that i can find
If you do find a diamond cutter that is prepared to undertake such a task let the rest of us know
It would be handy
I have not been successful so far in finding one but I was given a number in the USA to try and it come from a very good source PM me if you wish the number as it would be unfair to post it in a public forum
Here is the link anyway, there are 3-4 sheets there for you to study
http://www.apollomasters.com/adamanttechspec.html
Good luck
Chris