dust protection for turntables

Im using a custom 2 piece Plexiglas cover  for my TW RAVEN AC3 works great.

@j-wall thanks

I use a plastic sheet hat I drape over my Barzetti when it is not in use,,,

I like these.

@huang I mistyped. Tap Plastics. They have local stores across the US. 

@j-wall do you have a contact at I Tap, on their site I see their products but nowhere to order something specific like a TT cover.

Hi we provide Polyurethane turntable cover with

custum size and custom hardness 

Contact us on https://polyurethanepu.com/

I went to I TAP plastics to get mine made. Custom sized, custom thickness and cutouts with finger cut outs for lift the cover off. $200 and I'm very happy. 

@huang 

how is wood movement managed? That is a beautiful table though

Going from my memory, I believe the platter is a resin / epoxy with veneer covering, though not a thin veneer as normally sold in stores. There is also a sensor on the bottom of the platter which reads a strobe and sends to a micro processor which controls the speed. Also I suspect the wood is very stable by nature. Hard Wood is not as unstable as some think once it is dried and kept in a climate controlled environment.

Also the Platter and plinth have lead in them for dampening. Then too, the motor is  DC which is battery powered. It is well thought out and executed.

The problem with acrylic dust covers is that they easily become statically charged and then attract dust.  You might say this is good as they pull dust up from the turntable but generally they just bring more dust into the area.

Light cloth coverings can have nasty interactions with stylii...

I have never had a big problem with dust.  I have not used a cover since I sold my Linn in the mid 80s.

I hold a carbonfibre brush against the  revolving platter before I begin and against each LP side before playing.  I don't see a lot of dust and hear very little noise.  I rarely have to clean a record.

@artemus_5 how is wood movement managed? That is a beautiful table though

@elliottbnewcombjr 

Thanks. I am a woodworker and HAD to have it. Beauty may be a poor reason to buy a TT. But it sounds very good also.

I had considered making a TT myself but I was really busy and I understood that there is more to it than just building the wooden parts.

Definitely wanna remember to uncover your tube amplifiers when they’re in use.

I have two very high end turntables, a TW Acustic Raven AC and Transrotor Fat Bob Reference.  I use a fabric similar to silk but not nearly that expensive that I purchased at a fabric store, think it was Joanne Fabrics. Very inexpensive and works great.  I cut it to size so it cover the entire turntable but you need to apply a type of glue around the edges to prevent it from fraying.  I don’t know what it’s called but the fabric store sells it.  And yes you need to take care putting it on and taking it off but with reasonable care you should not have a problem.  
As a side note I also use the same coverings for my tube amps.

artemus_5

OUTRAGEOUSLY BEAUTIFUL!!!!

No cost solution for those who only want to protect the platter when not playing LPs is an old, warped, or otherwise damaged LP.  Everyone has at least one of those.

It is OUTRAGEOUS that these expensive Turntables are sold without dust Protection. Shamefull!

Mine would have to be 22 X14 X 16 (W D H) I doubt wifey would like it very much and I certainly don't want to deal with an acrylic cover that big. . Its not hard to dust it off with the paint brush which I keep. nearby. I also have an air tank which I can use to blow it off. No problem. BTW it beats that $6 canned air

Then there is this which I have considered

Is there no end of suppressed opinion regarding perhaps the most boring of all audiophile obsessions? There’s another recent and active thread for this commentary. Use it if you like it. I don’t and won’t.

I cover the platter to keep dust from cross-contaminating my records due to accumulation on the platter.  I use an unloved Charlie Rich album given to me as the platter dust cover (I also have a "Benji's in Love" (remember that movie mutt?) picturedisc for this purpose).  I also use an aluminum foil "hat" to cover the pivot area of my tonearm (see, tinfoil hats are not just for crazy people).  Once in a great while, I wipe away the dust accumulating elsewhere on the plinth and other surfaces (I don't want the table's suspension springs to sag from the excess weight).  Otherwise, I pretend that "dust damping" improves the sound quality.

What's the problem with getting a DUST cover? Because it keeps off.....you know.......DUST.

It is OUTRAGEOUS that these expensive Turntables are sold without dust Protection. Shamefull!

I bought a used $30 radioshack smoke-colored hinged cover and I just let the hinge tabs hang off the back of my Dual 1019 turntable. It’s close enough that if I place it just right I can cover the table when NOT in use. When playing a record I just pull it off and lean it against the wall until I’m done playing records - like one of the original United Audio 1019 covers!

Recently I bought some extra ebay plexiglass so that I could fine-tune the fitment. Plexiglass can be glued together by just wetting both pieces with acetone. I also bought a $10 DUAL aluminum logo to glue over the existng RS logo! I didn’t want to pay $150 for a custom clear plexiglass cover.

I've had dust covers made for a Well Tempered table and an Acoustic Signature Hurricane NEO. Excellent workmanship and highly recommended!

Acrylic Turntable Dust Covers (stereosquares.com)

I use a feather duster...sort of...every now and then. No dustcover of any kind. I also place a round piece of thin plastic with a center hole over spindle to keep dust of my Stein music mat. The plastic came from the packaging of a record mat. You just need to be mindful of the stylus/cantilever at all times while dusting, not that big a deal really.

Mine is covered by a nice silk scarf. Although it sometimes catches on my tonearm.

Best when I put it on and take it off very carefully.

Bought mine from Upscale Audio, custom cut for the Marantz TT I bought at same time. 

I have a larger than average turntable for which I ordered a hinged acrylic cover from stereosquares that is about an inch or so wider than the turntable. I gave them the dimensions including cable cutouts. The hinged portion is too heavy for wand to prop it up, though. Smaller turntables would fair better in that department. Otherwise is works perfectly fine, and I am happy with it.