Ali's lenco build

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cressy
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#1 Ali's lenco build

Post by cressy »

There is now another lenco conversion in existence, commissioned by Ali.

The brief for this one was to be able to accommodate a 12" arm that Ali has squirreled away for a rainy day.

He has an sme style stretched mounting plate that is to be used for mounting the 12" arm and other arms, so the plinth was built based on a technical drawing of the plate.

Initially, the deck was going to be nearly 2" wider than it has ended up, but i managed to cut the width down so it stayed in proportion by jiggling the dimensions and the transition angle until it fit.

Here with a bog stock rb250 on a temporary armboard with a shure m55 for testing it

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cressy
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#2 Re: Ali's lenco build

Post by cressy »

Done in the same way as the others, starting with a laminated blank of ply and mdf, it was cut out with a router from the blank

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And then shaped to the correct dimensions

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cressy
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#3 Re: Ali's lenco build

Post by cressy »

Next was to cut the slot for the arm mounting plate. The plate will screw down over the top of it, the cutout in the plate will match the plinth cutout

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After sanding and finishing the blank plinth it was painted to seal it before veneering.

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#4 Re: Ali's lenco build

Post by cressy »

Then veneered in African walnut

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I had pulled the motor and bearing apart and rebuilt them before starting on the plinth, and cut and painted the plate so i thought it was ready to drop in and finish. Not so.

The deck plate had a subtle kink in it that I didnt see until I dropped it into the plinth. The platter was down at one end, and it proved impossible to straighten the plate as it was kinked around the bearing mount. The donor deck must have taken a whack at some point.

So the chassis plate had to he replaced. I decided to do this with carbon fibre as the material is stiff and resistant to flexing. Not quite as stiff as the original steel, but it doesnt stay bent like steel would and springs back if put under pressure.

I had to grind the tops off the motor mounting pins as they are a press fit into the chassis, then drill and tap the ends so they could be bolted into the new plate. I used the original plate as a template for drilling and cutting

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Last edited by cressy on Sun Mar 12, 2017 2:03 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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cressy
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#5 Re: Ali's lenco build

Post by cressy »

Having rebuilt the motor and linkages onto the new chassis, i then had a steel shim machined by a local shop I use for these kind of things, this fits right under the bearing which effectively stands on the top of it. It is dimensioned so that when the chassis plate is screwed down it is in slight tension to tightly couple the bearing to it. The feet are on the same plane, the bottom of the shim is in line with the top of the feet so motor and bearing noise is shunted straight out into the support it is stood on.

Added the rear plate that holds the fused iec socked and build plate, then crossed fingers and started testing

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shane
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#6 Re: Ali's lenco build

Post by shane »

Commissioned for Ali with a 12" SME pattern arm. Upgraded 774, perhaps?
The world looks so different after learning science. For example, trees are made of air, primarily. When they are burned, they go back to air, and in their flaming heat is released the flaming heat of the Sun which was bound in to convert air into tree.
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#7 Re: Ali's lenco build

Post by cressy »

Impressions comparing alis to mine with the same arm and cart lifted directly off one and onto the other showed, up a tightening up of everything.

These things are tight as they are, but this one is better in that respect. There are a number of possible causes for this, but i think it is the grounded bearing that does it. I think it is shunting noise out of the chassis much more effectively.

Tried it with a moving coil Cart aswell to see wether the mc would pick up the motor coils, its actually picking up nothing, the shure I use picks up a little hum from the coils. Its odd as simons kontrapunkt b, my ortofon mc10 and atf7 and mi dads at440 dont pick anything up, where the m97 does.

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Last jobs were to clearcoat the trim ring and polish up the platter. Now that its finished I'll check how much hair ive lost :D
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Mike H
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#8 Re: Ali's lenco build

Post by Mike H »

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Watching.

Another masterpiece s usual.

Oh wait sorry "shoddy!" :D
 
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#9 Re: Ali's lenco build

Post by IslandPink »

We are not worthy :!:
..but I'd like to see the 12" arm on there .
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cressy
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#10 Re: Ali's lenco build

Post by cressy »

Have to wait for Ali for that one, I dont know what arm it is tbh
I just work here guv :D
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Ali Tait
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#11 Re: Ali's lenco build

Post by Ali Tait »

shane wrote: Sun Mar 12, 2017 1:59 pm Commissioned for Ali with a 12" SME pattern arm. Upgraded 774, perhaps?
'Tis indeed Shane, one of the 12" wands that are sold on Ebay, which I had the seller wire with some silver. Have a 774 tucked away which looks to have had very little use, even the arm rest doesn't have any play in it, which I haven't seen before, and I've had four of these arms.

Ant, lovely job mate, looking forward to hearing it. That veneer looks great.

Will post up some pics once I have the arm fitted.
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shane
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#12 Re: Ali's lenco build

Post by shane »

Looking forward to seeing the end result. Should be a bit special!
The world looks so different after learning science. For example, trees are made of air, primarily. When they are burned, they go back to air, and in their flaming heat is released the flaming heat of the Sun which was bound in to convert air into tree.
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Ali Tait
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#13 Re: Ali's lenco build

Post by Ali Tait »

Yeah hope so!
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andrew Ivimey
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#14 Re: Ali's lenco build

Post by andrew Ivimey »

Drool! I want to stroke it...
Philosophers have only interpreted the world - the point, however, is to change it. No it isn't ... maybe we should leave it alone for a while.
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#15 Re: Ali's lenco build

Post by Ali Tait »

Cue DTB. :D
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