The Secret Society of Lathe Trolls

jornibudich · Joined: 06 Jun 2007 Posts: 7

I am currently using a Rek-o-kut Imperial II lathe and I posted a topic regarding "bad" acetates a couple of weeks ago. Now, I am wondering if the "coil" could be my problem...
First of all, my concept of "Coil" is about the one metal piece sitting behind the cutter pressed by an screw in order to balance the weight and preasurre while cutting... Is that the COIL we are talking about or is something else inside the cutter head, Etc...? IF that's the one What are the simptoms of a broken or damage coil? The related problems? Fixing and solutions?
Thanx Guys!
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JORNI (Vancouver BC)

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

The coil is what gives the spark - without it your lathe wont start.... Smile

Sorry...

Seriously what is typically refered to as the coil in a cutter is that coil of magnet wire that the audio signal flows through inside the head which moves the cutter armature back and forth to cut the sound into the disc. It's an AC electromagnet fed with audio. Or you can think of it like the windings in a motor. If it's bad you will get no audio. if it has shorted turns you may get some audio but the level will be lower. It will also be lower if the magnet inside the head has lost a degree of it's magnetic force. The interaction between coil and magnet produces the actual stylus movement to record the signal on the disc.
The part you are talking about is a balance or cutter weight spring. It simply controlls the depth of the cut with any given sharpness of stylus or hardness of disc. Hard old disc and/or dull stylus = lots of pressure to cut a noisy groove. Nice soft lacquer and properly adjusted sharp new cutting stylus = low pressure and a nice quiet "knife through butter" groove.