The Secret Society of Lathe Trolls

grooveguy · Joined: 22 Jun 2006 Posts: 40

You guys have probably seen this, it's Part I of a couple of YouTube videos about making vinyl records... from the aluminum blanks to the pressings.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xUGRRUecBik

What impressed me in this one is the way Transco coats blanks with lacquer. I swear it makes me drool just to watch that stuff flow! They make it look so easy, too. So why do they cost so much?

JayDC · Posted: Wed Feb 27, 2008 1:05 am Post subject:

I dunno..

Why is the Sirius XM merger taking so long, but transco and apollo can merge and create a monopoly.

The thing that gets me, the price increase after the merger.

With no alternative, I guess I really can't bitch.

grooveguy · Joined: 22 Jun 2006 Posts: 40

I recall hearing not all that long ago that someone was setting up to recoat aluminum blanks; anyone have more info? There are a lot more 'plastics' available today than back when secret-formula lacquer was the only coating. People on this list describe their experiences cutting what they call vinyl and other nebulous materials, but how about someone sum-up the findings thus far?

JayDC · Posted: Wed Feb 27, 2008 5:49 pm Post subject:

I dunno..

I have a couple of one sided vinyls and a diamond stylus. I have yet to get the balls to try it. I need to rig heat to the diamond. On the presto, the power supply for the heat is AC, but could you use DC and get the same effect? I have many power supplies that will do about 12vdc, but to do 12vac I'd need to hit the hack shack to get a transformer.

I'd like to get into cutting some of the plastics, and I guess I could, but it's all about a circle, and I'm not sure how to cut them properly.

I guess I could just slack off and cut squares.

Doug 6N · Joined: 21 May 2007 Posts: 59 Location: Washington

Hi:

I'm using a variable DC power supply to supply power to heat stylus. Works great plus. I can hook up the cutting head to the amp input and listen to difference in noise while adjusting the heat. It's amazing how much difference the heated sylus makes. And for the old hard blanks I can tun it up some more and they cut just fine also. Smile

Doug

PS. Typically I'm running about 550ma current and up to 750ma for the harder blanks.

Aussie0zborn · Joined: 11 Mar 2006 Posts: 63 Location: Australia

Hang on...so Transco and Apollo have merged?????? Is this correct?

I visited the Transco factory when I was a customer some years ago and the lacquer comes to them pre-mixed by the lacquer supplier in 40 gallon drums. All they do is coat the aluminium discs as you see in the video.

They also had a service where local studios could send back their used lacquer discs. I saw them placed in boiling water and the lacquer layer comes off, ready to be coated with new lacquer. This service, I was told, was only available to local customers as the cost of getting the discs back was low and they were generally considered to still be flat and therefore useable.

So this mention of someone setting up to re-coat old discs, well its been done before. The trick is to have the right lacquer formulation so once you have that you may as well hook up with an aluminium disc supplier and make you own from scratch.

cuttercollector · Joined: 11 Jun 2006 Posts: 258 Location: San Jose, CA

Speaking of "from scratch", is there any final word on whether there is still a company in Japan (or elswhere) producing lacquers?
If your intent is mastering for pressing, you need to stick with the standards the pressing plants know how to work with, but for one off cuts, what is now available? I have yet to see a list here of all sources in one place. Vestax came and went, the Vinylrecorder guy, from what I have read here. only sells to people who buy his system - so does that leave only Apollo as the other choice?

motorino · Joined: 24 Aug 2005 Posts: 190

well...i believe stand in a good way.....the lacquer formulation its simple, nitrocellulosic acetate......

thanks Aussie for you experience!!

Aussie0zborn · Joined: 11 Mar 2006 Posts: 63 Location: Australia

MDC is said to be a good brand if it is still around. However, the most consistent quality came from Pyral (France) where every lacquer disc cut quietly, the swarf was sucked away efficiently and they always plated properly.

Isn't there a Korean company that makes blank vinyl discs for cutting??

Dub Studio · Joined: 20 Jun 2006 Posts: 49 Location: Bristol

As far as I gather, Apollo used to supply Transco with the plates in the first place, and then Transco would coat them in-house. So really the merger isn't all that important in the grand scheme of things. I guess if someone really wanted to coat their own they could buy them uncoated from Apollo just like Transco did? MDC are still going aren't they? Although I think they are much more expensive, and (possibly for that reason) considered better quality?