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Let's mod a PL-41 !

Naptown Rob said:
Well, this would certainly leave me with one very nice PL-41.:scratch2:

But as you say finnbow - if we can't be mad scientists, then where's the real fun?:smoke:
I guess I could still do some plinth mods.

Mark - if you wind up with a great success story, and I wind up still wandering through the wilderness searching for the elusive Great Bargain Tonearm, then we'll have to talk...
Click to expand...

Yeh. Maybe both of you should put on new tonearms. Misery loves company, you know.:D
 
Naptown Rob said:
Well, this would certainly leave me with one very nice PL-41.:scratch2:

But as you say finnbow - if we can't be mad scientists, then where's the real fun?:smoke:
I guess I could still do some plinth mods.

Mark - if you wind up with a great success story, and I wind up still wandering through the wilderness searching for the elusive Great Bargain Tonearm, then we'll have to talk...
Click to expand...

Rob, I am always willing to help. The PL-41 club lives! Oh, by the way , I got one of those great bargain Denon DL-103 carts I intended to use on the stock arm. Probably won't use that either if the Sumiko arm is a success.
 
MrIgotNomoney said:
Guys
I want to throw a tip out there.
The PL-41 bearing has a thin paper or fibre gasket that seals the bearing cap, Im assuming to keep the oil from leaking out. Everyone I have seen is destroyed as soon as the bearing cap is unscrewed.
What I did was to take a strip of teflon tape, the kind used in plumbing, lay out about a 6-7 inch piece flat and slice it longways down the middle.
Then wrap the threads of the bearing housing with the teflon tape, i made 2 complete wraps, do this before you oil the spindle and replace the cap.
To do all this I remove the bearing housing 3 screws, and lift out the bearing housing. When the housing is out I clean all the parts,wrap the bearing housing threads with the teflon tape. Then lube the spindle drop that back in. Then add a few drops of oil and replace the bearing cap. You will notice that the spindle will not settle down all the way because of the oil in the housing. What I did was to hold the bearing housing in my hand while pushing down on the spindle tip with my thumb.
Within a few minutes the air and a little oil bled out around the top area of the bearing housing around the spindle as it settled in.
No leakage what so ever from the screw on cap.

Also something to consider I also polished the spindle, using a drill press, very fine crocus cloth, I think 2000 grit then used metal polish till it reflected like a mirror. I also polished the thrust tip, I used a block of fairly soft wood, and liquid metal polish allowing the thrust tip to make an indentation in the block, a few drops of polish in the indentation and then letting the tip ride in the polish, I used very light pressure.
This polished the tip to perfection.
I used mobile 1 synthetic to lubricate my bearing.
bob
Click to expand...

What did you use to polish the bearing? I was thinking a dremel with a bullet shaped buffing tip, but Home Dumpo didn't have one.
 
Mark Walters said:
What did you use to polish the bearing? I was thinking a dremel with a bullet shaped buffing tip, but Home Dumpo didn't have one.
Click to expand...

Mark
I used my drill press, wrapped the spindle tip in leather, tightened the chuck firmly but not tight enough to damage the spindle tip.
I used very fine crocus cloth to start with, man I think 2000 grit (very fine stuff) just enough to give it a little mat surface, a few seconds. Then polished with a paste polishing compound till it was like a mirror. Didn't take too long I think I was running about 200 rpm, maybe 5-10 minutes.
I also polished the tip that rides on the thrust pad, I used a block of wood, I made an indention with the spindle tip then put a few drops of the coupound in the indention and let the spindle ride in this for a few minutes under very light pressure. Finished up with a clean cloth and a little more compound, then a clean cloth. My spindle came out like a mirror.
Washed it up with hot water and soap to make sure there was no compound and oiled and re assembled the bearing.

I fill my bearing with the bearing out of the table and upside down, I then add several drops to the well and screw on the bearing cap.
After the bearing is re assembled the spindle will take a few minutes to settle down even with the platter weight on it.
I just hold the bearing in my hand and use my thumb to put pressure on the spindle tip, it will settle down in a few minutes. You will notice a little bit of oil leak out at the top, this is good.
By pushing down on the spindle tip you'll be forcing oil up the sides between the spindle and bearing surface.


bob
 
I can't believe that I just saw a PL-41 with a BIN price of $699.99 on that auction site. What have we done?!!
 
It'll probably be the better part of a week before it arrives, but at least the search is over.
Now I need to find a stylus for the Sumiko Talisman A cart that comes with it....
 
Naptown Rob said:
We have achieved tonearm!!!!!!!

Just pulled the trigger on a Micro Seiki TA-1...
Click to expand...

I told you that you would find one...

I just found a pic of the arm you got. Nice looking arm! How does it spec out? I looked for it at the vinyl engine and couldn't find it. All I could find out is that it is very rare and came on Luxman TT's.
 
It's 4mm longer than the stock arm.
I've been running over mounting schemes in my mind. Most involve a machine shop & a sort of mounting board scenario. Given how low the platter is on a PL-41, I'm giving a lot of thought as to how to keep everything as low as possible.
I'm going to wait until the arm arrives to confirm that the technique I've got in my mind's eye would work.
Any input from you guys appreciated, as always.
 
OK, here are the specs. Length is only 3mm longer. Who speaks German?

Länge über alles: 305 mm (Over all length)
Effektive Länge: 240 mm (Effective length)
Überhang: 15 mm (overhang)
Einstellbare Auflagekraft: 0 ... 30 mN (I own a lake cabin in Minnesota)
Empfohlenes Systemgwicht 3-18 g (Umm... light or heavy carts OK)
Höheneinstellung: 43 ... 90 mm (is this VTA?)
Besonderheiten: Antiskating Einstellung, Tonarmlift, etc. (Behold the fancy parts)

What can I say? I took 1 year of German in 9th grade. It was 1974. There was weed involved....
 
Nifty arm- be sure to check bearings on it as some have had issues with chatter and wear.

A blank Micro Seiki arm board would be fantastic to adapt on this- but it would cost you $200 to $275

But look up Micro Seiki arm boards- it will give you an idea on how it works.

I recently built some round arm boards- using a hole saw mounted in a drill press.

Mine were thick, but you could get 1/4" Baltic birch ply (I used 3/4").

I used contact cement to glue thin thin thin carbon fibre sheet to the plywood. I made a paper template on the computer, used Elmer's spray adhesive, and glued the template on top of the carbon fiber.

I then lined up the drill press mounted hole saw, and cut 'em out.

I then used forsner bits and counter-sunk four holes in the board for mounting it with Allen bolts.

The side of the boards can be sanded and you can fill any nicks or edges with wood filler, sanded again, and either melamine glued on, or rubberized paint applied with a roller, or even veneer applied with contact cement.


The plinth's original hole could be opened up- drilled out with a hole saw nice and large- to allow many arms to be mounted, no matter what the mounting distance.

The four holes for mounting could be drilled out, then using a tapping tool, you could cut threads.

This gives you a way to mount the boards with bolts and avoiding the need for nuts or captive nuts, although that would work too.


Let me know if I can help out perhaps, with maybe making you the template.

Cheers,

Paul
 
I was thinking of making a plate that would mount from below, actually - I'd save a fraction of an inch.
I was thinking of a metal plate frame, sandwiched with either carbon fiber or rubber gasket, with 1/4" wood stock centered on top.
So, the metal would form a sort of flange sticking out around the edges of the wood, which would pop up through the hole in the deck. Make sense?

On the other hand, I may just be able to very slightly modify the stock hole & bolt it right in place. We'll see...
 
Naptown Rob said:
Einstellbare Auflagekraft: 0 ... 30 mN (I own a lake cabin in Minnesota)
Empfohlenes Systemgwicht 3-18 g (Umm... light or heavy carts OK)
Höheneinstellung: 43 ... 90 mm (is this VTA?)
Besonderheiten: Antiskating Einstellung, Tonarmlift, etc. (Behold the fancy parts)
Click to expand...

VTF - 0-30 microNewtons = 0-3.0 grams
Height adjustment (VTA): 43 ... 90 mm
Special Features: Antiskating adjustment, Cueing device

Bitte schön, mein Herr. Viel Spaß.
 
Rob- makes sense.

Also, look up the way they do the Technics SL-1200 plates- think an"0" donut shape, and a circle center that sits on the underside of it- they sell 'em on eBay, out of Greece- it will give you an alternative idea.

Honestly, I bet you could do the whole plate out of carbon fibre, and perhaps even using 1/8" and then do the countersinking- this would give you a plate that's stiff, sturdy, and the plate is in-line on a plane wit the original mounting surface.
 
I think the fourth line is referring to the range of adjustment of the tracking force. 0 .. 30 mN = 0 to 3 grams.

(Doh... too late on the Submit button...)
 
Nice arm Rob!
Does it have the removeable arm wand, or is it fixed like the Luxman equivalent found on the PD272 or PD277?
 
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