Any Cad/3-D Printer/Mold Makers/Small Parts Makers Here. Need Help.

[thebes]

I have recently become the owner of a Fairchild 412-1b turntable equipped with a Sony PUA-237 tonearm, which I understand was comprable to the Thorens arms of that era.

 

Major problem though. There is a small plastic piece used in the antiskate operation that appears to have been a press on type of fitting over a metal spindle.  A string is run through it from two other points to keep pressure on as the record traverses.  Problem is it’s broken off at the base.

 

Now I could probably, with several tries, duplicate this plastic piece using wood and some small carving tools, and place it over the spindle but I’m figuring the pressure of the string would probably keep popping it off the spindle.  I also don’t think I’d be able to find a right sized circlip to slide in to maybe keep a new part in place.

 

That leaves me finding someone who makes plastic molds, or a cad/3-d printer type and that means probably serious bucks for an arm that is only worth about two bills.

 

That, of course, leads me to my fellow Forum buddies in hopes of either suggestions or the needed skills.

 

 

Here’s a picture of the piece and one of the arm. If you look carefully between the larger pieces on the arm you can see the spindle with what’s left of the fitting.

[thebes]

Well I'm shocked.  By now, I thought my fellow Forum buddies would have assembled a team, let contracts, allowed for cost-overruns, engaged leading technicians in the aerospace and computer fields, written code and raised and committed an initial budget of $33 million.

 

Guess I'll have to post this up in 2 Channel, where men-are-manly-men, instead of down here where the Nancy Boys gabble all day.

Edited September 17, 2014 by thebes

[JJkizak]

_{What is the garbage around the small brass pulley looking thing? Does the broken plastic piece fit up to the very bright spot on the picture? Maybe try some plastic airplane glue. If the plastic is polyethylene your screwed and have to make something to work. But Polyethylene doesn't break like that.}

_JJK

Edited September 17, 2014 by JJKIZAK

[thebes]

JJ, that's what's left of the bottom part of the plastic part, which I believe was a snap on piece.  There's probably not enough of it left to simply glue, If I remove it it to try and glue it to the rest of the piece it will probably just break into more pieces.  If I could glue it without removing it it would probably  stick to the post and it has to be swing freely or the antiskate won't work.

[Marvel]

you need to be able to make a mold of the part. look up Smooth-On plastics iito get some ideas. I'm using my phone at the moment or I could post a link...

Bruce

[Marvel]

It's:

Http://www.smooth-on.com

Lots of cool stuff.

[khornbred]

it looks like it would be pretty easy to model that up in cad. i work with mastercam and solidworks daily, so i can help you with that if you can send me the part. i would then recommend once you have the cad model, if you want it to be plastic, check with your local library first to see if they have a 3d printer, i recently researched ones near me and the rates are dirt cheap compared to traditional manufacturing processes(look at me putting myself out of work!). a part like that would only cost a few dollars to have them print for you. i could also possibly machine if for you out of plastic or metal.

[thebes]

Just another reason to love this forum.  That is a very generous offer on your part. 

I've checked and my county does not have a 3-d printer.  There is one in DC, and maybe LarryClkare's library has one in his county. 

 

However, if this is your business, I'd be reluctant to ask you to do this without renumeration.  After all we all have to make a living.

 

Of course, I'd probably ask for the Forum member special 95% discount!

[Fjd]

It looks like you may be able to go to your nearest UPS store fairly soon and use a 3-D printer.  UPS issued a press release stating that they will put 3-D printers in nearly 100 stores as it seeks to generate business with small businesses.

 

The company said that traditionally they have been used by businesses, inventors and artists to make architectural models, prototypes and other items; however, UPS hopes to convince consumers that it would be much easier to use a 3-D printer at one of its stores rather than to buy and set up a machine at home.

 

http://www.ups.com/pressroom/us/press_releases/press_release/Press+Releases/Archive/2014/Q3/ci.The+UPS+Store+Expands+3D+Printing+Across+the+U.S..syndication

 

Decided to look at the locations and it seems there may be one close to Reston, VA from the link below at;

 

611 Pennsylvania Avenue SE
Washington, DC 20003

 

http://www.theupsstore.com/small-business-solutions/Pages/3d-printing-locations.aspx

Edited September 23, 2014 by Fjd

[thebes]

Well this got put on the back burner of projects I'd like to do, until yet another rain-day last week.  I rooted around in all my small odds- and-ends drawers and came up with about 30 pieces that might work as a round piece for the bottom of the little plastic gizmo. Only one came close,.  Six hours of drilling, sanding, fiddling and faddling, and I've got a workable part.  Mounted a Ortofon OM30  and am making music as we speak.  Cool thing about this circa early '70's Sony "pro" arm.  that solid  metal tube -thingy in the pics is adjusted by tilting the entire turntable at a 15 degree angle and then fiddling with it until the arm doesn't drift towards to the center spindle.  Never had to do that before.

 

So hows it sound?

 

The two, yes two belts, or the motor (Pabst AS) has some sound which can be heard between tracks, but the arm, although mid-to-high mass, gives new life to the Ortofon. That said, Id  had to remove one of the rear weights to get it to level out.

 

So far pretty dern good. 

[Islander]

When I first read your post, I misread the model number as "412-lb", thinking it must be seriously heavy.  Then I saw the picture above and thought I might not have been totally off.  So does your turntable weigh more or less than 50 pounds?  In the thumbnail, it looks like it was made from a section of a tree trunk, and a big tree at that.

 

Then I checked and found this ad for a similar one:  http://www.usaudiomart.com/details/649075051-vintage_fairchild_4121_turntable_esl_tonearm/

 

The pictures show its top and bottom clearly.  I guess the two belts "in series" are to give double the usual noise and vibration isolation.

 

It's easy to see from the pictures that it's a fine-looking heavy duty turntable.  So are you using any kind of platter mat, or just running it naked?

 

Congrats and happy listening!

Edited May 22, 2016 by Islander

[thebes]

Yup the 1b is the model version number and at 30lbs it's a beastie, with a nice heavy platter.  The top belt comes off the platter to a motor spindle. the under part of the motor spindle has a belt that then goes to the Pabst motor,  which itself is mounted on a metal frame with rubber grommets at the attachment points for further isolation.

 

I am using a record mat, called "The Music Mat" which was made in Canada.  It's very thick mat I picked up locally off of Craigslist a few years ago.  It's that grey thing int he pictures.