DIY Tonearm

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Hello,
Being unspired by this, I've decided to try and attempt knocking up one myself.
I will post a progress report up here as I go along but I have a question that I need answering before I even get started with the main arm tube.
Is there any benefit to shielding the wires in the arm tube?
I will be a tube running down the centre of my dowel anyway, for ease of wiring/re-wiring and if shielding isn't an issue then it will be a thin plastic straw so I can bend it to shape. If shielding is an issue then what should it be made from?

Thank you

David
 
No, for now it will be have to be on it's own plinth and used on my Pink Triangle, as I'm going for a 12" arm. I'm planning eventually to make a turntable to suit.

Here's a little piccy of the arm tube and a cross section through. It will be Walnut on each side with a 4mm strip of Ebony down the middle with a slot in for the wires.
 

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Ok, another tonearm I thought about would be the use of hickory or maple drum sticks. The bows and cello parts are cool though. The really great thing about all this is that if you use even a small amount of care, good results can be had.

Your arm idea looks very good. Wish I could actually work with wood rther than murder it (I'm feeling a little woodicide happening soon;) )
 
The signal leads don't need to be shielded - use twisted pairs. You could try splitting CAT5. I rebuilt an SME with an ultra-light Balsa arm which has seen about 25 years service, and embedded single thread twisted pair enamelled copper wires and it's fine. Arm mass is critical though, especially if you want to be able to track warped records.

Mike
 
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