The Secret Society of Lathe Trolls

Steve E.

Necessity is the mother of invention, and I was hurtin' and necessi-tatin' today!!

This week I recorded a phenomenal Brooklyn-based Dixieland-style band called "Loose Marbles." They wanted to present one of their patrons with a 78 of two of their performances.

After much experimentation, I finally managed to get some kickass, LOUD sounding 78 acetate tests using my Wilcox Gay Recordio. The secret involved using original steel recordio needles, bought off Ebay, and overdriving the green "crosshair" meter just beyond the point where there is ANY movement. In short.....some overdrive!!

But that's not why I'm writing this. Once I got there, I then WASTED several expensive acetate sides with the old problem: the damn swarf (groove hair) was not adequately spinning into the center. It would collect about an inch in from the cutting needle, then eventually it would get so thick that it would get caught under the arm, spin into an ellipsoidal shape, ball up, and YANK the needle out of the groove, destroying the side. Attempts to brush grooves toward the middle just seemed to speed up the disaster time.

SO....I invented (or re-invented) something: Arm fins!! This is a series of triangular pieces of folded-over electrical tape which I've attached along the spindle-side of the cutting arm. Then I put another layer of tape along the arm, over the row to keep them from pulling off. As I make the cut, the fins drag lightly on the disc. The hair catches on these fins before it gets to the cutting needle, and I can grab it and guide it to the spindle, or yank it off. The fins remind me a little of the arm and leg fins of the Creature from the Black Lagoon:

I wanted to call them "Godzilla fins," but I checked and his fins are different. Sad

Anyway, I was able to get an untangled unmangled disc......finally. I'm still fine-tuning it.

Anyone else have non-vacuum based solutions to this problem? I think the recordio originally came with a brush that attached to the arm which did the same thing....but that's long gone.

Here's an old, related thread:

http://lathetrolls.phpbbweb.com/viewtopic.php?t=4

motorino · Joined: 24 Aug 2005 Posts: 195

you need a cactus

http://www.jardibotanicdesoller.org/imatges/guia_cactus_1.jpg

and a ventilator

http://images.ciao.com/ies/images/products/normal/612/Ufesa_VS3750_Art_Deco_Ventilador__531612.jpg

put the cactus in the turntable center and the ventilators near the cutterhead, flows the chip to the cactus

Steve E. · Posted: Mon Aug 13, 2007 3:40 am Post subject:

I so want to believe that this is what you do!!!!

Is it?

motorino · Joined: 24 Aug 2005 Posts: 195

of course, it doubts?

Wink

it is the form with which vestax remove the hairs

cuttercollector · Joined: 11 Jun 2006 Posts: 259 Location: San Jose, CA

My idea along these lines, which I never proved out, but which I did use more or less successfully in my hand to guide the chip toward the center post, was to use a long very soft brush, made from fine hair, typically called a draftsmens brush, like the kind manual draftsmen used to use to brush the eraser debris off their drawings on a drafting board. This would be mounted on an adjustable post so I could set it on a slight angle from straight up and down, and also on an angle across the disc barely touching the it, across it's entire surface from outer edge to almost the center - beyond where I would cut, , sort of like a straight playback arm, but not moving and a little longer than a playback arm would be. This would , hopefully guide the chip toward the center without introducing noise or drag.

Steve E. · Posted: Mon Aug 13, 2007 2:11 pm Post subject:

You mean a brush like this?

cuttercollector · Joined: 11 Jun 2006 Posts: 259 Location: San Jose, CA

Pretty much, but when I tried it hand held I angled it the other way slightly from vertical rather than angling the bristles into the direction of travel of the turntable. I also placed it at an angle across the disc rather than straight out from the center so theoretically the chip would be guided by rotation to the center. What I never developed was a simple adjustable stand to hold the brush in position.
The idea someone brought up of a "cactus" (not literally) or at least something to catch the string of chip on a small series of... things radiating from the center might also be a good idea.

motorino · Joined: 24 Aug 2005 Posts: 195

the idea of the cactus is truth, is first that it had by hand, but for the idea it is good example.

Next time that you cut a dub uses a ventilator, sides that you can send the hair where you want, and it does not alter the sound....with a simple ventilator

grooveguy · Joined: 22 Jun 2006 Posts: 40

Please define "simple ventilator." I'm not sure what you are talking about.

Steve E. · Posted: Sun Aug 26, 2007 10:53 pm Post subject:

Maybe what Americans call a "fan"?

JayDC · Posted: Mon Aug 27, 2007 1:54 am Post subject:

why are we not using a vacuum cleaner?...

motorino · Joined: 24 Aug 2005 Posts: 195

sorry for my english

yes, a fan near the cutterhead flowing to the turntable center, no too near if the fan have a lot of power....

i use a vacuum cleaner, but the fan works ok too and its more easy and cheap

grooveguy · Joined: 22 Jun 2006 Posts: 40

Nothing beats vacuum pickup, especially when using a hot stylus. Back when I was a kid, I burned up my parents' vacuum this way. Most vacuum cleaners depend on a large volume of air moving through them to keep the motor cool. If you restrict the intake, as you must to suck through small tubing, the vacuum speeds up, overheats and burns out. Some of the multi-stage vacuum 'turbines' made by Lamb Electric are the exception, however; they are made for this type of service. One source of a cheap and good swarf-sucker vacuum is the portable "Dust Buster" type that is battery-driven. The smaller, high-speed motors don't seem to get nearly as hot as a motor running off the AC mains. Replace the batteries with a transformer type of power supply (it doesn't have to be DC), and it makes a good chip-disposal pump. You can find lots of these with dead batteries in thrift stores.

JayDC · Posted: Mon Aug 27, 2007 12:51 pm Post subject:

I use a WET/DRY shop vacuum. It seems to work fine. I has a air seperate intake, so it never overheats..

motorino · Joined: 24 Aug 2005 Posts: 195

I believe that any vacuum cleaner works either if you place it good.. you need to know as it is the threshold of the power and not to exceed it

Now I use a vacuum cleaner of camping to 12 v dc, small