Building high-end 'tables cheap at Home Despot II

Fun that it's still here...I have been reading this thread for years, but never posted. I wonder how many people are really out there...

I finished my first - a Bogen B62 - just a few months ago - I am very happy with the results- Now I am starting a second. A Lenco L70, which essentially is the same table. These are the only ones I am interested in. I find the L75 unappealing to look at (don't ask, I am just that way).

Here's what I know - the hole for the tonearm for the L70 is small in diameter. And clearly there has been much discussion here of vta problems with all the decks with the lower platter- L70, L75, L78, etc...

The L70 has a different length tonearm than the L75. I want to use the stock hole, although I will drill it larger if necessary, on my L70. What is the perfect tonearm to use on an L70 which will give the right set up - correct VTA included, without changing the postition of the tonearm hole? I cut my first deck to mount an SME 3009. It works well, but I want to avoid cutting the second. Further - I would rather a "vintage looking" arm - that still sounds good...

And - if the original thread somehow doesn't make it back, I am sure that I am not alone in having saved all of it to a file. I have all of it up until roughly august 20 this year....somewhere...

Mario_b - thanks for your reply - I actually bought a Sonus after seeing a foto on the thread - I'll try that, but I am looking for a good arm that is not a unipivot. I see you have an Ortofon on the 75 in your system - is there any other arm like that you have tried that works on the L70?

I think that after all these years and seeing so many people try this, that at this point, everything should have already been tested - There is that great chart at the Lencoland website - but it doesn't really give much info specific to the L70 - Any others?

As for the thread - I have it all saved as word files - I'll try to see if I can zip them together and if you want to email me, I'll send you a copy. I printed a lot of it and poored through a ton of the first half, but it's hundreds and hindreds of pages, so I haven't gotten through all of it - maybe someone wants to build a new website that really takes all of the information and makes it a real easy place to get and share information...

Bornin50 - So I've been looking for an AT1005 and can't seem to locate one. Any suggestions? Is there a particular deck that came with that arm standard? I'd rather not buy an entire deck, but so the story goes...

Any other suggestions out there on the right arm for an L70 when you don't want to lop off the corner or drill out a new hole? I don't mind enlarging the hole that's there, but What I am looking to do on my second L70 is to end up with a good looking vintage deck that sounds really good.

So - what to use? After all these years, I imagine that everything has been tried. Most of the great stuff here has been with the L75 and L78, clearly, but who are the lovers of the L70? Who hasn't cut theirs up, found the right arm and had a good set up with proper VTA, etc?

And where did the pictures go? I keep looking for pictures but they don't seem to come up anymore.

By the way Bornin50- you gave me some advice a year ago, and though I have no idea what that advice was, I used it, and the table I built with two arms (both SME 3009) came out great and sounds pretty good...But this one isn't going to have a big SME hole cut in it. And it won't have the same VTA problems that the other has...

Anyone out there have any time on their hands to build a quick plinth? I need a 3.5 inch thick plinth with as little wood taken away as possible for a Lenco L70 Deck. Super simple - alternating layers of half inch baltic birch ply and half inch layers of mdf. I need it cut, glued and squared off - I'll take care of the rest of the finishing - I just don't ahve any access to big tools right now. Send me an email if you are interested. I'm dying to get on with my next table...

I need longer threaded rodsfor the lenco to bolt it to my plinth. The rods that came with it are one inch long. My local hardware stores don't have this size rod and I don't know how to speak "rod longo". Does anyone know how to describe the size, and thread size of the correct rod? So when I call around, I can actually be understood? And if anyone has a link to an online store, all the better...Thanks.

Has anyone had any experience mounting an Audio Technica ATP-12T 10" arm on an L70 in the stock mount hole? Does it fit? Is there a way to make it work? Is it any good? What does it sound like?

Has anyone tried to use plaster as a material in their plynth construction? I imagine it should be a pretty dead material, but I was wondering about over-damping? So here is what I want to try - build a hollow plynth using alternate layers of maple a MDF, then fill as much of the inside as possible with plaster and burlap (to give streng to the plaster. Ideas? if I cover the bottom of the deck with a plastic bag and sink it in, then after the plaster hardens, I can remove whatever material necessary to allow for movement of the mechanism underneath the deck.

I'm using an AT1005II with my lenco - but I'm missing the bias weight - Does anyone know how much it weighs? Could a lenco bias weight work? Or an SME 3009 Weight? Thanks.

Has anyone filled in the center-top of the platter aside from the mumetal mod? On my first deck, I glued down the platter mat with contact cement. Then I realized there is a potentially resonant space in between the platter mat and the platter. Does this matter? Does it matter with the sloppy big alluminum disc in the middle of an L75 Platter Mat?

This may have been answered in years past, but here's the question - I have a european motor and want to use it - So I need an american spindle - 60hz - Has anyone actually done this? And if so, does it sound as good as the correct combination? Does the motor generate too much heat? Someoen told me that if I have a motor that is 220v/50hz and run it on 110v/60hz, that it'll get really hot and potentially burn out? Is this motor designed to just switch spindles? Or did they actually make different motors for different areas of the world? I have a Braun mixer that is rated for both 50 and 60 hz, so it is possible right? I don't know enough about this stuff - so a listening test between correct shaft and motor and replaced shaft and motor, and some idea of heat is all I'm looking for...

And of course, if anyone has an extra 60hz spindle around, I'll happily buy it from you - I'm also looking for another Platter, so if anyone has one of those lying around...

and Michael - I got the plinth veneered and it's coming along great - this new deck is very exciting...