Anyone made a record clamp or weigh?

outlawmws

outlawmws

On the Run
I want to make a record clamp, or failing that, a record weight.

I have a largish chunk of brass setting on my desk. I got it free at a yard sale before it was trashed. I cleaned the paint off of it and it shined up fairly well.

It is 2-3/4” in Diameter, and about 4” tall. I could add a round plate to the bottom to act as a spreader, I have some 1/8” thick x 4" Dia SS round discs, and I can attach one with countersunk screws.

I own a lathe, So my options are, within the limits of the brass piece, pretty unlimited.


I know clamps need something to grip the spindle, BUT; my Marantz 6100 spindle does not appear to have enough spindle sticking out past the records to have anything grip it. It is about .187 (3/16”) and the Pioneer D55X has less about .125 or so, (1/8”) of useable spindle, less on 180 Gr. vinyl.

So how do the record clamps grab that short spindle and grip?


How heavy are the record weights? Does the extra mass help stabilize the rotational speed of the platter? Is there an upper limit for adding weight?

A clamp doesn’t need more weight, does it? It relies on clamping force?
 
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I think some clamps are made to use just the weight of the clamp to hold the record against the platter. If it is heavy enough your clamp should work fine without clamping on to the spindle.
 
I made one the other day from a cast iron adapter that the blade attaches to the engine shaft on a power mower. Ground off the two ears that keep the blade from rotating and glued on a rubber pad to hide my messy grinding and protect the record label. The existing bolt hole was to large for the table spindle but I found a plastic ball point pen that had a cap that would slide in the bolt hole and and just slip over the spindle. Cut it to length and a drop of glue to keep it in place did it. It's 2" across and 2" high. a coat of black spray paint helped some. Used once and helped. Price is right.
 
search the posts..... there was one AK memeber that had his brother-in-law make it out of aluminum for him, perhaps he can make another.... i have access to a machine shop and i've made them before but i'm in ontario canada.... pretty far from the majority of you
 
Hello,I've looked at them on e-bay.While the prices vary the one thing that stayed constant is that they all seemed to weigh in at one pound.Brass and stainless steel are by far the most often metals used for construction.
 
danhagan said:
Two words: hockey puck. Drill a hole in the middle and you're good to go.
Click to expand...

Yep he's rite. Two different types.
1 Practice puck which is softer
2 game puck which is harder.

I'd drill the hole a pinch smaller so it can grip the spindle. That's what i did when I made a couple of clamps using different things. Try it out first on a jar lid and then proceed from there.
 
There is a difference between a record weight and a record clamp.

The weight, as the name implies, adds weight/mass to the center of the record, helping to flatten it (if it is warped) and couple it better to the platter. It also increases the rotational inertia of the platter/wieght/LP assembly.

The clamp, as its name suggests, "clamps" the record down against the platter. Just like the weight, it will help flatten the record and couple it to the platter.

Whether or not a clamp is as good at increasing inertia depends on its mass (and the distribution of that mass). An example of a clamp that adds little mass would be the DIY kind an AKer makes out of automotive gas tubing (Sorry, I've forgotten who that was). Because it fits tightly over the spindle, it can be pushed down to exert force against the record, but the tubing itself doesn't have much mass.

If you want to know how most good clamps work, look up "collet" design. Here is one place to start: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collet
A good hardware store should have some collet-based items you can adapt to create a suitable clamp. With the right collet, you will need at least a little spindle height for it to clamp to, but not a lot.

Both weights and clamps can affect sound in another way which is seldom discussed: by absorbing and dispersing (usually good), or resonating with (usually not so good) vibrations of the record, such as those caused by the stylus rubbing against the grooves. For this reason, the materials used for a weight or clamp can affect the sound. Lead is excellent sonically (probably the best material there is for platters and weights), but can get very heavy, very quickly, so if you try it be sure not to over-burden your motor. You might try a thinner sheet of lead coupled to something else. Be aware of the health risks of lead, though, too. If you don't know how to handle it, try something else. Brass is widely used, but it "rings" a bit, which may or may not be so good.

Most weights are around 600 or 700 grams, but they can be lighter or heavier.

How weight/mass you can safely have in a clamp/weight depends mostly on your motor. Generally a higher-torque motor can handle a heavier weight/clamp. Check with the motor manufacturer (if they still exist) if you are unsure.

Plenty of room for a lot of DIY experimentation in this area. Have fun with it, and good luck. Please report back on any "breakthroughs" you achieve!
 
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