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Vintage Audio (record players, hi-fi etc) Amplifiers, speakers, gramophones and other audio equipment. |
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4th May 2021, 8:19 am | #1 |
Triode
Join Date: Jan 2021
Location: Stroud, Gloucestershire, UK.
Posts: 23
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Budget turntable mat
Faced with the prospect of paying £35 for a new mat on my BSR UA16 turntable I started to look at alternatives......What I opted for was an IKEA 'PANNA' table placemat that cost the sum of £1.50! The mat is far larger than required at 37cm but by using a pair of sharp pointed dividers, a stanley knife blade and some wet and dry paper I ended up with something that I am very pleased with. I will attach it with a few of dabs of silicon sealant. Yes, it took some time but that is something I have plenty of
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4th May 2021, 8:31 am | #2 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Rugeley, Staffordshire, UK.
Posts: 8,809
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Re: Budget turntable mat
Excellent job. I love these kind of fixes, well especially done that well.
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A digital radio is the latest thing, but a vintage wireless is forever.. |
4th May 2021, 9:00 am | #3 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Chesterfield, Derbyshire, UK.
Posts: 3,738
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Re: Budget turntable mat
Fantastic ! looks like it is original, well done finding that , I can see Ikea having a run on these, Mick.
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4th May 2021, 9:14 am | #4 |
Moderator
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Ipswich, Suffolk, IP4, UK.
Posts: 21,193
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Re: Budget turntable mat
Brilliant! Really looks the part with those radial "spokes".
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Graham. Forum Moderator Reach for your meter before you reach for your soldering iron. |
4th May 2021, 9:23 am | #5 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Southport Lancashire, UK.
Posts: 3,221
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Re: Budget turntable mat
An excellent find. At that price you can have a couple of goes at cutting it before getting a good result. I bet it was difficult to get it looking so "machine made"
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Paul |
4th May 2021, 11:22 am | #6 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Rugeley, Staffordshire, UK.
Posts: 8,809
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Re: Budget turntable mat
I suppose you can place it on the turntable and sand the edge as it turns at 78 rpm?!
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A digital radio is the latest thing, but a vintage wireless is forever.. |
4th May 2021, 11:42 am | #7 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Oxford, UK.
Posts: 17,820
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Re: Budget turntable mat
That looks brilliant.
If you were inclined to do so, you could easily sell these on eBay etc. Well done, and thanks for sharing. |
4th May 2021, 11:49 am | #8 |
Octode
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: Yorkshire, England.
Posts: 1,294
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Re: Budget turntable mat
Looks like a Bang and Olufsen ! Well done.
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4th May 2021, 12:02 pm | #9 |
Heptode
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Leeds, West Yorkshire, UK.
Posts: 899
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Re: Budget turntable mat
I'm off to IKEA
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4th May 2021, 12:06 pm | #10 |
Octode
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Rotherham, South Yorkshire, UK.
Posts: 1,701
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Re: Budget turntable mat
What a good spot and excellent job! Really good to know of an alternative that really looks the part!
Peter |
4th May 2021, 1:08 pm | #11 |
Moderator
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Fife, Scotland, UK.
Posts: 22,803
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Re: Budget turntable mat
It looks the biz!
So just nip over to a high end hifi natter group and gush a bit about its sonic superiority, and the job's a good 'un. David
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4th May 2021, 1:09 pm | #12 |
Triode
Join Date: Jan 2021
Location: Stroud, Gloucestershire, UK.
Posts: 23
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Re: Budget turntable mat
Thanks for all of the positive feedback! Having scored the outer line first with the dividers, I then kept the mat pinned down to the bench and rotated it bit by bit whilst cutting it with the blade. It has to be done gently and dont attempt to cut too deep with each cut as too much tugging will stretch the mat and result in a series of straight line cuts instead of a circle. Only once the outer was satisfactory did I turn to the inside cut as by then I would have lost the 'centre'. I wont pretend that it was quick or easy but what did I have to lose?
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4th May 2021, 1:23 pm | #13 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: Southwold, Suffolk, UK.
Posts: 8,302
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Re: Budget turntable mat
Maybe it was also tricky to locate the actual dead centre of the disc where the spindle goes?
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Edward. |
4th May 2021, 4:39 pm | #14 |
Nonode
Join Date: Nov 2016
Location: Aberaeron, Ceredigion, Wales, UK.
Posts: 2,869
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Re: Budget turntable mat
Thank you for the information and well done looks really good. I like the suggestion that Stevehertz made, I might have a go.
John |
4th May 2021, 5:22 pm | #15 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: East Sussex, UK.
Posts: 3,315
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Re: Budget turntable mat
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4th May 2021, 5:48 pm | #16 | |
Guest
Posts: n/a
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Re: Budget turntable mat
Quote:
Back on topic... That does fit the bill very well, as is said in the south west "proper job"! |
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5th May 2021, 12:04 pm | #17 |
Octode
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Wallasey, UK.
Posts: 1,308
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Re: Budget turntable mat
You could repackage them as is, and say that they are originally intended for professional use, possibly on EMT turntables with 16" tonearms, but can easily be cut to size for home hifi use. For this to work, they need to be priced right, at say £75 each.
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5th May 2021, 12:34 pm | #18 |
Nonode
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Surbiton, SW London, UK.
Posts: 2,801
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Re: Budget turntable mat
If the material is soft, then it is unlikely that a stylus would be damaged by landing on it.
The same could not be said about hard rubber mats with radials, probably the reason most are flat or use concentric circles. I have used a 7" metal tape spool as a cutting template with the hole in the reel as centre - a small sticky label can be placed on the mat and insert a felt pen in the reel hole to mark centre. |
5th May 2021, 12:59 pm | #19 |
Moderator
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Fife, Scotland, UK.
Posts: 22,803
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Re: Budget turntable mat
This is the perfect fix for all those turntables with rotted or missing mats.
It may be worthwhile laying in a stock, while they're available. Ikea have a habit of running things for a while and then dropping them without any warning. David
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Can't afford the volcanic island yet, but the plans for my monorail and the goons' uniforms are done |
26th May 2021, 8:33 pm | #20 |
Heptode
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Leeds, West Yorkshire, UK.
Posts: 899
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Re: Budget turntable mat
I bought 10 of these and will be getting more before they stop selling them. Thank you Oldbury 863 for bringing them to our attention. So far i have done two Collaros and a BSR and am delighted with the results .All I would say is don't draw on them with a pencil it's a Br to get off
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