[Shermie]

Hello:

Last year I acquired a unique Transcriptor Skeleton TT and it came with a Mayware Formula-4 Tonearm plus a lightly used Grace F9 Cartridge.

I replaced the original belt that was stretched plus I Oiled the bearing well, it was almost bone dry.

The TT was not used for over 15 years.

Yet I have noticed that the original black plinth tonearm support has sagged, so the tonearm base has a few degrees lean to the limit of what the rear Mayware Unipivot can compensate for.

A normal tonearm with bearings could never work with this type of physical degradation of the tonearm base plate, and it seems to me that the weight of the Mayware Formula 4 tonearm and possibly the lid pushing down on the top screw over the years created the deformation of the original tonearm base plate assembly.

The Skeleton Triangular Base support material appears to be made of some 1970's MDF board, then painted matte black.

There is not a wealth of information on this turntable and I can see there were two versions, one plinth has a slot for the tonearm while the one I own has a round aluminum plate and a supporting ring with some knurled knobs to clamp the tonearm base plate to the ring.

Although the Skeleton table plays, I have to adjust the geometry of the stylus assembly to compensate for the mechanical aberration.

I would like to correct the geometry of the tonearm and need some suggestions and ideas.

My initial thought is to have a machine shop manufacture a pair of metal or plastic beveled washers to straighten out the arm where it fixes to the round aluminum plate, correcting the non-vertical with shimmed top and bottom washers lining them up so the armtube is normal while the tonearm round metal base plate remains as it is, with about a 5 degree lean.

The other thought I had would be to have the Plinth removed and taken to a 3D Printing company and actually duplicate it with a similar mass as the original so as not to upset the three main springs.

Or,, I can make a replacement plinth myself out of a suitable material. I am wary of trying to remove the deformed plinth and place some weight on it to slowly try to straighten it to be flat.

From what I can see of the pictures I can find, the original Vestigial arm allowed for vertical correction, so I am inclined to think that the plinth may have this tapered lean on purpose.

I have corresponded with a few Transcriptor owners and have not been able to get much help or advice.



The image above shows the round tonearm support ring, it is this connection to the rear spur that has deformed so the whole ring leans down by a few noticeable degrees.

I snapped a few photos of the issue but can't find them, so I will re-shoot a few tonight.

Thank you!
Richard

[glynnw]

I have owned several of these monsters.  I solved the deformed plinth problem in one of them by putting it on a very flat surface and then putting that in an oven at low heat.  In my case, the plinth was a molded asphalt like material that responded well to low heat.  I bear no responsibility if you try this and cook your plinth.

[Shermie]

Nice suggestion.

I will definitely give it a try, no worries with the responsibility, I bear it all.

Last night, I spent some time with the Skeleton, and disassembled it a bit.

What I did was good and not so god.

The original Tonearm cable was brittle and a bit too stiff for the suspension so I happened to have a Zu Audio "Xaus" Tonearm Cable on hand that I was using on an LP12 and replaced it.

But I managed to break off the delicate 1G counterweight waxed string from the top cap of the unipivot. But this is simple to fix so it needs some TLC to repair, oh well.

Yet with the time I spent I did notice that the Mayware Formula 4 counterweight due to it's eccentric mass construction was causing the Unipivot Mayware to lean more than it should.

So I gave the weight a slight turn and was able to get the Unipivot to be in a better vertical (normal) position to the level as the base deformation was not as abrupt as the lean on the Pivot.

Attached are a few photos I snapped of the arm prior to my adjustment of the counterweight.

I will report back after I get the unit back together again to play some LP's.

Thank you for the response and the suggestion, very much appreciated.

[neobop]

Woha, that's a mess.  You need to fix the armboard tilt.  It should be perfectly level with the platter.  I have a Sonus Formula 4 - a hot rod version of the same arm. 
You can't correct for that much tilt, at least on my arm.  The pivot housing clearance on the bottom would prevent free movement.   The only temp fix the way it is, is to shim the mounting plate on the armboard.  This looks like it might be an exercise in futility.   I suggest fixing the armboard, otherwise it's mickey moused into semi functionality.
neo

[neobop]

Yet I have noticed that the original black plinth tonearm support has sagged, so the tonearm base has a few degrees lean to the limit of what the rear Mayware Unipivot can compensate for.

A normal tonearm with bearings could never work with this type of physical degradation of the tonearm base plate, and it seems to me that the weight of the Mayware Formula 4 tonearm and possibly the lid pushing down on the top screw over the years created the deformation of the original tonearm base plate assembly.

The Skeleton Triangular Base support material appears to be made of some 1970's MDF board, then painted matte black.

There is not a wealth of information on this turntable and I can see there were two versions, one plinth has a slot for the tonearm while the one I own has a round aluminum plate and a supporting ring with some knurled knobs to clamp the tonearm base plate to the ring.

Although the Skeleton table plays, I have to adjust the geometry of the stylus assembly to compensate for the mechanical aberration.

I would like to correct the geometry of the tonearm and need some suggestions and ideas.

My initial thought is to have a machine shop manufacture a pair of metal or plastic beveled washers to straighten out the arm where it fixes to the round aluminum plate, correcting the non-vertical with shimmed top and bottom washers lining them up so the armtube is normal while the tonearm round metal base plate remains as it is, with about a 5 degree lean.

The other thought I had would be to have the Plinth removed and taken to a 3D Printing company and actually duplicate it with a similar mass as the original so as not to upset the three main springs.

Or,, I can make a replacement plinth myself out of a suitable material. I am wary of trying to remove the deformed plinth and place some weight on it to slowly try to straighten it to be flat.

From what I can see of the pictures I can find, the original Vestigial arm allowed for vertical correction, so I am inclined to think that the plinth may have this tapered lean on purpose.

I have corresponded with a few Transcriptor owners and have not been able to get much help or advice.



The image above shows the round tonearm support ring, it is this connection to the rear spur that has deformed so the whole ring leans down by a few noticeable degrees.

I snapped a few photos of the issue but can't find them, so I will re-shoot a few tonight.

Thank you!
Richard

Richard,
Realizing my post was only helpful in a general way in pointing out the armboard/chassis piece must be replaced, I think it's unlikely the armboard was designed with tilt.  I never played with a Skeleton, but I suggest fabricating a new chassis made of more durable material.  MDF would work if reinforced by with something like steel or rigid aluminum which could prevent flexing or warping. 

The string you broke up top must be the antiskate string.  It was probably originally nylon fishing line.  Instead of a weight on the other end, there should be a thimble sized bucket in which you could add or subtract small pieces of lead shot to adjust antiskating force.  If you want to make one of these, get a small plastic thimble and epoxy a bar going across the top.  You might find heavy duty thread easier to work.  Tie one end to the bar and the other to the nubbin on the back of the pivot housing.  Adjust the length so the thimble rests on the armboard when the arm is in the rest position.  It will climb toward the roller as the arm moves across the record.

If your counterweight is weighted on one side, I suggest keeping it so the weighted part is on the bottom.  You can adjust azimuth at the headshell.  It might be tedious, but you'll realize best performance by not using the counterweight to adjust azimuth.
Here's some info on the arm:
http://www.vinylengine.com/library/mayware/formula-iv.shtml

There seems to be some different antiskate devices.  The weight on yours looks like it has no adjustability.
neo