Cutting Polycarbonate with a Diamond Stylus?

[spareorgan]

Hi all, very new to this. I recently purchased an Atom A-101 machine. It came with a diamond stylus in good shape. I have searched over the board and can't find a good answer if you can cut polycarbonate with a diamond stylus. Possible? Bad idea?

[displacedsnail]

Hey bud, welcome to the group. No, don't cut polycarb with diamond - pc is for embossing with conical sapphire/tungsten styli. For diamond cutting, use PETG discs.

Check out piaptk's Newbie Starter Guide, it'll set you up pretty well!: https://lathetrolls.com/viewtopic.php?f=22&t=8328

[spareorgan]

Thanks Displacedsnail! I think I got confused by the newbie guide, under the diamond cutting needle section it lists . (PC, PVC, PETG, LD/A) so I assumed PC was able to be cut with a diamond. The trouble I am having is the embossing grooves are to shallow for a 7” I’m trying to do for a friend who wants to DJ with it. I was hoping the PC blanks I just bought with my Sapphire cutting needle would work. Would it damage the diamond you think?

[displacedsnail]

I have never cut with diamond, I just emboss with sapphire using old Prestos and ROKs, but from what I understand from reading this forum religiously for a couple years now is that PC is harder than PETG and will damage and wear out a diamond needle prematurely. Perhaps someone else who cuts regularly with diamond will chime in, but that's enough to at least get you started on the right path, ha! I'll check out your label, looks interesting, I'm moved to lathes after doing a tape label and letterpress stuff, as well.

[spareorgan]

Wait, are you Joe (Displaced Snail Publications)? A friend turned me on to your site, been wanting to order a few things for some time. Thanks for the tip, I was just getting anxious but looks like my other blanks are showing up today so going to wait and save the PC ones for embossing down the road. I don't want to have to buy a new diamond (yet)! I wasn't having much success with embossing though on my machine, lots of surface noise. The diamond cuts I did came out pretty good but only had about 10 PETG blanks sent to me from the guy I bought it off.

If you search for spareorgan (records) on Bandcamp you can find my page. Also www(dot)spareorgan(dot)com...both in need of some updating!

Thanks again!

[piaptk]

You should also confirm its ACTUALLY a diamond. A lot of times you see people selling lathes or styli on ebay that are actually old sapphire styli, but because they are clear stones they assume they are diamondsz but diamond styli have really only been made with long/short shanks for about 15 years.

[spareorgan]

Unfortunately I have no way of knowing for sure. I don't have a microscope. I purchased it off a guy who seemed to know what he was doing and said it had a diamond that he only cut a few times on. Might have to send it in for sharpening, or just dive in for a new one.

[boryo]

Thanks Displacedsnail! I think I got confused by the newbie guide, under the diamond cutting needle section it lists . (PC, PVC, PETG, LD/A) so I assumed PC was able to be cut with a diamond. The trouble I am having is the embossing grooves are to shallow for a 7” I’m trying to do for a friend who wants to DJ with it. I was hoping the PC blanks I just bought with my Sapphire cutting needle would work. Would it damage the diamond you think?

apologies for the off-topic
not sure if this machine can cut with diamond but i suppose it can since you received a diamond with it. if you target your records to be played by djs my advice is to cut, of course on the right material.

[spareorgan]

Not 100% sure. I do know the guy I purchased it off got it from Vansix who shipped it with a diamond. It is in their paperwork too. But I am no expert. Not sure what was originally used on the machine.