How were shellac records made?
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- Dr. Groove
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How were shellac records made?
How did they make 78 shellac records? Were they melted and pressed too?
"A dog don't want a bone. That's why he buries it." --James Brown
Yes, the "mix" - which varied from company to company, even day to day - contained shellac, vinsol, lampblack (soot, for color), china clay and other fillers, and even finely ground volcanic pumice which served to make the record wear the early steel needles and not the other way around. I think the pumice was eliminated in the mid 1930's when lighter weight electric pickups came in to general use. The material was rolled into sheets and calendar-cut into squares. These were heated and folded then placed in a press with the stamper, closed under heat, cooled, then opened and a finished record removed. There is a good video available of an old Milton Cross film made at the RCA Victor plant in either the late 30's or early 40's showing the entire process.
- Dr. Groove
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- Dr. Groove
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- Joined: Fri Jul 04, 2008 2:25 pm
- blacknwhite
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Part 1 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8xwe-Mt99Dwemorritt wrote:There is a good video available of an old Milton Cross film made at the RCA Victor plant in either the late 30's or early 40's showing the entire process.
Part 2 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZxhiUgK5gzs