Micro Seiki AP-M1 Spindle?

[lmfree]

I recently aquired a beautiful Micro Seiki AP-M1 turntable and finished setting it up last evening. Unfortunately there seems to be a problem with the self centering spindle which appears to be retracted into the sub-platter. According to the little information I can find on the Vintage Knob the tapered spindle has a spring in oil which is to center the spindle in the album. The way it is currently, the tapered spindle doesn't come up far enough to make contact with the album. It appears to be frozen. Anyone have any experience with this turntable and how this spindle works?

 

[illini]

So this turntable centers the records to the same end as the Nakamichi tables?

 

[lmfree]

So this turntable centers the records to the same end as the Nakamichi tables?

No, it's not as high tech and as exact as the Dragon which centers by the actual grooves of the album. This just centers in the album spindle hole if it is not normal size or out of round. If the album is punched in the center it won't have a large effect. But this spindle is so low that the album doesn't touch the spindle. Check out the two links below

http://www.thevintageknob.org/micro_seiki-AP-M1.html

http://www.thevintageknob.org/THEVAULT1/APM1/APM1.html