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Spindle Diameters - Thorens 124 and Technics SP10-MKII?

jgordon

jgordon

Super Member
Just got my SME IV in, and it looks great. Going to get a protractor for it, and I figure I may as well use it on both the 124 and the SP10 I have coming in. It's a custom glass mirrored protractor, and it is drilled for the unique table.

Can you guys tell me what the spindle diameters are for each? If similar, I'll have it made for the larger one, and use for both.

Thanks.
 
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.2800" on my SP-10. Just happened to have a pair of Starrett calipers on my desk this evening...
 
All turntable spindles are made to fit the very same hole diameter ie. the hole punched in the center of your vinyl media - and should as such be of very similar size whith a Little variation in - i gues here - tenths of milimeters due to production tolerances . ;-)
paul
 
When the spindle hole tolerance in the protractor is in the thousandths, it matters.
 
paullehmann said:
All turntable spindles are made to fit the very same hole diameter ie. the hole punched in the center of your vinyl media - and should as such be of very similar size whith a Little variation in - i gues here - tenths of milimeters due to production tolerances . ;-)
paul
Click to expand...
I have a weight that fits turntables just fine. Will not go on the spindle of the TD-125. There is a tolerance that with plastic can make for a tight or loose fit but with metal of a weight makes for a go/no go situation.
 
paullehmann said:
All turntable spindles are made to fit the very same hole diameter ie. the hole punched in the center of your vinyl media
Click to expand...

Blue Shadow said:
I have a weight that fits turntables just fine. Will not go on the spindle of the TD-125. There is a tolerance that with plastic can make for a tight or loose fit but with metal of a weight makes for a go/no go situation.
Click to expand...

Yep the Thorens are a bit large and was always a pain in the ass even with records.
 
I've made and sold about 100 mirror protractors. I use a precision reamer set for my TD-125. Zero complaints about the fit either way.
 
4-2-7 said:
Why are you not using the one that came with the arm? You said it was coming with it and had a photo of it.
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Reasonable question. The plan was to use the SME factory jig to get it close, and the mirror to dial it in exactly.
 
paullehmann said:
All turntable spindles are made to fit the very same hole diameter ie. the hole punched in the center of your vinyl media - and should as such be of very similar size whith a Little variation in - i gues here - tenths of milimeters due to production tolerances . ;-)
paul
Click to expand...
Yip misunderstood me on one email chain and made a protractor for my LP12. It wouldn't come close to fitting my 124. As JP said, it matters.
 
4-2-7 said:
Yep the Thorens are a bit large and was always a pain in the ass even with records.
Click to expand...

What 4-2-7 said.....I have the TD160 and the spindle is just slightly larger in diameter than any of the other tables I have. There are certain records that I have which really are a bit of a challenge to get OFF of there, not so much getting them down as I can press on the label closer to the center hole. Getting them back off, I have to grab them on the periphery of the record and that is when the flexing starts. Careful handling has always gotten them off OK, but not without some effort. Not sure why this is? Unfortunately, I do not have calipers that have a digital read-out, just the manual ones and I really can't give you exact measurements. Sorry.
 
Thorens spindle diameter of .285 is within the RIAA spec and towards the narrow limit of .284. The question is really why are records so tight?
 
elcoholic said:
Thorens spindle diameter of .285 is within the RIAA spec and towards the narrow limit of .284. The question is really why are records so tight?
Click to expand...

Good observation! Perhaps we should be looking more at the uniformity, or not, of LPs as they leave the production plant? That would say more about why some are tighter-fitting than others. Still does not explain why they (records) all seem to fit without such a snugness on my Yamaha PX-3, Dual 1219, Nottingham Spacedeck....that Thorens spindle is only 1/1000" larger than the others then? Thanks for the specs, hope they are of use to the OP and sorry if the conversation drifted a bit OT....
 
My Dual CS-5000's spindle measures .279" and my Technics SL1950 umbrella changer spindle measures .271". Both are out of spec for the RIAA Stereo standard. Possibly the pre-RIAA standards for hi-fi were smaller so that changers didn't have trouble with records that wouldn't drop and some mfr's just opted to stay with the old standard. So I'm measuring a deviation of 0.014" between my extremes on hand. Should we be concerned? I think not in the least considering the RIAA spec for maximum record groove runout is 0.05" or 3 1/2 times my measured deviation.
 
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