DIY Cartridge?

[dnsey]

Just wondering...
Has anyone tried making their own cartridge?
Since some of the best are hand-made or modified, it ought to be possible.
Don't look at me though - my eyesight isn't good enough any more - I struggle with SMDs

[EDDELARUE]

Good ! Good question!

I want to know about it too.

[lenz]

>Don't look at me though - my eyesight isn't good enough any more - I struggle with SMDs


And you also have a grindung wheel to polish your own diamond!?

[bulgin]

Hi dnsey

I've done it. Took me 5 years though! Moving coils are easier to make than mm's. You can do it if you have a workbench of sorts, a good quality vice fitted with aluminium or nylon jaws, some files, a fine saw and basic power tools, 10x magnification, steady hands, good eyesight and lots of patience. To measure your work you also need a twin channel 'scope to 35mHz, test records, a volt meter and various other bits & pieces. A better way to do it though, is with a lathe and a milling machine. Membership of an experimental engineering society will also help.

Just do it!

bulgin

[dnsey]

Hi Bulgin (good electronics name )
Good for you! Any chance of some pictures? How does it sound?

[bulgin]

Hi dnsey

bulgin? Heheheee! From my Leak stuff of course. I've got plenty of pics - alu carts, wood carts but I've not tried to post pics here as my photo software goes into oscillation if I try posting pics to boards. Anywhere else is OK If you're keen to see, try http://www.rpm-audio.co.uk or http://www.blueangelaudio.com. The pics at the latter is very much out of date though. They look a lot better now.

Cheers & have a fine weekend. Sun for a change here in Cape Town but rain again tomorrow. Just committed sacrilege by painting my Quad 405 with auto paint basecoat/clearcoat gunmetal (not the gold sinks in the friont though).

bulgin

[dnsey]

Looks like a superb piece of work Way out of my league.
How many prototypes did you have to make before coming up with a good 'un?
I'm very impressed that you can accurately reproduce it using hand production methods!

Have a great one yourself - it's a bit cooler here today after a couple of weeks of record-breaking temps

[bulgin]

Thanks, dnsey!

I'm a bit embarrassed at the pics. The guys in the UK have some - I don't know why they don't use them as the cart looks much better now.

Prototypes? Sacksful. They all worked but once you start you can't stop. KK reviewed it in 02/05 in HFN. I hear it is going to get some award or other from the US in 09/06. I have a day job too. All work was done at night until the small hours.

Now, what are you waiting for? Any monkey can make a cart.

bulgin

[Holger Barske]

Might be of some interest:
This is a photo of AJ Van Den Huls cartridge workshop, the place where all vdh MCs are made:

[phn]

I believe all MC carts are more or less handmade. At least the coils are wound by hand.