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YOU CAN BUILD A MACHINE THAT MAKES VINYL RECORDS AT HOME

A disc recorder that presses grooves into blank plastic discs with an embossing stylus, making playable records at home.

by David Sean Nelson

FULL CAD BOM FIRMWARE DOCS

AudioWorkshop

Built withArduino3D printing

difficulty
●●●●○
time
a weekend-plus
license
GPL-3.0
repo
repo ACTIVE45 stars

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

Videos
1
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COMPAREE VERDICT

This is a genuine disc recorder that makes playable records at home. The cutter head uses TEAX19C01 coin exciters mounted on a 3D-printed assembly to drive an embossing stylus (the author uses a Presto short-shank) that presses the groove into soft polycarbonate; an Arduino-controlled stepper motor feeds the head across a V-slot aluminium frame with a THK linear rail, timed by a Windows program (Vinyl Burn) that plays the sound files and plans the record side. The video demonstrates the finished record playing back, interleaved with the original audio. This machine embosses rather than cuts lacquer, so it will not match professional mastering quality, but it makes a record that plays. The repo includes FreeCAD files, Arduino code, a wiring diagram and a PDF build guide with a parts list. The guide is version 0.1, and the author warns his C# and Arduino code is unlikely to run without extensive rewriting for your hardware, so expect to fill in gaps. The other big hurdle is the turntable: the stylus needs 35 to 40 grams of force, which stalls an average domestic deck, so the author built his own stepper-driven deck from a scrapped Lenco L75. Then you have to get the stylus pressure and feed rate right — embossing is unforgiving and there is no preview. The repo does not state a total build cost. If you have a strong turntable, an amplifier, a 3D printer and patience for iteration, this is a real path to making records at home. If you want studio-quality mastering or a plug-and-play kit, this is not it.

GOOD TO KNOW

  • —FreeCAD files for about a dozen 3D-printable parts and the cutter head assembly are in the repo.
  • —Arduino sketch for the stepper feed, wiring diagram, and a PDF build guide (version 0.1) with parts list and suppliers are included.
  • —You must supply a turntable strong enough for 35 to 40 g of stylus force (an average domestic deck stalls; the author built his own from a Lenco L75) and an amplifier.
  • —This is an embossing lathe, not a lacquer-cutting lathe; output quality is not studio mastering standard.
  • —Build cost is not published in the repo or video.
  • —Licences: GPL-3.0 for the hardware and firmware, CC BY-SA 4.0 for the guide. Both permit commercial use with attribution and share-alike.

Parts to buy

9 items

From our check of the build. Exact quantities and part numbers are in the creator’s BOM.

  • TEAX19C01 coin excitersFind
  • Embossing stylus (the author uses a Presto short-shank)Find
  • THK linear railFind
  • V-slot aluminium extrusionFind
  • Arduino UnoFind
  • NEMA 14 stepper motor and TMC2208 driverFind
  • Round belt and pulleysFind
  • Blank polycarbonate discsFind
  • Windows PC for the control softwareFind

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Can I build this?

PrintAbout a dozen parts: cutter head mount, stepper motor mounts, carriage components, and frame brackets. FreeCAD source files provided.
BuyTEAX19C01 coin exciters, embossing stylus (the author uses a Presto short-shank), THK linear rail, V-slot aluminium extrusion, Arduino Uno, NEMA 14 stepper motor and TMC2208 driver, round belt and pulleys, blank polycarbonate discs. Parts list with suppliers in the PDF guide. You also need an amplifier, a Windows PC for the control software, and a turntable strong enough for 35 to 40 g of stylus force.
Tools3D printer, soldering iron, basic hand tools for assembly. FreeCAD if you want to modify parts.
SkillsIntermediate electronics (Arduino, wiring, stepper drivers), mechanical assembly (linear rails, V-slot frames), and patience for iterative tuning. No prior lathe experience required but you will troubleshoot stylus pressure and feed rates by ear.
TimeA weekend-plus — printing takes hours, assembly and wiring take an afternoon, and getting the embossing dialled in will consume another day or two.
Cost$$ — dominated by the THK linear rail, V-slot frame, and coin exciters. Turntable and amplifier are not included. Total build cost is not published.
SafetyNone beyond ordinary electronics care. No mains voltage work, no high-speed spinning lacquer, no sharp cutting tools.

Build at your own risk. Projects involve tools, electronics and sometimes mains voltage — follow the creator’s safety notes.

Videos

Making records at home - my disc recorder project

Demonstrates the machine running and plays the finished record back on a turntable. 86,000 views.

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Gallery

Start here

Navigation into the creator’s own docs — we don’t rewrite the guide, we route you to the source.

  1. 1.Watch the YouTube video to see the machine running and hear the output quality (The video ends by playing the finished record back, alternating with the original audio file.)
  2. 2.Read the PDF build guide in the repo (Version 0.1 — includes parts list with suppliers, wiring diagram, and assembly notes.)
  3. 3.Source the coin exciters, linear rail, and V-slot frame first(These are the long-lead items and will dominate your cost.)
  4. 4.Print the FreeCAD parts and assemble the frame(Verify fitment before ordering electronics.)

Resources

Documentation, files and community threads for this build — we link straight to the original sources and never rehost the creator’s files.

KNOWN ISSUES

  • The repo does not state a total build cost — the THK linear rail, coin exciters, V-slot frame and stylus are the main purchases, before you add a suitable turntable and amplifier.
  • You need a turntable with real torque and an amplifier — a normal deck stalls under the 35–40 g stylus force — and the included C# and Arduino code is, in the creator's words, unlikely to run without rewriting for your hardware.
  • Getting the stylus pressure and stepper feed rate right is iterative and you will waste blank discs — embossing does not let you preview or undo.
  • The TEAX19C01 coin exciters are the key component and are not widely stocked; verify availability before committing to the build.
  • This is an embossing lathe, not a lacquer cutter — output quality is listenable but not studio mastering standard, and high frequencies will be compromised.
  • The build guide is version 0.1 and assumes mechanical and electronics familiarity; expect to solve small assembly and tuning problems yourself.

What is the difference between embossing and cutting lacquer?

Professional mastering lathes cut a groove into a soft lacquer disc with a heated stylus, then plate the lacquer to make a stamper. This machine embosses the groove by pressing an embossing stylus into a soft polycarbonate disc. Embossing is simpler but limits frequency response and dynamic range.

Can I use any turntable deck?

Probably not. The embossing stylus needs 35–40 grams of force, and the creator warns that an average domestic deck will slow down or stall under that load. He built his own stepper-driven deck from a scrapped Lenco L75 platter; direct-drive DJ decks such as the Technics SL-1200 are the off-the-shelf option he mentions.

Where do I get blank discs?

The guide does not name a supplier for blanks. The author embosses into soft polycarbonate discs, which are not standard vinyl blanks; the Lathe Trolls site, which he credits in his video description, is the place to ask fellow home-lathe builders.

How long does a record take to make?

The same length as the audio you are recording — a three-minute track takes three minutes to emboss, plus setup time.

What format and quality does the audio need to be?

WAV files. The author's Vinyl Burn software accepts .WAV files only: you plan the record side on the PC, and it plays each file through the PC's sound card into your amplifier while telling the Arduino how fast to move the cutter head. Embossing will not match the quality of the digital original.

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Discussion1

FROM THE COMPAREE TEAM

This machine embosses grooves into soft polycarbonate rather than cutting lacquer like a professional mastering lathe, so it will not match that quality — but it makes a record you can play. What would you record first?

CompareeTEAM9d agoedited

Practical notes from our verification: the YouTube video has 86,000 views and ends by playing the finished record back on a turntable, alternating with the original audio file so you can hear the difference. The repo includes FreeCAD source files, Arduino code, a wiring diagram, and a PDF build guide marked version 0.1. The guide has a parts list with suppliers, but no total cost estimate. The single biggest unknown is how many blank discs you will waste dialling in the stylus pressure and feed rate — embossing is unforgiving and the guide does not quantify that learning curve. Correction (4 October 2026): we re-checked this page line by line against the project's own repository, documentation and videos, and fixed errors in earlier versions.

David Sean Nelson

David Sean Nelson built this disc recorder to make vinyl records at home without the cost or complexity of a professional lacquer-cutting lathe. He documented the build in a YouTube video with 86,000 views and released the files and guide under open licences.

GitHub

Star the project on GitHub

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