Building a turntable with parts already on hand.....

[vinyldavid]

Well, everyone, I am undertaking yet ANOTHER project, but this is one that i do believe that I will be able to actually FINISH. *omg*

I received a free Miracord XS200 with the auto mechanism on the fritz. I decided, since I had a Shure M232 arm around, that i would attempt to strip out all of the components except for the platter and motor and motor switch, in an attempt to make it into something useful and have a fun project at the same time.

I have stripped out all of the guts of the Miracord, and am left with just the bare turntable.

Now, I got the mounting info for the Shure, and I am going to make an arm-board for it when I can find some connectors to fasten it to the chassis (might have some in the parts bins), and then I'll have a working turntable that i built all by myself!! It'll be fairly strong, too.....so I can take it with me if need be.....

Just thought that I would talk about my new project....pix are uploading, but it takes a LONG time on this connection.....

....and I got Michael Fremer interested in the project. :D

[vinyldavid]

Sorry about the pix..I fell asleep..AND I uploaded the wrong ones. *facepalm*

Uploading the correct ones now...
The miracord as it stands now:
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii298/vinyldavid/IM000839.jpg


Underside:
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii298/vinyldavid/IM000839_02.jpg


The arm assembly: (original)
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii298/vinyldavid/IM000839-2.jpg
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii298/vinyldavid/IM000840.jpg
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii298/vinyldavid/IM000841.jpg
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii298/vinyldavid/IM000842.jpg


The Shure M232 arm
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii298/vinyldavid/IM000845.jpg


The Phono preamp:
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii298/vinyldavid/IM000847.jpg
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii298/vinyldavid/IM000848.jpg


OK...there ya go....

[Nak_novice]

This looks like a very sturdy beast and if the main bearing is sound, a good base for your project. Some of my own favourite projects have been with turntables and the results can be very satisfying. Get the arm pivot placement spot on and it would be very promising. (Don't forget - measure twice / cut once!). Keep us posted with progress please.

[vinyldavid]

This looks like a very sturdy beast and if the main bearing is sound, a good base for your project. Some of my own favourite projects have been with turntables and the results can be very satisfying. Get the arm pivot placement spot on and it would be very promising. (Don't forget - measure twice / cut once!). Keep us posted with progress please.

I gotta lube the main bearing....I can hear it when I put my ear close to the platter.....

Will 3-in-1 oil do the trick?

[Nak_novice]

Nah, It's really too thin. You need something with higher viscosity. I have some turntable bearing oil which is ideal but not sure what to substitute it with although it's similar viscosity to fresh engine oil.

[vinyldavid]

Nah, It's really too thin. You need something with higher viscosity. I have some turntable bearing oil which is ideal but not sure what to substitute it with although it's similar viscosity to fresh engine oil.

OK.

Then I'll just use some motor oil....I'll have to get it when I go to my grandmothers next (a mostly used can in her garage, still clean).

[Nak_novice]

David, when the bearing is cleaned and lubricated, spin the platter by hand on a level surface. It should be silent and spin for a long time before coming to rest. It's hard to say how long as it depends on the spin speed and weight of the platter etc, but over a minute easily would be normal. gearbox oil would be best - auto transmission type, but engine oil should be ok IMO.

[vinyldavid]

David, when the bearing is cleaned and lubricated, spin the platter by hand on a level surface. It should be silent and spin for a long time before coming to rest. It's hard to say how long as it depends on the spin speed and weight of the platter etc, but over a minute easily would be normal. gearbox oil would be best - auto transmission type, but engine oil should be ok IMO.

Complete change of plans.

I am gonna get some scrap plywood and mount everything on that, just using the piece of plywood as it is for now, and I can cut ti to shape later. (-: It will make life MUCH easier, and I can get rid of that big black piece in the bottom and just take the main bearing off of that (no way to mount the bearing otherwise, with this table). I will then mount the main bearing to the piece if plywood and see what goes from there.....

[vinyldavid]

OK...updates....

Definities:

I want to put this in a seperate base besides the metal one it's in.

.....possibilities:

Use the motor off of a DEAD Dual 1218. I mean, completely destroyed!

to wit, I might have to power it off of a 70V tap of a PA amp being fed the correct signal (in hz) to make it spin at the correct speed....interesting idea. Glad that I did not throw away my ipod nano that is about dead...and it would be a GREAT use for the PA amp that's laying around here......

The way that I would use the motor is that I would mount the pulley from the Elac, and mount the motor in place of the Elac motor. I would then start generating waveforms in Audacity and playing them through the PA amp wired to the motor leads and basically using guess and check to determine the correct speed....it should not be TOO big a problem to do that...just more hassle.....but I am treating this project as a learning experience....

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[Emo-Fan]

Hey, Vinyl David!

You've got guts, man! I remember Elac Miracord turntables from the early 1970s when Radio Shack sold 'em. Always wanted one.

I wish I had the inclination (and time) to be taking stuff apart at the level that you do. I have a great Technics 'table that was a present from a friend after I helped him with his dissertation. It was 20+ years old when he gave it to me; it served me well for 10 years (Scorpion8 gave me a great Ortofon cartridge for it) until the cueing decided to give up the ghost. I couldn't find the cylinder where the oil goes, so I'm having it repaired. The repair guy tells me that most of the tonearm assembly has to come out. I would have boogered it up.

That isn't the first time I have had damping fluid leak out of a turntable. Is that supposed to happen a lot or am I just tough on 'tables? Then again, the thing was built in 1980...

[vinyldavid]

If you wanna see the current status of this project, check out the DIY turntable.....is......finished? thread elseware in the forum. *reelspin*