Mats

[Shane]

As some of you may remember, I recently built myself an idler turntable (and since I'm ridiculously proud of it, here it is again http://www.thepippin.plus.com/Homebrew%20Idler/ sorry...)

Anyway, it's based on the platter and bearing of a Heybrook TT2 which, being a Linn clone, comes with a Linn felt mat. The received wisdom for 301s/401s/L75s etc is that they work best with their original heavy rubber mats, so can anyone suggest something suitable I could try, the primary requirement being as near to zero cost since I'm skint at the moment?

[pre65]

Hi Shane-i cant find where i saw it but one member posted about a supermarket that supplied a mat with their large pizza and how it made a good turntable mat.

i dont find the forum "search" facility very good.is it me ?

Philip

[Paul Barker]

Shame you are in Devon.

How would you like a gl75 platter to make the next one out of? I'm sure the two components of the bass bloomer Linn don't help the cause.

I don't have a spare Lenco rubber mat or you could have it.

When I go to engineering things with my uncle there are blokes who sell rubber sheet but it isn't ribbed like the tt mats.

They also sell sheet cork.

If it helps what worked on my lenco99 was:

You buy these little bags of small sticky backed cork whatsists to put under furniature. Stick three in the recessed for the label inner circle of the lenco, another 3 opposed and on the inside of the outer circle, yet another three opposed and in the outermost part. The inner three are so placed to exactly coincide with the feet of a cheap plastic record clamp. The record clamp itself having three corks on it's feet.

Sounds great.

If you wish I could send you what I'm talking about (no fee don't worry) and the Goldring lenco 75 platter with a bearing if I can find the bearing, can't promise that one. Irecon you are up to making a bearing out of a tractor linch pin or somat.

[Shane]

Originally Posted by Paul Barker

Shame you are in Devon.

How would you like a gl75 platter to make the next one out of? I'm sure the two components of the bass bloomer Linn don't help the cause.

I don't have a spare Lenco rubber mat or you could have it.

When I go to engineering things with my uncle there are blokes who sell rubber sheet but it isn't ribbed like the tt mats.

They also sell sheet cork.

If it helps what worked on my lenco99 was:

You buy these little bags of small sticky backed cork whatsists to put under furniature. Stick three in the recessed for the label inner circle of the lenco, another 3 opposed and on the inside of the outer circle, yet another three opposed and in the outermost part. The inner three are so placed to exactly coincide with the feet of a cheap plastic record clamp. The record clamp itself having three corks on it's feet.

Sounds great.

If you wish I could send you what I'm talking about (no fee don't worry) and the Goldring lenco 75 platter with a bearing if I can find the bearing, can't promise that one. Irecon you are up to making a bearing out of a tractor linch pin or somat.

That's really kind of you Paul, but I don't want to re-engineer the whole thing, or at least not yet. I say the TT2 was a Linn clone, but a fundamental difference is that the platter and sub-platter are aluminium, and thus about half the weight of the Linn's mazak affair, and closer in weight to the Garrards and Lenco, with the same propensity to ring like a bell. I might try the cork furniture feet/clamp idea, but I think I need the rubber to damp the platter a bit. The other thing is that I have no lid, so it needs to be wipe-clean.

Phil, thanks for the Pizza mat idea. I presume this is closed-cell expanded polystyrene or polythene, which would isolate things a bit. Certainly a low-cost option to try!

[Paul Barker]

always worth trying a flat old vinyl, also try a flat old 78.

Then again buy a box of tin taks, find three with equal length that pint straight up, blu tack them to the inner circle (if you are a member) then sit the label of the record on the points.

Try it before you condemn it. It works.

A white bearded man with a lurcher is for christmas not for life. (I can say that 'cause Nick's broadband is down he's on dial up this week.

[Shane]

Originally Posted by Paul Barker

always worth trying a flat old vinyl, also try a flat old 78.

Then again buy a box of tin taks, find three with equal length that pint straight up, blu tack them to the inner circle (if you are a member) then sit the label of the record on the points.

Try it before you condemn it. It works.

A white bearded man with a lurcher is for christmas not for life. (I can say that 'cause Nick's broadband is down he's on dial up this week.

Ummmm OK Paul, I'll give it a try (he said, dubiously).

But then Greg said it worked as well.

Just goes against the grain a bit, but we have to be open minded

Also, once yesterday and once today, while looking through second hand records, i found 'cabon fiber anti static mats' looked mid 70's to me, but both times the sleeves were empty.
Anyone know about these? Worth tracking down?


Sorry shane, hope you dont see this as thread hijacking.
We all use ally platters so were alla fter the same info.
Seemed stupid to start another mat thread

[Paul Barker]

The trick is in geting it to only just contact the centre pin so it is truly isolated, if it's still quite low on the pin such that it grips the pin you haven't isolated it. It wasnt to be only just centred by the pin where the pin begins to round off. Adjust vta or all you are doing is an experiment in vta.

Warped records not suited to it. Flat records work well.

on your point though I haven't tried it since I got the 103, you might have a point there.

The biggest problem is retaining three equal pins which are straight and not off at an angle. At the end of the day it's all a bit fiddly and though you congratulate yourself on a successful mod, you usually end up flat on the mat.

[buddam]

Shane

I have 2 of the IKEA mats (not sure why) and I managed to get a Garrard mat for my 401 off ebay last week without paying the earth (previous went for 45 and 50 quid, mine (with centre aluminium disk missing) was c.15). So I can easily put a mat in the post if you can't get to IKEA.

I also have another offering from ebay - a sort of honeycombed rubber thing from Asia. Will compare when the original arrives (hope the absence of the disk's not a problem).

Adrian

[Paul Barker]

So do you find the Garrard mat best of the bunch Adrien?