Here's a link to the suppliers page for the Teflon rod:
McMaster-Carr
It is supplied cut square,so you will have to round the end yourself.
In my case,I left it in the freezer overnight to stiffen it up a bit,then quickly machined it on my lathe.
Teflon is relatively soft and easy to work with,which makes it doable with hand tools though.
McMaster-Carr
It is supplied cut square,so you will have to round the end yourself.
In my case,I left it in the freezer overnight to stiffen it up a bit,then quickly machined it on my lathe.
Teflon is relatively soft and easy to work with,which makes it doable with hand tools though.
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The teflon isn't all joy. Don't reject the metal.
History of the machine as best I know it. Mostly from John Borwick who is in his 90's now. Told to me over sausage and mash in Marlbourough near Swindon perhaps 15 years ago. Cost of the meal was about $15 with a pint of beer. John you are the best hi fi person I ever met except Sid Smith ( Actually there have been many, Spencer Hugues should be upset if I didn't say ) .
In about 1962 ( Novemeber at a guess ) a letter arrived at Gramophone from a gentleman that the staff thought to be perhaps " away with the fairies". If they got there first the letters went in the waste bin before Percy Wilson saw them. Percy fished one out of the bin and as always took time to write. I suspect it was a very shy man called Edgar German who wrote as Percy sometimes quoted him on all things related to turntables. The mystery man described in detail how a cleaning machine might be made. Percy had been working on the same since the 1920's. It is Percy's alignment method we all use with the two zero's from about 1928. Two records were sent to the man that had been covered in brick dust. Percy completely forgot about them. On returning from his yearly long trip to the USA the records were waiting for him. Percy could not believe what he heard as they were better than new ( this is true ). Percy was a Spiritualist. I hope he was right about things like that. I would love to meet him if so. John joked Percy never kept his promise to return to the offices after his death.
In 1964 Percy outlined how the machine could be made and on his yearly trip took the finished design to AES in 1965.
In 1968 Audio and Design Ltd Maidenhead started to sell a modified version ( the cord, I am told Percy suggested it , I don't know ). I am also told Percy's familly were not very happy about this as Percy was forgoten when money was handed out. I never knew Percy , he lived about 7 miles away. I pass his house on the way to the cinema via Plantation Road Oxford. He lived 1 minute from Michael Gerzon. I never asked Michael if he knew him. Very quickly Audio and Design went bust. As best I know Mr Monks turned up for work to find the doors locked. He aquired the rights and the rest is history. Some say he was the technical sales rep. I have no idea. Regardless of the who and the what Percy and the supposed Mr German came before. This is not unlike how the Ariston Linn battle always forgets the AR before it. How Ariston had the neurve to say the LP12 was a copy I will never know. It was even made at Linn. As John Monks will rightly say nothing before his fathers work was made in any numbers.
Loricraft has eveloved to be a different machine although no different in function. Terry bought some parts from John Monks when John could not supply a machine. The story I heard was Keith Monks was so upset he got some parts made and continued in businees when in principle he had promised to stop to his family. I have no idea if totally true. If so Loricraft is the reason you can buy a Monks today.
History of the machine as best I know it. Mostly from John Borwick who is in his 90's now. Told to me over sausage and mash in Marlbourough near Swindon perhaps 15 years ago. Cost of the meal was about $15 with a pint of beer. John you are the best hi fi person I ever met except Sid Smith ( Actually there have been many, Spencer Hugues should be upset if I didn't say ) .
In about 1962 ( Novemeber at a guess ) a letter arrived at Gramophone from a gentleman that the staff thought to be perhaps " away with the fairies". If they got there first the letters went in the waste bin before Percy Wilson saw them. Percy fished one out of the bin and as always took time to write. I suspect it was a very shy man called Edgar German who wrote as Percy sometimes quoted him on all things related to turntables. The mystery man described in detail how a cleaning machine might be made. Percy had been working on the same since the 1920's. It is Percy's alignment method we all use with the two zero's from about 1928. Two records were sent to the man that had been covered in brick dust. Percy completely forgot about them. On returning from his yearly long trip to the USA the records were waiting for him. Percy could not believe what he heard as they were better than new ( this is true ). Percy was a Spiritualist. I hope he was right about things like that. I would love to meet him if so. John joked Percy never kept his promise to return to the offices after his death.
In 1964 Percy outlined how the machine could be made and on his yearly trip took the finished design to AES in 1965.
In 1968 Audio and Design Ltd Maidenhead started to sell a modified version ( the cord, I am told Percy suggested it , I don't know ). I am also told Percy's familly were not very happy about this as Percy was forgoten when money was handed out. I never knew Percy , he lived about 7 miles away. I pass his house on the way to the cinema via Plantation Road Oxford. He lived 1 minute from Michael Gerzon. I never asked Michael if he knew him. Very quickly Audio and Design went bust. As best I know Mr Monks turned up for work to find the doors locked. He aquired the rights and the rest is history. Some say he was the technical sales rep. I have no idea. Regardless of the who and the what Percy and the supposed Mr German came before. This is not unlike how the Ariston Linn battle always forgets the AR before it. How Ariston had the neurve to say the LP12 was a copy I will never know. It was even made at Linn. As John Monks will rightly say nothing before his fathers work was made in any numbers.
Loricraft has eveloved to be a different machine although no different in function. Terry bought some parts from John Monks when John could not supply a machine. The story I heard was Keith Monks was so upset he got some parts made and continued in businees when in principle he had promised to stop to his family. I have no idea if totally true. If so Loricraft is the reason you can buy a Monks today.
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The Wilwon machine is seen here below in the Loricraft pages. Unfortunately the AES papers do not google now, if so I wouldn't include these. AES Disk Recording Volume 1 Page 362-9. Record Contamination : Causes and Cures. Percy Wilson. 13th Oct 1964. I note 1893 as Percy's birth which is also Berliner's 78's ? I was born along side KT88's. Not my favourite.
The Loricraft Audio PRC3/4/5/6 Professional Record Cleaners
The Loricraft Audio PRC3/4/5/6 Professional Record Cleaners
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Thanks for the additional details on the original machine - interesting history. I didn't think of machining my own teflon nib. I don't have a lathe, but working it with a drill press with a set of chisels or a fine sanding block can't be all that hard to do. I could then drill out what I need with an appropriate sized drill. My concern with the metal is the weight of the resulting hardware at the end of the tonearm.
I see that others use a solder sucker nylon end. I think I'll gather a variety of items and see how easy it is to work with/mount each.
I see that others use a solder sucker nylon end. I think I'll gather a variety of items and see how easy it is to work with/mount each.
You will be OK doing that. The metal should be OK if the counterweight has the range. It should be circa 2 g record centre. It isn't the same as a stylus so don't get too worried. The cord spacing is very important. The Monks nozzle to my mind is slightly asking for trouble. A victory of style over function I feel. That metal one you found has the right look. The parabola is a nice shape.
Avro Baffle. If it is half as good as the Canadian Avro aircraft that would be something.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avro_Canada_CF-105_Arrow
Avro Baffle. If it is half as good as the Canadian Avro aircraft that would be something.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avro_Canada_CF-105_Arrow
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I'll have to order some parts and see what shows up and how easily I can start to fashion air hose hookups.My baffles are 15 inch bass , 12 Lta and DT74/8. The latter feeds in at 6 kHz. No filtering to 12 Lta except a phase plug and the 15 inch has an inductor to roll at about 500 Hz. It's strictly 1950's on a 4 x 8 baffle. Not the best in the world, but all I hoped for. In theory the phase shifts do little harm where placed and attempt full range without the pain of making it real.
If you ever see the film made by the AVRO fans it suggests the Moon landings were only possible before 1970 because the project was broken up. Concorde also it is said was helped. I was taught at a RAF college. My maths teacher (who never said) built the first usuable jet engines ( starting 1927 ). The first flights 4 miles from me. The best proof they went is the Soviets wouldn't have been able to go along with it being a lie. I do suspect many photos were questionable. This I suspect was due to the real ones being rather poor. James Burke said on TV before the landings the flag would flap due to a motor and finger like wires. Sorry guys who want to doubt, I remember it.
I guess jet engines and venturi's is not too far apart? We have the advanced jet/rocket of Alan Bond at Didcot. My friend Pippa typed the notes. Pippa is more or less a lexicographer which means anything I write is of highly questionable value and she never fails to tell me. Pippa doesn't remember a thing she typed!!! This came out when she said " you would love my old boss ". Pippa is ex BBC World Service.
I wrote to the company to see if she could meet him. No one replied. If anyone knows Alan, Pippa and I would love a quick tour.
ADA-The Avro Engineers who went to NASA
If you ever see the film made by the AVRO fans it suggests the Moon landings were only possible before 1970 because the project was broken up. Concorde also it is said was helped. I was taught at a RAF college. My maths teacher (who never said) built the first usuable jet engines ( starting 1927 ). The first flights 4 miles from me. The best proof they went is the Soviets wouldn't have been able to go along with it being a lie. I do suspect many photos were questionable. This I suspect was due to the real ones being rather poor. James Burke said on TV before the landings the flag would flap due to a motor and finger like wires. Sorry guys who want to doubt, I remember it.
I guess jet engines and venturi's is not too far apart? We have the advanced jet/rocket of Alan Bond at Didcot. My friend Pippa typed the notes. Pippa is more or less a lexicographer which means anything I write is of highly questionable value and she never fails to tell me. Pippa doesn't remember a thing she typed!!! This came out when she said " you would love my old boss ". Pippa is ex BBC World Service.
I wrote to the company to see if she could meet him. No one replied. If anyone knows Alan, Pippa and I would love a quick tour.
ADA-The Avro Engineers who went to NASA
The Avro Arrow debacle is still a topic of outrage here in Canada.
The reasoning behind the extremely suspicious termination and the immediate destruction of all materials and information relating to the project has never been revealed.
Many of us view this decision by the Diefenbaker Conservative government as nothing less than an act of treason that remains un-addressed.
You can view some of the ''remains'' of an Arrow at the Canadian Aviation Museum,located in Ottawa,Ontario. It is a truly sad sight.What could have been.....
The reasoning behind the extremely suspicious termination and the immediate destruction of all materials and information relating to the project has never been revealed.
Many of us view this decision by the Diefenbaker Conservative government as nothing less than an act of treason that remains un-addressed.
You can view some of the ''remains'' of an Arrow at the Canadian Aviation Museum,located in Ottawa,Ontario. It is a truly sad sight.What could have been.....
Well said. The college I went to even had a Vampire Jet.
I think it does help to understand aircraft to know about record cleaning machines. I had to tell the Percy Wilson story as he seems to have been airbrushed out of history also. Percy was at the Ministry of Roads and Transport during the war. High up I believe. He returned to Gramophone when he retired. If you read Percy's stuff at the AES it is different to his Gramophone writtings, the latter more like a friendly grandad. He could be highly technical with the maths to back it up. I have a hunch Percy sparked Paul Voight as the maths look to be well understood by Percy in the 1920's. One thing Percy wrote about was designing a conference system of hi fi quality that used minimal money for want of a better word. It showed like heating not all areas need to be as loud. He did this work with another Oxford engineer Geoffrey Horn. Mr Horn was shown the " Disc Doctor" of Wilson in at a guess 1963 at his North Oxford home. A very young Edward Horn watched from the staires a very animated Percy cleaning the records for Geoff . Edward said " Percy's hands waving like a windmill squirting the liquid on the records and talking in a very animated way" ( as told to me ).
I think it does help to understand aircraft to know about record cleaning machines. I had to tell the Percy Wilson story as he seems to have been airbrushed out of history also. Percy was at the Ministry of Roads and Transport during the war. High up I believe. He returned to Gramophone when he retired. If you read Percy's stuff at the AES it is different to his Gramophone writtings, the latter more like a friendly grandad. He could be highly technical with the maths to back it up. I have a hunch Percy sparked Paul Voight as the maths look to be well understood by Percy in the 1920's. One thing Percy wrote about was designing a conference system of hi fi quality that used minimal money for want of a better word. It showed like heating not all areas need to be as loud. He did this work with another Oxford engineer Geoffrey Horn. Mr Horn was shown the " Disc Doctor" of Wilson in at a guess 1963 at his North Oxford home. A very young Edward Horn watched from the staires a very animated Percy cleaning the records for Geoff . Edward said " Percy's hands waving like a windmill squirting the liquid on the records and talking in a very animated way" ( as told to me ).
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I've done a little poking around about thread sizes and have found different reports of thread sizes. I suspect these are most likely due to differences in either materials or construction technique.
Two sources:
The Thread Exchange, Inc.: Nylon Thread Information
and
Chart - Types and Sizes of Beading Thread and Stringing Material - Fire Mountain Gems and Beads
Size B is 0.24mm in diameter
Size D is 0.26mm in diameter
Size E is 0.29mm in diameter
Another link indicates Size D as being 0.304mm in diameter...
Overall, I'm thinking differences of ~0.03mm are not likely to be significant, though I won't know for sure until I try. This is one of the reasons I'm interested in a pump with an airflow valve to adjust suction. I figure with enough adjustments, I'll be able to hit on something that works.
Two sources:
The Thread Exchange, Inc.: Nylon Thread Information
and
Chart - Types and Sizes of Beading Thread and Stringing Material - Fire Mountain Gems and Beads
Size B is 0.24mm in diameter
Size D is 0.26mm in diameter
Size E is 0.29mm in diameter
Another link indicates Size D as being 0.304mm in diameter...
Overall, I'm thinking differences of ~0.03mm are not likely to be significant, though I won't know for sure until I try. This is one of the reasons I'm interested in a pump with an airflow valve to adjust suction. I figure with enough adjustments, I'll be able to hit on something that works.
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The thread specified by Loricraft,for use in their machines,is size ''D''.
The inside diameter of their nozzle is 1.4mm,which is equivalent to a #55 drill bit.
According to published industry standards,the difference between size ''D'' and size ''E'' threads is approximately 0.001'' to 0.003''.Completely negligible in my opinion.
The average human hair measures,by comparison,0.007'' to 0.010''.
These dimensions ensure adequate airflow while maintaining good vacuum.
They also allow for the expansion of the thread when wet,so as not to block the nozzle.
I did a great deal of time consuming research on this matter during my own RCM project.I only made the one post,as there seemed to be no interest.
http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/analogue-source/278267-rcm-final-build-begins.html
The inside diameter of their nozzle is 1.4mm,which is equivalent to a #55 drill bit.
According to published industry standards,the difference between size ''D'' and size ''E'' threads is approximately 0.001'' to 0.003''.Completely negligible in my opinion.
The average human hair measures,by comparison,0.007'' to 0.010''.
These dimensions ensure adequate airflow while maintaining good vacuum.
They also allow for the expansion of the thread when wet,so as not to block the nozzle.
I did a great deal of time consuming research on this matter during my own RCM project.I only made the one post,as there seemed to be no interest.
http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/analogue-source/278267-rcm-final-build-begins.html
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audio king: very nice design! I look forward to seeing your final implementation.
Funny, I was thinking the differences between "D" and "E" thread was something approaching human hair size...
I just picked this pump from ebay, seems like there are a few dozen varieties/brands of this very same pump. They all have 40 lpm flow and about 23" Hg: John Bunn Vacuum Aspirator Vacutec 800 EV2 JB0112-016 - Used
Next, I need to find some hardware that will accept the metal tips that I've found...
Funny, I was thinking the differences between "D" and "E" thread was something approaching human hair size...
I just picked this pump from ebay, seems like there are a few dozen varieties/brands of this very same pump. They all have 40 lpm flow and about 23" Hg: John Bunn Vacuum Aspirator Vacutec 800 EV2 JB0112-016 - Used
Next, I need to find some hardware that will accept the metal tips that I've found...
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