Building high-end 'tables cheap at Home Despot II

Hi,
I finally got my Lenco and I am salivating heavily on what happens next :)) I reread all the posts and all the forums and most of the ideas are set but I wanted to ask about the dimensions of the Giant Lenco plinth. I had decided to make it the classic 23X19X6 but it seems that later Lencos are even bigger-can you guys give me an idea of how big is actually enough, I am planning to go for the BB/MDF combination and may be later I will try an oak plinth or a mixture of woods just to have fun, woodworking is an addictive hobby. I had the unbelievable chance of getting a great offer from John Nilsen at Audioorigami.co.uk for a fully tweaked RB250-polished, adjusted and even with a small weight added to headshell to perfectly match my Denon 103, rewired and with three rear counterweights!!! I am stunned by the looks and he is known for great expertese so I really cannot wait to get it! Any advice on how to mount the arm and what I should take into consideration is greatly appreciated, I am new to vynil and everyhting is very helpful. Thanks to everyone on this forum, life is not the same since Lenco came into the light :)

Hi Kravi4ka...

Welcome to the Brotherhood ! You know, the real answer to your question "How BIG is big enough ?" is answered with another question: "How much weight can YOU stand to live with ?".

I recently finished a Monster-Class plinth of BB/MDF, and with platter installed it weighs in at 87 lbs. In the beginning, I had mad dreams of 100+ lbs, but Jean cautioned me against building something that could cause personal injury in years to come (after all, this is a TT-for-Life !). The final result is now just managable, with the platter removed.

The panels began as 23" x 20", with a total weight of approximately 90 lbs. Many saw & router cuts later, the 11 layers (wood alone) weighed 74 lbs. With something that thick, you'll find it convenient to make removable armboards... which also opens the door to experimenting with various materials for mounting your RB250. I have maple boards right now, but "soon" will be making alternate boards from walnut & something that seems to be ebony.

You didn't mention which Lenco model you have. Depending on the geometry of top plate and platter, you may decide to cut the corner of the top plate, or rotate the unit 90 degrees, as seen in many of the recent Monsters Lencos here, and on other Lenco boards.

In any event, you'll need to think (and measure, measure, measure) to get your RB250 in the right position for "correct" VTA (and remember to account for the size of the Denon 103). One advantage of individual armboards is you get to make them in the appropriate thickness for proper VTA.

Good luck with your planning, and keep us informed on your progress.
Cheers...
Grant

Hi Gjwaudio,

Thanks for the response, that's what I was looking for.I have actually two Lencos-L75 and an L78, the latter is in better shape but both are supposed to be totally rebuilt and I have already ordered the oilite bushings, the Joel kit from e-bay and a bunch of ceramic balls to try on the bearing. I will just rotate the base and I plan to glass reinforce it and seal the hole of the oroginal arm. There comes the difficult part-the arm bord. I see all kinds of shapes of boards on e-bay-rectangular, kidney shapes and round ones, I have several exotic woods to try such as sandalwood, padouk, panga panga, and of course oak and cherry. I will have to calculate how tall it should be and how to attach it to the plinth... But the VTA is the real problem, I still haven't found "Arm setting for Dummies" and if you can help me with a link or something it would be great. Thanks for the answer again, I intend to make the work as precise as possible with a lot of pictures that might help people like me. Best regards from Bulgaria!

Hi Kravi4ka,

Does your modified Rega 250 have any added VTA adjustments or is it stock & static?
If your Rega is in the original fixed version with only washers for height adjustments, then you’ll probably want your armboard about 1/8” below flush of the top plinth layer. I say “probably”, because I have a mounted Rega 300 and I’m assuming that the pillar/tube height mounting geometry is the same on the 250.
With mine mounted flush to the plinth without washer, the tube is horizontal with a generic height AT mm cartridge. But I don’t think this is optimal, because someone once wrote here many moons ago, (think it was Willbewill) that a Rega engineer said that these arms are optimal with their butts dragging a bit. But many things can throw minute variances into the VTA formula – cart height, platter mat thickness, the number of bearing thrust shims, MuMetal treatment, etc. Then there’s the question whether you’ll use something to isolate the armboard from the plinth or not. Some use plastic washers, others use rubber grommets and still others directly mount.

But my advise would be to plan for VTA and armboards, but don’t sweat it too much. By making multiple armboards of various thickness and flavors of wood (this stuff is freebie scrap at most lumber yards) you’ll give yourself room to experiment. The only hardwood I’ve heard spoken about negatively for this application is oak. Linn armboards are plywood – probably nicely laminated – but plywood nevertheless.

Maybe Stefanl who has helped me out with Rega issues will weigh in here.

All best,
Mario

Has anyone made a plinth with alternating layers of MDF and
Solid maple? Results? What difference is there with this and birch ply?
Thanks Tessera