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Thorens TD-124 Rebuild Thread

dnewma04

dnewma04

The Healer
This will probably be an ongoing thread to show some progress on a TD-124 that I am rebuilding.

I tore down the motor completely, cleaned and relubed everything inside. Polished the shafts on the motor, but they were pristine so it was more than likely a waste of effort. Started considering options for thrust plates and chatted with Edd9000 in chat a few times. We threw some ideas back and forth, I created a couple of drawings and we came up with this as revision 1.

Edd did the machining, I owe him big time.

picture.php


Thrust plate revision II will have a silicon nitride ball installed rather than a plastic thrust plate. For some oiled up ball on ball action. :scratch2: I may want a better description to use in the future...

Plinth was an original plywood base, dried out completely, weighed in about 2.3 oz. I added a layer of 3/4 MDF around the outside and will be finishing with a 3/4" layer of jatoba.
 
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You start a thread on restoring the venerable TD124 with a thrust plate pic???:sigh:

Where's the TT man? How else can we judge your fine refurbishing skillz?

Nice table, even in absence, BTW. I'm sure you'll do her right:D

Jeff
 
Any idea if that 124 is the later version or original? I think the platter was not magnetic
in the later series.
 
totem said:
Any idea if that 124 is the later version or original? I think the platter was not magnetic
in the later series.
Click to expand...

Dave´s 124 is indeed the MK-I. I can tell by the speed selector knob.

MK-II´s did have an alloy main platter that was non-magnetic ( coming to the rescue of some people who couldn´t play some MC cartridges on the MK-I ). OTOH, the platter was also slightly ligther, whith less inertia and speed stability.

I believe MK-II´s were made in much lesser quantities.

I´m following this thread with great, great interest. Coming from Dave, it´s gotta be a heck of a great job.:thmbsp:
 
That pioneer arm has long since been scrapped. That pic was the condition that I found the TD-124 in. My goal is to make something that would not look out of place next to yours. I might need to paint the table to pull that off, though.
 
hifi_nut said:
Dave´s 124 is indeed the MK-I. I can tell by the speed selector knob.

MK-II´s did have an alloy main platter that was non-magnetic ( coming to the rescue of some people who couldn´t play some MC cartridges on the MK-I ). OTOH, the platter was also slightly ligther, whith less inertia and speed stability.
:
Click to expand...

So does that mean Dave's platter is lighter or the MkIIs were lighter?

Also, being a MkI with a "magnetic" platter, does it rule out all moving coils? You say "some MC cartridges"...like what kind? If it was all moving coils, or even some certain types, that would be a deal breaker for me.

Thanks for posting the pic Dave. Nice table. Doesn't look like it's gonna need much refurb at all from the top - paint's in great shape.

Jeff
 
dnewma04 said:
That pioneer arm has long since been scrapped. That pic was the condition that I found the TD-124 in. My goal is to make something that would not look out of place next to yours. I might need to paint the table to pull that off, though.
Click to expand...

I'm sure you've got a nice EMT laying around somewhere to replace the Pioneer:D

Jeff
 
dnewma04 said:
My goal is to make something that would not look out of place next to yours. I might need to paint the table to pull that off, though.
Click to expand...

High praise indeed, but totally undeserved, my friend. I have little doubt your end product will overshadow mine.
I did have mine totally repainted. Yours, however, looks like it just needs some buffing.:yes:

jmathers said:
So does that mean Dave's platter is lighter or the MkIIs were lighter?
Click to expand...

As I said the MK-II´s platters, as opposed to the MK-I´s which were made out of iron, were manufactured from a metal alloy. So Dave´s platter is of the heavier variety.

jmathers said:
Also, being a MkI with a "magnetic" platter, does it rule out all moving coils? You say "some MC cartridges"...like what kind? If it was all moving coils, or even some certain types, that would be a deal breaker for me.
Click to expand...

The platter is not magnetized, as such, but being iron it exerts an attraction force on magnets. Moving coil cartridges usually have tiny moving coils and big fixed magnets, thus some of the older MC´s, like some Ortofons, were in fact affected by the TD-124 MK-I platter. Of course you can always compensate by reducing the VTF applied.

I´ve used my MK-I with High Output MC´s, like Sumiko Blue Point Special II and Benz Micro MC-20E without any problems.
 
Looks like Jorge's got it covered. No EMT arm here, unfortunately, and no any other spare arm to throw on it. I could put the big Calrad SV-16 arm which was a 16" Gray clone, but I don't picture doing that.

Perhaps, I'll move the SME III from the DIY table over to this one and run it with a V15 III cart and then hook up the DIY terminator arm to the DIY table.

For those with concerns about the iron platter, you can insert some spacers between the two platters and adjust the arm accordingly and not suffer any ill effects.
 
hifi_nut said:
High praise indeed, but totally undeserved, my friend. I have little doubt your end product will overshadow mine.
I did have mine totally repainted. Yours, however, looks like it just needs some buffing.:yes:



As I said the MK-II´s platters, as opposed to the MK-I´s which were made out of iron, were manufactured from a metal alloy. So Dave´s platter is of the heavier variety.



The platter is not magnetized, as such, but being iron it exerts an attraction force on magnets. Moving coil cartridges usually have tiny moving coils and big fixed magnets, thus some of the older MC´s, like some Ortofons, were in fact affected by the TD-124 MK-I platter. Of course you can always compensate by reducing the VTF applied.

I´ve used my MK-I with High Output MC´s, like Sumiko Blue Point Special II and Benz Micro MC-20E without any problems.
Click to expand...

I find that a thick platter mat makes mc carts sound better on the td 124.
 

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Here are my before shots.
 

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I have posted in the past about how to save the finish on the 124's. Both of mine were covered in cigarette grime, nasty funk, and dull as an eggshell. After several hours with Meguires 3-step car wax, and 3 coats of carnuba, the finish is mirror gloss (as it was under the tonearm board so I noted when I disassembled my first one) and is more rugged due to the wax. As long as it's not chipped anywhere, it can be saved (one of mine still has the slightest ring where a dustbug was mounted, but only I can see it).

The mat you have is from a MkII. That may only be the mat, or the upper platter and the mat. BUT, it was not uncommon for a MKII platter to be fitted to a MK I. It was offered as an "upgrade" from Thorens when they released the MkII so if the sub-platter is black (or was it dull silver...I can't remember as both of mine are MKI's), then you have the MKII model and if it's green, then it's the MKI. I have run an Ortofon SPU-GT/E (the cart for which Thornes changed the platter), and was said before, if you compensate with a change in VTF, you are fine. There is about 3-4mm of space between the top of the sub-platter and the needle as you have the platter pads, the aluminum upper-platter, the platter mat, and the record surface between them.

Oh, and the ball-on-ball configuration of which you speak is already in production by one of our members, Jim Campell. He is the "guy" on ebay and A-gon that machines your spindle and thrust plate with the mod (it is reversible). I had it done and I have over a 4 minute platter run down now and the low frequency rumble was cut by 90%. He has a couple of other groovy mod's so shoot him an e-mail. If you want to try the mod yourself, still give him a ring as he is a wealth of information and a great guy, and can probably steer you out of dangerous waters as he has been down you path before.

Good luck,


James R.

James R.
 
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