Vintage DD turntables. Are we living dangerously?

You can use the CU-180 but I don't know if there's enough adjustment available for such a weight...?
If that doesn't bother you...go for it.
I was more concerned with the weight on the bearing 🥴

No pulsation coming from the electronics on either the TT-101 or TT-81.

Is it true that no lubrication needed for 40 y.o. unit ?

Do you trust the Victor engineers....?
I do 🤗
I've never lubricated mine.
Just last week there was a soft drone coming from the platter once every revolution so I saw that the outer platter was too close to the fixed surround.
I opened it up, turned it upside down to access the control screw in the base and turned it clockwise.
If you turn it too much the motor won't turn at all.
If you back it off from there a bit....the motor will turn clockwise, stop, turn anticlockwise, stop, turn clockwise etc etc.
Back it off a bit from there.......
Goldilocks.....😃👍
No more murmur...

Yeah...nice finish Chak 😃
It may be hard to obtain on the existing veneer....?
Maybe a car body and paint-shop?

Another reason I was not comfortable using the CU-180 Copper mat was I feared it may compromise the workings of the Bi-Directional speed control.

Yeah...nice finish Chak 😃
It may be hard to obtain on the existing veneer....?
Maybe a car body and paint-shop?

I decided to try, maybe both methods (new veneer one one plinth and paint on another). What i don't like on original Victor plinth is that veneer surface on arm boards and on the plinth always mismatch. I think it's possible to prepare the original for new veneer (some nice exotic wood) or prepare it for proper automotive paint over the original plinth.  

 In my opinion the armboard on the factory Plinth is a weak link. It’s made of MDF; I never heard an MDF part that didn’t seem to add coloration. I replaced mine with solid aluminum, custom made. Furthermore I reinforced the arm board from below by bolting it to another large piece of aluminum under the plinth. I can’t say I did an A-B comparison, but the result seems very neutral.

Do you trust the Victor engineers....?
I do 🤗
I've never lubricated mine.

I recently overhauled the engine of the TT-71 opened to check the pivot and the oil, I was surprised that after 40 years the pivot was perfect and without any signs while the oil was still as new; I wanted to replace the oil only for scruple.

The Technics SP10 MK II, on the other hand, always have a bad oil color that must necessarily be replaced and the pivots always have some stripes, I can't understand why.