Always wanted twelve inches?

[Topper]

A dilemma on the horns of which Brother Rich U47 found himself recently, namely recording digitally or running the risk of running out of tape due to a lack of 30cm reels, set me to thinking and I offer this solution.  While this is still very much a beta. the concept works and can be assembled with a plastic hub, either one or two junker LPs depending on whether one is fond of a top flange or not, and a bit of glue.  A downside is that you can't just mount a pancake on this, assuming you could find a pancake this size, but when the going gets tough the tough gotta go DIY and sometimes you can't have everything. Holes for your particular reel table and hold-down need to be cut out as well, of course.  Just work slowly and don't split the vinyl.  You saw it here first, kids.....

W
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Walter Clay
(At least one Lyrec...)

[docb]

LOL! I think you need a tone arm mounted on the head block to finish it up. Anybody looked at 14" flanges to see if there is a style that could be turned down to 12"? This particular one is IMO expensive, but it looks like that style of flange could be cut down.



http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-Ampex-2-x-14-Empty-Metal-Audio-Reel-in-Storage-Box_W0QQitemZ330296362280QQcmdZViewItemQQptZBI_Blank_Media?hash=item4ce7328528&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=65%3A12|66%3A2|39%3A1|72%3A2096|240%3A1318|301%3A1|293%3A1|294%3A50

[Topper]

I'm looking at cutting down larger flanges also.  Lathe or waterjet?  That's the question.
W

[ironbut]

Now that's something you don't see everyday!

I'm not quite sure if you're serious in your first post but static build up would probably prevent ever getting a decent tape pack.
Very creative though Walter.

There was a shout out for 12" reels about a year ago on the Ampex list and nobody seemed to have come up with anything but these same 14" video flanges.
Getting them made is probably one of the only options (unless you can get some from the Library of Congress,.. they have lots!).

A group buy would be the way to go. It may have been Ken Fritz that was looking for some (he's into lugging his Ampexes to location recordings). He recently got an ATR 102 so I'm guessing that he's planning on recording @ 30 ips.
Anyway, if you could get enough folks interested, it wouldn't be as expensive as getting some local proto-shop to make just a few.