Cutting nitemares? Am I alone?

Topics regarding professional record cutting.

Moderators: piaptk, tragwag, Steve E., Aussie0zborn

User avatar
dietrich10
Posts: 840
Joined: Wed Jan 16, 2008 2:18 pm
Location: usa
Contact:

Cutting nitemares? Am I alone?

Post: # 25880Unread post dietrich10
Mon Jun 10, 2013 10:05 am

They usually come after a few days of long cutting days.

Nitemares where all sorts of things go wrong while cutting or I forgot to do something during the cut
cutting lacquers-vms70 system

User avatar
opcode66
Posts: 2700
Joined: Sun Nov 08, 2009 10:56 pm
Contact:

Re: Cutting nitemares? Am I alone?

Post: # 25887Unread post opcode66
Mon Jun 10, 2013 12:29 pm

I've had dreams where I've smoked my cutterhead. Or raked the halfnut. Or my fav, moving the carriage with the head down and slamming the stylus into the side of the platter. That was my biggest rookie mistake and I still have nightmares about it.
Cutting, Inventing & Innovating
Groove Graphics, VMS Halfnuts, MIDI Automation, Professional Stereo Feedback Cutterheads, and Pesto 1-D Cutterhead Clones
Cutterhead Repair: Recoiling, Cleaning, Cloning of Screws, Dampers & More
http://mantra.audio

User avatar
concretecowboy71
Posts: 569
Joined: Mon Mar 08, 2010 10:13 am
Location: Cleveland, Ohio, USA
Contact:

Re: Cutting nitemares? Am I alone?

Post: # 25888Unread post concretecowboy71
Mon Jun 10, 2013 1:15 pm

I try to know when to stop on any given day. It is tough because there is always of work to do and everybody needs their stuff done yesterday.

After about 6-7 hours I have to really make sure I am paying attention.

Make sure I change the controller box to the right size/speed...I goof that one up sometimes.

Having previewed some audio and not sent it back to 0:00:000 and when I go to cut it starts in the middle of a song...ugh.

I hit the side of a disc on time with the head down, bent the torque tube. Won't do that again.

I think about this stuff in my sleep when I am super busy.
Cutting Masters in Bristol,Virginia, USA
Well Made Music / Gotta Groove Records

User avatar
dietrich10
Posts: 840
Joined: Wed Jan 16, 2008 2:18 pm
Location: usa
Contact:

Re: Cutting nitemares? Am I alone?

Post: # 25889Unread post dietrich10
Mon Jun 10, 2013 2:22 pm

I hit 'fast' instead of 'time' years ago once and that still comes up in my sleep

also the lifting the head during a side...which has never actually happened but appears at night
cutting lacquers-vms70 system

User avatar
concretecowboy71
Posts: 569
Joined: Mon Mar 08, 2010 10:13 am
Location: Cleveland, Ohio, USA
Contact:

Re: Cutting nitemares? Am I alone?

Post: # 25891Unread post concretecowboy71
Mon Jun 10, 2013 3:08 pm

I have done the fast/time thing several times. The sad part is there is not a thing you can do except cut it again!
Cutting Masters in Bristol,Virginia, USA
Well Made Music / Gotta Groove Records

User avatar
opcode66
Posts: 2700
Joined: Sun Nov 08, 2009 10:56 pm
Contact:

Re: Cutting nitemares? Am I alone?

Post: # 25896Unread post opcode66
Mon Jun 10, 2013 3:33 pm

concretecowboy71 wrote:I have done the fast/time thing several times. The sad part is there is not a thing you can do except cut it again!
With one of my automation boxes this would never happen again...
Cutting, Inventing & Innovating
Groove Graphics, VMS Halfnuts, MIDI Automation, Professional Stereo Feedback Cutterheads, and Pesto 1-D Cutterhead Clones
Cutterhead Repair: Recoiling, Cleaning, Cloning of Screws, Dampers & More
http://mantra.audio

User avatar
petermontg
Posts: 610
Joined: Sat Jun 26, 2010 7:51 am
Location: Ireland.

Re: Cutting nitemares? Am I alone?

Post: # 25911Unread post petermontg
Tue Jun 11, 2013 6:02 am

Mine wasn't so much a night mare.

Fast asleep. Hiding from the cold winter.

Standing in the middle of an empty warehouse.

WWWHHHAAAMMMM........

Scully on the head.
Peter Montgomery
+353(0)894926271
peter(at)petermontgomerymastering.com

Stereo cutter head wanted. Send email or smoke signals.

User avatar
EmAtChapterV
Posts: 244
Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2013 6:49 pm
Location: Vancouver, BC

Re: Cutting nitemares? Am I alone?

Post: # 25919Unread post EmAtChapterV
Tue Jun 11, 2013 7:51 pm

Always use compressed air to blow dust off a blank you're about to cut, especially if you've just been to the dentist and half your face is numb. Spraying spit all over the blank is not an effective strategy, nor is it polite or elegant.

Speaking of dentists, if you have your wisdom teeth removed and are doped up to the gills, it's probably not a good idea to go back and start cutting dubplates immediately afterward, no matter what you think your pending workload looks like. The customer said they liked a record I didn't remember cutting. Wheeee...

Getting two-thirds of the way through a 21-minute side and then realizing I forgot to switch the stylus heat on.

An intermittent ground-lift problem causing one or more of the op-amps in the cutting EQ to randomly generate uncontrolled resonance at around 14 kHz - cutting as normal and then suddenly *tink* goes the cutter current meter against its far-right-hand stop (100+ V RMS into 500 ohms) and stays there. Thankfully the treble limiter caught 6 or 8 dB of it before those hundred volts.

The latest has been trying to adjust the positioning of the suction tube and inadvertently shifting it sideways and upwards... CRUNCH against what was a perfectly good cutting stylus a few seconds ago. There goes some more money.

User avatar
Aussie0zborn
Posts: 1822
Joined: Sat Mar 11, 2006 8:23 am
Location: Australia
Contact:

Re: Cutting nitemares? Am I alone?

Post: # 25928Unread post Aussie0zborn
Wed Jun 12, 2013 7:48 am

Never raked a half nut.... You might getting into the habit of using a light touch of the fingertips.

User avatar
opcode66
Posts: 2700
Joined: Sun Nov 08, 2009 10:56 pm
Contact:

Re: Cutting nitemares? Am I alone?

Post: # 25932Unread post opcode66
Wed Jun 12, 2013 12:00 pm

I only raked it once as a rookie. But, now that I have the only stock of spares in the world... I could care less. No longer worries me...

Anyone need a halfnut? I got em.
Cutting, Inventing & Innovating
Groove Graphics, VMS Halfnuts, MIDI Automation, Professional Stereo Feedback Cutterheads, and Pesto 1-D Cutterhead Clones
Cutterhead Repair: Recoiling, Cleaning, Cloning of Screws, Dampers & More
http://mantra.audio

User avatar
mossboss
Posts: 2050
Joined: Sun Jul 01, 2007 8:18 am
Location: Australia.

Re: Cutting nitemares? Am I alone?

Post: # 25957Unread post mossboss
Wed Jun 12, 2013 11:58 pm

Strange that half nuts getting raked. I don't see how that could happen
It will engage by itself as we who use a VMS know
The only way I can se it happening if the loading spring is set to hard or it has been replaced by another non spec spring
We do have an original spare that has been on the shelve since when the lathe was delivered
That was March 31st 1976 this lathe must have cut at least 200 K sides as a wild guess may be more
We done near enough to 5 k titles so far
In the last few weeks since shifting the plant to a new location I have spend some time on the lathe as it was pulled apart for the shift so a very good general going over fixing little things as well as an inconsistent metering issue on the SP 75 console that's been annoying me for years
One of the jobs was inspection of the half nut just to be certain as it was not giving any problems
It was as good as the day it was put on
By the way after all the work adjustments alignments etc etc etc this lathe does cut a 2 Micron not mil grove perfectly even on a 14" lacquer
So once again how does one rake a half nut, it's got me puzzled
Cheers
Chris

User avatar
opcode66
Posts: 2700
Joined: Sun Nov 08, 2009 10:56 pm
Contact:

Re: Cutting nitemares? Am I alone?

Post: # 25961Unread post opcode66
Thu Jun 13, 2013 2:29 am

Have the halfnut engaged. Accidentally turn the wheel to adjust the position of the sled withoit disengaging the halfnut. Scraaaaaape. It is a terrifying sound.

Some people have had uneven wear on their halfnut. It results in temporary disengaging and therefore overlapping grooves. It is a problem. Not for eeryone...

If you or other haved accidentally raked/scrsped the halfnut, it can prematurely wear. Its just nylon.
Cutting, Inventing & Innovating
Groove Graphics, VMS Halfnuts, MIDI Automation, Professional Stereo Feedback Cutterheads, and Pesto 1-D Cutterhead Clones
Cutterhead Repair: Recoiling, Cleaning, Cloning of Screws, Dampers & More
http://mantra.audio

User avatar
mossboss
Posts: 2050
Joined: Sun Jul 01, 2007 8:18 am
Location: Australia.

Re: Cutting nitemares? Am I alone?

Post: # 25997Unread post mossboss
Fri Jun 14, 2013 12:29 am

Thanks for the explanation
Yeah it seems that there some heavy handed cutters out there than. :D
Surely moving the slide across enough times one would get a feel of how much pressure it should take to make it slide, any more than that it must indicate that there is something holding it back!
On the VMS lathes we have, it is a daily two to three drops of oil on the slide regardless, on either side
It slides with one finger and no lateral play, the vacuum hose we use is the blue silicon automotive stuff so it is very pliable and the cable which plugs at the suspension box has enough slack and has not gone hard If your has gone hard armour all for upholstery works quite well it will soften it up after a few applications with a soft rag
Also one drop of oil on the little hole at the end of the lead screw under the turntable
Once a month a long wooden meat skewer is held against the lead screw while pressing fast a few times so as to go to the end of its travel that is so as to remove any debris which may accumulate there
A five minute excercsise saves a lot of head aches
But none of the above would compensate for a heavy hand :lol:
Oils and meat wooden skewers are cheap 8)
Cheers
Chris

User avatar
petermontg
Posts: 610
Joined: Sat Jun 26, 2010 7:51 am
Location: Ireland.

Re: Cutting nitemares? Am I alone?

Post: # 26319Unread post petermontg
Mon Jul 08, 2013 10:11 am

Cutting dubs at the weekend. Double tap the lead in on the pitch 98. 1 second later big sigh, run out groove cut.
Peter Montgomery
+353(0)894926271
peter(at)petermontgomerymastering.com

Stereo cutter head wanted. Send email or smoke signals.

User avatar
EmAtChapterV
Posts: 244
Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2013 6:49 pm
Location: Vancouver, BC

Re: Cutting nitemares? Am I alone?

Post: # 26724Unread post EmAtChapterV
Tue Aug 13, 2013 2:58 pm

I actually had a good one last night. I dreamt I discovered Rek-O-Kut had made their own Scully/Neumann-esque pro lathe prototype, of which only a handful were ever made, and I managed to find one. It looked like a Scully 501 on a diet or a beefed-up AM32B, the sled carriage was brass and everything was covered in brown flocking, and the variable pitch knob was tiny. It was mostly disassembled and in need of restoration; I was trying to locate the owner so I could buy it.

User avatar
MrMegaEli
Posts: 55
Joined: Tue Apr 10, 2012 1:04 am
Location: Brooklyn, NY

Re: Cutting nitemares? Am I alone?

Post: # 26749Unread post MrMegaEli
Thu Aug 15, 2013 8:44 pm

Is this what you were thinking of?
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.

User avatar
philbrown
Posts: 25
Joined: Tue May 05, 2009 12:43 pm
Location: Oakland, CA
Contact:

Re: Cutting nitemares? Am I alone?

Post: # 28245Unread post philbrown
Sat Dec 28, 2013 11:27 am

EmAtChapterV wrote:Always use compressed air to blow dust off a blank you're about to cut, especially if you've just been to the dentist and half your face is numb. Spraying spit all over the blank is not an effective strategy, nor is it polite or elegant.
I never used compressed air. It's full of oil and water unless a direr is used. Nitrogen is what we always used in every cutting room I ever worked in.

User avatar
Phinster
Posts: 165
Joined: Mon Dec 22, 2008 8:47 am

Re: Cutting nitemares? Am I alone?

Post: # 28251Unread post Phinster
Sun Dec 29, 2013 6:37 am

You know , after 40 years of cutting, I have never had a dream about it. Funny that... 8)

User avatar
chenry57
Posts: 49
Joined: Fri Apr 05, 2013 11:54 am
Location: Nashville, TN
Contact:

Re: Cutting nitemares? Am I alone?

Post: # 29472Unread post chenry57
Fri Mar 28, 2014 11:31 pm

concretecowboy71 wrote:I have done the fast/time thing several times. The sad part is there is not a thing you can do except cut it again!
Ha! I haven't done this yet, but I have done the opposite where I hit time instead of fast at the end of a side. There are masters out in the world where, if you look hard enough, have a banding before the lead out!

User avatar
audadvnc
Posts: 157
Joined: Tue Jan 24, 2012 3:48 pm
Location: Minneapolis MN

Re: Cutting nitemares? Am I alone?

Post: # 29652Unread post audadvnc
Sat Apr 12, 2014 8:27 pm

I just screwed up my 100 year old mantle clock by advancing the alarm when everything was unwound. It's 7 o'clock here, but chimes for 1:00 .

Bummer...

Post Reply