Looking for guidance with older VPI HW-19 tables

This is all good advice and as a current HW19jr owner, I orginally purchased the table with the intent of upgrading over time. Since I have neither the skills or time to perform these upgrades today, can anyone tell me who still is modifying them/upgrading them? VPI has very little in the way of parts?

This is a great discussion about a fine table. VPI's Harry Weisfeld was asked over at VinylAsylum how the 19IV ranks with VPI's current tables and he had this answer:

The 19 MK-4 was one of my favorite tables, I would put it between a Scoutmaster and an Aries 3 but in someways as good as or better than either. Tt has a great soundstage and really takes the walls down when listening.

Rabbit,
Basically nobody out there in audio-land is doing any mods, or selling any upgrade parts, as far as new Plinths, Armboards, or fabricating such are concerned. Some months back, I contacted VPI, as I had heard they may have had some HW-19 Steel Sub-Chassis left, an important component, if you wanted to take the Jr, to a
legit MK-III, or MK-IV Status, but alas the folks at VPI claimed there were none left. As far as I know, neither ar Armboards, Sorbo Pucks, Suspension Springs.

Very little left I'm afraid, maybe the Oak Bases, Dustcovers, Motors, maybe Hinges, and an On/Off Switch, but that's about it.

If you wanted to take a Jr to a higher level, like I did some months back, I had to get the raw materials (Acrylic Plinth) and have the Plinth Drilled by a local Machinist. A couple of the older VPI Platters (TNT, and MK-IV) will fit the Jr, it's a quick swap, but one might then encounter Tonearm Height problems.

Again, I had a custom, taller Arm-Base fabricated to accomodate a taller 16lb MK-IV Lead Filled Platter. Same would be true with the current all acrylic MK-IV Platter, or Super Platter, in that Tonearm Height might be a problem without some mods to raise its height.

I believe the SAMA is still available, but appears to always be a back-order item with VPI. One can make a "poor man's SAMA", by supporting-isolating the Plinth from Base. I've heard some have done it quite simply with something like 4 tomato cans under the Plinth.

The VPI SDS will work with any VPI Table, past, or present. Hope this helps. Mark

I just made some 1 inch think armboards from Michigan hard maple. They are stained gloss black with at least 3 coats of glossy urethane. I made 4 of them and used one for my audioquest tonearm. I have to say the sound is more controlled and carries a slightly warmer tone than the skinny acrylic arm board. I am using the springs and the table have cone feet sits on a slab of 3 inch think michigan hard maple as well. All is good and I am liking it.

What modifications/parts are required to take a stock MkIII to MkIV standards. Can a MKIV platter simply replace the stock MkIII platter with no modification to the turntable?