I hate it when I break an MC cantilever!

[Montycat]

By jove, I think he's got it!

A coworker brought in some cactus spines today and I decided to go to work.

The spines were about twice as big around as they needed to be so I shaved a few mm worth of one down, keeping it roughly round, with an X-Acto knife. I had to test fit a few times but eventually got it small enough to insert into the stub in the body. I kept the spine full length as I did this so I had something to hold onto. Of course I also tested it in the broken off part.

Once I was satisfied with that, I got out the super glue. I dipped it and got the tiniest amount on the spine and inserted it in the stub. It seemed good so I clipped it off with 2 to 3 mm protruding.

The broken part slipped over easily but at first it wouldn't go on all the way. I had to play with it for several minutes to get it rotated into the right azimuth position and as I did it also settled into place depthwise, butting up to the part in the body. Eventually I was satisfied though this part was the most nerve-wracking as I was afraid I would crimp or break it.

I tested that the suspension still reacted and it seemed ok.

My epoxy was nearly used up or dried out but I only needed the tiniest amount. I mixed some and applied a smidgen around the break area. Now I just have to hope I didn't get any inside the suspension but I think it's ok. I used a needle to clean any excess away.

I think it looks pretty good! But I'll know more when I can mount it in the morning.

 

[DavidTT]

Can't wait to hear how it sounds!

 

[MRL_Audio]

Nice work. It’s the new Needlestein.

 

[Montycat]

Nice work. It’s the new Needlestein.

No badge yet, and I'm not even going to try!

As a matter of fact, it works but it's riding too low. I'm not sure if it's compromised cantilever stiffness, angle at the splice, or the suspension.

It works and sounds fine but the cartridge magnet area is virtually touching even at 1 5 grams. Hmmm...

 

[onwardjames]

I seriously miss needlestein. He was such an enthusiastic music lover.

 

[DavidTT]

+1

I seriously miss needlestein. He was such an enthusiastic music lover.

 

[onwardjames]

@MRL_Audio I have the same issue. Mike Gibson who is a mod here said it is a glitch they're working on.

We'll have to quote old school from now on, lol.

 

[MRL_Audio]

onwardjames said, “We'll have to quote old school from now on, lol.”

Agreed!

 

[onwardjames]

@Montycat my WD-40 repaired MF-100 Astatic cart rides ULTRA LOW like that. I think it is because after I doused the bushing with WD40, I forgot to pry it up with a toothpick, and it settled in an incorrect angle. I'm too afraid of breaking it to try again, and she sounds so impossibly good. It is better than any other cart I have, and I have some nice ones. Glanz was onto something special with these carts.

 

[bimasta]

Hard to judge precisely from the photos, but it looks to me the splice isn't quite right: the new cantilever section angles upward from the line of the old one. Whether this is due to flexibility in the cactus thing, or inaccuracy in the gluing, I don't know — but it would make the cart ride low, because the stylus is 1mm or so too high.

You said you had to race against epoxy-time to align the azimuth... and it's hard to do that and get the cantilever straight at the same time, as you have to view from three angles real fast while the blue is hardening.

 

[desertrat748]

I believe that it’s spliced at a slight angle and perhaps a little bit longer with the splice which will put it down lower.

Does it sound okay or does it actually touch the vinyl?

 

[HypnoToad]

Maybe it's flexing at the splice? Great piece of ingenuity though.

I could never bring myself to buy a cart with a nude cantilever for fear of snapping it off, this shows that even with a regular one its very easy.

 

[bimasta]

Maybe it's flexing at the splice?

It looks a bit off to me, even in the pix where it's not playing, just lying there on its back. Easy to do, when alignments are so precise, and 3D, and the epoxy's hardening on you.

I could never bring myself to buy a cart with a nude cantilever for fear of snapping it off, this shows that even with a regular one its very easy.

I'm paranoid too with all cartridges, having broken more than my share. And I have some nude ones too — those are so much worse because the mental paranoia even makes the hands paranoid too, which increases the odds of a bummer. Have to be SO careful.

 

[Nashou66]

@MRL_Audio I have the same issue. Mike Gibson who is a mod here said it is a glitch they're working on.

We'll have to quote old school from now on, lol.

Or you can hit reply on each of the posts you want to quote, it loads them all up in order .

Nashou

 

[Montycat]

Hard to judge precisely from the photos, but it looks to me the splice isn't quite right: the new cantilever section angles upward from the line of the old one. Whether this is due to flexibility in the cactus thing, or inaccuracy in the gluing, I don't know — but it would make the cart ride low, because the stylus is 1mm or so too high.

You said you had to race against epoxy-time to align the azimuth... and it's hard to do that and get the cantilever straight at the same time, as you have to view from three angles real fast while the blue is hardening.

No, it wasn't the epoxy hardening too fast. I was referring to old tubes of eboxy that were on their last legs or dregs. I had lots of working time once I applied it. The epoxy is completely outside of the spliced section.

The 2 parts are definitely butted hard up to each other with no gap. I made sure of that with good magnification. The super glue was used to hold the first piece in place in the stub. The other piece was placed over it dry and then pushed and rotated until I was happy with the position. It seemed to be at the right angle relative to the cartridge but perhaps not. What I didn't do and maybe should have was to prop it up a bit as the glue set. I was actually worried though that the glue might have migrated into the suspension and if there was anything like that, forcing it up (down as seen while playing) might have glued itself to the magnet surrounding the cantilever. The break was almost but not quite inside the magnet.

It does seem to play ok on a dead flat record. It won't handle a warp I am sure.

 

[cafe latte]

Maybe the suspension tie wire slipped when the breakage happened. Under the tape there is a screw, undo the screw and push the tip of or the cantilever which will slightly compress the suspension doughnut. There is a tie wire that is connected to the stylus cantilever that is held by the screw is the wire has been pulled in the accident the stylus will ride low. Releasing the screw and pushing cantilever in and retightening will firm suspension up and it should fix your problem.
Chris

 

[Montycat]

I did spend a little time with that tiny screw but will try again tomorrow.

By "pushing cantilever in" do you mean into the body as in straight along it's length or opposite the direction the cantilever compresses under load?

What purpose does the tape serve? Just to keep dust from the coils?

 

[Champco]

Living in the desert I have ample supply. Will that be Cholla, Prickly Pear, Staghorn, or Saguaro spines? If you want the best sound I'll have to find a young Saguaro with MC preamp specs.

Send him the Cholla. If you are along I10 west of Tucson there is a jumping cactus needle that is a marvel of nature. Like a cholla on steroids.

 

[cafe latte]

I did spend a little time with that tiny screw but will try again tomorrow.

By "pushing cantilever in" do you mean into the body as in straight along it's length or opposite the direction the cantilever compresses under load?

What purpose does the tape serve? Just to keep dust from the coils?

Yes push in towards the screw it will push the wire in too and then you re tighten it compressing the suspension doughnut a little more which should fix your problem. There is a wire connected to the rear of the cantilever that runs through the body and the screw grabs it.
Chris

 

[bimasta]

Yes push in towards the screw it will push the wire in too and then you re tighten it compressing the suspension doughnut a little more which should fix your problem. There is a wire connected to the rear of the cantilever that runs through the body and the screw grabs it. Chris

Great advice, I never knew it was that simple... apparently. I await Montycat's results: if it works for him, it'll work for everyone. One of MC's 'big mysteries' dispelled.