Dealings with slate

andrew Ivimey · Post by **andrew Ivimey** » Thu Dec 24, 2009 2:50 pm

As eni fule no, cumbria green is the best slate in the world, especially designed by the Great Artificer, when he was laying down layer after layer of mud and fossils for our delictation, for the very one true and only job of providing the necessary high mass for suitably high resolution of the round black vinyl that we know and love etc etc.

Two years ago I acquired some of this slate and although I quickly drilled up a slab for Goldring GL78 and never even used it to play with I though that it was about time I started on the quest for the ultimate in record reproduction, starting sensibly with a '401'.

As teh snows cleared I decided to joylly well get on with it!

Here you see a nice chunk of the stuff with scribblings, which weren't good enough so out came a 'template'

andrew Ivimey · Post by **andrew Ivimey** » Thu Dec 24, 2009 2:52 pm

makes sense of course and I was still thinking that I should save my lungs for breathing long into old age and if I just got started with markings I could use a local stone mason.

andrew Ivimey · Post by **andrew Ivimey** » Thu Dec 24, 2009 2:57 pm

but then, as you can imagine, with memories of such fables as the count of monte cristo (I think it was the count, who tunnelled to freedom, using only a spoon), I got stuck in...

and there you see it ---- the angle grinder... like a knife through butter! really this thing cuts slate (and therefore me, very easily indeed) but, andhere's the irony which I know you will all enjoy, angle gruinders don't do curves. What David Beckham coudl do is a moot point but I needed to resort to the drill !!!!!! diamond hard drill bits a plenty (this job took two), loads of water and I learned not to breathe for minutes at a time as I cut, with alacrity and no skill whatsoever into the lakeland stone.

Toppsy · Post by **Toppsy** » Thu Dec 24, 2009 2:58 pm

Ah so you are using a template to router out the deck clearance hole then?

I'd be interested to hear how easy (or not) it is to router slate.

EDIT.
Ignore my remarks you posted just before me and I see you are using a grinder.

andrew Ivimey · Post by **andrew Ivimey** » Thu Dec 24, 2009 3:03 pm

Four hours later - yes four! how time flies when you are getting bored and annoyed with cutting the stuff.

This slate is 40cm thick - I have thinner stuff but I picked the biggest and heaviest andboyohboyohboy it is HEAVY.

This is the end of part 1. Will the 401 fit? Then it is time to measure and cut an hole for an arm. I have been saving a unipivot with the unlikely name of 'roxanne' (at least, I think it is called that) and all that malarkey will come later.

Some of my readers may recognise a pair of Fidelio speaker cabs which were once owned by the illustrious Mr Shiels. They have been cooling their heels out on the veranda of 'The Shed' to aid with the stripping of the veneer... which it has and that is a project for later to tart them up and get a pair of Sidcup Screechers to do their job.

andrew Ivimey · Post by **andrew Ivimey** » Thu Dec 24, 2009 3:07 pm

I hate slate.

I think I can be objective about that. I tried so hard not to breathe the foul stuff in but of course I forgot and took the odd breath while cutting. I started with a mouth cover thingie but that steamed up my glasses; I couldn't see. I used lots of water to slooosh thigs down but I would have appreciated some wind. So as it was... well mesothelioma takes about 20 years, hm. I'm not joking about this; or rather, I am but it is very serious. Slate dust is a killer and I don't think I will do it again. The local stone mason said he'd cut my slate for about £100. On the whole that is probably a very good deal.

steve s · Post by **steve s** » Thu Dec 24, 2009 3:13 pm

andrew Ivimey wrote: Some of my readers may recognise a pair of Fidelio speaker cabs which were once owned by the illustrious Mr Shiels. They have been cooling their heels out on the veranda of 'The Shed' to aid with the stripping of the veneer... which it has and that is a project for later to tart them up and get a pair of Sidcup Screechers to do their job.

not only owned by.. but made by yours truely

i think you can tell that by the quality of the workmanship... veneer has to applied in a special way to start peeling off in that way...

i would like to add i gave them away to mr barker...

nice work on the slate andrew...working outside in the snow for 4 hours...
you must be keen... or is that being wise... out of the house while the pre christmas panic is in full flow...

cheers
steve

andrew Ivimey · Post by **andrew Ivimey** » Thu Dec 24, 2009 3:20 pm

Hello Mr S, I think I may post about PX4s shortly; very sweet too - But then you know all about that. I'm using 7F8Ws to drive them. Why? well why not and I have some to hand, though what I don't have are any of those super Brit triodes that the lucky few own and I drooooool over.

anyway, (wipes mouth)

Nah, the house is empty; wife's at work dealing with someone with haemochromotosis and we don't do all that Xmas stuff. I was brought up badly I suppose!

and its getting dark! blimey the nights are supposed to be getting shorter.

pre65 · Post by **pre65** » Thu Dec 24, 2009 3:46 pm

Well done Andrew.

I admire your determination.

Look forward to hearing how it sounds.

steve s · Post by **steve s** » Thu Dec 24, 2009 3:55 pm

andrew Ivimey wrote:Hello Mr S, I think I may post about PX4s shortly; very sweet too - But then you know all about that. I'm using 7F8Ws to drive them. Why? well why not and I have some to hand, though what I don't have are any of those super Brit triodes that the lucky few own and I drooooool over.

anyway, (wipes mouth)

Nah, the house is empty; wife's at work dealing with someone with haemochromotosis and we don't do all that Xmas stuff. I was brought up badly I suppose!

and its getting dark! blimey the nights are supposed to be getting shorter.

unfortunately andrew some of those old british triodes are rarer than px4's.. most have gone abroad according to the dealers, whilst the Uk'ers buy 6sn7's and ecc83's.. or some of the US valves..

i have a few st shaped ml4's and less mh4 .... but most are used..

my pride and joy are a few nice pairs of globe meshies.. but only pairs.
... they are what i use ... the only self gratification i get now-a-days.. is polishing them.. and giving them a turn in the amp...
i dont know if they sound better.. they do sound sweet though.

you post to your hearts content about px 4's... you will only put the price up...

you'd be better off telling everyone how dull and underpowered they sound on your £200 'from the shed'...( i'd love to visit your shed...) speakers.. then we could by them all up on ebay for peanuts

mind you... i dont think many read our posts...so you may not affect my future pension pot too much...either way

cheers
steve

Mike H · Post by **Mike H** » Thu Dec 24, 2009 4:09 pm

40 centimetres?

Shome mishtake shirley

.

shane · Post by **shane** » Thu Dec 24, 2009 4:26 pm

Mike H wrote:40 centimetres?

Shome mishtake shirley

.

Nah, big strong boy, that Andrew.

andrew Ivimey · Post by **andrew Ivimey** » Thu Dec 24, 2009 4:33 pm

did I say 40cm?!? larks eh! I meant 40kM of course. High mass.

Dave the bass · Post by **Dave the bass** » Thu Dec 24, 2009 4:36 pm

shane wrote: Nah, big strong boy, that Andrew.

Shane luvs Andrew

Well done for giving the slate a go MrI <doffs cap> I managed to do a grand total of bugger all plinth wise. Domestic chores since 9.17AM ('cept for short breaks on't webbernet to type rubbish).

I'm deffo gonna get a Stoned Mason to slice up any slate I hurl at a TT project.

DTB

andrew Ivimey · Post by **andrew Ivimey** » Thu Dec 24, 2009 4:43 pm

18kG.

And that is without the 401 and without the armboard (which is another bit of the lakeland green)

'kkin'ell eh.

audio-talk

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