Homemade "quick and dirty" record disc-cutting lathe

Made by a gear motor, Beogram 1000 turntable, loudspeaker unit, wires, tape and a nail. Improvements: More compact design :-) Better cutter needle Better sound transfer to the needle (instead of using a wire) Better signal level control. As you can hear, the sound level is low. But it is very dificult to control by ear. To high levels and the grove-cut crosses the neighbor grove (distance approx 0,2 mm) which ruins the recording.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• DIY
• Record
• Lathe

[larstinning]

Actual (I forgot to write it!) I did make "anti-RIAA" on the signal, before recording. But I agree with you, why we are using the RIAA-curve. If I didn't use invers RIAA on the recording, the reproduction sounds a lot more "rumble" on the playback (I tried that on some of the first attempt). It was also very difficult to control the volume, without the growes was disturbing each other. I think the reason why it still is "colored", is because of the weak force/control of the cutting needle.

[larstinning]

I wIll look forward to see your project.

The aim of my project was to make a quick construction... a recording device, that can be used and created, if you are stuck in a summerhouse, with some old CD's, alarm clock gear and an old Victrola! :-)

[alienmanstk]

Wow! This is great because it uses a gear motor! Now, about that motor, is it in any way connected to the record player? Or is it totally separate, an has a separate source? Also, how many rotations should the gear turn per second, to be able to cut individual grooves that dont bleed through eachother? Great jb! One thing i noticed that should make it sound louder and better, is instead of connecting such a large and long wire to the speaker, why not use a small speaker w/ a needle attached

[larstinning]

Thanks for you reply!

As it is now, the gear motor mounted on my workbench and completely separated from the record player and suspension of the record player is canceled/omitted and fixed on my workbench too. Even the power to the motor comes from another power outlet so it individual can be turned on and off. This is nice, because the wire has to wind up and be completely tensioned with the tonearm, before the turntable should be turned on.

[larstinning]

It takes the gear motor 4 minutes to make one rotation.The Ø=7 mm axel gives us a circumference of approx 22 mm. So we are dealing with approx 7 mm per minute on the disc.

Due to the uncertancy with the cutting needle, how I feed the vibrations to it and the whole wire-pully mecanism: I haven't investigated, how many rotations should the gear turn per second, to keep a high density.

[larstinning]

Due to "room acoustics", the reproduction is much better than you hear it in the video. But I totally agree with you about using a tiny speaker. Actually, I tried mounting a small speaker on top of the tonearm and then force the needle, by using a extra short thick wire. But the results was very disapointing. The results was weak and "tinny", so kept my old design. I planed to make a stainless cutting needle and making a moving coil arrangement, perhaps with electrical feedback (more later).

[clydesight]

That is a fascinating idea! Results aren't exactly HiFi, but that you could make it work is amazing.

Isn't it ironic that CDs tried to push records out, and now you and others found a way to turn them into records again.

Turnabout is fair play, as the saying goes.

Thanks for the video!

[mordsgaudimachen]

can you show me the plans for this?! please!

[fongy200]

ridiculous!

[Mr3wheeledbike]

how dose the wire transfer the vibrations

[DarkenTheirFaces]

Awe when it started playing I thought it was 'That Handsome Devil'

[deadpie1234]

Sounds like your in a car listening to a realy low quality radio whilst people throw rocks at your car.

Awesome.

[GalaticTG]

this reminds me of when my grandpa put a cd on a turntable.

[Schillingsanders]

Buskul!!! Fick hem en "Webster" trådspelare från en auktion på landet just häromdagen. Fick den i stort sett för ingenting, för det var ingen som hajade vad det var för mojäng.

Var i all sin dar får du tag på skivor att spela in på?

Tjohej och bästa hälsningar!

Anders från Gotland

[hopop313]

but is the thin wire attached to?

[CheckOutMyToys]

Could you make a how to video on this? Please!

[hopop313]

It sounds beautiful. Music to my ears!

[SkitzerPoindexter]

Muppets!

Now all we need are cd turntable adapters!