My DIY WTL Tonearm

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Jay1234

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Joined 2013
Guys the fluid is part of the Dark Art of this arm & also country specific In terms of viscosity, In England we don't use a weight system.
Please bear this in mind, their will be oil that are readily available it's just question of finding small enough quantities.

Marra what fluid have you found?

Jay
 
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bgruhn

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Joined 2008
bgruhn said:
Please note that the golf ball and tone arm wand with cartridge isn't supported by the fluid. It isn't floating, it is sinking. The support comes from the strings attached to the ball. The strings are tight and they twist and untwist with the rotation of the arm. This twisting supplies torque to the rotating ball. The amount of torque is determined both by the amount of twist and the weight of the arm assembly as well as the viscosity of the fluid.
Be careful that you do not have increasing torque as the arm moves to the center of the record. The normal reduction of skating force as the cartridge moves inward calls for a reduction of antiskating force. It is easy to set the WTA up to apply antiskating force in the wrong direction. Lots of arms get this wrong.

Good luck,

BillG
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To any and all interested, Clicking on this link will take you to a web page of mine that has pics of a modified Schroeder style tone arm, and a pic of my original WTA clone mounted on my diy Corian TT. Enjoy go to:
www.apricot.com/~bgruhn/turntable/magarms.html
 
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bgruhn

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Joined 2008
Jay1234 said:
hi Bill,

Just had a look, nice work...you've simplified the arms a bit hear & there.
Can you post in any more detail ?
Any time someone simplifies the design it generally gets better.....

Jay
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Hi Jay, What details are you interested in? Those arms no longer exist though some parts are still kicking around. Other parts have gone on to build other versions of the magnetic bearing model including magnetic antiskate. There is a pic of that one somewhere about here. I will try to answer any questions you may have.
Rgds,
BillG
 
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bgruhn

Member
Joined 2008
Marra said:
What gauge of fishing line is recommended.
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Whatever gauge of fishing line is recommended ignore it. And don't even think of using mono-filament. It stretches and in general is not very stable.

There is now a woven line from either Kevlar or something similar. Can't remember the name of the fiber. Get some 16 pound test line. I have used both 16# and 32# test line. Has a square cross section. They call it something like super line. It is stable, doesn't stretch at all. Non-hygroscopic too. Handle with care when knotting it or other skin contact stuff. It will slice you to the bone if not careful. But it makes super suspension lines for string suspended phono arms. A fishing tackle store should give you six feet or more, gratis.

Good luck,

BillG
 
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Marra

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Joined 2009
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I've acquired a few golf balls a couple of alluminium a three carbon fibre arrow shafts plus the silicone fluid.The only thing I'm short of is the container for the fluid;unfortunately my local Asda doesn't stock the toothbrush holder mentioned by Jay.Looks like a trip to Lincoln to bigger store plus clear out the workshop which just recently seems to have become a store room.Then again if the weather stays reasonable I can set the workmate up in the back garden.
 
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