wow! ladegaard success.

[graeme uk]

well, after 2 attempts at the air carrier i finaly completed my mock up. If this went well i planned to remake it properly.

Lets just say it did go well

Before the pictures, i'd just like to point out this was a rough lash up. The arm wire was just an old failed phono lead attempt bodged to work, the counterweight is a drill bit and half a bolt latch .

The deck is on the floor and its all heath robinson, the air pump was humming away in the same room and there has been no attention paid to arm mass/cart matching etc.

BUT, it sounds fantastic! better than the rega rb250 which i normaly use. If it sounds this good on a shoddy lash up i cant wait to hear what it sounds like built properly!

Anyhow, heres some picks, its on a modded lenco.





Just thought i'd share my success to spur on others.

[valveitude]

Congrats graeme !!

I love it when a total cludge works so well..I'm sure it will look as good as it performs after it's "make over".

Keep us posted.

-Casey

[Zen Mod]

I like it-especially your Lenco.......

btw
whatz those ugly spks on pic?

[neutron7]

cool and well done!. that looks like a fun thing to try so i have some questions

does the air pump in underneath that angle piece with all the holes drilled in it?

does the arm only move because of the sideways pressure from the stylus?

what did you use for a compressor? how many PSI.

[neutron7]

never mind i found the other thread

[livemusic]

My congrats, graeme; keep the project going!
What I'm always using for the slider is a piece of the SAME Alu profile as used for the rail. I found any invisible mismatch between profiles is critical and reduces slider's "payload". I have 20X20X180 mm slider which easily bears my hefthy 153 gramm hardwood arm, using two regular aquarium pumps connected in parallel as an air supply.
Cheers,
Michael

[graeme uk]

The speakers are a kit available in the UK form 'world audio designs'

Heres the link, there very good http://www.world-designs.co.uk/acatalog/SpkrKits.html

As for the angle, i know thats whats supposed to happen.

I made 2 air bearings, one with 1.5x20x20, the gold one, and one in 1.5x25x25

For some reason, the combination in the pic is the only one that doesnt bind with the arm in place, this combination moves freely.
I have done all i can to smoothe the pieces but these two together work best.

Im going to get some valve lapping compound and have another go at making things sit even better.

[valveitude]

graeme uk-

Im going to get some valve lapping compound and have another go at making things sit even better.

Careful now. Valve compound is formulated for hardened steel, you want to polish soft aluminum, and it needs a much finer grit. The “fine” valve polish has a grit around 220, you want 600 min. If you have a hard time finding a good lapping compound, you might try making a slurry out of an abrasive cleaning powder (Comet Cleanser here in the states) and water, and then finish up with toothpaste for a “mirror” finish. Another approach would be to wrap 600 grit wet/dry paper around one piece, and then the other..be sure to keep it wet or it will load up.

-Casey

[graeme uk]

yep, i tried toothpaste and it gives a nice finish (clothes washing powder works too) but i need to reshape a little first before polishing.

The set up i have now works but theres more air gap at the bottom letting it rock a little.

[neutron7]

Thanks for showing this. It caused me to read more about Ladegaard arms and start building one as well. so far i have some nice titanium, aluminum,carbon and bronze. some is even machined and joined together.

and i learned how to strip the anodizing off the L extrusion with extra strength drain-o I wish i knew that when i built the "scrounge clone" and sanded all the anodizing off by hand!

i was wondering, since bronze is sort of self lubricating and runs very smooth would it be good for the knife edge, I.E. does the "smoothness" still apply at such a microscopic scale or would a harder material be more suitable. i was also thinking about using 2 points rather than the knife edge.