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Clone VPI Style Build

Thanks. It was fun to do the pictures along the way. Now that's it's done, I have an appreciation for the way VPI does there's. They eliminated the plumbing which makes theirs a lot more compact and simpler to build. On the other hand, I won't say it's quiet, but mine is probably much quieter.
 
Hit a GW yesterday and found a couple of dirty LPs to test El Machino Grande on tonight after I got done chasing a Garrard Zero 100 in Newport. I've dubbed my RCM "El Machino Grande" because of it's size. Anyway it made short work of a copy of Billy Joel's 52nd Street and Dave Mason's self titled debut in SQ Quad. I haven't heard either of these in years and I must say they held up very well. Lots of detail still there for the line-contact stylus to dig out of the surgically-clean-in-under-3-minutes very used vinyl. I'm way stoked. Can't wait to try another GW tomorrow.:banana:
 
I'm in the R&D part of mine - I got a ice cream maker motor from GW for $3, a free turntable for the platter and spindle, and one helluva vacuum motor from an old canister vacuum. I have the ICM motor mounted to the bottom of some plywood. I had to rig up some gearing in order to mate the ICM motor and spindle together. The gears came out of an old spare tire carrier lift from a Ford F150 that I had laying around in my scrape pile. It's pretty rough right now but the platter spins with the ICM motor and I have the vacuum and motor wired using the canister vacuum wiring.

Now I need to get the vacuum system figured out and then start building the box to put it all in.

elcoholic,

Where did you get the VPI tube assembly?
 
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Great job! The ceiling fan motor as a bearing platform is especially impressive and no doubt bullet proof. I just got back from an impromptu get away to a B&B near Santa Barbara. I found a back alley guitar shop that had a nice selection of used vinyl. Picked up the following:
Billy Joel - Songs in the Attic
Warren Zevon - Excitable Boy
Prince - Purple Rain (if only for the title track)
Jeff Beck Group - Rough and Ready
Jeff Beck w/ Jan Hammer Group Live
The Kinks - Low Budget
The Doobies - Takin it to the Streets
and the best two for last ...
Ry Cooder - Bop Till You Drop
Steevie Wonder - Songs in the Key of Life

I nearly cried over acopy of Les Paul &B Chet Atkins' - Guitar Monsters that was nearly mint except for a gnarly scratch - Doh! Well it's time to give the RCM it's first real workout of 10 LPs back to back.
 
Well I've been using the RCM for a while now and have to say I'm getting new life out of some old vinyl. I had it sitting on a table in office and it was taking up too much room. I decided it need legs of it's own. I found some perfect ones at Ikea for $7.50 a piece before the wifes 15% discount. Way cheeper and easier than making them myself. All that's left is a record clamp and maybe a pump/brush system some day.

http://picasaweb.google.com/teamo65/RCM?feat=directlink
 
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