Readers :A Couple of quick impressions. Word/Mind sketchbooks in no particular order;
The Electrical Harness : Well made hardware with a black cap , hurst motor , clean solder joints and garden variety line cord. Removed intact. To be cleaned, photographed and stored with all other parts removed from the Maplenoll.
Air Manifold Case : A Two'ish pound of finely machined Alum-type stock encasing the famed Dr. Lew Eckhart tone-arm air manifold made of the finest SS money can buy . The case only needs cosmetic work and painting. Note: I shot 100% I/O alcohol thru the tone-arm bearing not one drop of oil. The fact the tone-arm bearing is clean affirms the re-design of the air control system and the home-made air scrubbers. Same is true of the Table's Air Bearings.
The S/S circular , short-pipe supports for the tone-arm manifold were turned by a machinest to a hand-burnished satin finish. Once lightly steel wooled , beautiful look much better than wood and stronger. Supports filled with Roma Plastlinia #2 some of the finest professional modeling clay made w/ a history to the 12th Century. Perfect filler/dampener , will never harden , crust or deteriorate. More on Roma later. To be finished off with thin rubber washers before re-install. Must have cost real money to manufacture.
The Lead Platter: A grunt work project. Sanded, polished & primed, awaiting final paint application. 50lb-ish, too much to lug around. Not: Helpers required to move safetly.
Air Bearing tube, arm lift and tone-arm parts. All cleaned foam filled or adjusted and complete.
The Maplenoll Air Bearing : A thing of beauty. Casted in a foundary , hand machined and balanced. They are 8" in diameter , Lloyd Walker made his 11" in size. Now, I understand why.
The bearings are industral art . Since they started life in a foundary they actually ring like a bell of sorts. That my friend that is the secret to the music. I believe both top and bottom bearings are "tuned ". The ring has to much sustain for just an accident. I played guitar before the car accident, I know pitch . Using a tuning fork or a automated tuner it becomes apparent why these bearings ring with purpose. The secret to the table is to damp the bearings w/o destroying their "life". Now that I know what the "key" is harmonically" , tuning down is not that difficult. Kinda like tuning a guitar to the key of C or D Major. Note: The bearing base has three off-set threaded rods that act as taines ie. vibration drains , draining off unwanted pulsations thru the base and into a rubber bushing. The bushing is not any run of the mill bushing but a Ford shock absorber cap specifically designed to kill vibration.
Must have cost Mr.Ford millions to design over the past century .Smart move Bob D. applying automotive tectnology. Ford spent millions and I bought my bushing replacements for a little over $6.00. Thanks Bob, thanks Mr. Ford but most of all thanks to Paul @ PEP Boys who has a PHD in communications/ bushing knowledge. Go Army, go Paul ... Your the man.
The Back-Side of the Table:
A maze of cut-outs and holes. All are filled with Roma , threaded for use including the electrical box & motor mounting holes(both filled w/Roma). Note: Roma recommends shellacing any surface to which the clay is to be applied. Since Bob D. painted the back, black no need for shellac. Note: Helpers required to move safetly.
Everything I have done can be reversed just as quickly as pluged. All exposed electrical holes finished wooden plugs of various sizes for visual appeal. Much more to come.
The Electrical Harness : Well made hardware with a black cap , hurst motor , clean solder joints and garden variety line cord. Removed intact. To be cleaned, photographed and stored with all other parts removed from the Maplenoll.
Air Manifold Case : A Two'ish pound of finely machined Alum-type stock encasing the famed Dr. Lew Eckhart tone-arm air manifold made of the finest SS money can buy . The case only needs cosmetic work and painting. Note: I shot 100% I/O alcohol thru the tone-arm bearing not one drop of oil. The fact the tone-arm bearing is clean affirms the re-design of the air control system and the home-made air scrubbers. Same is true of the Table's Air Bearings.
The S/S circular , short-pipe supports for the tone-arm manifold were turned by a machinest to a hand-burnished satin finish. Once lightly steel wooled , beautiful look much better than wood and stronger. Supports filled with Roma Plastlinia #2 some of the finest professional modeling clay made w/ a history to the 12th Century. Perfect filler/dampener , will never harden , crust or deteriorate. More on Roma later. To be finished off with thin rubber washers before re-install. Must have cost real money to manufacture.
The Lead Platter: A grunt work project. Sanded, polished & primed, awaiting final paint application. 50lb-ish, too much to lug around. Not: Helpers required to move safetly.
Air Bearing tube, arm lift and tone-arm parts. All cleaned foam filled or adjusted and complete.
The Maplenoll Air Bearing : A thing of beauty. Casted in a foundary , hand machined and balanced. They are 8" in diameter , Lloyd Walker made his 11" in size. Now, I understand why.
The bearings are industral art . Since they started life in a foundary they actually ring like a bell of sorts. That my friend that is the secret to the music. I believe both top and bottom bearings are "tuned ". The ring has to much sustain for just an accident. I played guitar before the car accident, I know pitch . Using a tuning fork or a automated tuner it becomes apparent why these bearings ring with purpose. The secret to the table is to damp the bearings w/o destroying their "life". Now that I know what the "key" is harmonically" , tuning down is not that difficult. Kinda like tuning a guitar to the key of C or D Major. Note: The bearing base has three off-set threaded rods that act as taines ie. vibration drains , draining off unwanted pulsations thru the base and into a rubber bushing. The bushing is not any run of the mill bushing but a Ford shock absorber cap specifically designed to kill vibration.
Must have cost Mr.Ford millions to design over the past century .Smart move Bob D. applying automotive tectnology. Ford spent millions and I bought my bushing replacements for a little over $6.00. Thanks Bob, thanks Mr. Ford but most of all thanks to Paul @ PEP Boys who has a PHD in communications/ bushing knowledge. Go Army, go Paul ... Your the man.
The Back-Side of the Table:
A maze of cut-outs and holes. All are filled with Roma , threaded for use including the electrical box & motor mounting holes(both filled w/Roma). Note: Roma recommends shellacing any surface to which the clay is to be applied. Since Bob D. painted the back, black no need for shellac. Note: Helpers required to move safetly.
Everything I have done can be reversed just as quickly as pluged. All exposed electrical holes finished wooden plugs of various sizes for visual appeal. Much more to come.