To start off my short personal history of record cutting so far
![Smile :)](./images/smilies/icon_smile.gif)
So at the start of the year i got a small suitcase-lathe, a 30’s or 40’s dual-machine, modified to run at 33 and a third.
It has a mono head by the frenchie Pierre Clement (M1) that proposed the first challenge: the impeadence of the head and the output
of the power-amplifier i have didn’t match.
So the head would “drain” the amplifier leaving no volume at the cutting end.
After some advice on the forum the choice was between an off the shelf 100v system audio transformer, or a DIY transformer.
Soulbear had made a diy-trafo for just this head and kindly shared his “specs” with me, so I was off to the races.
A primary winding of 36 meters and a secondary of 104(!) meters with 30 SWG enameled wire around a torroid ferite core.
So after winding the secondary in the lost hours of the evening for about a week I had this spiffy transformer.
(Some light panic ensued when I broke off the start of the winding to a mere stub, but luckily it was still big enough to solder a lead onto)
Packaged in a failed attempt of cutting a record, I have to say I'm pretty proud of this thing.
And what’s more, it seems to works:
I still need to open the amp up quite a bit, but I’m getting convincing levels at the head now.
With the machine I had gotten some old (perhaps dead-stock or perhaps used) cutting needles.
I have been using these to cut in PETG blanks, that I got from a local plastics supplier.
Millage varies but one thing is for sure, there is LOADS of room for improvement.
The cuts sound halfway decent on the little turntable with an MMC head I have set up for playing 78’s – just loads of surface noise, but horrible on the orthofone cartridge I use for LP’s.
I guess this is due to the wider groove cut by these old needles?
My gut-feeling is that now the levels at the head are fine, and I need to start dealing with the other variables so here’s some questions:
• Am I using the right blanks for my setup?
• Where can I get “fresh” cutting needles?
• Would embossing needles be easy to set up on this head? Which one should I get?
• I’ve tried a couple times setting up a myshank account, but I guess they are not taking new customers: are there any other resources for these supplies in europe?
Thanks for helping me get along, I feel it’s going to be a long, interesting ride….