Furutech / Air Tight LP Flattener - do they work?

My friend is getting one in September.I'll let you know.

Forgot to mention,one other friend has the Air Tight unit.He claims it works great.....Yet,for thirteen bucks I made a superb(looks great too)DIY flattener,that seems to be quite effective.

I took two nice pieces of marble/sandstone slabs(12x12 inch),which can color match to almost any room decor.Found at any good Home Depot type outlet.

I then attached a sheet of self adhesive cork liner to one side of each.This gives a slightly pliant aspect to the two pieces and when put together will not hurt grooves.

Just use gravity,and maybe a nice warm windowsill for a few days(not alot of heat,which scares me)and my three LP tries have been quite effective.Mostly on dished LP's so far.

I am sure the expensive Furutech and Air Tight units are better,but my DIY'er looks really cool,takes little space and is effective.

Best

I have bought some "amazing" LP's for 99 cents.My current discs on my "Speedy Flattener" are actually very collectible,and not cheap,but my method actually greatly helps dished stuff.
I am still playing around with time spent in my flattener,and windowsill heat/exposure.I should have this down-pat by summer's end.

Btw,if I could get a Furutech for 650,I'd jump on it,and trash my DIY unit.

Best

Downunder,I am having a hard time understanding the "total" pricing.Is it 785 plus 240 to ship to the U.S.?
Thanks

First off to Downunder("in jest")...."Wolfmother"??.....And you are a high end hobbyist??....No Ravel,George Crumb,John Zorn,maybe some Stravinsky?...Heck,why not some Ricky Lee Jones,or Joni Mitchell?...but Wolfmother??? Hmm!! -:) -:)

As to the Speedy Flattener,costing thirteen U.S. dollars....Well now that we've had a nice four day heat wave,in the North Eastern U.S.,I've taken my "most" dished and "collectible/expensive" Lp(I'm not too worried about it at this point of experience),and given it some time on my "now nicely heated up"(but not hot)windowsill.Just the right amount of heat(I think)to undish the most dished LP's.
My previous four discs that got treated,were a success,except one,which needs some more days in a warmed windowsill,where the DIY unit resides.

It all comes down to how much time I give the LP,and how warm the windowsill gets....Btw,I don't like the "oven" business,as real heat(except the apparently superb Furutech/Air Tight flatteners)scares me.My method may not work on the first shot,but does work,and I am still learning the exposure,and "seasonal heat on windowsill" parameters.Think I'll go into meteorology after all this.
Btw,it does look really nice as it is merely two pieces of beautifully cut Marble,with two different pliant materials between each,so as not to damage grooves.I've added four little rubber footers to the bottom of the lower plate,which is always stationary.Looks like a nice marblized laptop computer sitting on my audio room windowsill.Tight and compact.Almost dressy!

I'd "still" take a commercial unit over it,in a heartbeat,but am quite happy.

Now,if I can finally get my system problems solved,I'd be satisfied.Most likely another month or two.The stuff I've spent tons of money on seem to be more problematic than the "el-cheapo DIY figamajigs"!...Whew!!
At least I have the spare time to look for more LP's in need of flattening.

Best.

Btw,Downunder.....all kidding aside,a fabulous piece of music to recommend to you(sorry about the thread hijack),since the composer is local to you.....is....John Antill's "Corroborree".
Yes,it had been talked up in the old(great,but "no"-more)TAS(which stinks now).
This is a fabulous "Australian" pressing of a classic "new orchestral music" EMI label gem!!
If you have a great set-up(that works,unlike mine at the present time...bah)this LP will blow you away,assuming one likes "new" music for large(really huge orchestra)ensemble!!That also happens to be harmonically gorgeous,when it is "not" scarring the crap out of you!!

Great harmonies and dynamics,with a vast percussion battery,consisting of everything from tymps to a kind of wind machine,that is actually a fluted like instrument spun around one's head,attached to a long rope.Ya gotta hear this music!!
It was written by the composer who was remembering a childhood experience in the Australian outback,by Aboriginees performing a ritual ceremony.
FABULOUS...GET IT!!!...Not the "suite" which appeared on other labels,but the EMI pressing of the full piece!It does pop up on some dealer lists from time to time.
Think I'll play it,if I can ever get up and running again -:)

Best

I'm not so sure a "severely" dished or warped LP can be played effectively on "any" vacuum table!Especially when there is a wide chasm of vinyl thicknesses to be factored in,and some Lp's just have more pliability than others.Some are just NOT going to "take".

In the case of my SOTA COSMOS series IV,which is extremely effective(in general)I have problems getting a good seal if there is "any" gap between the lip and LP.The slightest seperation of any part of the LP will not allow for a seal to be made.I can run my finger along the lip(or LP side),to attempt to push the lip enough to "coax" a good seal,but it's a hit or miss project.I'd say about a 70/30 chance of success.The 70% is the success rate,in my case.This occurs on "maybe" one out of thirty LP's,which will need a "finger job" -:).

Once it "takes",from successful finger pressure,it is perfect,but no guarantees here.Actually because some LP's have slight pressing "bumps" or high edge spots,this is problematic sometimes too.My answer to "those" little problems is to file down the problem,with a nail file.Easy,and rarely needed.

Still,this is rare,and all I'll do(if I have a badly warped or dished LP)is use a little "pinch clamp" to close the air gap in the hosing.This is quite safe,and easy to do.It fools the pump into "thinking" there is a seal(because in the case of the Cosmos,the pump automatically cycles "down" to a minimum "safe" pressure setting,so as not to potentially damage the vinyl)so I can play the LP anyway.Still a rare occurrence.

I've played around a little with the "FABULOUS"(I love the table) Basis,but I'd still be surprised if you can get a good seal on similar badly dished/warped LP's.You can pitch up the amount of vacuum,on the Basis,but I'd be afraid the amount of vacuum suction(at "that" point)could pose a safety issue with the "vinyl" itself.

Some feel the actual amount of vacuum pressure can negatively impact the "health" of the vinyl on Lp's.In over twenty years of using my vacuum systems,I've not had a single issue.NOT ONCE!!Or ticks and pops either.Just keep the platter clean.

A ring clamp is,from my experience,a terrible product,ergonomically!Sorry,but I've got a pal who "took out" two Lyra Titan i cartridges with a mere half second slip up.

It "can" happen,and I've seen the ruined results,from an unpredictable mishap!

I made a DIY flattener by using two 12 inch pieces of cut marble,and sticking very thin "cork shelf liner" to each inner side.The cork has a little "give" to it,so will not damage the grooves.The weight of the marble,along with a little heat should do the trick,but it's a learning process..

Just put the gizmo in the sun,for only about ten minutes(this needs experimentation,to guage how each LP will react)....I added a few felt pads to the bottom of one marble slab,and place the top piece,carefully in place.This looks quite nice in any room decor,and the entire shebang cost me about ten bucks!It looks a little like a thin lap-top computer when closed.

Yet,I'd still prefer to go the easy way,and spring for the Furutech.I'm just not spending that kind of money on it,especially as the price has gone up in the U.S.Although I have a friend,in Canada,who is a huge LP collector,and claims superb results!He loves it!!

Best