DIY'ing a cork platter mat

[Blue Angel]

Hi

I am about to try my hand at cutting a new cork platter mat. I have plenty of very sharp NT and other cutters and high quality hollow punches for the spindle hole.

I've seen some really pro work here done by VE's diy'ers with cutting perfect discs for cork platter mats.

Looking forward to some tips and how you do this please. I was thinking of rigging some adjustable compass-like device fitting over the spindle and with a cutter blade at the other end.

Cheers

ba

[Dadimo]

Your best template is the original mat. Is your mat larger diameter than an Lp or is it the size that is hidden by the record? (IE: comparing a Dual 1019 to a 1219)

[Blue Angel]

Hi dadimo

The original is a thin, floppy felt mat which I guess is also a bit out of shape or out of round. This mat goes up to the edge of the Michell's bevelled glass platter and the size is probably close to 12"/30cm/lp size.

If the mat matches lp size, I will overlay the glass platter on the cork to get approx centre, then punch the appropriate diameter spindle hole. Next, I will turn a replica spindle with a sharp spike at one end, use a piece of smooth mdf as a cutting base.

I will then drive the spiked replica spindle into the mdf cutting base and drop the cork over that and an old discard record over that, first ensuring the spindle hole is dead centre.

The record's edge should be firm enough to guide the cutter blade.

I'll show the result later.

Thanks for your attention to the problem.

ba

[RED_One]

I mark out the cork with a compass & thin felt pen, drill the centre hole & cut the cork close with a scissors & then sand down to the line

Use drafting tape over the centre hole when marking

I use a 300mm cork floor tile Acrylicork uk

[LPfan]

Hi Blue,

I use a aluminium platter from a cheap, plasticky belt drive tt as a template. Foutunately this platter is exact 300mm dia with straight sides. I make a two layer mat comparising of 1.5mm rubberized cork topped with 1.5mm pure cork.

With Warm Regards,

LPfan

[Conrad Hoffman]

I'm decidedly low tech. I just put an old LP down on the cork and cut around it with a #11 X-Acto knife. Center hole gets done with a piece of sharpened tubing, though I like th idea of using an old cartridge case.

[Blue Angel]

Hello guys

Thanks a lot for the many ideas. Got the job done amidst some hilarity to do with what I tried first

I measured the original Michell's spindle dia which was 7.29mm and turned up an exact replica from some stainless roundbar and made it +-40mm long.

Then today's heat got to me (40+degrees C) and I was too lazy to get a ladder and bring down a piece of mdf from the rafters. So I looked around and found a nice piece of 15x15" aluminium plate.

I drilled a 7mm hole in the centre and press-fitted the replica spindle in the hole. And here was where the fun started.

The Michell's glass platter is bevelled so I reckoned on using an old knackered 12" shellac record as a cutting template but this was oversized as I wanted the mat to extend without overlap up to the platter's bevel.

I decided to turn the shellac down but it was too big for my lathe and mill. So I rigged a clamping arrangement for the record and to fit into a rechargeable drill chuck.

So here I stood with a spinning shellac on the drill in one hand and an electric file with a coarse abrasive belt in the other hand, grinding away.

I got about halfway when the disc shattered and pieces of Cortot on 78 flying everywhere

Undeterred, I made an adaptor to slip over the replica spindle after putting the punched cork sheet over it and put the glass platter upside down over the spindle.

Cutting the cork with the Michell's platter as a template and using a very sharp Stanley blade was a piece of cake. Snug, flat fit over the spindle and no runout.

At the time of writing this, the temperature is still in the high 20's at almost 23:00hrs and time to re-assemble all.

Never heard what a cork mat sounds like. Just imagine if there was no vinyl left anywhere. How can the CD spinners have so much fun?

ba

[Gbslps]

If there is a Home Depot near you might try what this gent did.
http://www.audioasylum.com/cgi/vt.mpl?f=vinyl&m=888849

[Blue Angel]

Hi Gbslps

Thanks! No HD here in Cape Town. Only Builders Warehouse. The job's done. Pics at first light. Btw, the cork I bough was from an auto acessory store. 1m long by 38cm long cost +- UKP3.50. I'm not to keen on the colour of the material but it sounds better than the old felt mat.

Cheers

ba

[Vulcan Viewer]

Never heard what a cork mat sounds like. Just imagine if there was no vinyl left anywhere. How can the CD spinners have so much fun?

ba

Oh that's easy. They go round marking the outside edge of every CD in green marker pen. To stop those pesky blue laser lights escaping.

[Blue Angel]

Never heard what a cork mat sounds like. Just imagine if there was no vinyl left anywhere. How can the CD spinners have so much fun?

ba

Oh that's easy. They go round marking the outside edge of every CD in green marker pen. To stop those pesky blue laser lights escaping.

Haha

I thought as much

So here's my clear dream. Ugly duckling no more. New cover, home-made upper hinge parts (thanks ray!) and fitted with my first attempt at making a cork mat.

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[crofk]

ba -- nice - very, very nice

[Blue Angel]

ba -- nice - very, very nice

Thanks, Crofk

My late old man used to say: "Avoid things working with springs" and true to this dictum, the Syncro was a devil to set up.

So now I have a platter mat cutting jig and I suppose I'd better start thinking about making an adjustable cutting bar for it. One end of the bar will go over the dummy spindle and will have a calibrated rule adjustable for size and the business end will have a roller cutting blade.

A friend recently gave me a surplus megabuck roller-type blade which is used to cut optical communication cable, which should be just the ticket.

Cheers

ba

[Paladin]

Is dust attraction a problem? Removing static was designed into many old mats.