I've been working on my 2.0 version of a homemade record lathe. The device is working above exprectations so I can't complain!
This is my first time building anything as mechanical/precise as this.
The lathe, made from old scanner parts and new 3D printer parts.
However all of my iterations of the machine yielded skipping records.
As a cutting-stylus I use a simple sewing needle at around 90° (pretty much perpendicular) to the recording medium.
The medium (for now) is CD's.
The cutting head just before the needle was placed
When I play back the records they sound pretty nice. Good volume and an overall decent range of highs and lows.
But as soon as the record has made a few turns with sound the needle starts to skip and drift towards the end of the record.
Recording at lower volumes and using some lubrication on the blanks did reduce the skip and drift, but it is still there.
What factors can cause this?
- The grooves not deep enough?
- Too close to the end of the record (CD's)?
- The angle of the needle on the record?
- The tip of the needle too sharp?
Thanks!
