New member Presto 6n resto-mod project

[mattvon]

Hi there, I'm formally introducing myself. My name is Matt and I'm currently restoring a Presto 6N.

So far I've replaced it's power cord. My goals are to get this thing cutting fairly soon followed by upgrades (stereo, heated stylus, 45rpm, sound isolating cabinet).

I have various parts and cutting heads that came along with the lathe. I could use some guidance from members who have experience with this. I will undoubtably be posting questions as I get stuck.

I'm in the market for parts including:
Presto feed screws / amps / equalization & IRIAA pre amp / software /stereo cutting heads etc.

Later trolls. Thank you.

Matt V

[ROLANDJAYS]

I have feed screws . pm me .

[rsimms3]

What condition is it in now? Running? Cutting? First things to check are the motor - clean and relubricate, then check the condition of the idler wheel and if it needs new rubber, and then if you are getting consistent speed. Those are the basics if you've already confirmed that the head is good, etc.

I repainted mine a little while back, but haven't made any progress since because I've been dedicating it to working on my Frankenlathe.

http://lathetrolls.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=5738&p=35664&hilit=presto+6n+paint#p35448

Lots of posts on the other topics you mentioned with heated stylus probably being the most recent active topic of discussion. If you do some searches they'll be plenty to read and try out. Pics of what you have now and as you progress would be great!

[mattvon]

Rolandjays, Thanks bud. I'll hit you up

Rsimms3, The platter spins nicely. Noisey- some scraping against a screw below the platter. So your lubrication advice might be the ticket. Both speeds seem pretty constant. Although not sure how to measure that as of now. Rubber idler wheels are good. No flat spots or dry rotting. I'll open and clean the motor at some point just to be thorough.

Regular grease- or something specific?

No cuts yet. I have no suitable amp/ or equalization equipment yet. And need to test my cutting heads ( Presto 1-C / 1-D).

Also I'm missing some part from my overhead assembly. The cutter head rests in the up position- it needs a part that'll hold it in cutting position. I could use an expanded diagram of the Presto 6n's parts or even just the overhead assembly. Is that out there?

I'll put up a few pictures.

Thank you for the tips, good stuff. I'm having a good time working on the the thing. Very excited to cut my own records.

[rsimms3]

For lubrication I use bearing grease. There's an overflow hole in the well so if you over fill it, the excess comes out and you can wipe it off. Lots of folks use different lubricants, depends on preference and experience. Original manual indicates a quality vaseline and 3-in1 oil. Scan of the manual can be found here:

http://www.lathetrolls.com/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=335

Sounds like the first think you need to do is to find the source of that noise, there shouldn't be any noticeable noise when the platter spins. Any grinding sound is bad. Next you'll need to figure out if your head is operational and what ohm it is so you can find a suitable matching amp. It feels like it's about a 50/50 split between analog and digital implementation of IRIAA so if you have a preference then you can see how you want to implement it. The manual I linked to has a parts list with pictures in it. My 6n that I linked to above has all the parts so you can start there in terms of seeing if you have everything you need for the overhead along with comparisons against the manual. As for the cutting head position, it rests in the cutting position due to gravity and adjustment of the tension spring. The weight of the cutterhead attached will cause the cutterhead to lower with the use of the lever for lifting/lowering the cutterhead. Have a look at the manual first, a lot of your questions will be answered in there.

[piaptk]

My buddy is selling nice iRIAA boxes on eBay right now. They work great!

What part are you missing from your overhead? I have lots of cannibalized 6n overheads and may have your part. What extra parts do you have? Maybe we can swap. Send me an email to lathecuts((aaaattt))yaaahhhoooodotcawm.

[mattvon]

photo-1.jpg

Ok, it's seems that I have all the parts I need for the overhead assembly. The weight of the attached cutter head seems to have it almost right. the tension spring looks stretched out - I'm going to replace it.

[andyburnout]

Sorry to bump this old thread up.
Is there a particular name for the screw with the hole at the bottom that the tension spring attaches to? I’ve been googling several terms and asked at a hardware store but the guy couldn’t help me. Also what thread size is it? I’ve tried a bunch but it’s either narrow or wide.

My current set up isn’t very precise.

[piaptk]

I think it is just a 6-32 screw that has been milled down on one side and then has a hole drilled in the end. Its not an off the shelf part. Its custom made, but not hard to make with a dremel, a clamp, and a drill press.