Convert CDs to Records

[Aussie0zborn]

CDs Get Into the Groove, Do Music the 45RPM Way
Posted by Gizmodo US Edition at 6:22 PM on May 9, 2008



"This is a story of a not so environmentally friendly, but rather groovy repurposing idea: reusing CDs as records (remember them?) At the UK's Futuresonic festival last week, a guy named Aleks Kolkowski had his vintage record-cutting machine ready to carve sound tracks into old CDs and DVDs. People simply had to turn up with an old disc and a sound file and he'd "overwrite" the CD with a track ready to be played on a turntable. Neat! I'd have been there asking Aleks for a copy of my first ever record (that'll be the theme to Watership Down— I know, I know) on a crappy old AOL CD I found recently. [Futuresonic via DIYDaily via ] "
Source: http://www.gizmodo.com.au/2008/05/cds_get_into_the_groove_do_music_the_45rpm_way-2.html

[mossboss]

That is a cute idea May be all of the recordio ang wilcox fellows can take that up on the local Sunday markets Give the kids a giggle and a lesson on playing something on dads record players They have to be older kids though
Cheers

[audadvnc]

I suppose you could use a CD as the blank to spray or dip a nitrocellulose lacquer on top - then it really would be a record.

[Angus McCarthy]

My first experiments with my W-Gay were on CDs, actually. I didn't actually cut into them. I embossed with a dull gramophone needle (similar to the King method) and got some not horrible results:

http://soundcloud.com/electrospinner/wilcox-gay-record-lathe-test

[aussie cutter]

Myself, along with half of the members on trolls have had a go with cds at one stage or another - I found them to be very good as a medium, but just not big enough - I'm cutting my own markolon discs now - Just found out through my supplier that i can get tinted (Black) markolon (will get some on my next order)

[Aussie0zborn]

Are the old 12" Laserdiscs made of the same polycarbonate that CDs are made from? I bought a handful from the Salvation Army store for a couple of bucks each.

[Angus McCarthy]

Are the old 12" Laserdiscs made of the same polycarbonate that CDs are made from? I bought a handful from the Salvation Army store for a couple of bucks each.

I had that same discussion with piaptk a while ago. I haven't yet had a chance to try embossing any of the laserdiscs he sent me to see if they behave the same as the CDs. Even if they are nominally the same material there is always the chance it's a slightly different recipe than current CDs. I definitely noticed a difference when embossing brand new out-of-the-package CDRs and older ones that have been sitting around for a few years. It could be they are different mixes or the plastic perhaps cures over time, in which case the laserdiscs would be pretty far down that road by now...

[piaptk]

I am convinced that Laserdiscs have some coating that you are actually coating. They will only cut (not emboss). CDs will only emboss (not cut).

[mossboss]

Laser discs and CD are/were made in generally the same lines
If they are replicated via a "glss master" they have all the high and low spots on the polycrabonate molding
They than go to the sputtering section of the production line and are given a flash of either pure aluminium or pure nickel which allows the reflection of the laser beam to be read by the reading head on the player
The coating is extremely thin about one or two atomic layers thick which needs to be protected
That side the sputterd side is coated while the molding is spinning with a variety of materials according to the prefered process of the production line manufacturer
The most common coating is a UV cured compound like used in printing
The reason for this prefered material is the speed which the liquid "ink" is cured by exposing it to strong Ultra violet rays for a split second or so
So cutting on one side of a CD or laser disc in some instances would be on poly the other side would be a hard cured UV type of ink layer
I am aware of a double injection moulding process used in laser discs early in the development but it was abandoned due to high levels of rejects as well as distorted discs
This was due to the fact that the disc had to go back in an injection moulding machine so as to receive this protective layer of the metalised side of the disc
The problem was solved by the application of a liquid material as described above
The same process applies to CDR of course just to make it clear
Cheers

[David34]

I have a customer asking me wether I can do this, has anyone successfully cut onto a 12" laserdisc with the VR?

[drdub]

We have cut some laserdiscs sucessfully with the VR.
See the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=twnXhlISWdI

It works really good - just need more weight to cut and it probably wears the stylus a little more.
We also heat it hotter than pvc!

ride on,
Dub