Presses
Moderators: piaptk, tragwag, Steve E., Aussie0zborn
- mrsteadyhands
- Posts: 19
- Joined: Sat Oct 09, 2010 3:57 pm
- Location: UK, London
lol, I actually just found out about dmm after doing some searching, unfortunately on wiki tho!
On the whole, i think i understand the general process, but there are just a lot of little questions which have come into my mind about little parts of the process which i can't seem to find the answers for anywhere, like the make up of pvc in records pressed today, and why adding/taking things away happens and/or affects the record.
It seems absolutely impossibly to find suppliers too!
On the whole, i think i understand the general process, but there are just a lot of little questions which have come into my mind about little parts of the process which i can't seem to find the answers for anywhere, like the make up of pvc in records pressed today, and why adding/taking things away happens and/or affects the record.
It seems absolutely impossibly to find suppliers too!
Hey Steady DJ
Everything is available man No issue It is a small industry now so not many players in it and the suppliers are a lot less
Keep in mind that the information available even here in this very forum would have been impossible to get or find in the heydays of vinyl
Each plant had it ways methods a well as secrets and no entry from one department to another was allowed let alone entry to outsiders
In actual fact Philips as well as EMI refused entry to any one in their plating departments for many years and that included suppliers
Other plants werent different Patents where applied for formulas of PVC compounds if they where by major manufacturers but smaller players kept they recipes secret and no patent as they had to disclose what they where doing if they applied for a patent
No it does not warrant to formulate new PVC compounds as for the major manufacturers its not enough qty and most PVC compounds now are blended by compounders after obtaining the necessary ingredients from the majors
Sure they have they recipes but it is a far cry from the days when as an example Seargent Peppers album sold 30 Million copies
Work that out at say 100 Grams per record that would be lot less than what is used today globally at around 300,000 tonne
That was for one title keeping in mind that there was another that many pressed at the same time and 100 grams is on the light side as it was more likely 120 Grams
That is the reason that most older records are fairly thin as if a pressing plant was to save 5 grams per record it was a substantial saving in material cost
Any way I thought you would be off to Germany by now purchasing that plant thats up for sale and setting it up
This will teach you all you ever need or needed to know For Sure
Cheers
Everything is available man No issue It is a small industry now so not many players in it and the suppliers are a lot less
Keep in mind that the information available even here in this very forum would have been impossible to get or find in the heydays of vinyl
Each plant had it ways methods a well as secrets and no entry from one department to another was allowed let alone entry to outsiders
In actual fact Philips as well as EMI refused entry to any one in their plating departments for many years and that included suppliers
Other plants werent different Patents where applied for formulas of PVC compounds if they where by major manufacturers but smaller players kept they recipes secret and no patent as they had to disclose what they where doing if they applied for a patent
No it does not warrant to formulate new PVC compounds as for the major manufacturers its not enough qty and most PVC compounds now are blended by compounders after obtaining the necessary ingredients from the majors
Sure they have they recipes but it is a far cry from the days when as an example Seargent Peppers album sold 30 Million copies
Work that out at say 100 Grams per record that would be lot less than what is used today globally at around 300,000 tonne
That was for one title keeping in mind that there was another that many pressed at the same time and 100 grams is on the light side as it was more likely 120 Grams
That is the reason that most older records are fairly thin as if a pressing plant was to save 5 grams per record it was a substantial saving in material cost
Any way I thought you would be off to Germany by now purchasing that plant thats up for sale and setting it up
This will teach you all you ever need or needed to know For Sure
Cheers
Chris
Cool
These guys are gonna tell you sooner or later that it's gonna be 100s of thousands if dollars you should expect to pay. They are humouring you pretty respectfully and kindly I know they are itching to give it to you straighter and harder but seem to be handling you quite gently. I'm so surprised! Lol! I saw Aussie tell someone years ago to get rid of any romantic feelings about running a press it not like running a recording studio. I will never forget that knowledge he put on us all. This ain't no game man! I wish my love for vinyl was enough to do it! Just having a little fun here. Search this site and you will see lots of harsh realities about doing this. I wish you luck though for real dude!
- mrsteadyhands
- Posts: 19
- Joined: Sat Oct 09, 2010 3:57 pm
- Location: UK, London
Yeah i know it won't be any walk in the park, but i am sharing with the costs with a few other people so it may not be quite as bad. we are all artists (v small time!) and have all had singles pressed. We are just all in love with vinyl, and want to try and do everything ourselves. I suppose the only way is to jump head first into things and work things out as they come up!
- montalbano
- Posts: 139
- Joined: Tue Aug 11, 2009 3:03 pm
- Location: Settala (MI), Italy
- Contact:
Hey Steady
My advice if you really want to try:
- buy a manual press with a pair decent moulds, the extruder and the trimmer, hydraulics, the steam generator and the cooling tower
- find an appropriate vent oven for the labels
- you will also need an air compressor but not that big
- install the whole thing
- find a good cutting studio and a supplier for stampers
- find a decent supplier for labels
that's it.
Forget about automatic presses, you don't need to go fast and you would need bigger energy systems and more performance and precision on the steam supply. Not to talk about the headfucks coming from the air and vacuum fittings, solenoid valves etc.
With a manual press you will minimize all these headfucks and spend less money overall.
And BTW absolutely stay away from galvanics.
My advice if you really want to try:
- buy a manual press with a pair decent moulds, the extruder and the trimmer, hydraulics, the steam generator and the cooling tower
- find an appropriate vent oven for the labels
- you will also need an air compressor but not that big
- install the whole thing
- find a good cutting studio and a supplier for stampers
- find a decent supplier for labels
that's it.
Forget about automatic presses, you don't need to go fast and you would need bigger energy systems and more performance and precision on the steam supply. Not to talk about the headfucks coming from the air and vacuum fittings, solenoid valves etc.
With a manual press you will minimize all these headfucks and spend less money overall.
And BTW absolutely stay away from galvanics.
Phil from Phono Press, Milan, Italy
http://www.phonopress.it
http://www.phonopress.it
- mrsteadyhands
- Posts: 19
- Joined: Sat Oct 09, 2010 3:57 pm
- Location: UK, London
- Aussie0zborn
- Posts: 1828
- Joined: Sat Mar 11, 2006 8:23 am
- Location: Australia
- Contact:
yes manual press's are cheeper but you try to make a 1000 records on one and you will soon realise why only picture discs are made on them!
You dont need a full auto press that does the sleeving and everything but just one that drops them onto a spindal so you can check each one and sleeve it your self.
You dont need a full auto press that does the sleeving and everything but just one that drops them onto a spindal so you can check each one and sleeve it your self.
- mrsteadyhands
- Posts: 19
- Joined: Sat Oct 09, 2010 3:57 pm
- Location: UK, London
i did see that, but I heard you run into problems with the pressure and steam side of things if you buy them from another country, because of differing safety laws in the UK. Is that right?
Who are the 3 plants? I know Vinyl Factory & Total vinyl. Would it be best to not go to the vinyl factory, as they have EMI presses that you can't get anywhere else??
Who are the 3 plants? I know Vinyl Factory & Total vinyl. Would it be best to not go to the vinyl factory, as they have EMI presses that you can't get anywhere else??
- Aussie0zborn
- Posts: 1828
- Joined: Sat Mar 11, 2006 8:23 am
- Location: Australia
- Contact:
The other one is Phoenix of Vinyl. Any plant will do regardless of which presses they use. The idea is to see if you enjoy the noise, the leaking hydraulic oil, busrting steam hoses, customers who complain about the labels on each side being oriented differently, records being flat one day and warped the next for no apparent reason... that sort of thing.
Saying that presses from one country are not suitable for your country is like saying a T-shirt made in China is not suitable for use in another country. Machinery is made in every country and exported to every corner of the world so what you say above is probably not correct. If you go ahead you really should think about buying a German-made steam boiler or steam generator so that you get German quality steam.
Saying that presses from one country are not suitable for your country is like saying a T-shirt made in China is not suitable for use in another country. Machinery is made in every country and exported to every corner of the world so what you say above is probably not correct. If you go ahead you really should think about buying a German-made steam boiler or steam generator so that you get German quality steam.
- Aussie0zborn
- Posts: 1828
- Joined: Sat Mar 11, 2006 8:23 am
- Location: Australia
- Contact:
- mrsteadyhands
- Posts: 19
- Joined: Sat Oct 09, 2010 3:57 pm
- Location: UK, London
- mrsteadyhands
- Posts: 19
- Joined: Sat Oct 09, 2010 3:57 pm
- Location: UK, London
lol somebody told me i would have issues with UK safety regs if I were to import a boiler from another country, i wasn't sure if this was him trying to make me buy his boiler though! i think i should try and source a press hopefully in the UK somewhere then worry about the boiler after. Thank you all for your input though, is so much appreciated!!