beatcomber
AK Member
Two steps forward, one step back... par for the course. You'll get it worked out in time!
My Technics 1200 project
- Thread starter Montycat
- Start date
Yes, it was all coming along swimmingly until this happened.
IMG_0004 by Buhduh, on Flickr
IMG_0001 by Buhduh, on Flickr
I just sent a message to KAB to see if they can help. The part is not shown on their site. I could smooth out the broken protrusion and maybe drill a little hole in and mount the rest further back. It might even look good. But I would know it was broken!
:sigh:
edirt: The turntable is not nearly as finished as it looks in the shot with platter. All the electronics are essentially installed and I was just doing some test fitting of the rest. Plugged in, all the gadgetry was functioning fine but there are still a bunch of screws and grounding wires to batten down and the new tonearm to go in the mount.
IMG_0004 by Buhduh, on Flickr
IMG_0001 by Buhduh, on Flickr
I just sent a message to KAB to see if they can help. The part is not shown on their site. I could smooth out the broken protrusion and maybe drill a little hole in and mount the rest further back. It might even look good. But I would know it was broken!
:sigh:
edirt: The turntable is not nearly as finished as it looks in the shot with platter. All the electronics are essentially installed and I was just doing some test fitting of the rest. Plugged in, all the gadgetry was functioning fine but there are still a bunch of screws and grounding wires to batten down and the new tonearm to go in the mount.
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Yes it is. That arm is coming off anyway and I have the replacement already but not the base part as I was hoping to re-use it. The original arm obviously had something dropped on it which made the dent, broke off the cuing tab, and bent the foot for the rest. I'll bet it was the case of beer that also caused all the spillage inside. :scratch2:
I should have examined that foot more closely before ordering the arm. I just found out KAB can get the part but it's $65 or $70 I had not expected to spend. The good thing is that parts are available at least. :yes:
You can find one for less on the bay,
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Arm-Base-Te...03934?pt=DJ_Gear_Lighting&hash=item3cc92b6c3e
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Arm-Base-Te...03934?pt=DJ_Gear_Lighting&hash=item3cc92b6c3e
You could always take the am apart, repair and repaint it, should not be that hard. I almost did the same thing thinking the arm sits so low when it's in the arm rest.
Here's a pic of my 1200, they are fun to work on. I wish I had painted the arm base while I had it apart rewiring the arm.
Here's a pic of my 1200, they are fun to work on. I wish I had painted the arm base while I had it apart rewiring the arm.
Attachments
Finally getting back around to this again. I had been procrastinating anyway but after the tonearm base arrived from Thailand, I decided to upgrade the wiring in the arm. I thought I had some Litz wire around but couldn't find it.
So I placed another KAB order for Cardas wire, terminal turret board and interconnect panel. While I was at it I got some Technics oil (probably no better than what I have) and some thrust plate wax.
No pics yet, but I will grab a couple before I put it all back together.
I rewired the arm, using the original wires to pull the Cardas through. The wires I twisted in pairs and I ran a tiny piece of heat shrink tubing onto it near the headshell end to hold them together for threading through. Of course I added the turret board from KAB. Another foot of Cardas in a rubber jacket will go from the turret board to the interconnect panel which will mount outboard.
I also added a little cotton wadding at each end of the arm tube, and heat shrink tubing on the outside. The heat shrink developed some wrinkles near the headshell end where the curve is the tightest which was a bit of a piss-off. I may forget about it in time but for now it bugs me.
At a couple of points in the process I used my meter to check continuity from the headshell collet to the end of the wires at the tonearm base, and then to the end of the jacketed wire. It would really suck to have to do it all all over again and I had a bit of a scare when the green wire seemed dead. I checked again and it was fine...whew!
Tomorrow I might just be able to get it all together.
So I placed another KAB order for Cardas wire, terminal turret board and interconnect panel. While I was at it I got some Technics oil (probably no better than what I have) and some thrust plate wax.
No pics yet, but I will grab a couple before I put it all back together.
I rewired the arm, using the original wires to pull the Cardas through. The wires I twisted in pairs and I ran a tiny piece of heat shrink tubing onto it near the headshell end to hold them together for threading through. Of course I added the turret board from KAB. Another foot of Cardas in a rubber jacket will go from the turret board to the interconnect panel which will mount outboard.
I also added a little cotton wadding at each end of the arm tube, and heat shrink tubing on the outside. The heat shrink developed some wrinkles near the headshell end where the curve is the tightest which was a bit of a piss-off. I may forget about it in time but for now it bugs me.
At a couple of points in the process I used my meter to check continuity from the headshell collet to the end of the wires at the tonearm base, and then to the end of the jacketed wire. It would really suck to have to do it all all over again and I had a bit of a scare when the green wire seemed dead. I checked again and it was fine...whew!
Tomorrow I might just be able to get it all together.
It's Alive!!!
I am playing the first disc on the newly refurbished and reassembled 1200!
Technics MKII lid up by Buhduh, on Flickr
Technics 1200 MKII new lid by Buhduh, on Flickr
It looks outstanding and is working great. I still have a couple of quirks to work out but I am pretty happy! It feels like a new baby.
Upgrades and new parts include the paint job, the new tonearm and tonearm base, new lid and hinges, the pitch control slider bezel. I added wax to the thrust plate well, rewired the tonearm with Cardas wire, installed added the KAB turret board and RCA interconnect board at the back, and used Cardas wire to that as well. The tonearm has cotton damping inside, and though I initially applied heat shrink to the outside of the arm tube it ended up wrinkled and ugly so I took it off.
In honour of Catman, the first cartridge on it is the M97xE. I was going to install a NOS AT125LC that has been waiting to be taken for a ride but did not want to wait since I already had the Shure on a shell.
Even with only the quickest of setup, it sounds great! Can I have a few more bananas?
I am playing the first disc on the newly refurbished and reassembled 1200!
Technics MKII lid up by Buhduh, on Flickr
Technics 1200 MKII new lid by Buhduh, on Flickr
It looks outstanding and is working great. I still have a couple of quirks to work out but I am pretty happy! It feels like a new baby.
Upgrades and new parts include the paint job, the new tonearm and tonearm base, new lid and hinges, the pitch control slider bezel. I added wax to the thrust plate well, rewired the tonearm with Cardas wire, installed added the KAB turret board and RCA interconnect board at the back, and used Cardas wire to that as well. The tonearm has cotton damping inside, and though I initially applied heat shrink to the outside of the arm tube it ended up wrinkled and ugly so I took it off.
In honour of Catman, the first cartridge on it is the M97xE. I was going to install a NOS AT125LC that has been waiting to be taken for a ride but did not want to wait since I already had the Shure on a shell.
Even with only the quickest of setup, it sounds great! Can I have a few more bananas?
beatcomber
AK Member
Bravo! What's the 360-label Columbia LP being spun?
That's Santana's first album. I must say it had pretty good punch to it. After that I played Live Dates from Wishbone Ash.
There is no way I will be able to compare the sound before and after mods so don't even ask. I barely heard this machine before; it was so fugly it was intended for restoration from the day I got it. Plus it's been so long since I took it apart that I would not be able to remember...and I am not that "tuned" myself...
It's nice to look at and hear something that seems so new even though it is so old. Having a pristine lid even helps. I am tired of polishing out other peoples mistakes.
The speed pot seems a little weird sometimes. A couple of times it ran fast at the centre but slowed down to correct speed at +.5. I think another shot of cleaner is needed and I hope that is all it needs. It's good now though. :scratch2:
There is no way I will be able to compare the sound before and after mods so don't even ask. I barely heard this machine before; it was so fugly it was intended for restoration from the day I got it. Plus it's been so long since I took it apart that I would not be able to remember...and I am not that "tuned" myself...
It's nice to look at and hear something that seems so new even though it is so old. Having a pristine lid even helps. I am tired of polishing out other peoples mistakes.
The speed pot seems a little weird sometimes. A couple of times it ran fast at the centre but slowed down to correct speed at +.5. I think another shot of cleaner is needed and I hope that is all it needs. It's good now though. :scratch2:
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Nice project and looks good! Makes me want to customize mine. It was a $15 thrift find and so far I've spent four times that on it--just for the feet. I especially like the idea of anodizing it; the paint on mine has a few nicks and scratches anyway and that would make it a truly standout deck. Do you know if decals or stencils exist for the identifiers?
Thanks!
There are stickers out there. Try ebay.
Anodizing is not that practical. The casting has to be perfect or the flaws in it will show through. Also if the exact alloy is unknown it is not a good idea. I was going to anodize but they talked me out of it but the same folks did the powder coat and that was Plan A anyway.
Powder coat is great stuff but you have to remove all the old finish and bead or walnut blasting works best for that. It also is more cost effective in batches if you have other articles to do.
"Typos in this meeasage? Can't you see I am doing this on my phone using Tapatalk?"
There are stickers out there. Try ebay.
Anodizing is not that practical. The casting has to be perfect or the flaws in it will show through. Also if the exact alloy is unknown it is not a good idea. I was going to anodize but they talked me out of it but the same folks did the powder coat and that was Plan A anyway.
Powder coat is great stuff but you have to remove all the old finish and bead or walnut blasting works best for that. It also is more cost effective in batches if you have other articles to do.
"Typos in this meeasage? Can't you see I am doing this on my phone using Tapatalk?"
