A moral/ethical question regarding my Rek-O-Kut Rondine

Depends. How much do you like DIY?

Here’s a project made to order: build your own plinth. I suspect that with a little research you can build a better plinth than the original, and one that fits your tonearm too.

But beware. I did that and caught the fever. Years spent designing and building my own turntable and tonearm from scratch.

If you don't DIY, and can't see yourself that way, I say "cut."

Very sensible comment from Miller.

Glad to see @millercarbon back in action.

I would absolutely go the new plinth route instead of hacking up the original (antique) piece. The new plinth would likely be about the depth (front to rear) of a N33H, just with the Rondine itself mounted forward and a “filler” deck piece at the rear of the plinth to mount the tonearm on the right hand side.. Just did this with a Metzner even though right now I’m mounting up a Weathers regular length arm.. my idea being to be able to mount a longer arm some day.. potentially accommodate both lengths, just one at a time. All the extra deck space to the rear of the table doesn’t look as clunky as it sounds, either. I recently built an oversized plinth for a 1941 Rek O Kut and spaced to allow a regular length Livingston on the right side, then a long Audax upside down on the left side. Works great!

As an aside, I started fixing up old turntables (especially Rek O Kuts) instead of buying and buying better and better “newer” equipment. I find it a lot of fun and a heck of a lot cheaper! I’m old school any way!

I wanna tell ya, I'm not enjoying replacing those rubber mounts at all.  I'd pay someone to do it next time.