New Maplenoll Ariadne owner needing advice

Oilman:

My reaction to the Air Bearing advice presented to you is to recall a conversation with Lloyd Walker on several of the same issues. Mr. Walker warned me that those bearing plates have been hardened and are subject to distortion or shattering should they be put on a lathe and turned. As for manufacture to a slightly larger size, the estimates I got were beyond my means. They exceeded the cost of the entire table.

A reader of the postings emailed me to express his tale of woe . According to him he purchased a Maplenoll on Audiogon only to have it delivered damaged . Besides cosmetic issues, the top plate spindel was bent so he attempted to have it repaired. The machinist heated the plate not knowing it had previously been hardened and the top plate went out of true and can not be repaired. Now he's stuck with an unplayable table.

Some of the Tonearm suggestions are interesting. I have a feeling that your friend has mistaken the alignment problems I spoke of in other posting in this thread as manufacturing problems. Nevertheless, his comments are worthly of follow-up.

Lastly, I have received some experimental compounds via a manufacturer that are claimed to deadened vibration(s) on contact. I haven't cracked the cans but intend to "play" with the stuff.

Crem
Thanks, I truely value yours and piedpipers comments. Everyone of the ideas you and him suggested that I tried has worked like a champ. I continue to ask a lot of questions about the maplenoll tables to learn what people have done and how it has worked out. I especially like the mod piedpiper made which moved his motor from the noll plinth. I am also very interested in developing a carbon fiber arm but I am still struggling learning how to solder the fine wire necessary to make these arms work well(just not good with real steady hands). I do have the prototype arm with a graphite headshell. I am working on a type of clamp and VTA adjustment similar to the walker table that will eliminate the looseness in the arm. Thanks again for the advice and ideas

Oilman : For soldering , take a piece of 400 wet sand paper gently brush off the laquer on the ends of your wire. Check wire for continuity. Use a Radio Shack soldering holder (maybe available online) make a tight mechanical connection touch the phono plug with a 30 watt iron , touch the iron with the thinest silver solder --There you have it. I have had great sucess with the new battery operated solder devices but take care the carbon-type tips crack and keep a hand full of replacement batteries nearby.

Oilman: A suggestion . Eminent Technology is currently selling a carbon fiber wand for the ET 2.5 Tone-Arm for $400. Perhaps , Bruce Thigman would consider making a modification of his tone-arm to fit the maplenoll ? Bruce's knowledge-base is significant regarding the Maplenoll Tone-Arms. His email is brucet@eminent-tech.com Should he respond in the positive , I too would be interested. He also has developed tone-arm wire second to none for airbearing arms.

Oilman :
I spoke to Mr. Thigman who declined for business/cost reasons to participate ;however, he is forwarding some arm wands that may or may not fit w/o modification.

Mr. Thigman did advise that I his knowledge base is confined to his air bearing arm and that dispite claims on the internet , he actually had no personal involvement in the development of the Noll lineup.