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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
travbrow
272 posts
 
Hi Lewm,

Yes, I did it but I drilled a hole. A person at lencoheaven.net website did the mod without drilling and you can view pictures of how he did it. I also found the mod to be nice upgrade. Thanks Johnnantais!
lewm
12,588 posts
 
Thanks, Trav. I did visit Heaven and did see the photos you mention. It looks kind of crude to me in that the string is passing over two abrasive metal surfaces. I would rather go Jean's way, drill a new hole (as you evidently did do) and line it with some sort of ceramic or brass grommet so the string only passes over the smooth side of a single grommet. That's if I ever get around to trying this mod. I am impressed with the unanimously favorable reviews, but I want to know more about the why of it. That's just me. What about unscrewing the post that holds the end of the spring, and using the hole thus made available for the string to pass thru? That would be simple as simple can be, and it would preserve the factory-determined vector of the force pulling on the idler arm. Unless that hole leads to solid slate on my turntable.
dopogue
1,773 posts
 
Won't work, Lew. Unless the hole is precisely positioned per Jean's template, the thread will run into stuff and the weight will not have space in which to move up and down.
travbrow
272 posts
 
I think the reason you can't use that hole is the weight and string won't be clear of the motor. There is a small area that you can be drilled so the string and weight clear the motor. And I think the new angel of pull is good, no problem with that.

The "theories" behind why it works is a more constant pull vs. the spring and we can achieve maximum torgue. It seems 1.5oz is enough but you could experiment with different amounts of weight within that range. Just use enough weight till you get max torque. You can feel with your finger that the platter gets pretty hard to stop when max torque is achieved. All that is thought to give better speed stability and helps the turntable deal with stylus drag. And also some think the "twangy" spring resonates more noise into the platter and or plinth.

I agree you want a smooth surface for the string to slide on so drilling the hole and fitting a rod with smooth top is the way to go.

travbrow
272 posts
 
Correction "angel" of pull should read "angle" of pull. My spelling is awful.
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