Radio station lathe gear from the 40s and 50s

[madwing]

Hi, I am a newbie to this whole lathe thing, and though it's fascinating it looks hella time-consuming (so preventing me from getting into it!).

However, I saved some old radio station gear (supposedly from a San Francisco station) from heading to the dump, and what I am not keeping (a Rek-o-Kut Model V Deluxe 16" transcription turntable and a Gray 108c tonearm) I am offering here first, then heading to ebay. Prices I'm trying to set below ebay pricing, and I am willing to combine shipping. Equipment is located near Santa Cruz, CA, 95060.

1. An RCA Type 73-A Recorder. This predated the 73-B (so my research tells me), and was available in the 1940 RCA Broadcasting Equipment catalog. I couldn't find it in any other catalogs, and it was gone by at least 1948, if not before. This dusty "pro" lathe has got two motors on 78 and 33.33 drive pucks (old GE motors, I can't see the motor plates easily enough to take pictures, but they're beefy...not sure if they're synchronous-hysteresis or not). The motor board mounts are rotted, but everything moves and adjusts as it should, or at least as I think it should (note, I've refurbed a couple of old Rek/Lenco idler drives and belt driven turntables, and have *some* idea of how it should be moving mechanically...but not knowing this, no guarantees!). It comes mounted on its original board, and is damn heavy (north of 200 lbs., easily). Has a suction tube for chip removal (attach your favorite pump!), and a Spencer microscope. The microscope light works I've attached pictures, and a catalog cut that can give much better information than I. I don't know how to price this, so I'm asking for best offer over $1000, plus shipping (which will entail discussion )

rca73atopfrt.jpg

rca73atopback.jpg

rca73alabel.jpg

rca73aidlers.jpg

2. A Rek-o-Kut M5 overhead cutting lathe. It's the type without the crank for the in and out grooves, but I don't really know what it means. All the mechanisms move freely, and it comes with a lead screw that's labelled "120 O-I/10-10-8". It was mounted on the Model V, and removed carefully. It's serial 6647M. $325 plus shipping.

3. An RCA MI-4887 cutting head. The top of the line from RCA, in what appears to be nice shape. I don't know how to measure the resistance of one of these, but have a little Radio Shack meter with kΩ on it and will be glad to follow instructions. Has a stylus in it that is sharp enough to draw blood. $450 plus shipping.

4. What I believe to be a very early Presto 1-C cutting head. It's serial "129", and has the funny yellowing plastic inside. No label, but a "6" on the side of the magnet. The holes and screws imply a Presto 1-C, but I will take it under advisement. Again, untested, but if I learn how I'll edit the item. Its stylus is sharper than the RCA, and draws blood more easily. $350 plus shipping.

I have lots of pictures, which I will add in messages below, and catalog PDFs for the Type 73-A if I can figure out how to get them on here. Sorry for being a putz that way.

Thanks for looking!
Bill

[madwing]

further pics of the RCA Type 73-A Recorder.

rca73alpiadj.jpg

rca73amech.JPG

rca73amicro.jpg

rca73amount.JPG

[madwing]

pics of the Rek-o-Kut M5:

rekm5all.JPG

rekm5mech.JPG

rekm5screw.jpg

rekm5label.jpg

[madwing]

the RCA MI-4887:

rca4887cvr.jpg

rca4887ser.jpg

rca4887guts.JPG

[madwing]

annnnd, the (I think) Presto 1-C or 1-D:

prestocvr.jpg

prestoback.jpg

prestoser.JPG

prestoside.jpg

[madwing]

the other presto pics:

prestoguts.jpg

prestogutsside1.jpg

prestogutsside2.jpg

[emorritt]

The cutting head is a Presto product, but pre-dates the 1B recorder as there is no nameplate on it. The pin is for a brass weight that was used when embossing on bare aluminum discs before lacquers. Also, in one of the photos the cutting stylus is in the chuck backwards. The flat side faces the rear of the head. The yellowing plastic you refer to is a damping material that Presto called Prestoflex - it does get hard after a number of years and can be replaced if the head is rebuilt.

[madwing]

The cutting head is a Presto product, but pre-dates the 1B recorder as there is no nameplate on it. The pin is for a brass weight that was used when embossing on bare aluminum discs before lacquers. Also, in one of the photos the cutting stylus is in the chuck backwards. The flat side faces the rear of the head. The yellowing plastic you refer to is a damping material that Presto called Prestoflex - it does get hard after a number of years and can be replaced if the head is rebuilt.

thanks for that.

i chucked it in backwards to keep from poking myself with it. three times was enough.

it came off the rek, so i am betting 1950s (the rek and the gray 108c are also from the early 1950s). is that when the 1b would have come out?

bill

[madwing]

The cutting head is a Presto product, but pre-dates the 1B recorder as there is no nameplate on it. The pin is for a brass weight that was used when embossing on bare aluminum discs before lacquers. Also, in one of the photos the cutting stylus is in the chuck backwards. The flat side faces the rear of the head. The yellowing plastic you refer to is a damping material that Presto called Prestoflex - it does get hard after a number of years and can be replaced if the head is rebuilt.

thanks for that.

i chucked it in backwards to keep from poking myself with it. three times was enough.

it came off the rek, so i am betting 1950s (the rek and the gray 108c are also from the early 1950s). is that when the 1b would have come out?

bill

well, based on the article i just found here, it looks to predate even the 1940s. this article:

presto_1d_manual_n_article.pdf

describes presto's "new" instantaneous recording cutting head, from 1937. maybe that means it's the 129th one *ever* made by presto

[Stevie342000]

Just to make that clear the Presto 1-C is from circa 1940 when the Presto 6N cutter lathe was released. The Presto 1-D came out a bit later in 1947 or thereabouts. The Presto 1-B was replaced by the 1-C, I would suggest circa 1937 for the 1-B, it all gets a bit murky the further you go back. I suggest that the 5-C replaced your cutter head, as it appears older. Even so it is the 129th one made of that model whatever model that may be.

[madwing]

The Rek-o-kut M5 is sold. Thanks, Chuck!

[madwing]

The RCA lathe and cutting head are sold.

For item 4, (as above) it's what I thought to be a very early Presto 1-C cutting head, but it might be a 1-B. I've extracted the pertinent pages from the link in the message a couple above, and have posted it on this post. I believe it to be the same cutter as shown in the article from 1937.

The cutter head has serial "129", and the funny yellowing plastic inside. No label, but a "6" on the side of the magnet.

It shows resistance of about 2Ω across the leads

Its stylus is sharper than the RCA, and draws blood more easily.

$250 including shipping.

[Presto Repairs]

Its a 1B that predates being assigned the model number

These heads were also able to be converted to 1-C by the addition of a badge and a little tweaking...

[emorritt]

The head most likely comes from the mid-1930s because of the pin for supporting the embossing weight. The Presto Jr. (predecessor of the K series recorders) had heads shaped more like an Audak with the same pin. There was a large brass weight that was placed on the pin to emboss uncoated aluminum discs.

[madwing]

New, lower price on the Presto cutting head.

The RCA lathe and cutting head are sold, as is the Rek-o-Kut lathe.

For item 4, (as above) it's what I thought to be a very early Presto 1-C cutting head, but it might be a 1-B; according to Presto Repairs, it *is* a 1-B. I've extracted the pertinent pages from the link in the message a couple above, and have posted it on this post. I believe it to be the same cutter as shown in the article from 1937.

The cutter head has serial "129", and the funny yellowing plastic inside. No label, but a "6" on the side of the magnet.

It shows resistance of about 2Ω across the leads

Its stylus is sharper than the RCA, and draws blood more easily.

$200 including shipping. Or, make me an offer.

[Presto Repairs]

YES... This head is the same cutter as the model featured in the 1937 document attached to the 1D manual ...

It is titled in the document on figure 1 as "The Presto Wide Range Instantanious Recording Head"

If you also take note of the first paragraph of the 1C sales document it states that in 1937 presto offered a cutter which was " designated as the 1B"

It simply wasn't given a model number at first...

I have a presto cutterhead that predates this 1937 model - It is the same cutter pictured in figure 4. of that same 1937 document Titled "an older type of cutter" It is a single coil head, has a larger horseshoe magnet and a very small damping block.

This head from figure 4. has no model or serial numbers on it at all...

The number 6 found stamped on the side of the magnet in your cutter is also found on 1C and 1D magnets - the magnet can be interchanged between all 3 models...

So technically, what you have is a "Wide range Instantanious recording head" which later became the 1-B , which can be upgraded to a 1-C and so on...

Its a rare find and in good condition from what I can see it the pictures....

[Presto Repairs]

Here's a picture of the pre 1937 head from fig 4. as well as a picture of the same head next to a 1-C

[madwing]

New, lower price on the Presto cutting head.

The RCA lathe and cutting head are sold, as is the Rek-o-Kut lathe.

For item 4, (as above) it's what I thought to be a very early Presto 1-C cutting head, but it might be a 1-B; according to Presto Repairs, it *is* a 1-B. I've extracted the pertinent pages from the link in the message a couple above, and have posted it on this post. I believe it to be the same cutter as shown in the article from 1937.

The cutter head has serial "129", and the funny yellowing plastic inside. No label, but a "6" on the side of the magnet.

It shows resistance of about 2Ω across the leads

Its stylus is sharper than the RCA, and draws blood more easily.

$200 including shipping. Or, make me an offer.

everything is sold. glad it all went to homes in the lathe community, and not just to a dumpster somewhere!

best,
bill