A new turntable project is about to start.

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Wayner

Re: A new turntable project is about to start.
« Reply #20 on: 8 Jul 2010, 05:58 pm »
The table is done. I haven't installed a cartridge yet, perhaps this afternoon. The little wires are fun to solder. I put the grounding on the left shield as many of the turntables, like AR and Rega do. It's just easier to do.

I also polished up the outer rim to "pretty up the pig".

 

 

Wayner

charmerci

Re: A new turntable project is about to start.
« Reply #21 on: 8 Jul 2010, 06:15 pm »
That was quick! If you'd put nice cover plates over the holes, it'd make a really great looking turntable design too.

Wayner

Re: A new turntable project is about to start.
« Reply #22 on: 8 Jul 2010, 07:34 pm »
I thought about that, but I'm a form follows function guy, and cosmetics usually suffer.  :D

I actually like the industrial look. It looks different in person, as you get the effect of 3D in the shape of the decking material.

I have to make a comment on the decking material. All I can say is wow! This stuff is awesome. It's dense, yet goes thud then you hit it, it's got a waxy feel to the surface, easy to machine and is dimensionally stable. It was just wonderful stuff to work with. I think it's made out of recycled paper, cause when you drill it, it comes out like paper, but is some tuff stuff otherwise.

My wife commented on the natural finish of the material, and she likes the color and texture. This was a fun (and fast) project, but I'd been thinking about this one for a long time, just waiting for the right tonearm to come along.

Wayner 

gjs_cds

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Re: A new turntable project is about to start.
« Reply #23 on: 8 Jul 2010, 08:11 pm »
Is this decking material as dead as MDF?  I saw what you were using, and was concerned that it's hollow-nature would serve as a resonating chamber...  It seems that it's hollow-nature would reduce the intensity needed to create constructive interference of (sound) waves. 

I've been building speakers for a while, and have just resigned myself to 1.5 inches of MDF lined w/ dynomat (or--the generic version, actually).  Everything else that I've tried--even with my best attempts at bracing--just seem to fall short.

If there's a better mousetrap out there, I'd love to know... 

I love your work, by the way.  Very, very imaginative and out of the box!

rlee8394

Re: A new turntable project is about to start.
« Reply #24 on: 8 Jul 2010, 08:18 pm »
Is this decking material as dead as MDF?  I saw what you were using, and was concerned that it's hollow-nature would serve as a resonating chamber...  It seems that it's hollow-nature would reduce the intensity needed to create constructive interference of (sound) waves. 
Quote
I also know that the decking material is extruded and has hollow sections within it, perfect for stuffing lots of platiclay into.

Wayner

Re: A new turntable project is about to start.
« Reply #25 on: 8 Jul 2010, 08:37 pm »
I plan on stuffing the hollow with "something". Be it plasticlay, sand or what ever, that was the initial plan. I'm not going to go into the speaker building theories, but for me, the stable mass and dead sound of the material was, for me, the way to go. I've learned from making ARMod, that all vibrations need to be squelched. I'm not sure if MDF is that material.

I'm doing this project cold turkey, so if I fail, it's out in public, but I think I'm on the right path. ONLY playing the table will reveal the true nature of my engineering. There are going to be tweaks. If any of you know about ARMod II, it was burnt up in a midnight recreational fire. Can one have success without failure? If your in any kind of engineering, you have worn lots of egg on the face. It's humiliating. It's really fun to see young people entering the field and making the same mistakes I did, when I was 22. That is part of growing up. It's two worlds apart. There is the design, and then the reality. I believe that Edison tried over 10,000 different materials before he found that tungsten in a vacuum would glow. The guy never gave up. Hense the old saying that genius is 1% inspiration, 99% perspiration. I'm of the later skool.

I have 3 US government patents, made $3 dollars off of those, and believe me, the effort was not rewarded, having the patents is.

I fear the motor module that is next. Lots of machining.

Wayner.

charmerci

Re: A new turntable project is about to start.
« Reply #26 on: 8 Jul 2010, 08:48 pm »

I'm doing this project cold turkey, so if I fail, it's out in public, but I think I'm on the right path.

At first, I thought it read... but I think I'm on the right plinth.  :roll:

WGH

Re: A new turntable project is about to start.
« Reply #27 on: 8 Jul 2010, 09:03 pm »
Richlite counter top material is another dense material that is non-resonant. Richlite is also made from paper and can be machined with woodworking tools. I glue it to the inside of speaker cabinets with great results, it might be great as turntable base and platter material too. I got free scraps from a local dealer but if I remember correctly it's about $25 sq. ft.

I have photos here:
http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=72808.0

Wayne

Listens2tubes

Re: A new turntable project is about to start.
« Reply #28 on: 8 Jul 2010, 11:19 pm »
Lookin' good! What does the plinth weigh in the nude? A mix of sand and lead shot between Plast-i-Clay "caps" would be my suggestion for filling. I am partial to wiring my tonearms with Cardas Tonearm Wire from clips to ETI Copper Bullets. I like less connections for the same reason you would not splice the cables. But that's just me. :roll:

oneinthepipe

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Re: A new turntable project is about to start.
« Reply #29 on: 9 Jul 2010, 04:26 am »
Looks good, Wayner.

Minn Mark

Re: A new turntable project is about to start.
« Reply #30 on: 9 Jul 2010, 01:00 pm »
Looks great---snug up a Longhorn on that baby and let 'er rip.....

Mark

rcag_ils

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Re: A new turntable project is about to start.
« Reply #31 on: 9 Jul 2010, 02:40 pm »
Deck material may be environmentally stable being used outdoor, but I am not sure if it's mechanically stable, it's light.

traditional MDF, acrylic, tufnol, or wood (like the CJ Walker) would be a better choice. You may want to fill it with concrete to make it more solid and rigid, but it'd be too labor intensive.

Wayner

Re: A new turntable project is about to start.
« Reply #32 on: 9 Jul 2010, 06:38 pm »
 

It lives! I decided that I couldn't wait to hear the deck, so I'm using ARMod's motor. I had to shim it up about a 1/4" so I used a computer mouse pad. Initial thoughts are as follows, rcag_ils's concerns about the decking material being mechanically "unstable" or light, seems to hold no weight at all. The table is very quiet, free of mechanical noise, or the result brought up by the cartridge and tone arm.

The tone arm during initial install had some issues. First, with the AT-440MLa cartridge installed, I could not achieve zero balance. I was always a bit suspicious of the counter weight, as it looked small to me, but the counter weight post was also longer then normal, so I thought no big deal. Well, the fix was a 1/2" brass washer, affixed to the back end of the counterweight with some good old plasticlay.

The anti-skating was the next issue. I track the AT at 1.6 grams, and setting that number on the anti-skate dial, had no effect. Using my blank disc, I was able to dial it in a 3, to get a tonearm to stand still between the null points. It will track correctly now. Also the screw holes ended up in the back third of the slots when aligned to Lofgren B, so I should be able to get any nulls I want. That worked out well.

Third I have a very minor hum at about a 1 O'clock volume position. This is beyond the normal listening levels, so I may ignore it, but remember I used the left audio shield to ground the arm. I may remove them from the shield and put on a separate ground. I remember Frank warning that with some arms, this may be a problem.

 

I think at this point, there will be no plasticlay added to the hollows.

Wayner

ArthurDent

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Re: A new turntable project is about to start.
« Reply #33 on: 9 Jul 2010, 06:45 pm »
Looks real sweet Wayner. Keep us posted on any tweaks. And now that's on item on the list you can cross off !  :thumb:

Minn Mark

Re: A new turntable project is about to start.
« Reply #34 on: 9 Jul 2010, 06:47 pm »
Wayner,

Very nice, indeed !   In the light, in these photos, I really see what you mean about the "industrial" look of the project...I like it a lot !


Dial it in with a Longhorn and let us know what that's like.

Cheers,

Mark

Wayner

Re: A new turntable project is about to start.
« Reply #35 on: 12 Jul 2010, 07:32 pm »
The Stand Alone Motor Module (SAMM) is done and so is the fabricating part of the project. Below are some photos of the guts of the SAMM, and a finished shot of the complete table assembly.

 

 

 

 

Now we do the de-bugging, gettting rid of as much noise as possible. I have not heard it with the new motor.

Wayner

Wayner

Re: A new turntable project is about to start.
« Reply #36 on: 13 Jul 2010, 08:10 pm »
I have found one little noise maker on the arm. It's the plastic weight dial on the counterweight. It's too loose, and for now, I have plasticlayed the bugger, but I may epoxy it permanently.

After some consideration, and figuring out how to accomplish the task, I have installed 4.4 pounds of plasticaly into the innards of the plinth. I have about 1 pound in the SAMM, but I'm almost out of clay.

Tip of the hat to Frank Van Alstine and John, TheChairGuy for being big promoters of plasticlay in turntables. It is the number one anti-vibration drug out there for calming down all those little nasties.

I simply don't know why table manufacturers don't put hollows in their tables plinths and stuff them. They will reap many rewards.

Wayner

pumpkinman

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Re: A new turntable project is about to start.
« Reply #37 on: 13 Jul 2010, 09:18 pm »
Wayne I wish I had the guts to try something like this very very nice !!

Bill O'Connell

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Re: A new turntable project is about to start.
« Reply #38 on: 13 Jul 2010, 09:49 pm »
Nice work Wayne :thumb:, I bet it will sound wonderful. Really a nice project, loved the decking material used also.

gjs_cds

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Re: A new turntable project is about to start.
« Reply #39 on: 14 Jul 2010, 12:58 am »
You should go onto business, brother!