Anyone tried a thin slate armboard..?

owen · 3rd January 2006, 02:41 PM

Thinking on my feet

Owen

davidsrsb · 3rd January 2006, 03:29 PM

Why, what advantage would it have?
Slate is not very well damped, it rings when tapped.
Hard to work - it tends to crumble after a while.

owen · 4th January 2006, 11:21 AM

I've not found it difficult to work at all - easy to drill (no hammer action using a carbide drill bit), and cut (using an old hacksaw blade). You can easily lap smooth flat surfaces on it using wet and dry sandpaper too - a quick wax provides protection from delamination, as does using washers to spread the clamping load of the bolts.

I've also found it to be acoustically fairly inert compared to grp and the like..

I'll be mounting a Mission 774 arm on a garrard 401 plinth - the 774 only has short mounting bolts, and I'd rather use a small piece of slate appropriately drilled as a mount than some PCB, or MDF (I have around 6mm to play with), especially as I dont have access to a machine shop for a sturdy metal mount...

Suggestions please..

Owen

sreten · 4th January 2006, 11:45 AM

Hi,

if its an interface part to a plinth its not really an armboard.

Should glue onto the plinth using PVA wood glue.

I'd also use PVA as a gasket to the arm mounting parts.

Should be easy to get a nice finish.

Though I would say the ideal plate should have a hardness and
density somewhere between the arm mounting material and the
plinth material, maybe that slate does fulfil this criteria.

/sreten.

pinkmouse · 4th January 2006, 11:49 AM

Owen, if, you've got the materials, then go for it! I look forward to reading about your results.

davidsrsb · 4th January 2006, 12:07 PM

Slate is easy to cut and drill, that's why it was used for roof tiles, but spilts easily. It just does not seem "lossy" though.

analog_sa · 4th January 2006, 07:08 PM

Slate is about the best sounding material for an armboard IME. No, i wouldn't try it on a Linn but a constrained layer slate/aluminium seems to work very well on a non-suspended table.

owen · 5th January 2006, 11:58 AM

Slate it is then!

The TT (once complete) will be a 401 on a baltic birch ply plinth, slate armboard for a Mission 774 LC and my nice new denon 301 mk2 cart...

Probably into a phonoclone, and away we go!

Owen

3rd January 2006, 02:41 PM	#1
owen diyAudio Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Shilton	Anyone tried a thin slate armboard..? Thinking on my feet Owen

4th January 2006, 11:49 AM	#5
pinkmouse diyAudio Moderator Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Chatham, England	Owen, if, you've got the materials, then go for it! I look forward to reading about your results. __________________ Al I conceive of nothing, in religion, science or philosophy, that is more than the proper thing to wear, for a while. Charles Fort

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3rd January 2006, 03:29 PM	#2
davidsrsb diyAudio Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Kuala Lumpur	Why, what advantage would it have? Slate is not very well damped, it rings when tapped. Hard to work - it tends to crumble after a while.

4th January 2006, 11:21 AM	#3
owen diyAudio Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Shilton	I've not found it difficult to work at all - easy to drill (no hammer action using a carbide drill bit), and cut (using an old hacksaw blade). You can easily lap smooth flat surfaces on it using wet and dry sandpaper too - a quick wax provides protection from delamination, as does using washers to spread the clamping load of the bolts. I've also found it to be acoustically fairly inert compared to grp and the like.. I'll be mounting a Mission 774 arm on a garrard 401 plinth - the 774 only has short mounting bolts, and I'd rather use a small piece of slate appropriately drilled as a mount than some PCB, or MDF (I have around 6mm to play with), especially as I dont have access to a machine shop for a sturdy metal mount... Suggestions please.. Owen

4th January 2006, 11:45 AM	#4
sreten diyAudio Member Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Brighton UK	Hi, if its an interface part to a plinth its not really an armboard. Should glue onto the plinth using PVA wood glue. I'd also use PVA as a gasket to the arm mounting parts. Should be easy to get a nice finish. Though I would say the ideal plate should have a hardness and density somewhere between the arm mounting material and the plinth material, maybe that slate does fulfil this criteria. /sreten.

4th January 2006, 12:07 PM	#6
davidsrsb diyAudio Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Kuala Lumpur	Slate is easy to cut and drill, that's why it was used for roof tiles, but spilts easily. It just does not seem "lossy" though.

4th January 2006, 07:08 PM	#7
analog_sa diyAudio Member Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Sofia	Slate is about the best sounding material for an armboard IME. No, i wouldn't try it on a Linn but a constrained layer slate/aluminium seems to work very well on a non-suspended table.

5th January 2006, 11:58 AM	#8
owen diyAudio Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Shilton	Slate it is then! The TT (once complete) will be a 401 on a baltic birch ply plinth, slate armboard for a Mission 774 LC and my nice new denon 301 mk2 cart... Probably into a phonoclone, and away we go! Owen

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