Mint Protractor for the Classic Toneram 10.5i-SE

The VPI jig wants more overhang. Using the calculator:
MINTLP uses Lofgren A (Baerwald) the overhang is 15.025mm. Maybe the VPI jig is using Lofgren B the overhang is 15.422mm

Löfgren B - minimizes distortion between the inner and outer grooves resulting in the lowest average RMS distortion at the expense of slightly higher distortion close to the inner and outer grooves

I've convinced myself that the MINTLP uses IEC standard Lofgren A (Baerwald), which at 258mm results in 15.025mm. The Lofgren B IEC standard comes out to 15.422mm which might be the difference between the MINT and the VPI jig. It looks pretty close to a half a mm. The VPI jig wants more overhang which is consistent with Logren B.
Of course non of this solves your problem of 262mm spindle to pivot. Might I suggest you download Conrad Hoffman's program and print out IEC Lofgren A at 262 and compare it to your MINT protractor. I suspect your MINT is either 258mm or 259mm, since both of those numbers were used in the past. You could also print out a 258 and 259 and check those against your MINT and then you would be sure of what you have. Ultimately though you might consider using Hoffmans printout at 262, since that is you spindle to pivot distance.

On the VTA question I convinced myself that the MINT protractor is the thickness of a standard record. Therefore with your VTA set and alignment to the MINT your standard records will be "on the arc". Based on my measurements you need 50 units on the VTA tower UP to compensate for 180 gram records. So for standard thickness records you are good, for 180 gram raise your VTA tower by 50 units.

One more point about MINTLP and classic spindle. The spindle gets a little fatter as it meets the platter the last half mm or so. That is why my MINTLP never was flush on the platter, also why it seems thicker than it really is. What I did was countersink the back of the spindle hole of the protractor with a bigger hole, using my drill and drill bit. You have to go about half way through the hole, once you do that, the protractor will sit flush on the platter. It takes a while because it is glass, but it worked for me without cracking the glass, and I just used a standard bit. With that complete and the protractor sitting flush you can convince yourself it is the thickness of a standard record.

Captain_winters,

First off, I'm going to put my tail between my legs and admit I was wrong about the S2P distance. After re-measuring it again with great care and a friend's help, it is indeed 258 mm. I think I didn't account for the difference in the height angle between the spindle and pivot.

Now, the info you provided is awesome, and pretty much what I've found as well. I do believe Yip uses Bearwald so the overhang should indeed be close to 15 mm as you stated. I think VPI uses their own geometry, which is close to Lofgren B, but not exactly it. The Vinyl Engine article I linked to explains it in more detail. A few years ago I had a conversation regarding protractors with Mike, and if I recall correctly, he said the VPI jig was designed to minimize distortion in the last 1/3 of the record.

As far as the Mint not fitting over the spindle, I initially had some difficulty fitting it as well, but after working it a little, it eventually went all the way down snugly and now fits perfectly. I guess it does not matter now since you fixed it anyway.

Once again, thank you all, especially Captain_winters, for your feedback and contribution to this thread. There is a lot of great info in it that will hopefully help many others.