Hi All.
I'm working on a DIY turntable.
Using scavenged parts and materials I am trying to make it at silly money. i.e. next to nothing. Just to see what's possible.
The base is a waste sink cut out from a solid walnut kitchen counter.
The acrylic structure and platter [80 mm total] is of 20 mm acrylic which I salvaged from a skip. Sanded and polished and machined on a CNC router.
I set it out with holes for fibre glass rod to dowel it together as a true assembly. It seems to run really well.
The bearing and spindle is from an old office fan which was also in a skip. Really smooth.
Used various old display fittings and hardware to join it all together.
Drat !!!!! I now have to make an arm. [You were right Fran !] The Rega in the pics is knackered.
Looking for a bargain cartridge that I can use to test things out. Before I spend €'s on one that may or may not be of use.
Thought somebody might enjoy a peek at my ongoing folly ?
Any observations/comments/advice very welcome.
Cheers,
Gerry
DIY project ....
DIY project ....
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"Quality means doing it right when no one is looking" - Henry Ford
Re: DIY project ....
Looks great Gerry. I must talk to you about machining some acrylic!!
BTW, there is a group buy on over at pinkfishmedia.net for some simple DC controllers you could use for a motor. Would be well worth your while looking into it I would say. I have a vague idea that DavidMc here might have had one for sale some time back too.
Remind us again about the bearing...... and do consider an air bearing tangential tracker. You can build it for buttons, but it takes time.
Fran
BTW, there is a group buy on over at pinkfishmedia.net for some simple DC controllers you could use for a motor. Would be well worth your while looking into it I would say. I have a vague idea that DavidMc here might have had one for sale some time back too.
Remind us again about the bearing...... and do consider an air bearing tangential tracker. You can build it for buttons, but it takes time.
Fran
Do or do not, there is no try
Re: DIY project ....
Hi Fran.
Yep. I bought that motor from David.
Here are a couple more pics.
No arm board in these - it stands to correct level on risers - will post pics later.
The bearing is from a stripped down oscillating office fan.
It's a hardened steel shaft with a cast cylindrical block just off mid way in the length.
It was in a wound coil. part of the motor assembly.
The shaft spun in 2 steel/copper alloy bearings and I placed all of this in a found s/steel pipe of perfect fit which in turn I placed in an acrylic tube - cosmetic only.
This assembly is flooded with oil.
The platter is custom machined to create a recess for that block on the shaft. A snug fit which allows all to spin together.
In the beginning it need a nudge for the motor to get it going. The thread didn't engage on the motor wheel.
Now it's bedded in and it self rotates from switch on. Relief !
Happy to talk to you about acrylic machining - machinist here is hungry for wee jobs and very reasonable. Can't do CNC'ing myself.
Will look into air bearing approach.
Cheers,
Gerry
Yep. I bought that motor from David.
Here are a couple more pics.
No arm board in these - it stands to correct level on risers - will post pics later.
The bearing is from a stripped down oscillating office fan.
It's a hardened steel shaft with a cast cylindrical block just off mid way in the length.
It was in a wound coil. part of the motor assembly.
The shaft spun in 2 steel/copper alloy bearings and I placed all of this in a found s/steel pipe of perfect fit which in turn I placed in an acrylic tube - cosmetic only.
This assembly is flooded with oil.
The platter is custom machined to create a recess for that block on the shaft. A snug fit which allows all to spin together.
In the beginning it need a nudge for the motor to get it going. The thread didn't engage on the motor wheel.
Now it's bedded in and it self rotates from switch on. Relief !
Happy to talk to you about acrylic machining - machinist here is hungry for wee jobs and very reasonable. Can't do CNC'ing myself.
Will look into air bearing approach.
Cheers,
Gerry
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- mitfol_v1_5.jpg (66.75 KiB) Viewed 1033 times
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- mitfol_v1_7.jpg (72.13 KiB) Viewed 1033 times
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- mitfol_v1_6.jpg (69.48 KiB) Viewed 1033 times
"Quality means doing it right when no one is looking" - Henry Ford
Re: DIY project ....
The very best of luck with that one Gerry....and welcome to the forum!
To be is to do: Socrates
To do is to be: Sartre
Do be do be do: Sinatra
To do is to be: Sartre
Do be do be do: Sinatra
Re: DIY project ....
looks very nice gerry!
Brass Bands are all very well in their place -
outdoors and several miles away....
outdoors and several miles away....
Re: DIY project ....
I agree it looks very good. I was glad to see you are using a CNC. I had an image of you using a trammel bar with a router which would have been a bit tricky. Amazing machines CNC's but a bit out of price range for hobbyists.
GroupBuySD DAC/First Watt AlephJ/NigeAmp/Audio PC's/Lampi L4.5 Dac/ Groupbuy AD1862 DHT Dac /Quad ESL63's.Tannoy Legacy Cheviots.
Re: DIY project ....
Thanks Fergus, Tony, Jaybee.
V. lucky to have access to CNC centre. About €100k by the time it was tooled up, commissioned etc.
Have to keep it busy to earn its keep.
Plenty of elbow grease going into cleaning raw materials and bringing up a finish though.
I just hope that it's worth it.
If anybody's interested I can post more details on some of the ideas I've had on its construction ?
So far I've stripped down an office fan, a battered iMac and an old shop display unit, all skipped by previous owners, and am making it up as I go along.
Started on tone arm couple of weeks ago but haven't really got far. Playing around with rods, tubes, magnets and ball bearings. Then Fran mentioned air bearing stuff and I'll consider that.
Need a few days with SWMBO and the kids away to make progress at this stage.
Take it easy.
Gerry
V. lucky to have access to CNC centre. About €100k by the time it was tooled up, commissioned etc.
Have to keep it busy to earn its keep.
Plenty of elbow grease going into cleaning raw materials and bringing up a finish though.
I just hope that it's worth it.
If anybody's interested I can post more details on some of the ideas I've had on its construction ?
So far I've stripped down an office fan, a battered iMac and an old shop display unit, all skipped by previous owners, and am making it up as I go along.
Started on tone arm couple of weeks ago but haven't really got far. Playing around with rods, tubes, magnets and ball bearings. Then Fran mentioned air bearing stuff and I'll consider that.
Need a few days with SWMBO and the kids away to make progress at this stage.
Take it easy.
Gerry
"Quality means doing it right when no one is looking" - Henry Ford
Re: DIY project ....
Gerry,
I'm outside naas - feel free to call down sometime and have a look/listen to my tonearm. It's the kind of thing that if you see it you will instantly understand what to do....
Fran
I'm outside naas - feel free to call down sometime and have a look/listen to my tonearm. It's the kind of thing that if you see it you will instantly understand what to do....
Fran
Do or do not, there is no try