The Secret Society of Lathe Trolls

Hi Steve: I have a Presto 6N and it can only cut to around 4" on the diameter so your 4 1/8 is right. I just never precisely measured it. Now to drive you nuts. How about a chart taking that into consideration for us 6N users, :) :) No! You really don't have to do it. But ya got to admit it would be...

The rubber isolators should be very soft and pliable. So you probably need to replace them. On my own 6N I have silence in unmodulated grooves between cuts. Now if I crank the volumne I can hear some low freq components as compared to a modern record. However it is not objectionable or noticeable at...

Hi:

There is a product called "Sorbothane" That has excellent isolation abilities. I have'nt tried it yet on my Presto but have used the material on other equipment in years gone by with really good results

Doug

Hi everyone:

Sigh! Why are so many people watt happy? This old equipment can do a pretty good job. But not to todays standards or maybe I should say wants?

I second cutter collector and Jccc. Rebuild head and easy on the watts.

Doug

Hi: I see I was referred to here. :) And I got the email from Amp Doc today. The K8 uses an entirely different motor and drive pulley from the 6N or 8N So the pulley I have from Amp Doc is nothing at all like it. I do have a K8 myself so am familiar with both. Amp Docs idea of changing the motor fre...

Hey Jim: First thought is cutting needle angle. This varies according to blank thickness. Putting the cutting needle on the blank you should see a near verticle reflection with generally a very slight incline to the front 1to say 3 degrees. Or the blanks if not new are old dry and brittle. Look thro...

Hi: I'm using a variable DC power supply to supply power to heat stylus. Works great plus. I can hook up the cutting head to the amp input and listen to difference in noise while adjusting the heat. It's amazing how much difference the heated sylus makes. And for the old hard blanks I can tun it up ...

Hi: Yep. Using the water bong arrangement. Had'nt thought of the implications of that. :D Eventually I want to do some direct recording from the mic to disc. Hence the vacuum running in the background is not so cool. I live in an apartment so even putting it out on the lanai I can still hear it. I s...

Hi:

I just got a set of drive wheels for my 6N back from Terry's Rubber Rollers. Absolutely flawless and beautiful. Quiet as a church mouse.

I recomend him highly.

Doug

Hi again:

Anyone know what kind of vacuum pump was originaly used for this purpose? I have a great system with a vacuum cleaner. Way too noisey though.

A quiet suction pump? Does such a thing exist?

Thanks

Doug

Hi Aaron: Get the Transco Grampian Stylus from Apollomasters.com This is a short shank. Presto Fairchild is the long shank. Sorry for not remembering numbers off top of my head. :) Your head could be 8 15 500 ohm. Check by a resistance measurement. I'm using a 1-C head on my Presto and a 90B amp. Ok...

Hi Tape:

I've used the DC6 and now I'm using the new DC7 real nice program and great support from the company that makes it

Doug

Hi Tape:

Hmm! With a home type unit there probably is'nt the range of adjustment available. But I've cut 33RPM using saphire on the what is more then likely the same cutter as you have. Two Speed General Industries Unit. And had no problems.

Am sending you a PM also

Doug

Hi Tape:

Steel needle has a life of about 15 minutes on a good day. Best to use saphire. They will give longer life and quieter groove and if you use the heated type noise decreases even more

Doug

Hi: Last night I found the problem. This is just insidious. The very end of the stylus clamping screw is bent when I tightened the screw the stylus would twist a few degrees. So no matter what I did the angle and cut was wrong. I had gone over the whole carriage and finally took the head off and apa...

Hi Harvey:

Welcome to the site:)

I've seen pics of that machine. Very clever setup.

Enjoy.

Doug

Hi Cuttercollector. Back again. Well tonight I went through all the adjustments once again. Very meticulously. After doing all this I was able to cut a 10" 33rpm with no issues. The stylus is damaged so grooves aren't shiny. But I had no cutter head bounce problems. The other thing I did was to fill...

Hi Cuttercollector: This is something I'm going to try with my next new stylus. I've heard of this before but have never actually done it. On my Presto all I have to do is plug the cutter into the pickup input. Like you say any regular old amp will work for this purpose. Quiet groove would equal pro...

Hi Cuttercollector: Thanks for the input. I doubt I can cut anymore with the present damaged stylus. But I'll go through all we have discussed to this point. I'll have to watch this thing very close. As the times it's given me problems all has been proceeding nicely. Then bam. The sound off the cut ...

Hi:

Check out the Presto History Page on the net. Alan Graves who runs the site is the source for a treasure trove of Presto Information.

Nice lathe. Enjoy

Doug