# Made a turn table puck



## twooldvolvos (Feb 6, 2021)

Today I used an old pipe cap to make a record puck for my turntable.  In the pics you can see the cap as it was when I started.  Then you can see the finished product top and bottom.  Finally you can see the puck on my turntable.  For anyone who may be interested, the album is Asia by Steely Dan.  I learned quite a few things in this exercise as I am a newbie and made a few mistakes.  I learned to try to do all your operations without removing the work from the chuck so you don't have get the thing installed square again.  I also learned the importance of sharp tools and about the excessive force it takes to use dull ones.  I found the auto feed on the cross slide comes in handy when trying to get a decent finish.  Also I learned to adjust the gibs on my cross slide. Speeds and feeds are still a mystery along with sharpening cutting tools.


----------



## ACHiPo (Feb 6, 2021)

Nice!  I bought one (before I was into machining) for a rim drive table I built, but it seemed to make the sound worse.




Here's the 'table based on a Lenco 75...



Maybe we should start an audiophile thread on here!


----------



## twooldvolvos (Feb 6, 2021)

That is beautiful!  Mine is a Thorens TD 126 I purchased about 1985.


----------



## Axismatt (Feb 7, 2021)

twooldvolvos said:


> For anyone who may be interested, the album is Asia by Steely Dan.




Haha, before I even started reading, I was wondering what the album was.  I'm a dork.


----------



## 7milesup (Feb 7, 2021)

Very nice Achipo. 

Is that Sapele?


----------



## ACHiPo (Feb 7, 2021)

7milesup said:


> Very nice Achipo.
> 
> Is that Sapele?


Thanks.  I couldn't remember so I looked it up.  It is Curly Etimoe Veneer I got from VeneerSupplies.com.  I'd never heard of it, but I liked the look of it in the picture and am happy with how it turned out.  I'd never done veneer before, so it was fun to learn.  The website has everything needed to get started and the owner is really helpful.  I finished it with hand rubbed shellac.


----------



## Buffalo21 (Feb 7, 2021)

I use a lock one on my Technics SL1200 Mk 3


----------



## walz10 (Feb 11, 2021)

That turn table pick is super nice looking. I don’t have any records but it’s so pretty I want to make one for someone who could use it. Very nice job  


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## 7milesup (Feb 11, 2021)

What does a turn table puck do?  
I am assuming they reduce some sort of vibration or harmonics?


----------



## Choiliefan (Feb 12, 2021)

I bought a used Thorens TD 124 w/Ortofon tonearm in 1975 for about $100.  In preparation for a cross-country move I Ebayed it about twenty years ago to someone in Thailand for $600 plus shipping.  Looking at the prices on Ebay today, I'm stupefied.

I've an old Elac Miracord 50H with wooden plinth and lid ($2 thrift store find) and an AR XA which needs a new belt and general tlc.  I have a couple of fairly decent sounding systems, all vintage solid state, Fisher model 2010 and Scott ?? tuners and multiple assorted JBL, AR and Polk Audio speakers.

Still look through the records at the thrift stores and play DJ for a few hours every couple months.  Do I need a puck?  I'm thinking the added weight on the Elac's platter would strain that lowly little German motor and rumble like crazy, perhaps not.  Maybe the AR would handle a puck better?


----------



## twooldvolvos (Feb 12, 2021)

7milesup said:


> What does a turn table puck do?
> I am assuming they reduce some sort of vibration or harmonics?


Its use is said to promote “improved bass response, tighter mids and controlled highs,” and at a *weight* of just over 400 grams, is “light enough to not cause damage to a *turntable's* bearing system, but heavy enough to give sonic improvement.”


----------



## twooldvolvos (Feb 12, 2021)

Choiliefan said:


> I bought a used Thorens TD 124 w/Ortofon tonearm in 1975 for about $100.  In preparation for a cross-country move I Ebayed it about twenty years ago to someone in Thailand for $600 plus shipping.  Looking at the prices on Ebay today, I'm stupefied.
> 
> I've an old Elac Miracord 50H with wooden plinth and lid ($2 thrift store find) and an AR XA which needs a new belt and general tlc.  I have a couple of fairly decent sounding systems, all vintage solid state, Fisher model 2010 and Scott ?? tuners and multiple assorted JBL, AR and Polk Audio speakers.
> 
> Still look through the records at the thrift stores and play DJ for a few hours every couple months.  Do I need a puck?  I'm thinking the added weight on the Elac's platter would strain that lowly little German motor and rumble like crazy, perhaps not.  Maybe the AR would handle a puck better?


You don't need a puck.  Reviews on pucks are mixed, some saying there is a slight improvement but many saying they could hear no difference.


----------



## Buffalo21 (Feb 12, 2021)

I have 3 turntables, the Technics SL 1200 mk3, a Dual 701 and a Pioneer PL-12, I did not really notice anything special, with or without the puck.


----------



## tq60 (Feb 12, 2021)

Same as skin effect on monster speaker cable...

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk


----------



## Boswell (Feb 12, 2021)

I once read an advertisement for a audiophile modular power cable. You know where one in plugs into a wall outlet and the other end plugs into your equipment. They wanted me to spend hundreds of dollars on their special cable because it made the sound output better. They talked on a on about the quality of the conductors and the insulation etc.  Not a convincing enough argument for me


----------



## Choiliefan (Feb 13, 2021)

^^  Is there any correlation here between ignition wires and a car's radio?


----------



## twooldvolvos (Feb 19, 2021)

Boswell said:


> I once read an advertisement for a audiophile modular power cable. You know where one in plugs into a wall outlet and the other end plugs into your equipment. They wanted me to spend hundreds of dollars on their special cable because it made the sound output better. They talked on a on about the quality of the conductors and the insulation etc.  Not a convincing enough argument for me


I took a streaming test of 3 files with different quality.  I failed the test.  It just goes to show that if you can't hear the difference in quality, its time to stop buying more expensive equipment.


----------



## NC Rick (Feb 19, 2021)

Dudes, even CDs went the way of the Dodo.  We are all Flac now days in the modern age! Next thing you'll be wanting to bring back vacuum tube! ;-)


----------



## Tim9 (Feb 19, 2021)

^^ Is there any correlation here between ignition wires and a car's radio?


Ignition systems of older automobiles could cause noise in audio equipment. That’s why they did away with solid copper wire and went with that stuff that looks like graphite impregnated string. Aramid core....etc. lots of different names but I forgot more than I remember about the details of the noise from ignition systems of cars. Bottom line is that you’d have your car radio tuned into a station and every time you’d accelerate.... you would here the revolutions of the car rpms through your car speakers. You seldom see that these days. But it was more common on the older muscle cars. One way to fix it was installing a transformer inline on the power feed + of the car radio. It was pretty common back in the day.


----------



## ttabbal (Feb 20, 2021)

NC Rick said:


> Dudes, even CDs went the way of the Dodo.  We are all Flac now days in the modern age! Next thing you'll be wanting to bring back vacuum tube! ;-)



I agree, but some people insist tubes sound better. I think think they look cool, but I'm fine only using them in my ham radio amp.


----------



## Choiliefan (Feb 20, 2021)

McIntosh: Home Audio Systems for Music and Home Theater
					

McIntosh handcrafts legendary home audio systems for music and home theater systems. Our home audio products have been made in the USA since 1949.




					www.mcintoshlabs.com
				




Big money tube stuff and we're not talking Monarch 10EE's.


----------



## twooldvolvos (Feb 20, 2021)

Choiliefan said:


> McIntosh: Home Audio Systems for Music and Home Theater
> 
> 
> McIntosh handcrafts legendary home audio systems for music and home theater systems. Our home audio products have been made in the USA since 1949.
> ...


I find McIntosh is a bit like Rolex.  They seem overpriced until you are ready to sell them.  Probably a combination of quality and marketing.


----------

