Candidate for Plasti-Clay Surgery?

TheChairGuy · « **Reply #20 on:** 3 Jul 2008, 02:18 pm »

Looking good

(in the ugliest sorta' way), Wayner

John

Miney · « **Reply #21 on:** 4 Jul 2008, 03:47 pm »

OK I completed the implant surgery last night... 6 lbs. in total. Here's the "after" photo...

I guess I took a slightly different approach from Wayner

. Further proof I'm way anal.

Anyhoo, I just finished a test drive with a few favorites:

In summary, I'd describe the results as:
HOLY CRAP!

MAJOR improvement in weight... punch... detail... all for a measly $20.01 and 4 hours.

Thanks John!

Wayner · « **Reply #22 on:** 4 Jul 2008, 03:52 pm »

Miney,

I wanted mine to look like that but I ran out of clay. I'm going to be anal too and dump more in there. Mass with no sound, sounds good to me.

Carry on! We must be goofy. Who the hell else does stuff like this?

Wayner

Miney · « **Reply #23 on:** 4 Jul 2008, 04:21 pm »

Quote from: Wayner on 4 Jul 2008, 03:52 pm

Miney,

I wanted mine to look like that but I ran out of clay. I'm going to be anal too and dump more in there. Mass with no sound, sounds good to me.

Carry on! We must be goofy. Who the hell else does stuff like this?

Wayner

Yeah my wife has been laughing at me... this will definitely cease

once she hears it.

Hey Wayner - I have 2lbs left over - be happy to mail it to you. PM me an address!

Carry on indeed

Wayner · « **Reply #24 on:** 4 Jul 2008, 05:00 pm »

I'll go to the store tomorrow and buy some more "rainbow" colored clay, thanks for the offer. I've got a few more tables to go, I'll have to buy it in bulk!

Wayner aa

TheChairGuy · « **Reply #25 on:** 4 Jul 2008, 06:34 pm »

Miney, wow - you're an artisan. You even smoothed out the clay entirely over the whole deck. I love it!!

ANAL barely covers your sins, boy

Fabulous!!

Anyone not claying their 70/80's DD table have no idea that the often don't have to pay $2000+ for a top flight belt drive deck of today. You already have a great motor that keeps virtually perfect time...you need only to damp down resonances (feedback, rumble, etc)

If you can find the tonearm bearings somewhere in there and can drop a dot or three of Tufoil on them...get ready for a further increase in sonics

Also, put the deck on a thick piece of granite or 3-4" maple and give it better supports than the factory jobbies (brass toes, squishy puds, etc, whatever sounds good to you and is relatively affordable, too)

You might also want to buy a $15 can of spray damping compound and spray the platter underside to damp riging. Then, invest in a good top mat and or top mat and vibration deflecting sub-mat.

Such simple things to improve these decks

Now - if you got the guts to do it - Plast-i-Clay the top plinth with the leftover 1-2lbs....another serious increase in resolution. But, your deck will totally make you a laughingstock to your friends. But, you'll be smiling like hell

My deck is behind closed doors now so I'm about to begin the final laying of Plast-i-Clay to the top. It's amazing how much better thigns get when that top plinth is padded down, too.

Glad it worked out for you...you really are a anal one...that one's going in the record books for neatness

Enjoy, John

jrm · « **Reply #26 on:** 7 Jul 2008, 11:13 pm »

First time post here. After seeing some of Chairguys post on the Vinyl Engine, I did the same thing with a old Technics SL-1400 though not to your extreme, yet anyway, and had very positive results. I also did the undercoating thing on the platter, it took the ring right out of the platter. I had a old Technics QDD-22 back in the day it was a pretty good deck for what it was. After reading this post I was inspired to try this on a old P-mount quartz Direct Drive deck because you can get them so cheap. I recently picked up a old SL-QD300 on eBay for 10 bucks, its the rare p-mount model with a easily user adjustable tonearm. I plan to do the same thing for it, just for the fun of it and also because I have a couple old Technics P-mount cartridges I really like the sound of. (I'm listening to one of them on my SL-1400 as I type this.) When I get the SL-QD300 going I'm going to re-tackle the SL-1400, with more plasti-clay and I'm going to rebuild the servo drive control with better capacitors and better speed control pots just to see if I can get the speed accuracy a little closer to the Quartz models like the SL-1200-mk's. I will try to remember to post some picks as I get into this. It is amazing how good you can get some of the old Japanese decks to sound with a little mod-ing.

Miney · « **Reply #27 on:** 8 Jul 2008, 06:28 pm »

Welcome JRM. Extreme? Moi?

Coach john said to stuff as much in it as possible!

As for spray dampening, is this what you and John are thinking of?

And John,

While I won't be coating the top of the turntable with plasti-clay (I saw the pic somewhere on the WWW and man, that's too dang ugly). I'm already researching feet and mats... leaning toward Vibrapod isolators and cones, and a Herbie's WE mat. ????

Thanks again for the knowledge.

jrm · « **Reply #28 on:** 8 Jul 2008, 08:38 pm »

I used some car rustproofing undercoating similar to this http://www.3mestore.com/60440096497.html?WT.mc_id=3M-com-AtoZ-Underseal-Rubberized-Undercoating, that is sold at any car parts store or Walmart, were I think I got my as stuff. I don't think brand really matters, the cheap stuff should be just as good unless you plan using your turntable on some salty roads. What you got there looks like it should be just as good if not better, since its specifically designed for sound deadening. At least I know my platter won't rust though.

TheChairGuy · « **Reply #29 on:** 8 Jul 2008, 09:12 pm »

Hey jrm....cool of you to drop by here...and welcome!

Yeah, any of the spray damping products will likely to (it's basically spray-on rubber).

I like Duplicolor UC103 because it's quite cheap...and the UC103 version is quick drying (some of these take 48 hours to cure).

http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=43698.0

For a guy with AADD (Advanced Attention Deficit Disorder

) drying in an hour is manna from heaven

John

Wayner · « **Reply #30 on:** 8 Jul 2008, 09:29 pm »

Just a remimder to keep that stuff off of the rotor magnets on the turntable platter.

Wayner

jrm · « **Reply #31 on:** 8 Jul 2008, 11:12 pm »

For sure, you must tape up that platter in the center. I also recommend taping at least a inch or two on the top, the side down to the bottom edge and tape over any small holes buy putting tape on the top side, so you don't get any undercoating on the top or sides from over spray.

JDK1 · « **Reply #32 on:** 11 Dec 2008, 01:23 pm »

Hi all:
Last night I "clayed" up my old Denon DP-30L direct drive - after 5lbs of plast-i-clay, I've yet to try it, because I need to put new footers on the puppy...Since I'm leaving off the old plastic undertray, I need all new feet to suspend and to allow air to circulate (also I rewired the power and Phono outputs which are much thicker than the old captive wires). From the various threads, I've seen a variety of footer options (but I don't see how I can use anything that will screw in, i.e., spikes - really no where to connect), but those folks that have done this procedure may have ideas for me...Also, I will be placing the table on a granite plate with some other non-scratch footer...
Thanks,
Jonathan

TheChairGuy · « **Reply #33 on:** 11 Dec 2008, 03:40 pm »

Marble and granite have not worked for me as an isolation base....maybe the slab wasn't think enough(?)

What has worked, in spades, is a thick piece of maple as a base....with 4 brass toes pointed straight down into it. Mine is butcher end grain block and 3.5". It worked - and for under $100 with toes, too.

I would think that keeping the bottom on your old Denon, despite it being plastic, might make more rigid the rest of the deck....no matter than plastic is in itself flimsy. Keeping it on (if it still fits with your added extra thick wiring) would allow you to put your choice of feet on it again.

Just clay the bottom tray internally to damp it

Just wait until you hear your old friend....was the Denon DP-30L one of the later ones with Q-damped tonearm?

John

JDK1 · « **Reply #34 on:** 11 Dec 2008, 04:52 pm »

Hi John: Thanks for the response and suggestions...The granite is about 2" thick (sink cut-out), so I guess I'll try it and see (no cost, no foul), although I am thinking of some form of footers here too...Regarding the Denon Dp-30L, I purchased it new in 1984, so it is first gen, not with the Q-damped arm (the arm is s-shaped)...I'll see if I can attach the bottom plate for stability - I don't think that the clay will be a factor, but the new cables will be...Just another day!
- Jonathan

doak · « **Reply #35 on:** 11 Dec 2008, 07:23 pm »

Take me back ..... I remember doing something very similar to my ADC TT back around 1978.

JDK1 · « **Reply #36 on:** 29 Dec 2008, 07:40 pm »

Definitely an improvement...
I "finished" updating my old Denon DP-30L turntable - packed 6lbs (could have gone more) of plast-a-clay into the underchassis (total unit probably weighs at least 25lbs now), replaced the stock powercord with a beefier (still hardwired) cord, replaced the output interconnects with a homemade set (DH Labs Pro-Studio, Eichmann Silver Bullets), changed out the headshell for a new heavier/quality one (Audio-Technica 15gm, OCC wires from Japan), added additional clay to the counterweight to offset the new headshell weight, and reset the alignment/balance for the Denon 103R - with a marked, quiet improvement...didn't know what to expect when I started, but I'm really pleased with the result, which along with the new speaker lines (Auditorium A23) is a significant step forward...BTW#2: The Audio-Technica headshell (up to 18g, I have the 15g version) is a significant improvement item (can be ordered from AudioCubes II), but it is not compatable with the Uwe Denon wood body due to the way the Uwe screw attachments (the A-T is direct from underneath, no screwnut to slide, etc.) - the A-T is worth exploring, as the heavier/solid headshell may be all the Denon 103 versions need instead of a new body(?)...BTW#3, I learned that the Eichmann Solder is harder to use (higher melting point, less flow) than the Wonder-Solder - I wish that I started (and stayed with) the Wonder - much less frustration (and bad words)...
Jonathan

Lifer · « **Reply #37 on:** 14 Feb 2009, 07:47 pm »

I hope that these photos are picked up as they show the before and after of my claying the top plate of my SP10 Mk2a tt. I only used about 1.5 lbs but I left a lot of space around the on/off switch circuit board and the strobe light. There are 15 screws holding the bottom cast aluminum plate to the top cast aluminum plate and I found that the screws were unevenly torqued-down. I didn't put any clay in the bottom as I read earlier in this post that it wouldn't have much if any effect.

The results sound beautiful

. Punchier with better bass control, I love it. I would cover the bottom of the mdf (Technics professional std issue) with clay but I am trying to motivate myself to replace it with a new one cut from a 4 inch thick piece of mango wood that I picked up a few months back and have been aging.

I can't get the photos to pick up from flicker -help please. In the mean time they can be found here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/35455601@N08/3279675596/

TheChairGuy · « **Reply #38 on:** 14 Feb 2009, 08:49 pm »

Way to go, gents

John

SET Man · « **Reply #39 on:** 15 Feb 2009, 02:23 am »

Quote from: Lifer on 14 Feb 2009, 07:47 pm

I hope that these photos are picked up as they show the before and after of my claying the top plate of my SP10 Mk2a tt. I only used about 1.5 lbs but I left a lot of space around the on/off switch circuit board and the strobe light. There are 15 screws holding the bottom cast aluminum plate to the top cast aluminum plate and I found that the screws were unevenly torqued-down. I didn't put any clay in the bottom as I read earlier in this post that it wouldn't have much if any effect.

The results sound beautiful . Punchier with better bass control, I love it. I would cover the bottom of the mdf (Technics professional std issue) with clay but I am trying to motivate myself to replace it with a new one cut from a 4 inch thick piece of mango wood that I picked up a few months back and have been aging.

I can't get the photos to pick up from flicker -help please. In the mean time they can be found here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/35455601@N08/3279675596/

Hey!

Here ya go...

Before...

After...

Look like TheChairGuy...the "Clay-meister" have gained another follower

Take care,
Buddy