[2004-09-08]

My first shot at a DIY tonearm. Well, actually the second shot - I build a Ladegaard air bearing tonearm, but I made too many changes to the design and as a result, it didn't work at all. So I thought I would get my feet back under me by building a super-simple unipivot arm.

Yes, that is a penny. A penny seemed like an easier and more ironic solution than cutting a very small piece of aluminum for the headshell mount. I didn't have much luck with making the headshell angle adjustable, so I picked an angle that looked right and glued it. I figure I can make the holes into slots with a file if I need to adjust it.

I really like this Rek-O-Kut. It is an idler wheel design, and some of the nicer idler turntables are attaining cult status. I hope that with a nice massive plinth, this one will sound good. That big cast aluminum washing machine knob is just so awesome. The motor and bearing seem really solid, but there is a bit of mechanical noise that can be heard by putting your ear to the base while the platter is turning. I can't imagine an idler drive being dead quiet.

There is no anti-skating yet, so the sound is quite skewed. The wiring is that Radio Shack Kynar insulated wirewrap stuff.

The pivot is made by drilling a hole through the arm from the bottom, and then using a small bit to make a little dimple in which the metal point sits. Drilling a hole through the arm and locating the pivot on the upper inside wall of the tube allows the center of gravity to be further below the pivot point, and also makes the arm slightly more difficult to knock off the pivot.