Getting slate machined & Perspex fabrication

[Huge]

In my old age, my interest in analogue hi-fi is returning (+), and since I've been offered a Garrard 301 turntable (*), I thought I might make (or at least, have made) a plinth for it. I was thinking of getting it machined out of slate. I know it can be done, because commercial ones are available, but anyone know if it would be possible to have a slate supplier machine it for me, given drawings (which I have)?

Also, I'd like to fabricate a Persex cover for said turntable. I know Perspex can be welded with chloroform, but I have no way of machining the bevel edges needed to make a neat (5 sided) box. Any thoughts?

(* Listened to some actual LPs last night. I'd forgotten how good it sounds.)

(+ This is a project, really. I already have a perfectly good turntable.)

[Adam Aglionby]

Getting in to next level of desirable power tools....

Try a RFQ on mycnc.co.uk and cnczone.com

Methylene chloride, as previously used in paint strippers and bubble lights, wicks along nicely

CNC people as above or sign shops and acrylic fabricators that make Point Of Sale, POS stuff.

[Adam Aglionby]

or even mycncuk.com

>

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Only real good thing about a 301 is it goes round at about the right speed and is rugged. Otherwise, it's about as poor a turntable as you could get. The BBC used them (for sound effects, etc - not playing LPs on R3) because it was hard wearing, and ran at all four speeds.

What's wrong with it? Idle pulley drive which transfers all sorts of things to the patter as well as rotary motion. No suspension so room vibrations get transferred to the platter. A vast AC motor which radiates hum everywhere.

Plenty of better turntables available at the same sort of cost. Something like a Thorens TD150/160 - provided you can cope with just 33 and 45 rpm.

[harryagain]

DIY Angle grinder and diamond disk? Your average slate supplier only cuts and splits slate for roofing purposes.

Again angle grinder.

[spuorgelgoog]

Monumental mason? (headstone-maker)?

He might even have an offcut or a 'seconds' if you don't mind JOHN SMIHT engraved on the back.

Owain

[Peter Crosland]

The question I would ask is why try and make a silk purse out of a sows backside? The 301 is a very poor turntable that really should be given a decent burial. Spend your money on something worthy of being preserved.

[Tim+]

Spoken like a true hi-fi wanker.

Tim

[Adrian]

OP's footnotes apart, who else would be interested in a turntable?

[spuorgelgoog]

Anyone whose choice in music is featured in charity shops at 50p per album?

Owain

[Charles F]

If, after all the above, you still want a piece of machined slate you could try

They have recently cut and edged three pieces of slate for me as the base and backing for a woodburner. I found then very helpful and flexible - they worked from an emailed drawing, and the results were spot on. More reasonable than some of the other slate suppliers too.

No connection except as a satisfied customer etc.

Charles F

[Brian Gaff]

So what cartridges are still around? I have an old Technics SL5 here which apart from having a bit of an issue with its grease, works well with an Ortofon cart. I cannot use normal decks and arms any more as I can't find the start of the record!

Brian

[Huge]

Water off a ducks back. Most of them are already killfiled anyway.

Excellent, thank you very much - that was the kind of thing I was after.

[Nightjar]

I suggest trying the mine. They can do most things with slate and I have always found them to be very helpful.

I would heat and bend, to create the top and two sides. Then you only have to cut (with a hand fretsaw) two more sides and solvent weld them in place. I used to find that buying proper perspex cement resulted in a better finish.

Colin Bigell

[Martin Brown]

Slate has a fairly high Q being rigid and massive. You really need it supported on cork or sorbathane to avoid it behaving like a diapghram.

This must be selective blindness or something. Unless you are *very* lucky getting an old style high end moving magnet pickup to work without some element of hum is a near miracle. And it is tedious having to get up and change sides every 20 minutes.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Not much use pointing out the problems with a 301 - Huge only wants to read about his own beliefs.

[RJH]

Some, myself included, get a great deal from listening to LPs. Music isn't just about 'digital sound'.

[Martin Brown]

I still have a box of mostly rare LPs from way back.

I stand by my comments that it is a real faff to play them and I am digitising the remainder of my collection with each playing.

I still recall that Audiophool dierct cut 1812 overture recording in the

70's that had a electron microscope image of the bang on the front. It could quite easily rip the diamond out of an expensive stylus. It was notorious for being the unplayable record that broke decks!

[Huge]

Ta.

Hmm. This has to look good in the sitting room ...

[Huge]

[34 lines snipped]

That, at least, is true.