You'd better stock up on drive belts. I don't know anywhere on the planet where you can get belt for an HW other than VPI.
BTW, the upgraded platter on my HW Jr. has a wobble too :(
Hi TCG,
It's good to hear that you finally got a "real" turntable (just kidding!).
Anyway, that motor vibration issue doesn't seem normal as my old HW19 doesn't shake and shimmy like that. I hope that isn't a preview of further motor issues for you.
BTW, the springs aren't good for any environments that I've encountered. I'll try the plasticlay under the plinth, and investigate some squishy feetses. :) I'll have to wait until the ringing from Johnny Winter's Friday night show subsides though.8)
Thanks for the tips...
I found the same tt with an sme 309 for 1k locally.
Is this a reasonable #?
In fact, until 20 minutes ago using this substitution, I didn't think the $700.00 spent was a great investment...it was sounding only a bit better than my old (not terribly loved) Thorens and about on par with my modded $50 JVC Direct Driver (maybe a tad better in a few ways).
NOW, I know this is a stellar table and why the turntable freaks worship Harry Weisfeld. It's very good, very tweekable and upgradeable, built very well and a terrific value :thumb:
PA is back....uh oh. :lol: j/k long time.
Holy cow, it is indeed Mr. Psychicanimal....defender of truth, justice, salsa and street music and Technics Direct Drive TT's everywhere :wink:
Hey PA....how's it going.... :thumb: |
I own a VPI-HW 19 mkIII with a Sumiko Blue Point and the sound is glorious! I also tooled up my own record mat.
Here is a comment on vibrating motors. The belt needs to be cleaned with dishwashing detergent and water, rinsed clean and dried. Then the belt needs to be talced with powder. I would also clean the drive pulley on the motor with 99% isopropyl alcohol. Next take the platter and shaft out of the bearing well and clean and re-lubricate the shaft with 3-in-1 sewing machine oil.
For those of you that have a warble in your platter....remove the spindle and clean both tapered surfaces of the spindle and platter of any crap. to seat the spindle onto the platter perfectly, insert the spindle back into the platter loosely and then screw on the record clamp on the top side. The clamp will draw the spindle into the platter almost pertfectly. tighten it fairly snug, but don't jack-hammer it.
I want to thank The Chair Guy (John) for his nice suggestion of Slick 50 on the turntable platter shaft! It is now on all of my turntables (4). I am an old fart and I wasn't warm to the suggestion, but I got rid of the old EGO thing and went down town to find some. I think I bought enough for 10,000 turntables but it was on sale for 12 bucks. When I put the stuff on, the viscosity of it made me wonder if I just should put it in my truck engine insted, but I did it and the results are not what I expected. A more silent background is what I heard. The wife even made a comment....now that's sayin' something! I wonder if this would be good stuff to put on a AR tonearm shaft? I do use Dow Corning 1000 stroke for that because it is a co-polymer and I am suspecious that Slick 50 may be as well. Thanks again!
Several years ago, the Guinness Book of World Records chose Tufoil as "The World's Most Efficient Lubricant." (We didn't pay them to do that.) We are the ONLY engine treatment in the Guinness Book (even today). So, far, no one has been able to break that record!
Tufoil was tested by the United States Government at their federal laboratory (The National Bureau of Standards, now known as NIST) and passed with flying colors. As a matter of fact, it was here that we discovered that Tufoil has a surface friction so low that it makes Tufoil the most slippery substance known to man.
Awesome cheap tweek, Paul/creativepart! Love the pics, too.
I've got a shot motor, so my choices are limited to a replacement $180.00 motor of whole hog $400.00 SAMA.
Wardweb,
I disassembled the TT just now...that's the same one that's in there now (Model PB, 600rpm, P/N 3203-001).
You thinking of selling it...do you know if it works? I already got a shot one, I want one that works :wink:
PM me, if you'd like to.
Thanks, John / TCG
...the heavy platter spins and spins disconnected from the belt now using Tufoil lubricant.
Are you talking about the engine treatment? You just use it straight out of the bottle? Wondering because they make one for cars, motorcycles, handy oiler, etc...
Thanks John- I'll have to get me some Tufoil.
I will get the parts boxed up and sent out first of the week. I'm headed out of town for the long weekend with my wife for our anniversary. I'll send you the tracking number when I get it.
I think I've found that the VPI sounds better in my setup with the DIY SAMA motor and the TT resting in it's base with the stock sorbothan pucks. Better that is, than it used to sound with the plinth supported by the individual "canisters." But you my be on to something. I don't know.
I really would like to try the springs suspension with the DIY SAMA. I'll need to get some.
Have Fun.
Paul green
So you fired that puppy up yet? What do you think?
I have a few questions. I have a hw-19 jr for 16 years now and it is still running like new.
1) I have never changed the oil on the bearing - shame on me. How do you do it, how much oil do you put back in?
2) I have a grado Platinum ref. on a Sumiko Premier FT-3 arm. There is a place to put silicone but I have
never used it. Would the Grado benefit from using dampening this way?
I have made a DIY sama and sandbox. The two working together really made a large diff in sound, the backgroung it really quiet.
John
MAN! Now your tweakin'! :D I love this stuff :thumb: Can you give us a link for Tower that shows the silicone dampning solutions?
The Tufoil website has a bunch of diff. treatments. That on do you use, engine, motorcycle?
My bearing is not completely sealed on the bottom. While it doesn't drip anything I did set the plinth on a pillow and it left a red stain. Will the Tufoil leak out?
What are the thoughts on the Mark3 vs the scout platter as an upgrade?
Chairguy,
I just found the manual for my HW-19 jr. They said in it they used Molybdenum sulfite grease in the well.
Will the Tufoil/slick 50 be OK to use as a substitute? I have never change the grease in it - bad me.
JPV
The Music Hall MMF-9, with added speed controller, would seem (on paper, at least) to be the near equal of it in superior belt drive configuration...but at close $2000.00 new. It's got an inverted ceramic main bearing, heavy platter, de-coupled 50Hz motor and a heavy platter with a carbon fibre arm. It's $1700 with hi output Goldring cartridge mounted and aligned already on it - outboard speed control is another couple hundred. The VPI Scout is probably a close second to that one in value - but outboard speed control is $1000.00 for it. They may well be better than the Technics...but only with speed control.
Again, I think the difference is speed control...without it (VPI), the vitality and drive of the music is lost - it just kinda' plods along in comparison. With it (the JVC and it's direct drive and FG Servo motor...with good isolation), the notes and music just leap out at you and small adjustments to platter mat, VTA, damping, vinyl quality are more noticeable.