Linn Bedrok LP12 Plinth Upgrade

There are thousands of audio devices now produced from a Resin Impregnated Densified Wood Board, that are designs undertaken in the DIY community for the best part of 20 years. I believe the Commercial offerings using this material type came later.

There is nothing to stop an individual to buy a Board at a Dimension that suits their needs, the dimension for the Board does not have to be the same as that that selected by another.

If a rebating is to be put in place to allow for other parts to be inserted into the rebate, this will be best produced to the tolerance that best allows for the best fitting interface.

For certain TT's although not yet proven, it does seem the remaining material left when the rebate is cut out can be further machined to produce a Part that is usually produced in Aluminium and when in use, has the purpose to function as a Sub Chassis, Parts that are needed for the TT to function such as the Tonearm and Platter Bearing Housing can be attached to such a Sub Platter design.

When it comes to Damping / Dissipation, the intrinsic properties of a Resin Impregnated Densified Wood is much improved over any metal type, the densified wood is as stable a material as a metal is in typical ambient conditions.

Another method for Producing a Plinth that acts like a Peripheral Structure is to produce it from a material that has the required form milled out then cut to the required dimension and Corner Jointed to make a Periphery Structure. A Structure produced like this from a Resin Impregnated Densified Wood will not yield and of the most attractive properties if being compared to a rebated board.

It is a certainty a Board with a improved basic structure to a Board recently used to produce a Plinth can be purchased.

The improved board will need to be produced with a minimum of 50 Tiers of Veneers per Inch Thickness. It is common today to see 0.7mm Veneers compressed to 0.35mm.

The Veneers will need to be laid as a Cross Grain Orientation an the minimum. 

 A Board cut to the dimension to produce a Plinth, as stated will be approx' £300

The machining cost @ £300 is a guestimate, using info known from others who have used a CNC Service where a program was produced for the CNC. It is very close to being an accurate quote as a one off production.

The cost to produce the Sub Chassis from the rebated board cut out is harder to nail down, but another £300 does not sound too excessive as a one of production. 

Using the method to Mill a profile and produce the Periphery with corner Joints will be much less wasteful of materials and may incur an additional cost for the producing the Corner Joints and the bonding together the parts to form the structure.

When the DIY Clone of a Plinth Type does become seen as a sale item, the above is a very accurate guide to show how the costings for materials and forming the Plinth will look.

The costings may also look quite attractive and be encouragement to another, where they are prompted to make an investigation into the viability of such a venture. For individuals with a experience in producing a structure, such a task will be seen for it being a simple wood working task with a particular dimension for the rebate needing to be maintained, the overall dimension is for the end user to decide on. Modern technology makes this type of Task very easy to achieve.

A friend with their own CNC produces Densified Wood Plinths where tolerances for the rebates are produced to 0.05mm if requested. Such a tolerance is sought for  the S to P dimension being very accurately produced when a particular Tonearm is only to be used.

I have purchased Densified Wood in a range of thicknesses and to date have Two Plinths produced from this material in a 25mm thickness to the above machining tolerances. I know of near 50 Plinths produced from the Densified Wood material, that are produced between Two different friends that are now in many Countries across the Globe.                 

The Boo Plinth and Bedroc Plinth are both machined from a Solid Board Material.

Where they differ is that the Material used to produce the Bedroc is a material that is produced for other Industries that are heavily regulated. The benefit of this being the Material the Bedroc Plinth is produced from will when being acquired to be used by the other Industries will have a Standard Attached for the Production to prove it conforms. This as the control ensures consistency across materials and for the Industry, they are assured the product does "as it states on the tin". 

Adopting these materials for use in Audio, does not require a Industry Standard to be in place with a Purchase, as there is very little risk of a catastrophic failure resulting in a risk to life. 

The Industry Standard for the material, means to the user of it in relation to Audio Purposes, whether it be a DIY Enthusiast or a Commercial Entity, that the material will be very very consistent as the end product being produced.

The Bedroc is a Material known outside of Audio as a Resin Impregnated Densified Wood Board, which is produced using Delignified Wood, where the Veneers are  being Highly Compressed in a Heated Vacuum Chamber. The end product typically weighs approx' 1400Kg / m3. 

The Boo Plinth is produced from a compressed Bamboo Board that is a not known for the Kg / m3. Typically a Bamboo with desirable properties to serve as TT Plinth Material has been shown at 900Kg / m3. Bamboo Board can be found with a compression that is producing 1100Kg / m3.

Compressed Boards in general are not able to show the same Intrinsic Damping / Dissipation Properties as does the compressed boards which are produced as a Industry Standard - Resin Impregnated Densified Wood Board.

It is the Intrinsic Damping / Dissipation Properties that is the main reasoning for the adoption of a Resin Impregnated Densified Wood Board material by both the Commercial Entities in recent years and the earliest adoption of the materials at approx' 20 years past by the DIY Enthusiast. 

I can not recall seeing data produced for a 1100Kg / m3 Compressed Bamboo Board, only the 900Kg / m3 material.

In relation to experiencing Compressed Bamboo material as a Plinth, when used as the Plinth for a Garrard 401 not too long past, and the 401 TT model being one I know very well. I was quick to inform the owner of the 401 in use, the demo of the TT, was to my recollection the very best I had experienced.    

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A Resin Impregnated Densified Wood Board that is the dimension the Linn Blank  is to be produced at will cost approx' £300 if it is one of multiple cuts from a whole from a whole Board.

The Board will then be CNC Routed and aesthetically finished, I will be surprised if both additional treatments surpass £300.

The rest of the math will be for others, as I don't know the ins and outs of Linn's Overhead and Profit, but it does seen in the UK, there is £7000+ yet to be added. 

I have no desire to produce a Peripheral Frame using a Resin Impregnated Densified Wood Board to be used on a Belt Drive TT.

Individuals I know who know the cost of the Periphery Frame produced as the Bedrok and who both know the LP 12 very well, with access to the TT and are quite capable of producing a Peripheral Frame for the TT, using either of the methods made known in my earlier post using a Resin Impregnated Densified Wood Board have not expressed a interest in producing a design to be an alternative option   from their own resource of stored Densified Wood Board, even with the notion that a mark up on the materials as finished design at a 1000% will still be half price to what it would be intended to substitute.

In relation to the use of Densified Wood, Linn are quite late to the Party.

In relation to a Sub Chassis being produced in a Densified Wood, I can only assume if a Brand dedicated to selling a Bespoke Item produced from a particular grade of Aluminum was to produce a replacement Item for such a part in a Densified Wood and then offered it for sale at a 50% + Mark Up on the existing price, this would be the evidence needed to suggest other material is more suitable for a structural purpose than Aluminium.

There is information to be found within the Gon and outside of the Gon, to supply convincing evidence a Densified Wood is a suitable substitute for Metals. With the added bonus of the intrinsic properties belonging to the Densified Wood being much more attractive for managing energies that are unwanted in a audio device such as a TT.

I would suggest a Linn LP 12 owner adopts the usage of a Sub Plinth produced from a 25mm Thick Densified Wood Board, which will be acquired between £100 - £200 if prudently sourced.

Using the Densified Wood Sub Plinth in conjunction with LP 12 will supply a proportion of the benefits achievable by the adding a Bedrok Peripheral Frame.  Both will be parity for having the desirable intrinsic properties for improved managing of transferred ambient energies. The unknown is how much a Densified Wood Sub Plinth  is able to come close to adding the same benefit achieved from adding the Peripheral Frame. My experiences if the using the material as a Sub Plinth strongly suggests there will be no discernible difference to be discovered, each will offer almost identical benefits through adopting the material type. 

Additionally if the Densified Wood Sub Plinth is adopted to be used in conjunction with the LP 12. Careful selection of Footers as the separators most likely to add to overall new quality of performance on offer, furthering the benefits and produce something that shares similar improvement to the alternate bases that can be adopted. The added footers being capable to offer up very similar properties, as if adding the Trampolin Base.

@newton_john stated " I’ll be delighted when somebody actually produces a cheaper high performing substitute for the Bedrok plinth rather than just talking about it on an online forum.

Better still if they can also produce a cheaper more effective sub-chassis than the Keel. " 

Today it is learnt there is to be an alternate version of the Keel to be available soon, that has the same weight and balance for the weight.

@newton_john I'm not at liberty to discuss cost.

The design I have referenced is produced from a Material that has improved Intrinsic Properties for Damping / Dissipation than that that is offered from Aluminium.

As stated in a earlier Post "  A Part that is usually produced in Aluminium and when in use, has the purpose to function as a Sub Chassis, Parts that are needed for the TT to function such as the Tonearm and Platter Bearing Housing can be attached to such a Sub Platter design. "

When it comes to Aluminium, the Damping / Dissipation is 0.004. The intrinsic properties of Aluminium transfers energies it as a material fails to be substantial at reducing Amplitude.

The Part such as Keel will benefit from being produced from a material with much improved Intrinsic Properties and in conjunction a much improved Damping / Dissipation data produced, proven to be present as a result of Testing and Measuring how transferred energies are managed.  

I would expect a Linn Dealer or any Dealer that is Vending TT's is grounded with a useful knowledge about how to present them in a setting that enables the Source to present to the level they are choosing for it to perform at.

50K TT's will be very well cared for, in relation to the overall set up for the TT, the Rooms Structure and Support Structure withing the space where demonstrations take place will be quite an investment. More importantly this can't behind the scenes applications are not to be easily witnessed.

The environment the Customer is in to receive their demonstration has to look familiar and resemble something that is achievable at their own listening space.

TT's respond very very well to being set up in an environment where local ambient energies are tamed and difficult to be transferred to other structures.

TT's respond very very well to being mounted on a Supporting Structure that is receiving minimum ambient energies and is able to substantially reduce the Amplitude of those energies when received.

A TT produced from a material that is a material with exceptional Intrinsic Properties for Damping/Dissipation such a Resin Impregnated Densified Wood Board, is now a device that is protecting its mechanical interfaces from being detrimentally impacted on through receiving a proportion of the Amplitude from ambient energies transferred within the Space used to set the audio system up in.

I have no doubts that a Bedroc demo'd in a Dedicated Space used by a Linn Dealer is not going to be standout for the effect it can have on the End Sound Produced, as can be experienced when the TT is used in a typical listening space. , In the commercial premises energy transfer issues is resolved as a means to Tame Amplitude, control measures are in place prior to the Bedroc Peripheral Frame being effected by the Amplitude of Migrating ambient energy.

In an environment, more typical to the average home, the Bedroc will be effected through receiving a much higher degree by Amplitude of transferred ambient energies. The system owner will not be spending monies as spent in a commercial sector to add controlling measures to substantially reduce the energies and their migration through other materials.

In this situation their is not a better standalone material than a Resin Impregnated Densified Wood Board to protect the mechanical interfaces from becoming adulterated with unwanted energies.

It does not cost the amount Linn has chosen to charge to have a Resin Impregnated Densified Wood Board produced as a Periphery Framing for a LP 12  TT. 

If the Resin Impregnated Densified Wood Board is sourced through Linn as a Periphery Framing for a LP 12 TT, then the cost for this route is very very well documented.  

It is a shame Linn was shortcoming in being transparent about materials used. They did much to avoid a giveaway for what their selected materials actually is, they are quick to share properties of other materials selected, allowing a Customer to learn where advantages are to be had.

Other TT Manufacturers are Proud to make it known they are using a Particular Brand for their selected Densified Wood Board material, which allows the potential customer to learn exactly what they are buying into.          

Linn is a late comer to adopting a Densified Wood Material, but is another 'Testament' to an identification of the Intrinsic Properties and the Value of this property when added to an audio systems Structural Requirements or at Mechanical Interfaces.

Others producing TT's have adopted this material type and for many of the products, I suggest similar proportion of cost for materials used is allocated to create the overall product value. 

Where Linn Stands Out is the Part is an add on offering, which is steep at the cost.

Artisan Fidelity and Albert Porter both have Resin Impregnated Densified Wood Plinths for sale, I would suggest either of these are Commercially Available.

There are from others also a range of TT's using Resin Impregnated Densified Wood material, as a Single Tier through to Multi Tiers, where pricing extends to $100K.   

The Link gives a good description of how the Densified Wood Board is produced, it and how the Bedroc is produced, as this is very likely the source of the material.

All Resin Impregnated Densified Wood Board is produced to a range of Industry Standards to which IEC 61061 for electrical applications is the most important control measure. 

Failure of this Material Type in the applications it is fundamentally designed to be used in, results in the potential for loss of life. Catastrophic Material Failure as described does not occur. 

 Resin Impregnated Densified Wood Board, sitting in a space such as a Home does not delaminate, it has a 100 Year Life Span when submerged in water as a Prop for a underground positioned Generator or when used submerged in Oil in a Transformer.

https://www.pagedplywood.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/PAGED-ELKON-2020-.pdf

There is not an owner of anything made from Densified Wood that need concern themselves about Quality, the measures in place due to adhering to Industry Codes produce product that are non-degenerating.

I have seen P'holz skimmed down to mm's (1/8in) in thickness to make a Headshell of a particular Gram Weight, the Headshells of which Six Units were made remains totally stable, I am the owner of one as are a few friends, mine will be trusted for the role until I am no longer able to use it. Additionally, I have seen parts produced from P'holz that are belonging to a Tonearm that are usually the role of metal, the P'holz Substitute has been such a success it has maintained the substitute role to date. 

 Commercial Entities are making available P'holz Tonearm Wands, P'holz Headshells and P'holz Cartridge Bodies, purchases are made as the Companies are known to be reputable in dealing with Analogue Source Equipment. Their Densified Wood Products are not delaminating of deforming in their shape.