Looking for guidance with older VPI HW-19 tables

If you're seeking a VPI HW-19 without being previously drilled for an Arm, it will be an easier matter seeking a version that has the Steel Sub-Chassis, and seperate Armboard. A new Black Acrylic Armboard can be dupicated-copied, and re-drilled for whatever Arm you like, by either you, or a competent machinist-carpenter.

Basically, there's only three things that might wear on the non-inverted older VPI Bearings, the Bottom Thrust Plate, the Upper Bushing, and the little 1/2" Ball Bearing that resides on the bottom of Bearing Shaft.

As for what services VPI now presently provides, these may be good questions to pose them. I would suspect that the little screw in Thrust Plates are available, and VPI may still offer Platter Bearing repair if it is needed.

Bushing materials for the Bearing Well could've consisted of a number of materials over the years, Bronze, Nylon, Rulon. Again, if VPI no longer does such work, this is not beyond a competent machinist.

Lack of lubrication, meaning a neglected Bearing would of course show more wear to Thrust Plate, and Bushing Surface. These should of course wear first. if there's wear on the Bearing Shaft, this would probably tell me that the Bearing was indeed severely neglected.

Te MK-IV version would be ideally the one to get, and can come with either the original MK-IV all Acrylic Lead filled Platter, or a combination of Acrylic-Aluminum, most likely meaning its the older TNT Platter. With these heavier Platters, I'm sort of doubting how well "Pool Noodles" will support a heavy Plinth with Subchassis, and a heavy Platter.

The stock Motor is still available, is nothing more than a 600 rpm Hurst AC Synchronous, and the SAMA I undserstand is available as well.

If you browse the list, you'll see what still can be gotten, but there may be a number of little parts, whatnot, that might still be gotten? Mark

Mingles, Finding a Table used such as the HW-19 MK-IV used would then more than likely need an entirely new Armboard fabricated ala third party as you suggest, and would need to be drilled for the Hadcock Arm-Armbase.

The Spindle to Pivot Distance is very very close to the AQ PT Arm's specs, and since the Hadcock's Mounting Shaft Diameter is very thin, only requiring a hole diameter of 3/8", it may be possible to superimpose the new Hadcock Arm Base over the existing hole, re-drill-tap holes for the Hadcock Arm Base, and possibly "hide" the existing hole from the previous AQ Arm Mounting Base? This is a big "maybe" though?

The Arm Board is a seperate piece on the better HW-19 Tables which possess the Steel Sub-Chassis, which attaches via screws to the Sub-Chassis. There were two version Armboards, one was the standard .500" thick, which was at the same height-level as the Acrylic Plinth, and then there was the Super Armboard, being 1.00" thick, and did sit higher than the Acrylic Plinth itself.

VPI's literature back in the day usually touted the thicker Super Armboard as a sonic upgrade to the table, but there was another reason for the "requirement" of the thicker Armboard.

That reason was, the MK-III Platter, and particularly, the MK-IV-TNT Platters were much thicker and were higher in height versus lesser HW-19 Platters, and thus needed the Super Armboard to better correctly attain correct VTA height with an Arm. Without going to a thicker Armboard, the other option would be a custom made spacer between Tonearm Mounting Base, and Armboard. Mark

Tough to say? The VPI HW-19 Series (although I own one) is sort of a dated design, being introduced well over 25 years ago. This doesn't mean its a bad Table, but hard to tell you what Table you should be using-buying to fit this Arm to? Much depends upon the amount of money you wish to spend?

One could also simply buy a VPI HW-19 Jr, the least expensive of them all, and re-construct the Table with a new custom Plinth, which could be made of various substances, MDF, Corian, Acrylic, and even Aluminum if one chose to. This then means labor, or labor costs. Any-All Parts used on the Jr can be sold seperately on this forum to offset any incurred costs. Parts such as Platter, Plinth, Tonearm, Dustcover, etc, etc.

The question is, is it worth it for you to go this far, taking a simpler Table, and doing all this to it?

Since the HW-19 is very modular by design, one can upgrade to a variety of VPI Platters, bought used, or new, including the newest $1200 MSRP 25lb Super Platter, the Stand Alone Motor Assembly (SAMA) can still be gotten, the VPI SDS Speed Controller works will all VPI Tables as far as I know. Some physical issues will be encountered going to thicker-heavier Platters, such as attaining proper Arm-VTA Height, and Dustcover clearance issues with Clamping systems. The Taller HW-19 Clear Acrylic Dusctovers are still available through VPI.

This was how my HW-19 started life, as a Jr model being upgraded over a 2-year period, with Better Cone Feet, MK-IV Platter, new Acrylic Plinth, another Tonearm, Custom machined Parts, such as Platter Clamp. I only went this route, because it was what I had on hand, and seemed to be the most cost effective, and the easiest for me to do.

No, the HW-19 is not the lastest, and greatest, won't win any beauty pageants, and rank comparably to a Aries 3, HR-X, and of course doesn't cost what these Tables do, but it is a good design, that can sound very good, dependent upon components (Arms-Platters-etc) used in the build up-modification.

There's countless ways one can go, one can also buy a complete table, with a good, comparable, or even better Arm than the Hadcock, and sell the Hadcock to offset costs? Tonearms are somthing that sell very well here, so that can be another option? Of course, how much is willing to spend will be a very important consideration? Again, hope this helps you. Mark

Rabbit,
Basically nobody out there in audio-land is doing any mods, or selling any upgrade parts, as far as new Plinths, Armboards, or fabricating such are concerned. Some months back, I contacted VPI, as I had heard they may have had some HW-19 Steel Sub-Chassis left, an important component, if you wanted to take the Jr, to a
legit MK-III, or MK-IV Status, but alas the folks at VPI claimed there were none left. As far as I know, neither ar Armboards, Sorbo Pucks, Suspension Springs.

Very little left I'm afraid, maybe the Oak Bases, Dustcovers, Motors, maybe Hinges, and an On/Off Switch, but that's about it.

If you wanted to take a Jr to a higher level, like I did some months back, I had to get the raw materials (Acrylic Plinth) and have the Plinth Drilled by a local Machinist. A couple of the older VPI Platters (TNT, and MK-IV) will fit the Jr, it's a quick swap, but one might then encounter Tonearm Height problems.

Again, I had a custom, taller Arm-Base fabricated to accomodate a taller 16lb MK-IV Lead Filled Platter. Same would be true with the current all acrylic MK-IV Platter, or Super Platter, in that Tonearm Height might be a problem without some mods to raise its height.

I believe the SAMA is still available, but appears to always be a back-order item with VPI. One can make a "poor man's SAMA", by supporting-isolating the Plinth from Base. I've heard some have done it quite simply with something like 4 tomato cans under the Plinth.

The VPI SDS will work with any VPI Table, past, or present. Hope this helps. Mark