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Warped Vinyl


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Has anyone actually produced a machine that will fix warps? I'm not talking about something that would be available to Joe consumer...but to archives, etc. There's alot of super rare vinyl out there and there must be someplace for collectors and others to turn? Seems like it would be a pretty low tech deal to crank out --- perhaps use copper plates backed with felt or something else that wouldn't adhere to the vinyl...and then make sure that a current was equally distributed throughout. Would take some testing and a bunch of trashed Bay City Rollers LPs to get it right...but sooner of later you'd have to assume that a committed 'tinkerer' could get it right.

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Isn't there some really expensive pneumatic system that sucks the vinyl forcefully against the platter, thus flattening it for the time you play it, anyhow?

I thought I saw something like this at an esoteric stereo shop in Philly once. Though maybe I was dreaming.

I think I also remember a platter floating on a pool of mercury. It's starting to sound more and more like a weird dream . . .

--eri

Edited by Dr. Rat
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Interested in hearing of a reasonably priced solution.

A friend once suggested I place a warped vinyl (a Lester Young Norgran Jazz Giants LP) in between the two heavy glass plates that spin my vinyls on the Jean-Francois Le Tallec turntable I have, put weighty items on the whole thing and let everything take in the sun for an hour.

Had good fun with this but it did not really help with the warp :huh:

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howzabout a simple record clamp? should work on not too severely warped disks.

The Le Tallec turntable I have comes with a clamp. It does not correct warped LPs.

Great piece of machinery that turntable!

Edited by brownie
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I think this is a "toophpaste back in the tube" problem (to use the immortal words of HR Haldeman) at elast insofar as the "rest configuration of the vinyl" goes.

Anything you do to make the vinyl flat again is probably going to make matters worse. I suppose its possible that you'll succeed in flattening it, but its also possible you'll get that toothpaste back in that tube without making a bigger mess.

Spindle clamps, I've found, don't work on significant warps.

The pneumatic system I describe above had a slightly concave platter, as I remember it, so a fair deal of temporary unbending was accomplished.

--eric

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I'm not too sciency either but aren't LPs made of PVC which is a thermoplastic -> can be reshaped with heat.

Nor am I ...but leaving 80's Liberty BNs with massive dish warps aside, I can't begin to imagine the number of valuable one, perhaps two of a kind historical items are out there in warped..but otherwise decent condition --- maybe it's a bit of political memorabilia (I'm just goofing here) like a 'Trotsky Sings Showtunes' or some Opera recording.. Exceptionally rare items surface from time to time and find their way to the Library of Congress, Library & Archives Canada, Vienna Phonogramm-Archiv, etc...I'd be simply amazed if preservationists hadn't figured a way 'round all this.

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Interested in hearing of a reasonably priced solution.

A friend once suggested I place a warped vinyl (a Lester Young Norgran Jazz Giants LP) in between the two heavy glass plates that spin my vinyls on the Jean-Francois Le Tallec turntable I have, put weighty items on the whole thing and let everything take in the sun for an hour.

Had good fun with this but it did not really help with the warp :huh:

This is a variation of what I heard at the record store I used to work at. Two heavy glass plates, oven at 200 degrees.

Never tried it, though.

I have a couple that could use it...

record.gif

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Subject: Warped phonograph records

From: Warwick Peberdy (warwickp@aa.gov.au)

Date: 01-27-1998

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Has anyone had any experience with flattening vinyl record albums?

On 13 Jan 98 Lynn Campbell Lynn Campbell <campbelll@ccc.govt.nz>

asked about warped phonograph records.

Reminded me of the last gramophone recording I brought about 8 or 9

years ago, which was "The Gypsy Kings" album when they were all the

rage in Australia. I put it on the back seat of the car and when I

got home, about 30 minutes later, it had formed around the curve of

the seat and was unplayable. I put it under a sheet of glass in the

sun for about 10 to 15 minutes which removed most of the warp.

This method is described in "The Preservation and Restoration of

Sound Recordings" by Jerry McWilliams (1979). It suggests: cleaning

the record; placing it between two sheets of clean and perfectly

flat plate glass; heating to about 135 degs. F; leave at this heat

for 10 minutes; remove heat and place some heavy books on top of the

glass for 24 hours. If the warp is not removed then not enough heat

has been applied. Heat should not exceed 150 degs. F as damage may

occur. Hope this is of some help,

Warwick Peberdy

Preservation Services

Australian Archives, Victoria

***

Conservation DistList Instance 11:64

Distributed: Tuesday, January 27, 1998

Message Id: cdl-11-64-005

***

Next message: Hans-Christoph von Imhoff: "Wax moth"

Previous message: Regis Bertholon: "CRBC"

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This page last changed: October 10, 2002

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Brownie's two glass plates solution can work. It is an old remedy from the 78rpm era. I would not use an oven, however, but I used to get good results in the sun--and if it works in the midnight sun, imagine how flat your discs will be in the D.C. noonday sun. :g

I've searched - and missed - the Midnight Sun! No wonder my vinyl is still warped.

Closed I came to the Midnight Sun was when Lionel Hampton played variations on it ^_^

A hearty thanks to Dr. Rat for his various links. Not sure I'll try them but they make good reading!

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