Spray Painting a Tonearm
- Thread starter wushuliu
- Start date
I think I would buff, but why not paint? It could get a bit tricky near the ends where the tube inserts into the pivot area as the fit has to be precise but what the heck. You can always strip it if is does not work out. You will need to buff it enough to get a good smooth finish anyway though.
Stanton681EEES
Addicted Member
If your talking about the arm tube, why not cover it in heatshrink tubing. at least you know it won't chip off or scratch.
KentTeffeteller
Gimpus Stereophilus!
And eliminate the hard to find headshell issue to boot. And get it good looking again.
pdm4606
Super Member
spray paint
I think that as I have found anything to deaden the resonances of a tonearm is advantageous.
My experiences show deadening is the answer to a lot of tracking problems associated with arm design. Never enough in my book.
Depending on how much and how heavy the coating is will determine the deadening.
In other words lowering the resonant frequency.
Paul
I think that as I have found anything to deaden the resonances of a tonearm is advantageous.
My experiences show deadening is the answer to a lot of tracking problems associated with arm design. Never enough in my book.
Depending on how much and how heavy the coating is will determine the deadening.
In other words lowering the resonant frequency.
Paul
marcmorin
RIP 1953-2020
Nope, no reason you can't, or as mentioned, it can be replaced with a bayonet type tube, or if you wish it to remain "stock", those can be had.
You have lots of options.
marcmorin
RIP 1953-2020
Hmmm, heat shrink seems like a good approach. I may give the spray paint a go just for kicks. Thanks guys.
Technics tube on an AR XA? Ewwwuke2:...
Looks fine on this one.
http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=560686
And this one
http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=526201
My new XA that I'm in the process of putting together will have one as well.
wushuliu
Super Member
Just kidding around. The Technics tube looks very nice. The AR77 I got came with a 'spare' silver AR XA arm that is in poor condition, that's why I asked.
DustyOldPile
Vinyl Goddess
In the mid-80's, I ended up with an all-black component system...except for this faux-aluminum-look plastic silver Akai cassette deck. I carefully masked everything off and found a nice matte-black spray paint and gave it my best.
I ended up with a cassette deck that looked like it had been spray painted black.
My advice is to go with one of the solutions that have been suggested other than paint, or just live with it.
I ended up with a cassette deck that looked like it had been spray painted black.
My advice is to go with one of the solutions that have been suggested other than paint, or just live with it.
marcmorin
RIP 1953-2020
That XA arm won't work with the XB table. The arm tube will, but the arm block (boss) is different.
chadbang
Well-Known Member
I had an old Rek-o-Kut which had the usual rusted pitted chrome going on. I first sanded off the bubble chrome and polished the arm, which looked pretty good, but it also looked a little unfinished. I've been thinking about it for days, I but I decided I couldn't take that raw aluminum look, so I sanded the arm tube an spray painted it with Rustoleum Metal Finish Chrome. Looks FANTASTIC!
I just did the arm tube and not the base or the rest of the arm. I only had rust on the arm tube, so I masked off as close to the pivot bearings as possible (easy, a little painters tape) and sprayed. Now, it takes practice with spray paint. Go light. You don't want to leave tape lines, so you need to tape off what need to be covered but "blur" the paint touchup by not using the blue tape as a guide, but just a shield. leave the "blend" area open, and use the natural air-brush-like flow of the spray paint to you sort of lightly blend the edge, that way you won't get a "tape edge" it takes practice, but it's not hard. Always to practice runs on cardboard.
But Rustoleum makes killer paint, and their Metal Finish line of paints is great (and cheap). Their gold is the best around, and this chrome did a great job. I did a lot of research of Chrome paint, don't believe the hype on some of these youtube videos, it's very hard to beat Rustoleum for quality. I bought some really expensive gold paint because someone was touting it on youtube, and it look okay. But when I compared it to a three dollar can of Rustoleum, the Rustoleum killed it for looking geniune. This chrome is really nice and it's almost a perfect match for the Rek-o-kut arm. I can't tell which part was painted and which wasn't. So, yeah, you can certainly spray paint a tonearm, especially a heavier one, the weight difference will be negligible with a single coat of spray paint. And Rustoleum is such good paint, one coat will do it.
I just did the arm tube and not the base or the rest of the arm. I only had rust on the arm tube, so I masked off as close to the pivot bearings as possible (easy, a little painters tape) and sprayed. Now, it takes practice with spray paint. Go light. You don't want to leave tape lines, so you need to tape off what need to be covered but "blur" the paint touchup by not using the blue tape as a guide, but just a shield. leave the "blend" area open, and use the natural air-brush-like flow of the spray paint to you sort of lightly blend the edge, that way you won't get a "tape edge" it takes practice, but it's not hard. Always to practice runs on cardboard.
But Rustoleum makes killer paint, and their Metal Finish line of paints is great (and cheap). Their gold is the best around, and this chrome did a great job. I did a lot of research of Chrome paint, don't believe the hype on some of these youtube videos, it's very hard to beat Rustoleum for quality. I bought some really expensive gold paint because someone was touting it on youtube, and it look okay. But when I compared it to a three dollar can of Rustoleum, the Rustoleum killed it for looking geniune. This chrome is really nice and it's almost a perfect match for the Rek-o-kut arm. I can't tell which part was painted and which wasn't. So, yeah, you can certainly spray paint a tonearm, especially a heavier one, the weight difference will be negligible with a single coat of spray paint. And Rustoleum is such good paint, one coat will do it.
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chadbang
Well-Known Member
I had rust on both, so I just painted another I got today. The chrome was bubbled up on the top of both of these arms, I sanded and painted. I believe the proper thing to do now is give them a gloss top coat?
Paint job close up
Blend area
If I had some fancy airbrush I probably could have done better, but like I say that quality rustoleum shoots really nicely. Just think of lightly misted. In the old days I was the king of runs. I don't do that anymore.
Paint job close up
Blend area
If I had some fancy airbrush I probably could have done better, but like I say that quality rustoleum shoots really nicely. Just think of lightly misted. In the old days I was the king of runs. I don't do that anymore.
