Description

A table for three. I value your thoughts.

Thanks, Ken Fritrz.
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Components Toggle details

    • Kftool- DIY Mk 1 Last 1
    this turntable utilizes 3 drive units, 3 distinctively different arm types, a 290 lb slate textured , epoxy / glass and ceramic fibere re-enforced/ lead composite casting. It is a pointed design weighing a total of 530 lbs that will rest on a Minus K , BM-1 vibration abatement unit. A tubular steel stand filled with a urethane - lead matrix will support the table, 3 electronic motor controllers, and 3 head amps. The photo shown is only a mock up using the mdf pattern that will be used to generate the fiberglass mold used to cast the final plinth.
    • Kftool-DIY MK 1 Last 1
    3 arm, pointed table
    • VPI HRX - 2 motor, flywheel drive unit
    Utilizing 2 ac synchronous pm motors, the connection to the 15 lb flywheel via rubber drive belts reduces the cogging normally delivered to a platter when it is driven by a rubber belt directly from a pm motor, ac or dc.
    • Dynavector Dynavector DV 507 MK II
    Bi Axial - High mass arm tone arm with interchangable head shells. I loved this arm the first time I saw it 20 years ago; it was $800 then- used. I feel the engineering in this arm was the reason I chose it for my project. Anyone out there feel the same?
    • Tri Plainer MK VII
    While I first saw this arm at the 2005 CES, I've read about it for years. The reviews from all the golden ears persuaded me to choose this arm.
    • Kuzma Air Line
    Air bearing, linear tracking tone arm. The quality of this arm was one of the 3 factors that caused me to build, rather than buy a table. After reading all I could find on the audio web sites regarding linear trackers, It seemed logical that injecting the air in the bearing rather than the arm tube , was the only way to go; it was the right decision for me.
    • Kftool- DIY Mk 1 Last 1
    Plinth, The center of sound that everything is mounted to, the anchor. This is part of the pattern that will be used to produce the mold that the final plinth will be cast from. The platter will be mounted to this section of the plinth.
    • kftool-DIY MK 1 Last 1
    This shows the 3 patterns for the pods supporting the 3 armboards and leveling points for the plinth
    • Kftool-DIY MK 1 Last 1
    This shows the bonding of the pods to the center platter support. A band clamp and pinch dogs, along with biscuit joints and polyurethane glue, insure an accurate pattern
    • Kftool-DIY MK 1 Last 1
    The pattern is almost finished. It will be used to cast the plinth that will weigh around 260 lbs. Only the slate texture needs to be applied to the appropriate surfaces and it is ready for the next step. After the mold is laminated off this pattern, it will be used for a trial horse for the arm boards, and other acoutrements to finish the table.
    • Kftool-DIY MK 1 Last 1
    The slate texture and mold release have been applied. The pattern is set up to produce an epoxy mold for the final casting of the plinth.
    • Kftool-DIY MK 1 Last 1
    Time to make the mold. Metal filled surface coat is sprayed over the pattern you saw in the previous shot.
    • Kftool-DIY MK 1 Last 1
    Surface coat done, fiberglass re-enforcement is next. It stinks , but it's strong.
    • Kftool-DIY MK 1 Last 1
    Re-enforcement of the mold. Fiberglass maintains the surface and dimensional integrity , but mdf supplies the bulk strength the mold needs to maintain the shape.

Comments 19

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Owner
Hey gLENN, Bean a furmur wIZKONCINIT. it wuz grate 2 git a repli foum sumune dat cumz frum da same part of da kuntre. It iz fine to no dere iz anuther guy frum da Milkakee area dt belongz to da audiogun netwerk. Maybe we eben went 2 skool 2gedder. I gaduaded in 1960 frum hi skool, bay vew. I gunna beez up der dis weak end fir 4 daze, mabee we can git 2gedder an spin sum disks. I lub 2 hear tables wit mdf beringz, sunz lik you got dem.

I kepz wurken on da macheen en 1 day it will be dun. by da way I got a hot tip on replacmnt needles. KATSUZ, day last abut 10 hurz but u kan gro dem tings at hom fur nxt to nuttin.Snd ne yur dres end I kan snd a fue 2 u for fre.

plz repli agin az it wus fon to reed yur head toghtz. It sure wuz grate 2 her frum en ol frend.

thaks, Ken

kftool

Owner
Albert,

Your Walker uses a single motor drive to power a heavy lead platter. It does use a wide drive belt that will be more efficient at delivering the power to the platter than a string, rubber or mono filament. It seems as though when the platter is up to speed, it will not be affected by the cogging of a motor stator whose mass is miniscule in comparison to the platter.

I chose to use 3- double motor - flywheel drive units to deliver power to a much lighter platter than yours. My thought was that when the system was up to speed, the spyder wire drive belts from the motor pods to the table would deliver noise free, constant power to the platter.

Presenting a question such as this to a tt mfg would only open the door to criticism, after all , they aren't only audiophyles, but businessmen who need to stay in business. If they fail in their endeavour, the status of the industry will stagnate.

It's obvious to "gonners " that there are few people that have your audio miles. Owning a Walker is statement enough, however, if there was only one table to play an LP, we'd have no choices.

The proof of the pudding is in the eating, and I hope mine tastes good. This last sentence wasn't meant to coax a positive opinion, I realize you say what you mean. When one man does all the thinking, mistakes of omission are the result. I appreciate you constructive criticism.

regards, Ken

kftool

Owner
Albert,

My computer IQ is about minus 10 below plant life. I finked out last nite trying to post some good pictures , but an email from Audiogon told me a server error ocurred and I'd have to start over. I'm doing that tonight.

This is a one of a kind project. When finished, it should weigh around 700 Lbs on the stand. There will be lifting slots built into the stand so I can move it with my engine hoist. I doubt it will be going out of the house.

Regarding the 3 arms; I bought the Tri Plainer a year and a half ago, installed the Shelter 90 X 3 months ago, had a resonance problem and listened to it for about 20 minutes and that was that. The Dynavector only came out of the box to lay out the pedestal for the table I'm building. The My Sonic Labs Eminent cartridge I thought I'd use it with is on top of the piano. The Kuzma, out only for measurements, will be used with the Koetsu Jade that will be here in a few weeks.

It has been many years since I heard vinyl in my system, but I can wait, since I love the journey as much as the destination.

I hope to be able to offer an opinion after Christmas.

Thanks, Ken

kftool

Owner
Guys,

Last nite I posted some great new pictures,BUT, I guess I didn't hit the right button. I probably need to go back to Audiogon posting school. I'll fix it tonight. Thanks for looking.

Ken.

kftool

Owner
System edited: The fun continues, I hope you'll enjoy my journey. Thanks ,Ken

kftool

Owner
System edited: The fun continues, I hope you'll enjoy my journey. Thanks ,Ken

kftool

Owner
Darkmoebius,

The VPI units do use 2 low power drive units, however, once the 15 lb flywheel is up to speed, it then becomes the drive unit. The rubber belts connecting the motors to the flywheel filter out the cogging inherent in pm motors. I will be using 20 lb test Spyder wire to transfer the power from the 3 - 15 lb flywheels to the 15 lb Sota platter. Since there will be no stretching effect of a rubber drive belt , the power from the flywheels should be consistent. There will be platforms for the 3 drive units that will employ a vernier tensioning device to control the power delivered to the platter. That is a total of 60 lbs of rotational mass filtering out the cogging effect of 6- 7 watt synchronous motors. I can only theorize that it will all work.

It will be Christmas before I'll know if this all works. If it doesn't, it won't matter, I'll just lie to myself.

Please check back from time to time, as I'll be posting new photos every 4 or 5 days as the project progresses.

regards, Ken

kftool

Owner
Slipknot1

Joe, thanks for your input on shelves, as I need to decide on the platform this thing will sit on. I'm checking out the sources for Jatoba you mentioned.

I was hoping that the step by step shots of a DIY project wouldn't bore "gonners." I hope I can hold your interest. I appreciate your reply, as it encourages me to share the fun of building an idea.

Thanks, Ken

kftool

Owner
Hi Aaron,

When I was around 25 years old, I was a modelmaker at a display company. The first thing I learned was to mock-up your idea to see how it looked. After that the mind starts to visualize changes that will improve your first idea. That has stuck with me to this day.

The first thought was to build a vacuum platter using 1 1/2 inch, 304 stainless steel. Drive it with 2 motor pods, each using 3 Hurst motors, driving a 10 lb intermediate flywheel. Rubber belts would transfer the torque to the flywheel, with the rotational inertia of the flywheel filtering out the cogging. Well, things change when you begin to think.

At that time I had planned to incorporate 2 tonearms. That thought went to 3 after I read about the Kuzma and Rockport arms.

The platter is sourced from my friends at Sota. I doubt that I would ever have a non vacuum platter under any conditions and I prefer a metal platter because of the density and rotational energy it possesses, just a personal opinion.

I had planned on building the platter, however the local cnc based machine shop was sold to a bean counter, nuff said. I feel that everything happens for the best, and the course I'm on now makes me feel much happier.

I'm keeping a digital log of every step in this project. If you wish, send me your address and I'll ups a dvd of probably 5 or 600 shots of the project when it's done, hopefully by Christmas.

Aaron, I thank you for the first posting to my virtual system, I owe you my first born.

regards, Ken



kftool