Stylus replacement without any tools

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humanoid
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Stylus replacement without any tools

Post: # 26353Unread post humanoid
Thu Jul 11, 2013 3:56 am

Hi trolls,i'm new one on the forum. So i got some problems with my lathe. I'm a mastering engineer, and i used to work with cutting engineer together, but he has gone a couple of day ago. I am alone in front of all technical aspects now.
Our lathe in Neumann VMS-70 with SX-74 cutterhead
Yesterday my stylus suddenly fell out of cutterhead. So i've been trying to replace stylus with new one. The matter is that we dont have any tool for stylus replacement such a special scope or replacement tool, and we have to replace stylus by eyes only. I did that as precise as i could.
but the next cuts was god-awfull. Unmodulated groove looks like "moire" line and sounds like a pink noise with plenty of level. Shit!
Before that freaky incident our lathe produced practically good "produce". And now we are begging on the street

Please, tell me what i have to do lest i broke everything, any ideas, thanks!

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mossboss
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Re: Stylus replacement without any tools

Post: # 26356Unread post mossboss
Thu Jul 11, 2013 5:09 am

You would hard pushed to replace a stylus just by eye.
The scope and the little tool is standard with every VMS.
How did your other guy did it?
And where are you located may be there is help with a loan unit or some such
C.
Chris

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humanoid
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Re: Stylus replacement without any tools

Post: # 26357Unread post humanoid
Thu Jul 11, 2013 8:31 am

Thanks, mossboss.
You may believe or not other guy did it with loupe and groove-scope.
Our VMS was assembled from various components series and we didn't have any of this tools from the beginning
And location is on more problem - we in russia

So, as i right understood, does wrong stylus placement is the key reason of noise?

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humanoid
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Re: Stylus replacement without any tools

Post: # 26358Unread post humanoid
Thu Jul 11, 2013 9:10 am

So, to solve this problem and prevent others, we are looking for outside specialist (special topic has posted) who able to come to russia for 1 (max 2) weeks and fix, maintain lathe and get some advise to our engineers for further instances.
We are ready to pay all related expenses including flight, accommodation, food, party)) (joke). Fees vary according to you. All twists and turns we can discuss by mail.


All VMS monsters are welcome. if you interesting of that, send your CV to yakzah@ya.ru

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mossboss
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Re: Stylus replacement without any tools

Post: # 26366Unread post mossboss
Thu Jul 11, 2013 11:32 pm

Better get a microscope first as well as the little tool bar or make sure whoever comes over has got them with him and also make sure he leaves them behind
The scope is crucial the little tool can be made by any competent tool maker
At the end of the day you can also get a stylus microscope made but there may be one around stick a wanted under classifieds
You never know.
Send me pm with your email address I can send you a photo of it with a head mounted so you can get the idea
Good luck.
Chris

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jjgolden
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Re: Stylus replacement without any tools

Post: # 26511Unread post jjgolden
Thu Jul 25, 2013 4:56 pm

With the assumption you've never changed the stylus before, here's some things to check:


1. Insert stylus correct direction (with heat wires facing towards front of cutter head)
2. Only handle Stylus by heating wires, never touch the tip.
3. Insert the stylus into the torque tube, align it so the square of the stylus shank is flush with the torque tube and touch with light force using your finger nail to secure it in place. (don't over do this)
4. Be sure head hight/rake angle is correct.
5. Be sure stylus heat is working as indicated on amp meter (check heating wires are not shorted or not secure)
6. When doing a test cut for noise be sure the amp breakers set. (green lights on).

Hope this helps some,

JJG

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mossboss
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Re: Stylus replacement without any tools

Post: # 26514Unread post mossboss
Thu Jul 25, 2013 8:38 pm

Alignment must be done on the flat face of the stylus viewed through the stylus microscope aligned to the line visible through the ocular which is perfectly parallel to the head
The head once mounted on the scope can be rotated as we know,so as to bring in focus either the torque tube for stylus placement with the little tool provided or the face of the stone for alignment
It should never be aligned to the flat side of the shank
The position of the stylus within the aluminium shank can be quite a bit off in relation to the face of the shank as it is glued in, on a slight over size hole drilled in the tapered shank
It is nearly there and that's about it as it is very hard or almost impossible to have the ground and polished stone true and square on the face of the shank, if it happens to be square to the face of the shank it's a fluke rather than design or method of manufacture
Aligning it to the line on the microscope ensures the stylus is parallel to the head so that the burnishing facets of the stylus perform the function they are there for, that is so as to push back the lacquer material that wants to spring back after its been cut
If the stylus is not perfectly parallel to the head and just a little bit off, one burnishing side will push harder on the remaining material in the groove while the other side will not do anything
One will never have an even sided cut Which is the aim of the game
Very hard to see under the lacquer microscope as the cut would look quite normal
There are ways to test for true stylus alignment that should be known by any competent cutter.

Cheers
Chris

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jjgolden
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Re: Stylus replacement without any tools

Post: # 26517Unread post jjgolden
Thu Jul 25, 2013 9:15 pm

Mossy is right about all that, but I suspect there's something else going on to create
that kind of noise you're describing.

Let us know how it goes...
JJG

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mossboss
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Re: Stylus replacement without any tools

Post: # 26521Unread post mossboss
Fri Jul 26, 2013 7:03 am

His stylus is most likely so askew that he is cutting at a rather acute angle instead of the cut been perpendicular to the direction of the rotating lacquer or whatever he is cutting.
Doing stylus re placement of a stylus with a loupe and a pair of tweezers is a good way of asking for trouble and he has it
That's assuming that he has the stylus with the flat face cutting and not reversed
Seen that before.
Cheers
Chris

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gold
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Re: Stylus replacement without any tools

Post: # 26554Unread post gold
Mon Jul 29, 2013 3:31 pm

I just use a loupe to change styli. I use the back aluminum edge of the underside of the SX-74 as a straight edge to align the stylus. I never liked those Neumann stylus microscopes.

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jjgolden
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Re: Stylus replacement without any tools

Post: # 26571Unread post jjgolden
Tue Jul 30, 2013 4:16 pm

Hi Paul,

What do you use to secure the head while changing the stylus?

JJG

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gold
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Re: Stylus replacement without any tools

Post: # 26574Unread post gold
Tue Jul 30, 2013 9:06 pm

Hi JJ,

I set the head on the turntable to insert the stylus. Then I hold the head in my left hand. While looking through the loupe I adjust the stylus with my right finger. Then I use a pair of tweezers with bent jaws to do the final tweak and push into the torque tube.

Paul

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jjgolden
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Re: Stylus replacement without any tools

Post: # 26575Unread post jjgolden
Tue Jul 30, 2013 9:40 pm

Cool Thanks Paul,

I borrow a neumann scope from the other room here, but would like to make/machine something that holds the head in a similar way for my
room. I have an old stereoscope that I'd like to try for this purpose. need more time to make it happen though.

JJG

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gold
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Re: Stylus replacement without any tools

Post: # 26577Unread post gold
Wed Jul 31, 2013 12:58 am

I could never get the Neumann scope at the right height and lit so I could see what I was doing. Admittedly those are not insurmountable problems. I didn't get one with my first lathe and every time I tried one it took longer and was less convenient that the way I learned to do it. I had one for a while and I never used it.

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humanoid
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Re: Stylus replacement without any tools

Post: # 29597Unread post humanoid
Fri Apr 04, 2014 12:01 pm

Thanks for all! Sorry for silence.
the problem was solved by changing styli angle.

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mossboss
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Re: Stylus replacement without any tools

Post: # 29602Unread post mossboss
Sat Apr 05, 2014 5:04 pm

Well we knew that one
But thanks for the update
Nice of you to at least report back
All the best
Chris

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