swt61
Dr. Wood
- Joined
- Sep 4, 2005
- Posts
- 5,308
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- 27
I'll just copy my posts from another site earlier today...
"I've been playing around with vinyl rigs again for a while now. Some of you will remember that I was going to build a custom plinth for a Mitsubishi LT-30 a while back, but ended up just overlaying the plinth with Wenge.
Well with my greatest resource at hand (luvdunhill) I opted for a completely custom table a while back. I purchased most of the parts earlier, but am just now finding a little free time to build the plinth.
I went back and forth on the design several times, and almost ended up using some soapstone slabs. But in the end I decided on wood. Specifically the core of the plinth will be alternating layers of 3/4" MDF and Baltic Birch plywood. 6 layers to be exact, for a total of 4.5" for the core. That ought to supply some mass. Later I'll drill the core for some Micro-Bearing fill.
Audio Points - 1.5AP-1C.5 Wide Body Threaded
The 14" x 20" core will be topped with Burled Maple veneer, and wrapped on all four sides with 3/4" Black Walnut. I'll mill a nice slight arch on the bottom of the Walnut sides, and the four corners will be 2" square Black Walnut posts w/adjustable cone feet at the bottom.
This plinth will get a Tung oil finish, most likely 5 coats. There will be a Black Walnut armboard to raise the tonearm to the desired height, and it will be adjustable in and out about 3/8" for optimum spacing between the spindle and tonearm pivot.
The tonearm is a Rega RB300 w/Incognito wiring and Pete Riggle's weight and VTA adjuster.
The platter is a VPI Aries Black Knight Black Acrylic platter about 2" thick. The bearing is the VPI Aries inverted bearing, and it's a beast. I also picked up a Black Diamond Carbon Fiber threaded record clamp.
Marc has been the driving force behind this project, helping me secure the awesome Maxon motor, custom motor pod, custom speed controller (battery powered) which he built, as well as the Pass Pearl phono stage he's finishing up.
I will most likely use a surgical silk thread belt for the time being until I decide whether I like the tape drive option better.
The plan is to run a ZYX Bloom cartridge, but for now I will have to get by with a Grado prestige that I already own.
Today I started the plinth work, and was able to get all the necessary holes measured and drilled, the 6 layers cut and glued together, and finally the Burled Maple veneer glued up.
I probably won't get a chance to get back to it until the weekend, but I'll get some pics of where I'm at thus far posted later tonight (hopefully). And this weekend will start the Walnut trim pieces and armboard. I need to get this finished up for this months Houston meet on the 25th, so this will go faster than my previous TT projects.
Stay tuned.
"OK to avoid a ban here's what I've done thus far.
The top of the plinth core with Burled Maple veneer, and holes for bearing and tonearm. Note the small holes on each side of the rectangular tonearm hole, those are burried T-nuts for armboard adjustment.
The six alternating layers of 3/4" MDF and 3/4" Baltic Birch plywood.
The hole for the inverted bearing.
Closeup of the tonearm and armboard mounting holes. The armboard will have the standard round hole for the Riggle VTA bushing.
The larger hole underneath the plinth for the washer and nut of the inverted bearing.
The hole underneath the rectangular tonearm hole, for the tonearm wiring.
This cutout probably has you wondering. It's actually a cutout for drilling the bearing hole. I only have a benchtop size drillpress and the depth is about 5", so this cutout was needed to allow me to get the plinth in far enough around the drillpress post to drill for the bearing. Note that the top piece of Baltic Birch doesn't have the cutout, and was hand drilled. This of coarse won't be seen unless you turn the table over.
Bearing installed. This is the washer and nut from underneath. The washer is 2" in diameter, a stout bearing for sure.
The installed bearing from the top.
With platter in place.
Carbon fiber record clamp.
I'll try to get most of the Walnut trim work done this weekend. Once I get this and the armboard done I'll have pics of the tonearm setup."
"I've been playing around with vinyl rigs again for a while now. Some of you will remember that I was going to build a custom plinth for a Mitsubishi LT-30 a while back, but ended up just overlaying the plinth with Wenge.
Well with my greatest resource at hand (luvdunhill) I opted for a completely custom table a while back. I purchased most of the parts earlier, but am just now finding a little free time to build the plinth.
I went back and forth on the design several times, and almost ended up using some soapstone slabs. But in the end I decided on wood. Specifically the core of the plinth will be alternating layers of 3/4" MDF and Baltic Birch plywood. 6 layers to be exact, for a total of 4.5" for the core. That ought to supply some mass. Later I'll drill the core for some Micro-Bearing fill.
Audio Points - 1.5AP-1C.5 Wide Body Threaded
The 14" x 20" core will be topped with Burled Maple veneer, and wrapped on all four sides with 3/4" Black Walnut. I'll mill a nice slight arch on the bottom of the Walnut sides, and the four corners will be 2" square Black Walnut posts w/adjustable cone feet at the bottom.
This plinth will get a Tung oil finish, most likely 5 coats. There will be a Black Walnut armboard to raise the tonearm to the desired height, and it will be adjustable in and out about 3/8" for optimum spacing between the spindle and tonearm pivot.
The tonearm is a Rega RB300 w/Incognito wiring and Pete Riggle's weight and VTA adjuster.
The platter is a VPI Aries Black Knight Black Acrylic platter about 2" thick. The bearing is the VPI Aries inverted bearing, and it's a beast. I also picked up a Black Diamond Carbon Fiber threaded record clamp.
Marc has been the driving force behind this project, helping me secure the awesome Maxon motor, custom motor pod, custom speed controller (battery powered) which he built, as well as the Pass Pearl phono stage he's finishing up.
I will most likely use a surgical silk thread belt for the time being until I decide whether I like the tape drive option better.
The plan is to run a ZYX Bloom cartridge, but for now I will have to get by with a Grado prestige that I already own.
Today I started the plinth work, and was able to get all the necessary holes measured and drilled, the 6 layers cut and glued together, and finally the Burled Maple veneer glued up.
I probably won't get a chance to get back to it until the weekend, but I'll get some pics of where I'm at thus far posted later tonight (hopefully). And this weekend will start the Walnut trim pieces and armboard. I need to get this finished up for this months Houston meet on the 25th, so this will go faster than my previous TT projects.
Stay tuned.
"OK to avoid a ban here's what I've done thus far.
The top of the plinth core with Burled Maple veneer, and holes for bearing and tonearm. Note the small holes on each side of the rectangular tonearm hole, those are burried T-nuts for armboard adjustment.
The six alternating layers of 3/4" MDF and 3/4" Baltic Birch plywood.
The hole for the inverted bearing.
Closeup of the tonearm and armboard mounting holes. The armboard will have the standard round hole for the Riggle VTA bushing.
The larger hole underneath the plinth for the washer and nut of the inverted bearing.
The hole underneath the rectangular tonearm hole, for the tonearm wiring.
This cutout probably has you wondering. It's actually a cutout for drilling the bearing hole. I only have a benchtop size drillpress and the depth is about 5", so this cutout was needed to allow me to get the plinth in far enough around the drillpress post to drill for the bearing. Note that the top piece of Baltic Birch doesn't have the cutout, and was hand drilled. This of coarse won't be seen unless you turn the table over.
Bearing installed. This is the washer and nut from underneath. The washer is 2" in diameter, a stout bearing for sure.
The installed bearing from the top.
With platter in place.
Carbon fiber record clamp.
I'll try to get most of the Walnut trim work done this weekend. Once I get this and the armboard done I'll have pics of the tonearm setup."
