Anyone using a Califone Record Player?

[Retrosmith]

Hi guys!
Here's a bit of an odd question:

Is anyone using one of those metal 1950s Califone record players as a turntable for an overhead cutting head?

Some of the Calis are direct drive. It would seem to me that they might work well.

Anyone?

Thanks!
Retro

[emorritt]

The school had these when I was in elementary school in the 60's. They were cheaply made and if I recall, the drive shaft on the motor looks like a needle and the idler is very small; about 1.25 or 1.5 inches. Bumps up and down against the different diameters on the drive for different speeds. Not much torque and would probably grind to a halt if not just from the weight of an overhead mechanism in contact with it, but once a cutting stylus was lowered, it would come to a stop.

[emorritt]

Do you happen to have the model 12V-9? That was a professional turntable made by that company and was direct drive, pretty expensive and would also play 16" radio transcription discs. I think that was the only model they made that was direct drive. It was intended for professional use. All other Califone "school" or portable models used the needle-like motor shaft and rubber idler which didn't have much torque.

[Retrosmith]

Emorritt, no, I have the 12MV, "Commentator".

[emorritt]

That model has the "school" or plain idler drive. The transcription model was direct drive. You can try it, but I don't think that model will have the torque required for an overhead and cutting.