Warped records, records that won't hold...

[milkundcheese]

Sorry if this is a really overly basic question, but I've never been able to get a straight answer out of anyone. How do you go about fixing records that won't "hold" on the turntable anymore? I'm not trying to scratch with them or anything, I just want to be able to touch them without having them spin out of control.

Someone once told me to add tape to the center hole so there's more grip around that area. Anyone had luck with this?

[jeffrey]

If your records are warped=> your fucked and need to get new records.

If the center hole is too small or too large=> that can be modified

[186k\sec]

ive tried a couple of methods, blowdrying to microwaving - but found that storing the warped records vertically for a couple of months in a tight fitting & well packed box works best. it takes some patience, sort of like pressing leaves - store the box somewhere fairly warm & dry .

if that doesnt work......
rent a steamroller.

[milkundcheese]

What's the best way to modify the center hole if it's too large? Put tape around the inside of the "circle" until it hold better?

[djiraffe]

I've had a wad of TP or napkin around to put in the hole. Just tear off a bit, put it over the nipple, and slap the record on. Seems to hold but there's nothing to really take the warp out. I heard one person put it on a clothes line and spun it in the sun to take the warp out. Guess you'll have to wait till next June.

[Sophistik]

Originally posted by milkundcheese
What's the best way to modify the center hole if it's too large? Put tape around the inside of the "circle" until it hold better?

Actually, put the scotch tape in the shape of a pound sign (#) around the hole, but let a tiny little bit of overlap the hole on each side. Then place the record on the spindle, tape side down. This'll push the overlapping tape into the hole. Usually you only have to do this to one side, but if it's not enough grip you can do both side drops.

[dj metro]

You can also use some old paper backing of any stickers. Bumper sticker paper works the best. Cut a small strip off, and place in the hole with the slick side (side that the adhevise was against) towards the center so that it is facing the center peg. Work the paper to bend in the circular shape of the record hole, bend both side of the paper against the record, and place it on the turntable. Tape one side down, and then flip the record over and tape the other side. That will help fix the record from moving around when you are cueing or backspinning. If you need more paper, then follow the same steps. Be sure to keep the strips of paper fairly thin in width in case you need to use multiple pieces.

As far as warped records, there are a lot of different ways you can try to fix them but odds are that the record will always be warped. You can try and apply heat to the record and place it in between 2 hard and flat surfaces with a lot of weight. It is something that must be done carefully cause you can fuck the record up even worse than the shape it is in. I would try it on a record that is burned out or one that you don't use much that happens to be warped before you try it on the gems in your collection.

[Tekmatic]

for warped vinyl, try these....
http://www.djmart.com/aeslbyesblwh.html

[Sophistik]

Ok the final article:

So you have warped records and you don't know what to do with your cuts... sure, we've all been there before. You probably got pissed off and started screaming and kicking when you found that your favorite drops somehow ended up like they they were set on a barbeque. Maybe the people that shipped your wax tried to luggage test it even. You know what i’m talking about. I'm talking about the cuts you have in your collection that are so warped they skip back like a locked groove when you try to play them. Maybe they sound fucked up and out of pitch because of the warp. Maybe they are dished to hell and they don’t grip the slipmat. Maybe you have one of the ones you can’t cue because as soon as you touch one side of the record the other side pops up and shoots your needle off of it’s surface like a catapult. Never fear, you've just stumbled accross the solution to this problem, so that you can erradicate warps in your vinyl once and for all! Dope!

Before we begin I'd like to talk about a few things. Many of you have heard all kinds of theories and ideas on how to go about fixing warped vinyl. Most of them come from people that suggest solutions but haven’t tried any of ‘em themselves; Usually because the methods are pretty extreme. Who’s to blame anyone for not even attempting these methods when most of them sound like what you probably did to fxck up your ish to begin with? Blowdrying, sun baking, ovens, hot water etc... ?! What? Then there’s safer methods that use pressure and lots of waiting. These methods are usually something like setting the warped peice of wax between some heavy books and ish. The problem with this is, by the time it actually makes any difference on your record you’re gonna' be middle aged, you’ll have kids that won’t even think you are hip, and your wax has now become a classic. Weak.

First off, forget the other methods unless they’ve worked for you. Ok. If they have then great. Second off, this method will sound very extreme but trust me it works.. Infact it works very well. Below I’ll show you my results with a few choice selections that were really fxcked up wich are now fixed.

How fxcked up? I’m talking messed. These records were not sympatico anymore, dig?

As a precautionary and a disclaimer, you you don’t have to try this if you don’t want too. It worked for me, but there are risks involved if you fxck up. But rest assured, I wouldn’t be posting this article unless I knew that it was relatively safe and very effective.

I had tested this method last night on 3 records, 2 of wich were extremely warped and totally unplayable. These unfortunatly got this messed up because they were forgotten in my baby Kristina’s car this past summer. The sun was beating down on them, and they warped. Very badly. They must have been out there all day long, because some of them are just messed up beyond anything I have ever seen. A whole crate of them. Why Kristina and I haven’t tossed these in the trash is a wonder because they are so fxcked I remember throwing one accross a room like a frisbee. (I don’t think it even flew straight.) Since they were completely unplayable they were worthless to us, but on some of these, at least 1or 2 tracks would play towards the end of the record.

This method fix just about any slight to heavy warps you have in your vinyl. Even though I haven’t had any side effects I don’t recommend fixing tiny slightly annoying warps because why fix something that aint broken? You still run the slight risk of fxcking your record up if you do manage to mess-up, so do so at your own risk.

The following are the records I attempted this fix on last night:

Andre Basho - Boom Shaka: Totally warped at the beggining of the track, nearly impossible to cue. You had to be gentle as a feather with this or it would skip off the kick like a locked groove. ALso this was slightly dished.

Armand Van Helden - Phunk Phenmena:Folded up so you could not play either side at the begginning with out it skipping forward. The other side was totally dished, and warped to a point where it was completely unplayable and skipped no matter where you put the needle.

Bad Boy Bill - Everybody. This thing was fxcked a s two fxckers fxcking. I can’t even begin to explain how fxcked this thing was. One side looked like it was melted in a crimping iron and was wavy. The rest was deformed to hell. On top of it, the record was badly dished. You could not play anything on this except the 2 accapellas on the end.

--- My Results ----

Every single warp is gone except for tiny tell tale visual signs. These records are now straight as a board and as good as new. Additionally, there is no noticable drop in sound quality whatsoever. (surprising.) I would think by using this method that something would happen but nothing did. Hmm.

---- The Fix:----

What you will need:

A) 1 Wooden Cutting/Chopping Board

B) 2 Turntable Platters Removed From The Turntable. (This probably could be substituted for something of similar weight and size.)

C) Something to really clean your warped records, your platters, and your cutting board with. Windex, GruvGlide, Soap & Water etc...

D) A Conventional Oven. (Told you it might sound extreme.)


Clean off everything. Clean your platters' surfaces, the cutting board, and the vynil. We will be heating this up at low temperatures, but we still don't want anything that may melt and adhere onto the wax, or dust or anything. If you don't have proper things to wash your wax off you may use warm water and soap. It works fine. Pat dry with a towel, maybe fold it up inside it, and blow dry. Make sure this record is dry.

Place 1of the platters face up on the cutting board. Next place the warped vinyl with the most convexed side upwards. Try to line up the spindle holes the best that you can. Then place the other platter face down on top of the record - lining up the holes. It should appear like this: )|(

Note: If you are using Technics turntables, you may wish to remove the magnets from the platters. I happen to have 2 pairs of platters, one pair came from my old set of stantons and this is what i'm using.

The cool thing is that the platters are outter beveled at the edges. Your wax will sit with its lead-in's on it instead of the grooves. This will also help prevent scratching your record when you do this. It also prevents any unnecesary metal touching the grooves. The platters have blacking on them so that will absorb much of the heat, you don't have to worry about the metal frying your record. It's all really safe trust me.

Set your oven to Bake @ 220 Degrees. Make sure the rack is in the middle. If you are using an oven with analog controls you may wish to set this to 210 just to be safe incase your oven gets hotter than it says on the dial.

(I experimented with temperatures from 170-200 and still didn't get the vinyl to break its consistancy and remold... sure it got floppy but nothing happend. It just popped back the way it was. So try to shoot for 210-220)

You want 220 degress because this is the breaking temperature that the wax is going to become plyable to the point where it will actually sit in the position it forms too. It's also a very low temperature and you won't have to worry about fucking up your grooves.

Next set the cutting board, platters, and record inside the oven. I preffer to do this while it's preheating, I think heating up the wax gradually is a good thing. You're gonna wanna leave this in there for about 15 -17 minutes.

After 15-17 minutes on bake @ 220 degrees, shut the oven off, and open the door. Let the wax cool inside the oven slowly. After another 10 or 15 minutes or so, carefully take the cutting board out of the oven and set it some where to cool. The cooling method here is key. Really, you need to let it slowly cool while between the platters so that it takes it's new straight shape. It molds to conform in the oven, now it has to sit. Once it is cool and the platters are only slightly warm to the touch it's safe to remove the record.

Next, examine the record. It should be straight as an arrow with all groves intact. Congratulations, you now don't have to replace that peice of wax.

Next Try playing the record. Surprising how it isn't distorted at all, and there's no drop in audio quality? Amazing!

Note: Some warps, especially small "finger-sized" ones (the ones that skip and make a record unplayable) might require you to attempt this again. You may need to do it a little longer, or increase the temp. I wouldn't recommend temp increase for a prolonged amount of time and surely not over 225 degrees.

------------

There you have it folks, I've gone ahead and finally tried the low-oven heat, crossed with the glass plates in the sun method, but used platters, and it worked. You have no idea how surprised and happy I am to have these cuts back. :-D

-Dave

PS. it's better to use cheap platters like gemini or something. I wouldn't try sticking your techs platters, because I dont' know what that would do to the rhino-lining type space foam in there and the magnets.

[Jizosh]

Damn, man....All of that and you couldn't tell us how you did it!?

Inquiring minds want to know, dood.

[Cuban B]

haha, Seriously.

[Charlie Deep]

1. Set the warped record in its sleeve on a flat surface.
2. Have James Capricorn's mom sit on the warped record.
3. Wait 2 seconds and order James Capricorn's mom to stand up (warning: a longer duration may damage the record and make it completely unplayable).
4. The record should be unwarped now. Enjoy!

[Sophistik]

Originally posted by Jizosh
Damn, man....All of that and you couldn't tell us how you did it!?

Inquiring minds want to know, dood.

Yea I know what a novel eh?Then the boss walked in and goes "ahem!". lol. He's been out all day so I had the time. I'll be back around 5PM tonight to add it. I'll even shoot for some photos, and some before and afters because some of these are totally whacked. The whole process takes about 45 mins per record, heating, setting, and cooling, a little of a pain but it works like a dream. I was about to toss two of those tracks but decided, "Hey why not try since they are that messed up." And hey, it worked. :-D

[djslyck]

i have never been good with dramatic climaxes....I need immediate gratification
lol

[Sophistik]

Well in the mean time you could try Charlie's idea. :-P

[Sophistik]

Ok there it is, posted!

[edotdj]

man, mr wizard ain't got shit on dave!

[solenoid]

The public library I work at (downtown Portland) used to have a large vinyl collection and when a single record out of an expensive 5-7 record set would warp, they'd usually fix it rather than replacing it. In fact, they pretty much fixed all their records.

There was a one-sheet of instructions which I wish I'd copied now, but from memory, I remember it involved:

-preheating the (staff lunchroom) oven to 200
-putting the record on a clean cookie sheet (no crumbs or specks of dirt)
-baking the record for 10 min
-putting a round peice of blank paper that is smaller than the lip of the rim
on either side
-putting this between two peices of 1/2" glass and stacking a complete set of Books Of Knowledge (outdated 1940's kids' encyclopedias) on it with one volume underneath the bottom.
-let it cool for 25 minutes

I remember that they would save up the warped records and do multiples so that the oven didn't have to be preheated over and over. Also, they had ample collection of outdated encyclopedias to stack and multiple panes of glass.

The downtown library must have done hundreds of records this way, over the years for all the warped records from the county branches as well. I wish they'd now get one of those cd grinder-fixers, though!


solenoid

[Sophistik]

See? There's a similar method. I think it's that ppl are too chicken shit or lazy to try stuff like that. It totally doesn't mess up the grooves at all either.

I do think this should be sticky tho. ;)

[KrisTina54]

*cough* make this thread a sticky *cough*


Dave's lucky his little idea on doing this worked...these are my records he used..I woulda beat his little butt if he wrecked them even more!!!!!!!

[Jizosh]

Originally posted by KrisTina54
*cough* make this thread a sticky *cough*


Dave's lucky his little idea on doing this worked...these are my records he used..I woulda beat his little butt if he wrecked them even more!!!!!!!

Well, ok...but only cause you coughed on me.

[Sophistik]

Originally posted by KrisTina54
*cough* make this thread a sticky *cough*


Dave's lucky his little idea on doing this worked...these are my records he used..I woulda beat his little butt if he wrecked them even more!!!!!!!

Yeah, lucky it worked because if it didn't you would have some "Badly Barbeque'd Bill" in your collection. :D

[ALATIN]

Originally posted by milkundcheese
What's the best way to modify the center hole if it's too large? Put tape around the inside of the "circle" until it hold better?

You should go to the store and buy the paper binder protector sheets. The hole is perfect, there is no cutting and gluing. If you use anything that isn't perfectly round then you take the chance of warping your record slighty. Not warp but it won't spin correctly.
You used to use the binder protectors in school to reduce the chance of your paper ripping at the hole punched part.

Warping records - well I used to live in an area where glass wasn't hard to come by. But you can put the record between two peices of glass and put weight onto it. Put it outside in the sun for about an hour. In the glass it won't give it a reason to warp up and down. Make sure you bring it in and let it cool down inside with weight still on top of it until it cools. Hope this helps.
Natanya

[Tekmatic]

you can also smash the grooves of your record by putting it under hot glass.

[Winks]

but I have to say that I'm really amused by reading all the ways to fix the hole vinyl.
I thought Macguyver died in the 80's but you all impress me ;)

[skilife]

Ive been fixing my records in the oven for years now, but i use thick pieces of glass instead of the platters, and put them on a block of wood as well. i told one of my friends about this. He had barrowed one of my favorate records and said he had some records to fix so he was going to fix mine for me at the same time. The idiot put them in a pizza box in the oven, and it cought on fire. lol

[Sophistik]

Originally posted by skilife
Ive been fixing my records in the oven for years now, but i use thick pieces of glass instead of the platters, and put them on a block of wood as well. i told one of my friends about this. He had barrowed one of my favorate records and said he had some records to fix so he was going to fix mine for me at the same time. The idiot put them in a pizza box in the oven, and it cought on fire. lol

Thats the most hillarious thing I've ever fucking heard Nate.

I'd be using glass too if I had some.

[ILL_Eeze_One]

Originally posted by skilife
Ive been fixing my records in the oven for years now, but i use thick pieces of glass instead of the platters, and put them on a block of wood as well. i told one of my friends about this. He had barrowed one of my favorate records and said he had some records to fix so he was going to fix mine for me at the same time. The idiot put them in a pizza box in the oven, and it cought on fire. lol


lol...genuis

[schizm]

Check

[schizm]

Now I know how I can fix all those records that come from Platinum! I have grip of dish bowl vinyl that comes from those guys. I was even aware of how dished out some of their new vinyl was up on the shelf, but found some good tracks that I wanted to own and just hoped for the best. Later in the game, I pick up a record and wonder what I did to make a cereal bowl out of it, check the point of purchase and it all makes sense, I bought it at PLATINUM. This is a serious ongoing phenomenon. Is it something during their shipping/handling process? And why is it only this store? Surely I can't be the only one who noticed.
e

[solenoid]

Originally posted by schizm
Later in the game, I pick up a record and wonder what I did to make a cereal bowl out of it, check the point of purchase and it all makes sense, I bought it at PLATINUM. This is a serious ongoing phenomenon. Is it something during their shipping/handling process? And why is it only this store? Surely I can't be the only one who noticed.
e

So you are saying that the vinyl was fine and then later on you found it had warped into the subtle bowl shaped ('bowed' is what I call it)?

I think that you should look at how the vinyl is being stored. for instance, if you have them stacked horizontally, and they aren't perfectly centered, you might find that they develop a bowl-shaped. This is because some records are thicker in the middle and this means that vertically stacking them such that they kind of lean off-center makes a heavy pressure on the outer-edge parts of all the records underneath (the level where the off-center stacking begins).
This is similar to how cds are thicker in the center (a special ridge that makes the surfaces not actually rest on each other when you store them in a spindle.

Another way that this can happen in storage is if the record is leaned against a wall-like-surface with a large number of records leaning against it. Like this:

|
| <-- wall or vertical surface

|\ a
| \
| \ b1 <---- lots more records pushing this way <---
| \ b2
|__\ c ___(floor)___

point (b1) and (b2) may eventually warp subtley toward the wall/floor corner as months of weight/pressure and temperature changes take their toll.
I've only noticed this to be a problem when the records are stored under this weight through entire seasons of the year without moving. I suppose this could happen in a record store, but it seems like the records are moved around quite a bit and not stored with 300-400 records leaning in one single row.

In other words, the goal is to store your records in as vertical a position as possible, with no extreme weight or stress being applied over a long period of time.

My basis of experience is that
I have about 4000 records, had about 3000 in '95 and had 500 by 1990, so I've had all kinds of storage/moving-records issues to see various warping effects, unfortunately.

I suspect you can't really blame Platinum unless the records stayed in the store a long long time. The records Platinum sells were pressed in the same plants that the records in all the other stores sell. Also, I've dug through thousands of Platinum's old storage records, which have been sitting in that store since they moved to that location (pdx store) and those records were no more or less warped than any others I've ever seen in any other store (and I'm something of a jet-setting-record-shopping-vinyl-aka-blackcrack-FREAK-aholic)

solenoid
solenoid

[Sophistik]

hahahhahhahahaahah. I've fixed tons.

[KidKaBoom]

I think you should fix some of my records for me Dave, I'll give you a pickle and some cheese!!

KABOOM

[schizm]

i wish no, and I tried to evaluate it from as neutral a perspective as I could dredge and still, I see warped records, I wish that I had you experince sans the warp value. Chim chiminey, chim chim cherie...
bye now
e

[Sophistik]

Originally posted by KidKaBoom
I think you should fix some of my records for me Dave, I'll give you a pickle and some cheese!!

KABOOM

Sure dude, I was actually going to fix a couple new ones I got today when I got home from work...

It's really a must-know technique, especially with all the titles that get warped in the mail.

[the_planet]

Get a candy bracelet (hear me out) or something of similiar construction and center the record on top of it. Then, get four books and place them on the very edges of the record, and leave it alone for a few days.

It's worked for me for a record that was bowled out. Now it's flat. It might also work for a warped record, but I suppose you may have to repeat the procedure for the other side.

[mcr]

i like to come at those house cuts with my heater:) lol

[Sunyata]

Sick yea!
I tryed this out yesterday using my technic platters. I was very worried about melting the rubber on the underside, but I tryed it anywayz and it worked perfect. This is an excellent way for anybody to fixed there warped records.

Thank you Sophistik!

Peace,

Ryan

[evan604]

i have done something similar using the microwave... I took an old school copy of Dumonde - See the Light, that had a HUGE warp,... put it into the microwave for like 18 seconds, and literally SHOOK the warp out of it.

I must, admit the person who started this thread is unecessarily long winded.

[Sunyata]

Sophistik seems to know his shi* when it comes fixing records. If he says scotch tape the hole in the shape of (#) then thats what you should do. Also for anyone who has warped records should read his lengthy but very effective thread at the top of this forum. It takes 30-45 minutes to fix a warped record using using his technic.

peace,

Ry

[JiveTurkeyMoFo]

for warped records using glass works just fine, it's never crushed any grooves on my records or anyone else i know that uses that technique. Instead of putting it outside in the sun i just toss it in the oven for a while at a low temerature without any weight besides that of the top glass.

[protoCall7]

I've noticed that a lot of records i get from platinum are nicely bowled as well... Just thought it was a coincidence til i saw you posting about it as well... Odd.

Peace,
Peter

[+Russ]

Thanks for the info on the exact oven temp!

I had always heard the the bowing or bowling effect was the fault of the vinyl presser. If they press it, take it off the machine and stack it horizontally before it cools properly.

[Winks]

ok so I have a question since I'm going to start collecting vinyl.

How do I prevent warping? Is there one way that is better to store them than another?
What would you tell a new DJ to keep from having problems later?

Thanks for the help ;)

Winks

[tr0llaccount]

buy some nice record cases, and keep them COOL!!!

[Jizosh]

Don't we already have a discussion going on about this??

[djakranox]

damn kid thanks i just fixed like some of my favs that were all funked up so good looking out thanks again.
akranox!

[DJAugie]

The oven can be a really REALLY bad idea. You can totally fuck your record

<---------personal experience...but...

...if you do it carefully it can be done (and its faster then placing the record in a box.

1. Pre-heat oven to lowest (warm) heat
2. Find 2 heavy, flat objects bigger then the record
3. When oven is hot place record between flat objects and leave the oven door open.
4. Leave untill oven is totally cool.

Too much heat and the record will turn into a wilted flower looking thingy

If you take the record out too early it will be floppy and you will have a piece of modern art

[Daz]

I used to just throw my really fucked records inside of their sleeves and put them in the back of my car under a stack of books... during the heat of the summer (i'm from where it gets realllllllll hot)

it definitely didn't work as fast as this method.. but that shit got extremely flat :)

[unknownp0et]

Originally posted by DJAugie


Too much heat and the record will turn into a wilted flower looking thingy

If you take the record out too early it will be floppy and you will have a piece of modern art

http://www.naughtysecretaryclub.com/recordbox10.jpg

Modern art ain't all that bad... heh

"Awww mom, what'd ya do to my Digweed LP!!???"

[Sophistik]

Yeah you guys are all welcome. :) Glad to be of help!