The Secret Society of Lathe Trolls

Awesome. Congrats on the successful result!

*so much equipment lust*

I've got mine set up on a hefty wooden frame - the box it's mounted in rests on top of four treated 4x4 posts, so I can lift it off if need be - the whole thing on heavy-duty castors. The mass alone keeps things from resonating, even though these are wooden floors. I'm not apt to move around the roo...

Looks like it needs an idler wheel, not a belt actually. Pretty easy to get a new one made.

Any amplifier can be used to drive a cutting head - provided it matches the impedance and has enough headroom to cut at a listenable level without distorting.

Well, that's definitely a 1-C or 1-D head (with no model badge) and they are, of course, mono heads. Best guess is that two of them were intended to feed a stylus heater. A Picture of the underside of the head would tell a lot more.

Welcome! A Recordio (General Industries style cutter) is a great machine to get started out on. There's not a whole lot that can be adjusted on it, and that gives you a chance to get familiar with the basics of the process. If the head in the (large) recording arm is a crystal type - often designate...

In average condition. Needs some restoration, but looks like everything is there. Local pick-up only in New Jersey.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/111088833071

Interesting that this is the third or fourth Presto D to surface in the last couple months. (Holy crap - Black and greeen) If somebody doesn't jump on this for $300 I'll be sorely disappointed. I can't keep buying every beautiful machine I see - I have to get at least one of them in top condition fi...

Is there a link to the sale?

Direct link:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/161037390020

If you are looking to do this as a hobby, your best best is to go the semi-pro route. You can find a Rek-O-Kut or Presto 6N on eBay these days for anywhere from $600 - $1500, depending on condition and how many bells and whistles come with the package. You'll definitely be able to get some impressiv...

Well, talked to the seller, and he's okay with me backing out.

So, if anybody can use these, feel free to step in as the "first bidder" !

Awesome. Just make sure it's well-lubricated. The old beasts of a motor tend to run hot anyway. I've considered mounting a small fan in the case near the motor just to keep air circulating. That might help in this situation, too.

Admittedly, without the transmission, and in its current state, $1,300 as a starting bid is extremely high, let alone $3,500 to buy it outright. If you you start with a much lower opening bid, you will probably get a bidding war anyway. A super-high price like that is just going to scare away potent...

Blast.

Well, I'll be sure to let everybody know when I re-list them, 'cause at this rate it looks like I'm going to be stuck with them.

(Edit: just sent a message off to the seller. Hopefully we can get this bid cancelled in time.)

The first video has a jump cut about a minute in - but the music is uninterrupted.

It's been dubbed. Not a true playback video.

Steel cutting styli often appear on eBay, as do some vintage playback needles. You can, of course, just use a plain gramophone needle, but you'll be better off tracking down one specifically meant for the pickup. Check for a model number on the playback head itself and try searching for that in part...

Here's another, from June 1943:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/130912176040

I've never bothered to actually check the weight on my 6N. With that kind of carriage (without an advance ball) you have to just dial in the correct tension on the spring until things sound quiet.