Building high-end 'tables cheap at Home Despot II


“For those who want the moon but can't afford it or those who can afford it but like to have fun and work with their hands, I'm willing to give out a recipe for a true high-end 'table which is easy to do, and fun to make as sky's the limit on design/creativity! The cost of materials, including 'table, is roughly $200 (depending, more or less), and add to that a Rega tonearm. The results are astonishing. I'll even tell/show you how to make chipboard look like marble and fool and impress all your friends. If there's interest I'll get on with this project, if not, I'll just continue making them in my basement. The next one I make will have a Corian top and have a zebra stripe pattern! Fun! Any takers?”

The Lead in “Da Thread” as posted by Johnnantais - 2-01-04

Let the saga continue. Sail on, oh ships of Lenco!
mario_b

"Funny, I’ve been through “Da” original “Thread” twice now, and I could find no place where you claimed to be the originator or inventor of any scientific principles as applied to the Lenco build. Certainly, there was a justifiable pride in application and development, but how that transforms in other minds as self-promotion is a mystery to me."
Mario B.

"When I started the original thread, I wanted the design as simple as it could be in order to gather fellow experimenters, and in the process discovered myself that it was not necessary to remove the motor. In fact, I discovered mass and Direct Coupling (the two go together) make a FAR larger difference to the sound, and make such acrobatics as split plinths moot (as the annihilation of the low-mass two-tier Cain & Cain plinth by my single high-mass plinth makes clear). In addition, the least difference in the geometry of the motor relative to the workings will be detrimental to the sound. Nevertheless, until I started the original thread, I had listened to my two-tier Lenco for close on 12 years. Of course, everyone is free to design as they wish, it's your baby, and the Lenco will not disappoint, as its essential ingredients will remain, all tied to its amazing speed stability (which, however, improves by Direct Coupling to a high mass)."
J. Nantais

The above is not from the original thread, but this thread. The timeline for construction techniques was changed, so that the originator of those techniques would appear to be Nantais. Those were not his discoveries, yet he lays claim to any technique posted by others.
Hi Mosin,

It would seem that there is little to be gained by splitting semantic hairs over the meaning of “discovered” – especially since you seem to be carrying some pain and anger over this for quite some time. Had Jean written “I discovered what others had suggested to be a vast improvement” or more simply, “I discovered for myself” would he have been off the hook? But in the end, he did not write those words and you took it as slight and a “grab”.

But the word “discovered” will always be tinged with chauvinism, whether one says that Newton discovered gravity, or Columbus discovered America, or I discovered that I was too short of funds to buy my wife flowers the other day. Who discovered “direct coupling” and why does that matter?

Somehow I don’t come away from reading Jean’s posts with a sense that there’s something sinister or duplicitous going on with him. Truth be told, Mosin, in the wake of you and others showing up here – after a long absence – not to post anything positive – but to attack – that strikes me as sinister.

Civility is certainly nice when you can get it, but as I cautioned Jean many moons ago placing expectations on how others act can be a losing proposition. By the same token, expecting acknowledgement or desserts over perceived intellectual property is also a losing proposition. This is a public forum on the World-Wide-Web. What’s out is out.
If you’ve got something to share, do so with no strings attached. Otherwise, you’d do well to keep it to yourself.

All best,
Mario
Mario,
I agree, it depends what you are looking for. I know Jean well, being neighbors and having known him since grade 7.
We have spent many an afternoon at his place or mine just listening to music. He has helped me with 4 plinths, the very first pre-dates "Da thread" and it was an 80 lbs Plinth for my Technics SP10 MKII, and guess what, its direct coupled, then he built my Lenco, one of the few times I've posted here was to mention it and how pleased I was (am) with it. Just recently he built my TD124 plinth fitted with a 12" SME, simply put, it is work a of art. Lastly was the the plinth for my Summer garage sale find of a Garrard 301, That Plinth (Jean's old 301 plinth) is part of an amazing Turntable, fitted with a Morch UP-4 and a Decca Super Gold, it has Slam in all the right places. Haven't decided which Turntable I like the best, all I can say for the time being is that the 301 has been spinning for 6 weeks in the main room!! Thought it would be a good time to pipe-up and simply say that Jean has always been helpful, to me and dozens of local music lovers.
Whishing Jean a great trip, great review and safe return,
John T

Wow Mosin! That’s the absolute tops of any homebrew turntable I’ve ever seen anywhere. And you accomplished this without a basement full of Chinese illegals? Absolutely stunning production quality (and I mean high-end production quality) in this build!

Thanks for sharing this Mosin, and more importantly, thanks for sucking it in and turning the corner with this courageous give-back.

One question…. what is that IC next to the power connect?

All best,
Mario