Bent records....

[admin_exported]

Just went and picked up a pretty good record collection from Braintree. It was a buy-it-now for £50 and is full of original Beatles and Bowies... it was the pride and joy of the previous owner who had stopped listening to them because of 'the kids'... (to the fathers of the forum; are kids that disruptive to enjoying listening to music or is it just an excuse for people to give up a bit? I could not imagine living without a decent stereo now... no matter how many depressed tweeters and knackered stylus, but maybe I am merely a childless idealist...).

Anyway back on point. I am sure that I am not the first to ask this... his pride and joy got stuffed into two boxes and placed in the garage and now all this wonderful vinyl is bent, still plays but it is a little U shaped. I have stacked them all on top of one another on a hard floor with a plank of wood and weights on top and I am going on holiday for a week... is that the best way? Is there a way? I am not returning all these gems to Braintree, oh no, they deserve a better life... with me... someone give me hope?

 

[Anonymous]

Are they bent to one side, or warped? If they're bent, you can try straightening by holding near a heater and then leaving under something flat. Try it with your least favourite record first as there is a bit of a knack - but it did work quite well for me in the past.
Otherwise, I know there used to be services that would help de-warp (and could also help de-scratch records). Maybe check in the DJ world as vinyl is still used a lot there. I'm in Australia so I couldn't tell you where they are in the UK.

BTW, as a dad, I can assure you that it's more that they fiddle with absolutely everything. You need to pack everything out of reach until they're about 3. I've walked into our lounge many times to find my two with the volume and selector knobs from my amp poking out each of their mouths. don't even ask what they've put in the CD player....Simple solution is keep everything high. It might not be sonically perfect, but it's still pretty good. But at least my kids are getting an appreciation of great music (lots of funk, beatles, stones and bowie). Music is still my sanity - but both my kids want to learn how to DJ now...

good luck

 

[Anonymous]

The old fashioned way of doing it was to place them between 2 sheets of plate glass (if they are not too far gone) and leave in the sun..........problem is not finding the glass but finding the sun....I suppose some other heat source would work just as well....Do not remove while still warm..allow to cool first.

 

[chebby]

raym87:The old fashioned way of doing it was to place them between 2 sheets of plate glass (if they are not too far gone) and leave in the sun..........problem is not finding the glass but finding the sun....I suppose some other heat source would work just as well....Do not remove while still warm..allow to cool first.

That's the kids dealt with, how about the warped records?

 

[floyd droid]

chebby:
raym87:The old fashioned way of doing it was to place them between 2 sheets of plate glass (if they are not too far gone) and leave in the sun..........problem is not finding the glass but finding the sun....I suppose some other heat source would work just as well....Do not remove while still warm..allow to cool first.

That's the kids dealt with, how about the warped records?

And the warped sense of humour. Very funny chebby, nice one.

 

[Anonymous]

Dom Tych:Are they bent to one side, or warped? If they're bent, you can try straightening by holding near a heater and then leaving under something flat. Try it with your least favourite record first as there is a bit of a knack - but it did work quite well for me in the past.
Otherwise, I know there used to be services that would help de-warp (and could also help de-scratch records). Maybe check in the DJ world as vinyl is still used a lot there. I'm in Australia so I couldn't tell you where they are in the UK.

BTW, as a dad, I can assure you that it's more that they fiddle with absolutely everything. You need to pack everything out of reach until they're about 3. I've walked into our lounge many times to find my two with the volume and selector knobs from my amp poking out each of their mouths. don't even ask what they've put in the CD player....Simple solution is keep everything high. It might not be sonically perfect, but it's still pretty good. But at least my kids are getting an appreciation of great music (lots of funk, beatles, stones and bowie). Music is still my sanity - but both my kids want to learn how to DJ now...

good luck

Hiya... cheers for that... I am making a distinction between bent and warped here (I dunno if it is one that actually exists) but when I was googling 'warped' seemed to mean that one side had shrunk and the record was unplayable, whereas 'bent' seemed to mean that everything was kind of fine but the record had a curvature... my records (so far) are the latter.

The two traditional solutions are both in appearance here; yours, use external heat and reverse bend and the other (two bits of plate glass in the sun) and whilst I might try them I think that there is a risk with each of them that makes me blanche a bit... I can imagine me making a hash of both (and being left with either a wierd record sculture, or worse me standing in the ashes of my home holding a straight record, or some kind of plate glass record sandwich)...

I guess I was initially hoping for someone to say that the weight/pressure/time idea works (there is massive debate about its effectiveness) and initially that is what I am going with. If I get back from the holiday though and it has not worked I might contact a glazier or dig out that convector heater as there are a few Thompson Twins records which are sacrificable...

 

[Anonymous]

raym87:The old fashioned way of doing it was to place them between 2 sheets of plate glass (if they are not too far gone) and leave in the sun..........problem is not finding the glass but finding the sun....I suppose some other heat source would work just as well....Do not remove while still warm..allow to cool first.

Well leave it a few years and I am sure that it will harder to find shade as we all live on the roofs of our permanently flooded homes

Have you actually done this one? I thought that it was an bit of an urban legend... as I said to the previous responder, if weight/time/pressure does not work I might have to experiment with this one on me flat roof and publish the results.... watch this space (actually it will be a new thread).

 

[Anonymous]

chebby:
raym87:The old fashioned way of doing it was to place them between 2 sheets of plate glass (if they are not too far gone) and leave in the sun..........problem is not finding the glass but finding the sun....I suppose some other heat source would work just as well....Do not remove while still warm..allow to cool first.

That's the kids dealt with, how about the warped records?

Careful Chebby you cannot stuff like that today without the SS (Social Services) beating down your door and you (whilst the real so and so's get 3 months and released) and your name being published in The Sun....

(Disclaimer: Bloatedgut is a Guardian reading, foppish, middle class liberal of little backbone and annoyingly louche views and does not believe a word of the supposed 'joke' written herein above).

 

[Anonymous]

yeah but at least the kids'll be straightened out.

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Definitely try the heat/bend an hold, followed by storing flat. But test a couple of 'expendable' records first to get the feel. As I mentioned earlier there is a bit of a knack, but that's basically down to not overly forcing anything. Older Vinyl tends to be thicker, but you won't be melting the grooves unless you go crazy.

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[seasiders rock]

or invest in a decent record clamp....

i use a nagoaka, which works very well....

pro-ject, michell...take your pick....loads to choose from.

 

[Anonymous]

Do slightly warped records sound worse? Or are they bad for the cartridge?