How To Repair Warped Records

If you accept a collection of vinyl records, you lot have likely come up across the ever and so feared warped record. Everyone has at least one in their collection. So if you are in the market to fix warped records, this article is for you. Possibly y'all bought a big collection of used vinyl records or even inherited a collection of records and noticed that a few of them make your turntable arm wobble.

So, how do you fix a warped record?

There are several ways to attempt to fix a warped tape but only a few relatively safe means.

1. Place your record, while nonetheless in its inner sleeve, betwixt ii heavy books that are the same size as the records and leave for at least a week.
2. Buy a record flattener.
3. Pay a place with a flattening service.

Here is the short and skinny of the whole thing: unless you are willing to pay a lot for a expert tape flattener or you are willing to pay someone else to use their record flattening services, then you are going to have mixed results at flattening your warped tape. We are going to discuss and review a lot of the methods yous may see floating around while besides answering other questions you may have.

How Do Records Become Warped?

Several things can cause your records to warp. 1 of the most common problems with vinyl records that crusade warping is improper storage. We would highly suggest you read this related commodity well-nigh tape storage. If you do not store records properly, then add straight sunlight and/or rut into the equation, and y'all have a recipe for disaster.

Heat is the number one enemy for vinyl records. Records are fabricated from vinyl plastic and having sun and estrus on them will well-nigh guarantee they become warped over fourth dimension. As the records heat up they go softer and because they are thin and soft already it will take very piddling pressure to warp them. That is why you have to store them properly at all times.

Can You Play A Warped Record?

This greatly depends on exactly how warped your vinyl record has become. You plainly can not play a tape that has turned into a salad bowl! Notwithstanding, if your record is by and large flat and just wobbles a bit, y'all can admittedly still play them. The only problem you lot may come across is the audio may not sound perfect within the dips and rise of the wobble.

The other question we ordinarily get with this question is will information technology damage your turntable or stylus. We are happy to say playing warped albums that are still playable, or slightly warped, will not harm your stylus or turntable. This does non mean you should just that you can. If your record is extremely damaged it can, even so, impairment your stylus past forcing the stylus to bound and popular around.

Can You Fix A Warped Vinyl Tape?

The question of can you really fix a warped vinyl record is a difficult i. Some options that piece of work meliorate than others, just sometimes they do non make sense economically. However, if your only selection is to throw away the record because it will not play, so what do y'all really accept to lose? If you tin can set up it for little to no money, it may be worth a shot. Just keep in mind that in the search for a set up you could cause severe irreversible damage to the records which makes the album worse.

So What Are My Options For Flattening A Warped Tape?

We take seen several methods mentioned on the internet, in forums, in shops, and around circles. Our goal hither is not to requite you lot exact instructions on the methods as this is non a "How To" and, bluntly, we practice not desire you to harm your record further which most methods will do. Nosotros volition yet requite a brief explanation and overview of the method and then discuss the cons each pose.

*Before attempting any flattening method, please, any you do, be sure to thoroughly clean your record a few times to ensure you exercise not either scratch it or permanently embed impurities, grit, and clay into your record.

Heavy Object Sandwich Method

What we call the "Heavy Object Sandwich Method" is almost every bit uncomplicated as it sounds.

1. Make clean your tape thoroughly and we hateful thoroughly. It may not hurt to clean information technology more than once to be positive.
2. Allow your record to completely dry.
3. Identify your record back into its inner sleeve (not the record outer jacket with the artwork).
4. Identify your record betwixt two heavy objects that are at least 12 inches by 12 inches.
5. Exit for an extended catamenia of fourth dimension (commonly weeks).

Cons We See

• If you lot exercise non take a book or heavy object the same size every bit a record or larger, yous tin can damage your tape.
• If you exercise not make clean your record first, you can deeply scratch your record with the grit or dirt on the record. Seriously, fifty-fifty if it only looks make clean, clean it anyhow. There is cipher worse than thinking you lot take fixed your warped record to now find a gauge in the record and accept it popping or worse skipping.
• Mix reports on if information technology works. This will likely only piece of work on a record that has one warp or is curved like a parenthesis mark such every bit this (. This has worked for me personally on the times I take tried information technology, but merely for pocket-sized warps.
• Definitely will not work on S-shaped warps, but may reduce them.

Glass Pane Method

The "Glass Pane Method" is a method that floats around a lot and can be extremely unsafe for your vinyl.

1. Make clean your record thoroughly and nosotros hateful thoroughly. It may not hurt to make clean it more than than once to exist positive.
2. Allow your tape to completely dry.
3. Place your record betwixt 2 panes of drinking glass at to the lowest degree 12 inches by 12 inches (probably best to take larger like xv inches by 15 inches).
4. Place your record in your oven while in between the glass panes at a low temperature for a sure amount of time.
5. Pull your records out of the oven.
6. Place a heavy object on top of the glass pane.
7. Allow the record to come to a complete cool back to room temperature.
8. The primal here is low and slow on estrus and the cooling is central to success.

Cons We See

• Seriously, Practice NOT DO THIS TO YOUR RECORDS…
• Consumer ovens often tin can not go low enough and keep the temperature that depression without going over for long. Consumer ovens use temperatures over your preferred oestrus to get the oven to heat up and every bit they absurd they do it once more over and over.  This results in uneven heating and overheating.
• This can literally melt your record.
• If not careful this can flatten the grooves.
• If you do not clean your record first you can embed the clay and dust inside the vinyl making information technology impossible to remove. Seriously, even if information technology simply looks clean, clean information technology anyway.
• Fifty-fifty if this only slightly melts your tape this can crusade bubbling which will make your stylus bounce, pop, and even become stuck.

Short version – Only exercise not do this.

Tile Method

This method combines weight and fifty-fifty heat at the same fourth dimension which is the right idea just information technology is not full-proof.

1. Clean your record thoroughly and we hateful thoroughly. Information technology may not hurt to clean information technology more once to be positive.
2. Permit your tape to completely dry out.
3. Clean your two 12 inches by 12 inches or larger ceramic or marble sleeky tiles (probably all-time to have larger like fifteen inches by 15 inches for added weight)
4. Oestrus the tiles with hot water or oven until they are thoroughly warm (not likewise hot equally information technology can melt the poly sleeves).
5. Dry your tiles completely if using water.
6. Identify your record between the two tiles.
7. Identify a heavy object on acme of the tiles.
8. Allow the record to come to a complete cool back to room temperature.
9. Echo as needed.

Cons We See

• If you search this method, some recommend putting it in the oven much like the "Glass Pane Method." Again we practise not recommend y'all ever place records in the oven. Consumer ovens often can not go low enough and keep the temperature that low without going over for long. This results in uneven heating and overheating.
• If non careful, this can flatten the grooves.
• If you practise not clean your record kickoff, you can embed the dirt and grit inside the vinyl making information technology impossible to remove. Seriously, even if it just looks clean, clean it anyway.
• Fifty-fifty if this only slightly melts your record this tin cause bubbles which will make your stylus bounciness, pop, and fifty-fifty get stuck.
• The important thing to remember is that this needs to be washed carefully low and slow is always better.

Record Flattener Device

This is not really a method and is more than of a thing you would have to buy to effort and flatten your record. Record flatteners accept mixed reviews of success on the low end of the pricing scale, and the ones that work the all-time are very expensive. Information technology may not be worth your coin to flatten ane $25 record when you tin purchase a new 1 for $25. Even if you found a rare gem the ability to flatten past purchasing one of these devices would not be cost-effective.

Your Options

• Record Clamp – These will help minor warps but are not uniform with a lot of turntables.
• The Vinyl Flat – We would suggest getting the flattener and their heater.
• Orb Disc Flattener – This i is more than difficult to notice but information technology is what the record flattening service companies use. These can price between $1000 – $2000.

Cons We See

• These are not guaranteed to work.
• You can overheat using this method also if not done advisedly.
• The cost of the Orb Disc Flattener makes information technology not brand much economic sense. Yous can replace a lot of warped records for the toll of this device.

Tape Flattening Service

This is the best merchandise-off on getting your records flattened and non either ruining them or spending a small fortune. This is probably your safest option. While withal not guaranteed to requite you a perfect record back, information technology is however your safest choice.

Some services take limits on the number you can mail them at once and others do non. Sometimes your local tape shop guys accept a flattening service offered also that you may want to await into. When we say local guy, nosotros mean that new locally endemic hipster shop or the old mom and popular record shop that'south been in the customs for l years.

What's The Price?

Services we have seen vary in price, have varying expect times, and apparently shipping cost if you are mailing them abroad. Some services come with new inner and outer poly sleeves and cleaning which nosotros actually similar!

We have seen local guys offering these services at varying prices, and we have found online companies as well. I we found online that offers ultrasonic cleaning service and flattening with new sleeves for $10 is over at Originals Vinyl in San Francisco, CA. We suggest calling them to learn more or visit their website.

If this can be done using media mail both ways, y'all can likely get out of there only spending between $15-$xx depending on the book you send and shipping rates. That may not exist a bad deal if your record is worth more than $20 to replace.

Cons We See

• Like with shipping annihilation, you could lose your record or damage your record while shipping it.
• Still not guaranteed to flatten or be perfect afterward.

What We Recommend For Flattening Your Records

There are some safer methods out of the ones mentioned in this article and those are by and large the ones we would try first. Nosotros take our preferred methods that we think could work best and chance the least.

1. Prevention – That's right, our number ane method for flattening your warped record is to non even let them become warped in the first place. Sure, this sounds similar a cop-out, just zippo is equally constructive as this. If vinyl records are stored upright and in the right weather condition, y'all would never have to chance melting your tape into submission.
2. Heavy Object Sandwich Method – This 1 nosotros believe is your safest at-habitation depression or no-cost option. Nosotros really think that mixed the tile or drinking glass method with this method without heat would make for fifty-fifty better results. If yous had two heavy 12 inches ten 12 inches or larger marble or ceramic tiles or pieces of glass and placed your cleaned sleeved tape betwixt them and and then placed a book on top for a week, this would probably yield great results.
3. Record Flattener Device – We hesitate to recommend annihilation that you could potentially damage your records with, however, if you are one that's a DIY and feel like you tin handle post-obit the instructions perfectly, this may work for you. We really like The Vinyl Apartment device with their heater. The reason we suggest also purchasing their heater is it will more than evenly heat then your oven will. Ovens heat past the point of the temperature they are set to maintain and tin easily melt your records. We feel like the Vinyl Flat is a great balance of pricing and features.
4. Record Flattening Service – This would be our 2nd preferred method to prevention for general users every bit someone who does this at least semi-regularly will be paying special attending to your records while cleaning and attempting to flatten your warped record. The biggest downside here is time if you are sending it off and the potential for it to get lost in the mail service. Imagine sending off that original press of Pink Floyd – The Wall just to take it get lost or destroyed in the mail. That would exist a full bummer. While non worth a lot, the record is yet a cool slice of Pink Floyd history and memorabilia.

All-in-all, you have to ask yourself, is information technology worth the trouble for a $20-$30 tape? Probably not. Also, are you willing to put your most treasured record with a slight warp under stress and potentially damage it more than? Probably not. Sometimes only ownership a new tape is what you take to do.

Happy listening, and we hope yous enjoyed the read.

Source: https://vinylbro.com/fix-a-warped-record/

Posted by: wilkinsficky1982.blogspot.com

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