WWW.elusivedisc.com lists a number of dustcovers for the VPI Aries series. There is a Scout Table Top ($200) version that fits over the whole thing and sits on the table -- presumably this may be inappropriate for your shelf location. There is a Scout Budget ($60) that looks like it cannot be used during play, as well as a couple of Aries versions which may be a tad large for a Scout.
I recently bought a VPI turntable, and I have an order in with a custom dustcover manufacturer named Vu. I believe he is an Audiogon member with member ID "vtvu." He has a good reputation. (I haven't seen his work, yet.)
My retailer suggested that I use a silk scarf to keep the dust off until my dustcover arrives. I actually don't have any extra silk scarves lying around, and my wife likes to keep hers in a drawer. Instead I am using a sheet of plastic that came as part of the packing material for my turntable. It was wrapped around the platter and is big enough to cover the whole table. With either the scarf or the plastic sheet, I feel compelled to put the stylus guard on my cartridge at the end of every session. I fear that the plastic may brush up against the stylus inadvertantly. I also fear that the stylus may experience an accidental impact if it is not physically protected. (I have two sons who sometimes launch projectiles around the house.) Naturally, I have to be very careful when dealing with the stylus guard to avoid lunching the stylus myself. Good luck.
