Warped Records -ANY CURE ?

[disco-disc]

Apart from buying one of those Laser Disc players that don't make contact with the vinyl...and what is the frequency response like ?

Any cures known please

[Graham_Start]

The laser turntable can't play warped records, so that's not an option anyway. :)

I've heard about sandwiching LPs in a stack for a few months, or putting them between two panes of glass and ironing them with a very very low setting... but I've never tried any of these methods.

If the vinyl itself has changed texture from warping (that "whoosh" sound), nothing can fix that.

[marmite7]

Graham - you're right about the two (thick) panes of glass, but leaving them out in the sun works better.

(British summer, rather than the heat of Death Valley or sommat similar!!)

[originalbigm]

Here is a method that looks feasible.Can't vouch for it as I haven't tried it.

Play Your Warped Records!
By Greg Weaver

Remember that absolutely pristine-looking Mobile Fidelity copy of Katy Lied you found mixed in with all the Mitch Miller sing-a-longs and children’s Christmas records at that garage sale two years ago -- the one that you paid all of $.50 for even though it was too warped to play? Or how ‘bout that original Beatles Sgt. Pepper’s that your dad gave you for the same reason 30 years ago rather than just throw away? Ha! Go get ‘em Synergizers, it’s time to play ‘em. Well, almost. You’d be amazed with what you can accomplish with two pieces of glass and your oven.

No, I’ve not gone off the deep end. I’ve been able to restore to service just about any warped record I’ve run across, but not without a few crash and burns along the way. The first thing I have to caution you about when using this method is that it is a process you have to practice. Start with old, unimportant records. That way, should something go wrong before you master the process, you won’t decry the loss of a precious and irreplaceable treasure.

If you are like most vinyl collectors, you have one or two slightly warped pieces lying in wait. If not, you can troll the local Goodwill or Salvation Army stores, where you may be able to dredge up a couple of warped discs for next to nothing to experiment with and get your process perfected. No letters if you ruin one or two records in the process please -- use this method ONLY at your own risk. I assure you, once you’ve gotten this method down, you’ll be glad you took the extra time to iron out (sorry, I couldn’t resist) the wrinkles in the process.

The first thing you’ll need to do is call or stop by a local glass shop -- not one of those drive-to-your-parking-lot-to-replace-your-cracked-windshield places (unless they do plate glass too), but someone who specializes in cutting and installing plate glass. Order up two 1/4" thick, 14" square pieces of tempered glass. MAKE SURE to get tempered glass. Regular plate glass isn’t durable enough to take the heat and abuse we are going to dish out. Though I got mine for about $6 over 10 years ago, a local company informed me that two plates cut to these dimensions shouldn’t set you back more than $20. When you get them home, clean them thoroughly, both sides, with a glass cleaner that leaves no residue and use a cloth that leaves no lint behind. No paper towels, please!

Stoke your oven, place the baking rack in the center, set the dial to 150 degrees, and let the oven pre-heat. Make sure the record you are about to restore is as clean as humanly possible. I suggest something like the Disc Doctor’s Miracle Record Cleaner, LAST’s Power Cleaner, or maybe even my own recipe. Don’t be afraid to clean the record twice just to be safe. I would even recommend a distilled-water bath after both cleanings, just to be sure that you have removed all residue and debris from the surface of the record. What you are about to do next COULD bond any residual dirt, dust or debris to the record for the rest of its life, so be SURE the record is as clean as you can get it.

Now, place the immaculate record in the center of one of the glass plates, gently lower the other one on top of it and gingerly place your vinyl sandwich on the rack. Now all you have to do is set the timer for 12 minutes and wait. Remember what I said about trial and error? This is the trial part. The actual time will vary with vinyl quality and thickness, but 12 minutes is a safe starting point.

When time is up, take the warm sandwich out of the oven and place it on a cooling rack for about half an hour, or until the entire sandwich is cool to the touch and back to room temperature. Don’t take any shortcuts here, or you won’t have achieved anything. All your care and effort will have been for nothing. Carefully separate the two panes of glass and inspect the record. If you find you haven’t succeeded after the first try, give it a second go, increasing the in-oven time by two to three minutes per try until you nail it. But if all looks like the pre-Copernican view of the earth, you just made a swan of an ugly duckling. Enjoy.

[RKLee]

starsky: What kind of playback equipment are you using? Try increasing the tracking force of your phono cartridge to near or at max. Be prepared to make a digital recording. My Shure M97ED is tracked at 1.25 grams to playback my moderately warped my Alec R. Constandinos Romeo & Juliet LP.

I find this gizmo, called Disc-Clamp will also help. This thing pushes down on the vinyl LP by clamping on the center post of your turntable. Don't know where to buy this today because mine is 20+ years old.

Some of the better low-mass tonearms will track warped records better than the lower cost arms. I have an Infinity Black Widow that I bought years ago, works pretty good even today. It will play back moderately warped records no problem.

I would use originalbigm's suggestion only as an absolutely last resort.

Good luck.

[Noman]

This must be a bargain if you've got A LOT OF warped records

AIR TIGHT DT-01 ORB DISC FLATTER 120volt - elusivedisc

[discogoose]

I go to these efforts to make a digital recording of a warped record.

First, I increase the tracking force and the anti-skid force. This will help a lot. If it still skips, I very carefully brace my hand on the turn table, and damp out the excess vibration by letting the side of the tone arm brush against my thumb.

It takes patience, and a couple tries, but I can often get a clean recording of otherwise unplayable records.

[Feisty Diva]

Not played much in the way of vinyl lately..... shock horror (all mine seems to be cd and mp3 now) but the selection I do have seems to be ok. Only one or two slightly warped ones, which seem to play fine on my half decent sony turntable.....

I made the mistake, in trying to create more space in my place, of throwing out a perfectly working Lenco turntable (came from a radio studio) that had all the counterbalance weights (a great help with any warps or minor scratches). I should have kept it as it sounded fantastic and after a bit of 'doctoring' with the speed selector made a perfectly good choice for djing.

The things you do sometimes....

[disco1999]

Here's another solution, aimed at audiophiles, or serious vinyls collectors

There may be hope for those warped LPs | Crave : The gadget blog