Hi all,
I am a woodworker, guitar builder (@violette.guitars) and all around electronics and music geek. I have started this build of a turntable for my vinyl collection I have had since I was a teenager (and some new ones).
I started to design a turntable project in fusion. Basically building everything (plinth, platter, motor, tonearm, electronics) from scratch - all except the cartridge. Here is the design I made in Fusion360. And a shot of my current status (plinth, most tonearm parts, platter).
Let me know if this interests people and I will post build shots as I go along. Note I am slow as I have other full time work. It's taken me since spring to design and get to this point. The inspiration was the marriage of fine woodworking and tone woods (mahogany and maple) with an organic look and feel, although marriage with hifi technologies and techniques to isolate the resonant wood from the mechanics of a vinyl turntable player.
Features (not many - that's the point)
Cheers
I am a woodworker, guitar builder (@violette.guitars) and all around electronics and music geek. I have started this build of a turntable for my vinyl collection I have had since I was a teenager (and some new ones).
I started to design a turntable project in fusion. Basically building everything (plinth, platter, motor, tonearm, electronics) from scratch - all except the cartridge. Here is the design I made in Fusion360. And a shot of my current status (plinth, most tonearm parts, platter).
Let me know if this interests people and I will post build shots as I go along. Note I am slow as I have other full time work. It's taken me since spring to design and get to this point. The inspiration was the marriage of fine woodworking and tone woods (mahogany and maple) with an organic look and feel, although marriage with hifi technologies and techniques to isolate the resonant wood from the mechanics of a vinyl turntable player.
Features (not many - that's the point)
- dual belt drive
- 33.3 rpm only
- wood plinth and "pods" and isolation with neoprene
- acrylic platter ~ 5lbs
- regulated circuit for motor
- carbon fibre tonearm tube
- neutrik RCA output jacks
- copper bus ground bar
- all parts custom designed
Cheers
Nice looking TT, I love the wood.
The raised arm pods are a good idea, I use them in aluminium on a TT I built using a Technics SP10 motor. They increase the length of the energy path between the spindle and tonearm pivot, lowering the the interference feedback.
The raised arm pods are a good idea, I use them in aluminium on a TT I built using a Technics SP10 motor. They increase the length of the energy path between the spindle and tonearm pivot, lowering the the interference feedback.
An offset angle head shell with two mounting bolts would be better than having just one bolt.
Last edited:
The headshell mounts to an alumninum plate with two machine screws. Then the aluminum plate mounts to the headshell with one machine screw.
@rayma good point.
My DIY arm used a similar HS arrangement to Audiomods but I slotted the HS plate and had a single bolt hole in the HS carrier, this allowed different cartridges to be setup in plates and swapped without the need to re-align each time.
My DIY arm used a similar HS arrangement to Audiomods but I slotted the HS plate and had a single bolt hole in the HS carrier, this allowed different cartridges to be setup in plates and swapped without the need to re-align each time.
Yes, but this is the area that should have the highest rigidity.
Between tube and collar, and between shell and cartridge.
Last edited:
Good one. I borrowed heavily from I forget which manufacturer with very similar design but I see your point. V2 here we come !
Frank Schroder was the guy who came up with this style of HS and it's used on a number of Schroder TA's. Remember that the HS/TA will act as a rigid beam only under its resonant frequency, once fr is reached the whole assembly will bend like a wet noodle.
Cool. You are all smart. My goal is to best my $200 Denon 😂 and have it look way better. How do I find the RF of my custom tonearm?
Unless you have at least three revs, you're not trying.
Remember it's the moment of inertia, not the gross weight on a scale, that matters.
Probably more than you want to know.
https://www.vinylengine.com/turntable_forum/viewtopic.php?f=18&t=124134
Awesome. For rev 1, I’m going to use my ears - and then iterate. If it sounds better than what I have I’ll be encouraged to go deeper. The cartridge (ORed) costs more than my whole current turntable 😂. But I understand what you are all pointing me to the best engineering techniques which are probably beyond me. If I put the cartridge on a piece of crap it will sound like crap.
Plan B is that I will be able to drop in a Rega or better if I fail on the tonearm for about $300-$900 bucks. As the design of tonearm length and distance to the tonearm pivot from the spindle are consistent with those designs.
Stay tuned to see what turns out.
Plan B is that I will be able to drop in a Rega or better if I fail on the tonearm for about $300-$900 bucks. As the design of tonearm length and distance to the tonearm pivot from the spindle are consistent with those designs.
Stay tuned to see what turns out.
Play an LP with a pinch warp, and watch what the stylus and tone arm do.
Some combinations will wobble around rather alarmingly.
Some combinations will wobble around rather alarmingly.
I’ve probably got lots of those 😂
Once I get the damn platter spinning ! I will definitely do that.
I’ve designed the metal parts - spindles and pulleys - and had them custom machined by Misumi. And tested a basic motor circuit without fine speed regulation. So I’m hoping to test and post that in the next couple of weeks.
Right now I’m making the « pods » for the motor and platter and will be good to test.
I’m super pumped about all the comments and feedback. This will motivate me ! I hope
Once I get the damn platter spinning ! I will definitely do that.
I’ve designed the metal parts - spindles and pulleys - and had them custom machined by Misumi. And tested a basic motor circuit without fine speed regulation. So I’m hoping to test and post that in the next couple of weeks.
Right now I’m making the « pods » for the motor and platter and will be good to test.
I’m super pumped about all the comments and feedback. This will motivate me ! I hope
Just wait until you have something running. That will bring in the hordes.
Also decide on what type of mat. It makes a significant difference.
If those are wood feet, they'll have to go. You need some kind of decoupling.
Also decide on what type of mat. It makes a significant difference.
If those are wood feet, they'll have to go. You need some kind of decoupling.
Re the feet, they will have leather or cork on the bottoms of the wood to disrupt the resonant frequency of the wood. This has been scientifically tested by a certified Swiss company 😂 and further decoupling of metal threads for foot height adjustment by - wait for it - plumbers tape on the threads. Is that good for Rev1 or do I need rubber feet painted to look like wood 🪵
Re the mat, bring it on! I’ve read that bare acrylic works. And I’ve read mats make a big difference. I’m sure the mat won’t price me out of my next car 🚗!
And my acrylic platter has a 1/100“ recess for the record label! That was extra effort that a mat will cover up!
All I’m just kidding these are great and valuable feedbacks ! There is a lot to getting it right! I understand this.
All I’m just kidding these are great and valuable feedbacks ! There is a lot to getting it right! I understand this.