This is suppose to flatten warped records.....

Wayner · « **on:** 14 Jul 2011, 12:56 pm »

Oven is required......here we go again.

http://www.vinylflat.com/vinylflatinstructions.html

DaveyW · « **Reply #1 on:** 14 Jul 2011, 06:17 pm »

Ahh! The oven baked approach - Been there

I know others have claimed a level of success, but no matter what weight, temperature, warm up time, cool down time, I only ever got two results;

a) The warp remained
b) The disc got trashed

It might work but I can't see how you can be so prescriptive without defining the type and level of warp you're dealing with.

Interesting that the video doesn't show the extent of the warp to begin with

orthobiz · « **Reply #2 on:** 16 Jul 2011, 11:45 am »

Somebody buy it quick and tell me if it works!

Paul

pumpkinman · « **Reply #3 on:** 16 Jul 2011, 11:58 am »

Wayner I saw it yesterday at AudioGon

http://www.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?anlgtabl&1315771740&/Vinyl-Flat-record

Wayner · « **Reply #4 on:** 16 Jul 2011, 12:36 pm »

Makes you wonder why they sold it.....

orthobiz · « **Reply #5 on:** 16 Jul 2011, 03:19 pm »

Quote from: Wayner on 16 Jul 2011, 12:36 pm

Makes you wonder why they sold it.....

Easy...it's a vendor, no?

Paul

Wayner · « **Reply #6 on:** 16 Jul 2011, 03:37 pm »

Then they are a just an in-between guy. The company that makes it is www.vinylflat.com

bside123 · « **Reply #7 on:** 16 Jul 2011, 04:01 pm »

Most of us who are hunting for good vinyl are able to find it used, and in good/great condition, for $1 - $5. Of course, there's the exceptions of the hard to find item or special editions such as 180g reissue. Otherwise, $130 divided by $1 - $5 = 130 to 26 records respectively. How many warped records would one have in order to justify a $130 "warp remover"? The record collectors that I know, just don't have very many bad records. You can buy lots of records for the price of this gizzmo. Buy records. Listen to music!

BTW, ovens and vinyl records do not mix.

rollo · « **Reply #8 on:** 16 Jul 2011, 04:43 pm »

Tried putting the LP in between two pieces of polished plate glass 1/2 " th. Let it sit a couple of weeks and it was flat. Go figure.

charles
SMA

Wayner · « **Reply #9 on:** 16 Jul 2011, 06:23 pm »

Charles, I like your idea better then the oven treatment. I'm not buying one. I started this thread to get some conversion going on the oven technique, as some here have claimed marginal success. I have some OOP records that are warped, but I can still play them. I'd hate to have a "melt down" because things weren't just set just right.

Wayner

95Dyna · « **Reply #10 on:** 16 Jul 2011, 10:38 pm »

Quote from: bside123 on 16 Jul 2011, 04:01 pm

Most of us who are hunting for good vinyl are able to find it used, and in good/great condition, for $1 - $5. Of course, there's the exceptions of the hard to find item or special editions such as 180g reissue. Otherwise, $130 divided by $1 - $5 = 130 to 26 records respectively. How many warped records would one have in order to justify a $130 "warp remover"? The record collectors that I know, just don't have very many bad records. You can buy lots of records for the price of this gizzmo. Buy records. Listen to music! BTW, ovens and vinyl records do not mix.

If you think that's bad this company sells a completely automated unit that retails for $2,995.00. Come on down

95Dyna · « **Reply #11 on:** 16 Jul 2011, 10:42 pm »

Quote from: Wayner on 16 Jul 2011, 06:23 pm

Charles, I like your idea better then the oven treatment. I'm not buying one. I started this thread to get some conversion going on the oven technique, as some here have claimed marginal success. I have some OOP records that are warped, but I can still play them. I'd hate to have a "melt down" because things weren't just set just right.

Wayner

I'm with you, Wayner. I haven't run into a record yet with a moderate but noticeable warp that I can't play. And they sound great. I thought about the VPI perimeter clamp for my Classic TT but at $700.00 you can replace alot of records as was mentioned in an earlier post.

TONEPUB · « **Reply #12 on:** 16 Jul 2011, 11:06 pm »

Just got one of these in for review the other day. We'll see how it does. I've got the Furutech and while it is excellent, way too much money for most people. Most I know buy it as part of an audio club and share it amongst the members. We'll see how it does on a few non critical records.

orthobiz · « **Reply #13 on:** 16 Jul 2011, 11:25 pm »

Quote from: 95Dyna on 16 Jul 2011, 10:42 pm

I'm with you, Wayner. I haven't run into a record yet with a moderate but noticeable warp that I can't play. And they sound great. I thought about the VPI perimeter clamp for my Classic TT but at $700.00 you can replace alot of records as was mentioned in an earlier post.

I have had two perimeter clamps for both iterations of my VPI MkIII platters (the latest is the current inverted bearing platter) and like flattening the records. Not so much that my TT couldn't track them, or my Linn either. More because I felt better with less tonearm undulation.

In the back of my mind I feel that warps are deleterious to repeated playback. I have no data to support this but I do come across used warped records that have a repeating scratchy sound at the warp that makes me feel that the needle repeatedly "bottomed out" in the undulation.

I'd be willing to try this flattener, my daughter has an otherwise pristine looking copy of Robyn Hitchock Fegmania! that is unplayable on all of the TT's in the house--although I haven't tried my new Akito 2b tonearm with it.

So, melt away, TONEPUB!

Paul

DaveyW · « **Reply #14 on:** 17 Jul 2011, 05:34 am »

Quote from: orthobiz on 16 Jul 2011, 11:25 pm

In the back of my mind I feel that warps are deleterious to repeated playback. I have no data to support this but I do come across used warped records that have a repeating scratchy sound at the warp that makes me feel that the needle repeatedly "bottomed out" in the undulation.

Good point Paul,

Along the same sort of lines I avoid playing noticably warped records, even if they are trackable - the principal reason: Suspension damage.

Personally I just don't believe that delicate mechanism, especailly on the better, finer carts, is designed to repeatedly lift the tone arm as the warp rises.
Also edge warps (generally linked to poor storage) put an unnatural lateral load on the pivot.

In my younger days I used to play anything - if it did'nt skip that was OK with me......... but I also saw at least two, reasonable quality carts (Goldring 1042 and Nagaoka MP 11 Boron) go down with suspension damage.

Since avoiding warped records I've yet to replace any cart due to this particular issue.

Most of my warped records have now been replaced, just got two (from memory) to go.
IMHO this is a cheap price to pay to protect my carts.

vinyl_guy · « **Reply #15 on:** 17 Jul 2011, 06:37 am »

Quote from: bside123 on 16 Jul 2011, 04:01 pm

Most of us who are hunting for good vinyl are able to find it used, and in good/great condition, for $1 - $5.

I find very few good/great condition records in this price range (I never look at $1 records and I shop in lots of different cities as I travel on business and pleasure. Occasionally, I will find a good/great record in the $2.99 - $4.99 range, but the prices I generally see are $5 - $9 for good/great condition records, and sometimes more.

TONEPUB · « **Reply #16 on:** 17 Jul 2011, 09:43 pm »

Quote from: orthobiz on 16 Jul 2011, 11:25 pm

I have had two perimeter clamps for both iterations of my VPI MkIII platters (the latest is the current inverted bearing platter) and like flattening the records. Not so much that my TT couldn't track them, or my Linn either. More because I felt better with less tonearm undulation.

In the back of my mind I feel that warps are deleterious to repeated playback. I have no data to support this but I do come across used warped records that have a repeating scratchy sound at the warp that makes me feel that the needle repeatedly "bottomed out" in the undulation.

I'd be willing to try this flattener, my daughter has an otherwise pristine looking copy of Robyn Hitchock Fegmania! that is unplayable on all of the TT's in the house--although I haven't tried my new Akito 2b tonearm with it.

So, melt away, TONEPUB!

Paul

I agree with you Paul... I am truly curious to see how this works. I have had excellent luck with the Furutech, but your record has to be SUPER clean before you put it IN THE DAMN THING, or it will just embed the dust in said record!

bside123 · « **Reply #17 on:** 18 Jul 2011, 12:12 am »

Quote from: vinyl_lady on 17 Jul 2011, 06:37 am

I find very few good/great condition records in this price range (I never look at $1 records0 and I shop in lots of different cities as I travel on business and pleasure. Occasionally, I will find agoo/great record in the $2.99 - $4.99 range, but the prices I generally see are $5 - $9 for good/great condition records.

Hi Laura: I must of had some good luck here in IL, as I've found loads of great records in the $1-$5 price range. The cheaper ones I've usually gotten at yard sales, flea markets, church sale, antique malls, Goodwill, private parties, etc. I always try to keep a look out for these opportunities. I agree with you, though, that record store sales start at about $4.99 for good vinyl. Just bought 2 LPs today in St. Louis @ $4.99 each, and both are NM. On the other hand, I've had pretty bad luck buying records in lots from the internet (eBay, Audiogon, etc.). Internet sales never seemed to match or live up to the description in my experience. Therefore, at this point, I really like to SEE the record before I buy it... unless it comes from another collector such as an AC member.

The point of my post, on this thread, is that I believe that most collectors (us) keep pretty good vinyl on hand, and that it would be hard to justify a higher dollar purchase for buying a machine to "fix" warped records, than to just simply replace a few bad records. BTW, I've had really great luck cleaning records, and turning what others thought were "bad" records into real gems!

orthobiz · « **Reply #18 on:** 18 Jul 2011, 01:42 am »

Quote from: bside123 on 18 Jul 2011, 12:12 am

I always try to keep a look out I believe that most collectors (us) keep pretty good vinyl on hand, and that it would be hard to justify a higher dollar purchase for buying a machine to "fix" warped records, than to just simply replace a few bad records.

I'm not that good at picking out the warped ones at record shows and in garages. With all the money I've spent on cleaning machines, special fluids, steam cleaners, high pressure record washers, brushes, needle cleaners--200 bucks for a de-warper that works might just be worth it. "Replacing" the records can be hard. Recently, for instance, I came across a couple of Kinks that I sent to pumpkinman--Arthur and Lola. You just don't see them every day, these weren't warped, but I think a dewarper might just find its way into the Biz mancave (or kitchen).

I just sent pumpkinman a copy of Paul Clinch with Choya, Living Like A Rich Man. Again, not warped, but I dare you to try to "replace" it! With my luck, when I find my Robert Ludwig Led Zep II, it will be warped.

Paul

bside123 · « **Reply #19 on:** 18 Jul 2011, 02:44 am »

Quote from: orthobiz on 18 Jul 2011, 01:42 am

I'm not that good at picking out the warped ones at record shows and in garages. With all the money I've spent on cleaning machines, special fluids, steam cleaners, high pressure record washers, brushes, needle cleaners--200 bucks for a de-warper that works might just be worth it. "Replacing" the records can be hard. Recently, for instance, I came across a couple of Kinks that I sent to pumpkinman--Arthur and Lola. You just don't see them every day, these weren't warped, but I think a dewarper might just find its way into the Biz mancave (or kitchen).

I just sent pumpkinman a copy of Paul Clinch with Choya, Living Like A Rich Man. Again, not warped, but I dare you to try to "replace" it! With my luck, when I find my Robert Ludwig Led Zep II, it will be warped.

Paul

Paul, you make some good points regarding the rare and irreplaceable collectibles. Hard to find, and maybe never to be found again... However, how many actually warped albums do you got in the man cave?... compared to how many albums do you actually have? ... compared to how many times do you repeat listening to the same album on a yearly basis?

Yea, I've invested in many of the gadgets, lotions and potions meant to make vinyl mo' betta'. Some work; some don't. Every time I've asked around about de-warping records, I've never gotten good reviews. The best have been that someone was successful a couple of times. I even started a thread on this same subject sometime last year....