TD124 slightly warped upper platter... FIX???

[AudioJag]

Is it possible to straighten a slightly warped upper aluminum platter on a Thorens TD124? I was helped by many of you to get this 124 in excellent condition.... just needs one more item to be even better!

There are probably none available out there that can be bought for a "reasonable" price :-( Whatever reasonable is these days!

 

[bob06]

They can be repaired depending on how bad they are. Mine hard a very minor warp and the middle was dished in and I was able to get it out by using a piece of wood and tapping on it ever so lightly. It's not perfect but it's hardly noticeable now.

 

[AudioJag]

They can be repaired depending on how bad they are. Mine hard a very minor warp and the middle was dished in and I was able to get it out by using a piece of wood and tapping on it ever so lightly. It's not perfect but it's hardly noticeable now.

Hi bob06.... as usual you are very helpful.... Mine is slight as well... and I have thought about doing the same as you.... but probably what went through your mind before the "fix"... is going through mine.....

Needs to be on a very solid surface and done very carefully.... did you use a rubber mallet?

 

[cdk99]

If you have a very flat surface you can use sandpaper stuck to it to flatten the platter. Same method used when I true a wood plane.

Here's the link I was looking for...http://www.vinylengine.com/turntable_forum/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=52623&p=566747#p416548

 

[bob06]

I used a block of 3/4 plywood cut to the size I needed and a small hammer on a flat surface. Tap very gently and keep checking with straight edge. I have a glass table that I set up a dial indicator on that I would check the platter on after I got done beating on it.

 

[Mister Pig]

My resolution to this problem was not successful. I wanted to get my top aluminum platter perfectly flat, and in the process I screwed it up. There were several times I got it really close, but in trying to get that extra bit of trueness, I ended up putting a couple of real wow's in the metal. The big mistake I made was taking it to a paintless dent removal guy, thinking that he would have the experience to do that. From there it only got worse.

I ended up buying a used replacement off of Ebay for about $250, and that was a cheap one. This is one of the most expensive parts you can replace on a 124. Usually these platters go for over $300 when you can find them. I had to wait for several months till mine popped up...and I was lucky.

So think hard about how far out of spec yours is, and if its worth the risk to you to attempt a fix. In the end I am happy with the replacement I got, but it did cost me a pretty penny.

Regards
Mister Pig

 

[AudioJag]

Mr Pig and bob06......You know.... maybe you are both right.... and it doesn't really seem to affect the sound quality... so maybe best to leave it alone.....

I think that's where I'm at ............. best not to try... too expensive to make a mistake!

Thanks all

 

[Ths364]

A decent machine shop can mill it flat and re-balance it for you very easily.

 

[Geetarpicker]

The top platter on my TD124 was pretty bent up, and looked a bit like a warped record on top. That said, after trying to push pull and bend the top without much consistent success I started to just work on the rim. It seemed that by pushing and pulling the outer rim (edge) of the platter to make it more evenly vertically (as it was slowly rotated) translated to the top of the platter leveling out considerably. I was able to bend mine with just thumb pressure. Another thing I did along the way was to rotate the aluminum platter with it stacked on the iron platter and mark the edge with a sharpie to pinpoint where I needed to bend things. Once I was done I cleaned off the sharpie marks with rubbing alcohol.

 

[savatage1973]

A decent machine shop can mill it flat and re-balance it for you very easily.

Been down that route before and it works really well. In fact, I have a ProJect record weight clamp that I paid a ridiculous $100 for and had them duplicate multiple copies of it. Any machine shop that is capable of "trueing" brake rotors or real machining can true and balance a TT platter.

 

[GP Hill]

Pretty thin aluminum to be cutting on.

 

[bob06]

They must be thinking it's the main platter. I don't think the upper platter can be machined there's no metal to machine.