THE ASKAL: All parts + Purloined Motor
Posted: Thu Jan 21, 2010 8:27 amI have been commissioned to make a "Best Effort" analog source Pinoy-style. This usually entails putting together a system with parts from various sources to mix with hand-crafted DIY elements, thus the term askal 
. The project is partly experimental, sort of a proof-of-concept venture so top quality, high priced components were ruled out.
The turntable is designed to be in modular form in order to better isolate the sections and also to accommodate various motors and tonearms of various lengths.
THE PLINTH
Made by Camotecue to my specifications. It is made of 5 nestling frames, glued and doweled together to assure stability. The frames are made of 5 woods of different hardness starting with Kamagong at the center and a soft wood for the outermost frame. The whole plinth is then veneered with a nicely grained wood and finished with a satin lacquer. The framing technique is an experimental method to control vibrations. The 3 legs are made of 2-inch diameter Kamagong pieces, removable in case other legs (brass, rubber, etc) are desired.
The plinth and 3 legs:
Photo of underside showing the 5 frames:
A 1/8 inch mounting plate was made in order to prevent bearing tilt in case the wood gets deformed due to the weight of the platter.
Closeup of mounting plate:
THE PLATTER AND BEARING
These were ordered from DIY HiFi Supply. I think these parts were used for the now discontinued BIX turntable. The bearin is an inverted type of tight tolerance.
Platter and Bearing as ordered:
Bearing mounted on the steel plate:
PLINTH AND PLATTER ASSEMBLY
It actually looks quite nice. The platter turns smooth, quiet and true. One minor quibble though, the platter seems to sit a bit high on the plinth. It looks like it was designed that way. This is just an aesthetic issue and can be remedied by undercutting the plinth around the bearing area.
The assembled platter/plinth:
All dressed up with nowhere to go:
. The project is partly experimental, sort of a proof-of-concept venture so top quality, high priced components were ruled out.The turntable is designed to be in modular form in order to better isolate the sections and also to accommodate various motors and tonearms of various lengths.
THE PLINTH
Made by Camotecue to my specifications. It is made of 5 nestling frames, glued and doweled together to assure stability. The frames are made of 5 woods of different hardness starting with Kamagong at the center and a soft wood for the outermost frame. The whole plinth is then veneered with a nicely grained wood and finished with a satin lacquer. The framing technique is an experimental method to control vibrations. The 3 legs are made of 2-inch diameter Kamagong pieces, removable in case other legs (brass, rubber, etc) are desired.
The plinth and 3 legs:
Photo of underside showing the 5 frames:
A 1/8 inch mounting plate was made in order to prevent bearing tilt in case the wood gets deformed due to the weight of the platter.
Closeup of mounting plate:
THE PLATTER AND BEARING
These were ordered from DIY HiFi Supply. I think these parts were used for the now discontinued BIX turntable. The bearin is an inverted type of tight tolerance.
Platter and Bearing as ordered:
Bearing mounted on the steel plate:
PLINTH AND PLATTER ASSEMBLY
It actually looks quite nice. The platter turns smooth, quiet and true. One minor quibble though, the platter seems to sit a bit high on the plinth. It looks like it was designed that way. This is just an aesthetic issue and can be remedied by undercutting the plinth around the bearing area.
The assembled platter/plinth:
All dressed up with nowhere to go:
