Re: [ARSCLIST] My response to--Re: [78-l] Viva vinyl

[David Lennick <dlennick@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Lani Spahr wrote:

> --- phillip holmes <insuranceman@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>
> > Lani,
> > How do you get the record centered once you've enlarged the spindle
> > hole?
>
> Well, it's easier seen than explained, but I'll try.
>
> First file out the center hole with a rat-tail file or reamer.
>

Okay....first of all....DON'T DO THAT! The reasons should be obvious, but
they'll include potential damage and cracking, shavings all over the place, and
most important of all, it may not be your record you have to center.

Better to raise the disc with an extra turntable mat or two..I use a mat and an
old thick LP. For really badly centered records I add a lightweight flat disc
(flat is very important..this is why old LPs made before "gruve gard" come in
handy, and the lightweight flat disc is a 1940 vintage paper-based lacquer).
This gives you enough room to center the disc properly with most spindles. I
then use a record weight (stolen from an old radio studio, which I realize is
not an option for all, but I'm sure you can come up with something). This is a
more difficult task to do on some turntables than others, and best performed on
tables designed for production use and which allow cuing.

Back to Lani.  dl

>
> I've got a light clamped on the TT shelf that illumates the LP grooves
> from behind the arm. The light is mounted at about a 30 deg angle so
> that when you view the LP from the front the grooves appear as bright
> and dark lines. Start the TT spinning and position the arm over a
> bright set of grooves that are fairly stationary.  Using the needle for
> a reference (and closing one eye) it's easy to see the grooves wobble.
> Get close or use a magnifying head piece (like hobbyists use). Then
> when the grooves move to the right I tap the edge of the LP to the
> left. When they stop wobbling you're centered. I can do it fairly
> quickly now. If they're extremely off center you may have to reream the
> center hole and start again.
>
> Hope that's clear. :-)
>
> Lani
>
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