Supposedly, the technique is to press the record between two impeccably clean sheets of glass (weighted, I guess) and then heat it gradually in the oven and cool gradually. I do not know the heat but would guess I would start @ 200 and see if it worked. I would experiment with a warped thrift shop record first. What you describe, however, sounds like a pinch warp and might be very difficult to remove. Good luck.
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Air Tight is coming out with a record flattener device. Not sure how well it works or anything, but the construction looks top notch and it sure seems like a great idea... Took a picture of it at CES 2004: http://www.audiofederation.com/catalog/show-reports/CES-January-2004/day3/record-flattener.jpg Enjoy! -Mike. |
Hi 4yanx, Well, you daredevil you, you did actually dare to ask.... In todays rapidly changing international audio market, it is as one might expect these days: it is around $1700.00. What really hurts is: now that we know of the flattener's (Disc Flatter Record Press) existance, every time we play a LP with a little warp in it, we think about this machine... All the best, Mike |
Thanks, Mike. Me? I am, among other things, a numbers man. With a $1700 price tag, and then figuring tax and probably SOME accessories which the thing just can't do a REALLY good job without, I'll use $2,000 as the final cost. I have about 2,000 records cleaned. Many more record to BE cleaned, but let's call it a 2,000 LP collection at present. Of those, maybe 5% (about 100) are LP's that have sufficient warp as to warrant the procedure. Guess I would not count a slightly raised at the edges LP - a good setup and/or clamp should address this issue. So, that makes the bill $20 per LP for me. Oy. In most cases, I could go out and buy a new copy for that price. This sounds like a piece that should be available in record stores or analog shops. Either the owner could charge a buck or two per, OR, offer it as a free service to customers - what a concept. OK, I'll change my mind when some enterprising person comes up with one for, say, $300 or less. |
I hear ya, 4yanx. We do not have a heckuva lot of warped records either, but Neli wants one of these (they ARE kind of cool). If we do get one we will likely end up flattening warps out of LPs for everybody around here who knows we have one, lol. So, you are right, it makes a lot of sense for people who can easily afford it, for record stores, and for friendly dealers. Though, you know, it would be interesting to see if MOST records sounded better after being flattened: a lot of records bounce that diamond around and awful lot... and maybe this bouncing is more damaging to the quality of the sound than it seems to be? If we get one we will have to do some experimenting..., lol. Enjoy! Mike. |