The Secret Society of Lathe Trolls

Thanks Mike!!! You make me sound like the bastard child of Robert VanDyke! Seriously I am doing a major purge of lathes etc. In the next 4 to 6 months I will also have complete plug and play Presto 8N custom console lathes (2 or 3) and two complete Fairchild 539 type custom console units built up an...

HI - This is my auction. The lathe is like a big K8. The lathe is complete except for cutterhead and cabinet. I used the cab to mount a 6N in for a client and now the Y5 needs a new home. Any questions feel free to PM me. I will be listing many more pieces of cutting and vintage audio gear on ebay t...

Hi Andy, Sent you a PM about Fairchild lathe.

thanks - Kris

Hi Steve, I have cut several standard groove 78s using a 362 Apollo styli. This produces a deep V groove that can be reproduced with standard or microgroove styli. I cut to a groove width of 8mil and it works great. My label, groove-O-matic, just released a 10 inch 78 on our sub label "Electric". It...

Ewing Nunn and his label Audiophile Records did exist. He put this pamphlet out to thumb his nose at the rest of the industry. If you look at the pictures on the Audiophile site you can see a Presto 8N with a Cook head and other photos of an 8DG with a Westrex 2B mounted on it. A friend of mine owns...

The skullduggery lathe was manufactered by Overcut International at their factory in Wownflutter Ohio. They work best with Zippo 30/30/30 three channel cutterheads.

Kris

Some really good info here!!

http://www.franastat.com/ap/apjoke1.htm

Enjoy.

Kris

I use tinsel wire from the cutterhead to a buss on the back of the headblock /armature. it is extremly supple and slack. Very similar to the wire used inside some headphone cables. I also use it in the last leg of the stylus heat. With a high mass head such as a Westrex or Haeco the flexibility of t...

Thanks Mike!!

Ok- This is impossible to do for 2 reasons. 1. Cutting: Simply reversing the feed screw at the "turnaround point" would result in eminant overcut of the outside-in part of the groove. One would need to reverse the direction of the platter at the same exact time, and turn the stylus around 180 to mee...

Hi - Couple notes on the 8dg. This is a later production 8dg before the switch to 8dgv. It has direct drive motors for 33 and 78, 45 is achieved by the third vertical mount motor running with a puck off the flywheel for the 33/78 gearbox. Early model 8d units have a radiused section to the left of t...

Hi Folk that looks great!!!

If you want to make a trip to Seattle I would be happy to give you a crash course in cutting.

Did you make an addition on the bottom of the platter, or change the capstan on the motor to achieve proper speed?

Best - Kris

Hi - Opcode you have it backwards. slowing down the audio at 78 would result in even slower playback at 33, 45. One would need to clock the audio at nearly double speed for 45 and more than double speed for 33 playback when recording at 78. Thats alot of work for the cutterhead!! Skyrocketguy - I ha...

Hi - At groove-O-matic in Seattle we offer mono 100% analog mastering. We use Ampex 350 and 351 1/4 inch full track machines at 15 or 30 IPS. We can do half speed cutting of 30 IPS tape using constant flux equalization on a belt driven 8D with 2 speed motor. NAB equalization is available for full sp...

Interesting thread.... I was talking to a friend of mine about this and he claims the increase in frequency is due to concert halls getting bigger and bigger requiring string instruments to be louder, which means more tension so higher frequency.

- Kris

Does anyone have access to this manual? I need the info on strapping for 16 ohm output and 150 and 600 ohm input. I PM'd Alan but did not hear back.

Thanks - Kris

Hi - The best way to check for wow/flutter is to cut a steady test tone. By cutting a sine wave you will be able to monitor how the platter is behaving as you cut the record. If you then playback on a turntable that is known to spin properly you will hear any wow that was imparted during cutting. Do...

Hi All, This week KEXP radio ran a story about what we do at Groove-O-Matic. I've linked it below.

http://blog.kexp.org/blog/2011/05/25/fabulous-sounds-of-the-pacific-northwest-how-to-make-a-record/comment-page-1/

Also check out our website at: groove-o-matic.com

Thanks
- Kris

That is kind of crazy.... I have 2 of those lathes and paid a great deal less than that. People might want it for playback?? Might have to sell at these prices!!
- Kris