Affordable Record Flattener

garylkoh

WBF Technical Expert (Speakers & Audio Equipment)
Sep 6, 2010
5,599
225
1,190
Seattle, WA
www.genesisloudspeakers.com
Sounds like a great solution - better than a piece of aluminum, a piece of glass and an oven :)

Supposedly available June 2011 - it's cheaper than replacing the 10 or so warped albums I have..... and can't make them worse. Right?
 

MylesBAstor

Well-Known Member
Apr 20, 2010
11,236
81
1,725
New York City
Sounds like a great solution - better than a piece of aluminum, a piece of glass and an oven :)

Supposedly available June 2011 - it's cheaper than replacing the 10 or so warped albums I have..... and can't make them worse. Right?

Why don't you just own a turntable using a vacuum or mechanical clamping system. I don't have any issues with my VPI. And I'm sure no matter how well the flattener works, a clamp works better :)
 

JackD201

WBF Founding Member
Apr 20, 2010
12,308
1,425
1,820
Manila, Philippines
Why don't you just own a turntable using a vacuum or mechanical clamping system. I don't have any issues with my VPI. And I'm sure no matter how well the flattener works, a clamp works better :)

Loved my periphery ring and clamp. My big toe didn't.
 

MylesBAstor

Well-Known Member
Apr 20, 2010
11,236
81
1,725
New York City

JackD201

WBF Founding Member
Apr 20, 2010
12,308
1,425
1,820
Manila, Philippines
Hahahaha! Yes you could say that. Still it was just a glancing blow and I had shoes on. I can't forget seeing how the rubber rings saved the floor from scarring. Made the ring bounce pretty well too. I think Harry made it from Flubber. ;) ;) ;)
 

MylesBAstor

Well-Known Member
Apr 20, 2010
11,236
81
1,725
New York City
Hahahaha! Yes you could say that. Still it was just a glancing blow and I had shoes on. I can't forget seeing how the rubber rings saved the floor from scarring. Made the ring bounce pretty well too. I think Harry made it from Flubber. ;) ;) ;)

Excuse me. Shouldn't this be in the foot flattener thread :)
 

Lee

Well-Known Member
Feb 3, 2011
3,210
1,738
1,260
Alpharetta, Georgia
I plan to try this as I have a slight edge warp on a MFSL Abbey Road and I don't have the VPI periphery ring yet for my Scoutmaster.
 

MylesBAstor

Well-Known Member
Apr 20, 2010
11,236
81
1,725
New York City
I plan to try this as I have a slight edge warp on a MFSL Abbey Road and I don't have the VPI periphery ring yet for my Scoutmaster.

The biggest problem you'll find after getting the periphery clamp are records that aren't 12 inches in diameter and the clamp doesn't clamp :) Haven't found too many records like that, the majority being from Classic Records.
 

jadis

Well-Known Member
Apr 28, 2010
12,349
5,460
2,810
Manila, Philippines
Why don't you just own a turntable using a vacuum or mechanical clamping system. I don't have any issues with my VPI. And I'm sure no matter how well the flattener works, a clamp works better :)

The VPI screw down clamp and spindle felt is the best thing I have used for warped records. For slight to medium warpage it works flawlessly. For tsunami wave like warps, the periphery ring is the answer. I always wish other turntable makers would use a screw down clamp like the VPI does but so far I have not seen to many, or at all.
 

jadis

Well-Known Member
Apr 28, 2010
12,349
5,460
2,810
Manila, Philippines


As long as a record flattener will have to use heat in any sort of contraption, I believe there will be risks involved in deforming the record. Because one never can tell for sure how long to heat it. A friend had a Furutech, we tested around 5 to 6 records, 2 got absolutely deformed it cannot be even put on the platter. And the time to heat is even made more confusing by so many kinds of the thickness used in records. 120g, 180g, 200g, and the Furutech even warns people not to use the unit with LPs that do not have 'lip guard' on the outer edges - like Sheffield Lab LPs.
 

MylesBAstor

Well-Known Member
Apr 20, 2010
11,236
81
1,725
New York City
As long as a record flattener will have to use heat in any sort of contraption, I believe there will be risks involved in deforming the record. Because one never can tell for sure how long to heat it. A friend had a Furutech, we tested around 5 to 6 records, 2 got absolutely deformed it cannot be even put on the platter. And the time to heat is even made more confusing by so many kinds of the thickness used in records. 120g, 180g, 200g, and the Furutech even warns people not to use the unit with LPs that do not have 'lip guard' on the outer edges - like Sheffield Lab LPs.

Sounds like cooking tapes :)
 

jadis

Well-Known Member
Apr 28, 2010
12,349
5,460
2,810
Manila, Philippines
http://s3.photobucket.com/albums/y57/WntrMute2/Mingus/

This is an example of the Vinyl Flat. The middle video was after 8 hours cook time and the final result is after a full 24 hours in the Vinyl Flat. The result's not perfect but plays easily. This is the only record I couldn't get perfectly flat.

That's a pretty good improvent, from the 1st to the 3rd video. And without groove deformation and outer diameter record deformation, that is quite fantastic.
 

andi

Well-Known Member
Apr 9, 2012
97
5
913
Germany
Some of my buddies tried this device with mostly good results.
The "problem" is to get and hold (!) the right heat in the oven.

When solved, the results are quite amazing.

Andreas
 

WntrMute2

Well-Known Member
Sep 23, 2010
22
0
908
Royal Oak, Michigan
Some of my buddies tried this device with mostly good results.
The "problem" is to get and hold (!) the right heat in the oven.

When solved, the results are quite amazing.

Andreas

They sell a pouch that solves that problem. Runs at about 125°-130°. Cook times are longer than the oven method be results are more predictable.
 

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