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Narrower spindle for Thorens turntable

Does anyone know if there is a replacement spindle for a Thorens TD 125 MKII turntable that is narrower than the stock spindle? About half the records I try to put on the Thorens don't fit on the spindle and have to be reamed out with a knife to get them to fit. This is becoming a major pain. Any help would be appreciated.
catama
thom_at_galibier_design's avatar
thom_at_galibier_design
729 posts
 
Thanks Steve,

Yes, finding a machinist you trust is key. I didn't mean to trivialize this.

It's interesting that your Thorens' are "only" in the .282-.283 range (VPI & Sota territory).

I imagine that at some point, Thorens realized they were fighting a losing battle in keeping to RIAA standard.

Your experience of the .282-.283 range being problematic mirrors mine, and when I spec'd the Teres bearing out in the first month of the project, we went for what you measured (the spec as I recall was .280 -0/+001, and .2805 splits this difference perfectly).

It's the number I still use.

I wish I had better (easier to execute) advice for you than the two options presented above (machining spindles, or reaming records).

Cheers,
Thom
jeadac
28 posts
 
Hi, I am not sure this will work. If I had this problem I would try to place the spindal in a drill chuck, have someone hold the drill and use some emery cloth on the turning spindal. I am sure if you are careful you will do no harm. I hope this will help, David
catama OP
81 posts
 
Thanks to all of you who responded. For a while I thought I wouldn't get any feedback. I guess I'll use the pencil/reamer solution for now. I'm leary of machining the spindle given how difficult it is to find parts and someone who will work on the table. I do like the sound, though. What's odd is that my NAD 533 and my Music Hall MMF-9 don't have this problem. Every record I've put on them glides on. What a difference .002 inches makes!!!
bondmanp
1,832 posts
 
Catama - Good conclusion! IME, there are far more LPs with too-wide center holes than not wide enough. Having a thicker spindle is an advantage usually, since it is easier to widen a hole that is too small than make a too-large one smaller! I almost never have the problems you describe with my stock Thorens TD-166 MkII.
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