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I Have Just Found A VERRY Nice Way To Damp A Platter EVEN BETTER THAN BEORE

NoTransistors

NoTransistors

Dual Turntables Super-Restorer
I have four full-size Dual. The two 1229Q have silicon caulking filling the underneath of the outer rim, where the balance weights reside. Also have tar-backed aluminum roofer's tape on the outside of the idler contact rim. The underside of the platter cannot be coated with anything at all, as there is a strobe disc.
My 701 has the caulking only.
The 1219 has the roofer's tape only, as I have been too lazy to caulk.
All have the perforated shelf-liner mat- black and 0.2" thick, which is close to the thickness of the Dual mat.

Even with all this, the platters still ring a bit.

Sooooo, now hold onto your proverbial hats.
I was in Marshalls with the ball 'n chain, and purchased a
13" silicon-rubber splatter screen. It is a China-made [like you expected Spain, Japan, Italy, or something like that] perforated silicon screen on a metal-reinforced handle.
The perforations are arranged in circles, which can make cutting easier.
I cut a circle to fit the way the shelf-liner mat fits [just inside the raised platter edge]. Then tried the thing ON THE LEAST-DAMPED 1219 PLATTER. Oops, too thin. But now, when you hit the edge of this platter, it has a much-reduced ring. Almost there... Wait- there is more---When it is applied to the already-caulked platters, it produces a true thud, an absolutely dead platter with ZERO RING! Yes, you heard me---ZERO RING. Next, I cut a pretty white mat from the thinnest liner in my collection. Put it on top of the silicon mat. Gave me the proper height, and a different sound entirely.
So, the cost was 12.99 plus tax plus the gas to take a gas-guzzling GTO out to Freeport and back to Brooklyn. I believe it was well worth the expense.
 
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Cool - could you describe some of the changes in the sound after adding the silicone screen?
 
Pics of the Goat? It is a yellow 2004, and while far from classic, it is fasssssssssssssssssssst.

The mat and underside of the better-damped Q platters- well, the pics will wait for tonight.

Sound? Dead-silence between cuts. Better separation. More presence. Clearer soundstage [actually, much better].
And finally, less bright a sound.
 
I need to see if this thing will accept my pics.

Yup!!!
 

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And now for something completely different.
 

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A few more [digital] photos. You need to know that I just purchased two boxes of FujiColor film I am Forever Analog.
 

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NoTransistors said:
Pics of the Goat? It is a yellow 2004, and while far from classic, it is fasssssssssssssssssssst.

The mat and underside of the better-damped Q platters- well, the pics will wait for tonight.

Sound? Dead-silence between cuts. Better separation. More presence. Clearer soundstage [actually, much better].
And finally, less bright a sound.
Click to expand...

Red 2004 here, Headers / Cam.. :)
 
sxty8goats said:
Red 2004 here, Headers / Cam.. :)
Click to expand...

I am a member of WWW.LS1GTO.COM . Are you???

Did a search. You is a member. Nice car. Optional scooped hood, and 18"ers.

Also, want to know why the underside of the 1229Q platter looks odd? It is because the idler contact surface is so very well polished [last-week's thread], that the paper strobe disc is reflecting off of it.
 
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Thanks for the tip Sir. I have already applied some of your tips for damping my 1229. I've done the roofing tape around the rim as well as a few of the choice points underneath and noticed the improvements. I have one of those spatter screens on order at my work and will try it out in a couple of weeks and report back.

I do like the look of my stock mat though, I may do the silicone thing the next time I'm headed out of town for three days (it's hard not to go a day without playing records). I remember from another post of yours where you said the stock mat is pretty good if you can get the platter damped enough. That may be all I need, but nonetheless, experiments are in order. :yes:
 
Cool that it works. How thick is it (comparatively to the TT mat)? Doesn't the thickness of it muck up your VTA?
 
We are all friends here. Please don't make me feel older by calling me 'Sir'. And you have some friggin' wonderful memory to recall that I said [long ago] the stock mat can sound pretty good if you damp the platter well enough. The Dual mat is about 0.2" thick, and I always attempt to maintain that thickness with any of my home-made mats for the sake of keeping a tracking angle that has been working for my set-up. This is why I needed to put a thin home-made mat over the thin silicon one. The contact-brand shelf liner that I have been using is available in several thicknesses and colors at Walmart and Home Depot.
 
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I got motivated and damped the platter on my 1219. The pics I posted earlier were of a 1229Q platter [with strobe].
Here is my newly-damped 1219 platter. Squint, and you might see the roofing tape on the outside of the contact rim. The silicon caulking, on the other hand, is quite visible.

Perhaps the next step is a spray of auto undercoating [the kind that stays soft].

Edit: I just pulled the 1219 platter to see if it is my imagination, or perhaps the caulking is obscuring portions of the platter. Look at the pics. When the ribs were removed from the platter to create a flat surface on which to glue the strobe, more meat [half-circles of metal], was added to the inside of the outer rim. This might explain each platter has its own 'ring' or 'thud'.
 

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I have an old Kenwood and the platter is pretty bell-like. I noticed a big improvement after I got my Herbie's Way Excellent mat. More expensive than the splatter mat, but it's the best-sounding mat I've used, and I've done a fair number of DIY mats. Plus there are lots of different thicknesses so you can nail the VTA.

Is that silicone caulk the same thing as rope caulk? That was recommended for damping by Steve, the guy that runs Herbie's.
 
Rope caulk is packed in a box, and cannot possibly be applied neatly. The platter will no longer be balanced. Also, it remains sticky forever, attracting dirt, dust, bugs, roaches, etc..
Silicon bathtub caulking comes out of a tube as a viscous liquid, and until it begins to set, can be spread, neatened, trimmed, forced into all crevices, etc. This can easily be accomplished with a caulking gun and a butter knife.
Do it neatly, and your work will not change the balance of the platter. Dries to hard rubber within 24 hours.
As one cannot apply damping material to every surface of a platter, a mat with damping characteristics must be used to finish the job.

Then on top of that, a thin shelf-liner mat [or perhaps a cork spot-mat] is used to de-couple the record from the platter.
I have not tried Herbie's mats, but have heard great things about them.
This home-made combination mat apears to be like his in the way it works [I just read his description]. Nice to see that he has success with it.
 
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What about spraying the inside of the platter with spray Plastic Dip? It is actually spray on rubber, the kind used to insulated tool handles.
 
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