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Foil damping tape as a tonearm tube wrap?

There has been a couple sporadic posts recently about using a product called 3M foil damping tape to wrap tonearm tubes. The tape is normally used in applications to reduce unwanted vibrations in the product to which the tape is attached. In the particular tonearm wrap applications, users claim a noticeable improvement in sonic qualities of vinyl playback. I created this thread to catalog impressions of others who have used this material, their particular tonearm wrap applications and their take away stories. Who has used this product for tonearm wraps? Thoughts?
128x128celander
celander's avatar
celander OP
1,503 posts
 
@nationalbar described one application in this thread: https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/arche-headshell-and-technics-1200g

@rauliruegas cited this post in this thread: https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/picking-up-a-new-technics-sl1200g-tt-tomorrow

bpoletti
1,553 posts
 
The Sumiko Analog Survival Kit used a thin tape to be wound tightly around an arm tube slightly overlapping the winds.  It was not heavy.

The 3M foil damping tape is a heavy, foil-backed thin sorbothane-like material.  Heavy compared to the Sumiko tape. 

In my opinion....

The 3M Foil Damping Tape can significantly change the effective mass of a tonearm.  Significantly.  And it would be hard to judge exactly what the resulting arm mass would be.  Also, the arm counterweight could end up being insufficient to balance some cartridges.  

Certainly, on paper, it seems like a VERY BAD suggestion.  YMMV.

noromance's avatar
noromance
9,860 posts
 
Anyone use PTFE (plumber's) tape?
geoffkait's avatar
geoffkait
23,365 posts
 
The trick with the Sumiko wrap was is was rather stretchy, so you stretch the tape as you wrap, achieving more compression to the tonearm than ordinary tape. It may have also been viscoelastic. You don’t have to wrap the entire length of the arm. I would give the 3M viscoelastic tape a shot.
celander's avatar
celander OP
1,503 posts
 
@nationbar pm’ed me about his experience with this tweak. Here is the gist of that pm:

“Hello, The product I use is 3M Damping Foil (tape), # 2552 It is a constrained layer damping tape. Here is the product sheet on 3M's web site: https://www.3m.com/3M/enUS/company-us/all-3m-products/~/3M-Damping-Foil-2552/?N=5002385+3293194280&a... I use the 1" x 5 yards roll (that's enough to do fifteen tonearms!) I buy it from Grainger, they have the best price and they sell smaller quantities, most industrial sources only offer large quantities. Here: https://www.grainger.com/search?searchBar=true&searchQuery=3m+2552 Forget about the description on Grainger's website re:" EMI absorber tape", that's for another product altogether. The product is indeed 3M 2552. I wrap the armtube only, from just behind the headshell collet, up to but stopping at the bearing lug section, where it gets bigger.. just behind the arm lock. I wrap-carefully- in a spiral, with about 50% overlap. Beware, the adhesive is strong- I actually spoke to an engineer at 3M in Minnesota to enquire about removing the tape from a magnesium tube. he said removal requires a 4 pound pull for the adhesive to release. The reason I am damping the arm this way, as well as using the KAB fluid damping system and the arche headshell is the London Reference cartridge I use is very low compliance, and sends a LOT of energy down the tonearm tube, which feeds back to the stylus. The 3M damping tape is FAR more effective than teflon plumbers tape or heat shrink tubing. The combination of all three elements, the arche headshell, the damping tape, and the KAB fluid damping system, eliminated the mechanical quirks from the London cartridge, allowing it to track properly, and also it lowered surface noise, which this cartridge is known for. The tape wrapped on the armtube added about 6 grams of weight, so remember to re-adjust your VTF.”
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