Repairing an SA-74 suspension unit, from a Neumann VMS-70 disk mastering lathe, which arrived with the head lift/drop lever jammed in the down position, preventing the top lid from being removed! The Neumann SX-74 stereophonic motional feedback cutter head was still attached, as it had been glued to the mount adapter, which can only be removed from the suspension unit by opening the top lid! Several mechanical and electrical repairs, adjustment/calibration procedures and even a bit of machining on the 1961 Moore Special Tools Jig Borer later, it was fully brought back to original specifications!
As part of the 5th Craft Studio event, held online via Zoom and organized by the Craft Research Network, J.l. Agnew will be holding a presentation of his work at the Agnew Analog Precision Engineering Laboratory. The event is scheduled for Friday, September 16, 2022, at 17:00 CET. Registration (free of charge) at least a week in advance of the event is required for participation. Registration form: https://craftresearch.org/join The Craft Research Network is an international, multidisciplinary research network for academics and others with an interest in craft. Craft Studio 5 is hosted by Rene Wiedner (Associate Professor, University of Warwick, UK) and Marleen Hofland-Mol (PhD Candidate, Erasmus University, Rotterdam, NL).
The Agnew Analog Reference Instrument Type 631 is a high performance direct drive motor, designed for professional disk mastering lathes and turntables. It is usually positioned on the floor under the lathe or turntable, driving the platter directly by means of a long driveshaft, similar to the drive system of the Neumann VMS-70 and several other professional disk mastering systems.
Some time ago we were asked to repair a vintage Westrex 2B feedback cutter head. As with all Western Electric and Westrex products, their cutter heads were beautifully made and represented the state of the art in their time. Not only did they sound great, they also looked aesthetically pleasing, with curved lines that were not a trivial task to manufacture, in the days before CNC machine tools, CAD software and pocket calculators!
We have developed a range of precision machined driveshafts that can be supplied in any length required for your applications, with end diameters to your specification. Each end could be made a different diameter, if required, and we can also supply a useful range of accessories, such as constant velocity flexible couplers, vibration dampers, soft-start clutches and mounting flanges, to suit your application.
