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Jig for repairing/lubing turntables

Q

quadtech

Well-Known Member
I find it really hard to work with my Dual 1229 turntable upside
down. Even without the platter and the motor, it is heavy and
I am scared of damaging the tonearm.

An extra pair of hands may not always be available.
So I am seeking ideas for a jig to hold it, or suggestions
on how to work on it safely.

Thanks!
 
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You could try adapting a chair, like a regular office or waiting room chair with a removable seat. You could either cut a large opening in the existing seat, or make a suitable platform that would bolt in the original holes.

You could even clamp the plinth to the platform and and turn it on it's side or back. Just use a piece of cloth between the clamp and plinth to preserve the finish. It would probably be better if you removed the back of the chair.

That's the model for a jig. It wouldn't be all that hard just to make one from scratch.
neo
 
neobop said:
You could even clamp the plinth to the platform and and turn it on it's side or back. Just use a piece of cloth between the clamp and plinth to preserve the finish. It would probably be better if you removed the back of the chair.

neo
Click to expand...

Neo, that's what I have been doing - clamping the sub-chassis/plinth down into the
wood base and setting it up on the side.
I am now considering temporarily fixing four long "legs" to the
side of the wood base, projecting both above and below the wood base.

I could then flip the base (with the properly fastened sub-chassis) upside
down and the legs will allow enough room, so the tonearm assembly
will always be safe.
I'll post a pic if this works out.
 
Last edited:
Here is a solution that should work at minimal cost.


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I actually made a tripod out of a couple short 2x4's and a piece of plywood, kind of like a speaker stand w/o the top platform. I spaced the 2x4s about 120 degrees apart on a circle and cut up a cheap stick-on carpet tile to cover the ends. this allowed me to invert the table onto the tripod so I could access all the goodies below w/o damaging the tone arm.

It actually worked quite well
 
I used to set up turntables professionally. Linn had a set-up jig they sold dealers, like I described. I never actually saw the Linn jig cause the store owner used an old metal frame chair. If you want to work underneath, you can just put the chair up on your bench and you don't have to stand on your head or risk dropping the table. Usually, when you're setting up a cart, everything is all back together and off the jig.

It works for most tables. Usually, very heavy tables don't require getting underneath a plinth anyway.
neo
 
Back in the heydays, there were companies that made fixtures specifically to hold turntables at any angle while you worked on them.

Maybe you could find one on eBay.

Doug
 
Freind that has a music shop plus repairs uses an adjustable prop rod thing thats about the size of a bike mounted tire pump, Looks a little dicey to me..but seems to work for him. I will stick with my skeletonized plastic milk crate and matching mirror to lay in the bottom.
 
Myself and others here have used beer cans, yogurt (or similarly sized) contaniers, and most recently for me, a set of wooden blocks with some carpet covering over one of the faces for padding.
 
I use a plastic tupperware bowl to support the tt upside down. Does not hit the spindle. And you could place that on a lazy suzy to turn it.:scratch2:

Works for me.

Thanks,
John.:music::D
 
I went to the foam and fabric place and had her cut out two pieces of foam 2" thick, sort of in the shape here, with a semi circle cutout in the middle. One a little narrower than the other. I lay them circles facing each other and then lay the table on top. Spindle down the center and the narrower of the two piece on the tonearm side. It is the really firm kind of foam, I don't know the proper name of it but I usually refer to it as closed cell. Then for larger spindle tables I have 3" piece of solid foam with a 2" hole in the middle and I lay the other two on top of this one. Works every time, don't have to worry about scratching anything and also protects the tonearm and spindle. Sorry about the primitive art work, didn't have a camera handy.

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I have two pieces of 6'x6' 24 inches long covered in microfiber that I use. Those 6x6's aren't going anywhere!
Regards,
Jim
 
Doug G. said:
Back in the heydays, there were companies that made fixtures specifically to hold turntables at any angle while you worked on them.

Maybe you could find one on eBay.

Doug
Click to expand...

HI,
I actually have one. I don't know who made it. The trouble is I don't trust it. My fear is it will drop the turntable on its tone arm and then all is lost. Just by looking at it, it seems like it would work well. But, when the turntable is clamped into it, it doesn't inspire trust. I quit using it. It's also very awkward on the usual size workbench.

Instead, I use wooden blocks to space the turntable away from the work surface so the tone arm is clear. It has never, with hundreds (maybe thousands) of uses, failed me. But one still has to be careful.

Sparky
 
I use a sturdy crate with a couple of self-adhesive felt furniture pads to make sure i don't 'scratch' the turntable.
 
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