My Lenco Turntable Project

SCompRacer

I have been a lurker in the now defunct Lenco Lover's forum, currently lurking in the Lenco Heaven forum, followed parts 1 and 2 of the Building high-end 'tables cheap at Home Despot thread at Audiogon along with keeping up on Jean Nantais?s work there. Despite having a pretty nice high mass belt drive turntable/arm/cartridge combination, I decided it was time to get on with this project to see if the modded Lenco lives up to the ?belt drive killer? hype.

If you are not familiar with the Swiss made Lenco turntable but wish to be, check out the wiki article.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lenco_Turntables

Or; Building high-end 'tables cheap at Home Despot II.

http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr.pl?eanlg&1157059532&read&keyw&zzhome+despot

Or; the Lenco Heaven forum.

http://www.lencoheaven.net/

Basically you have a four pole AC Swiss motor with a tapered spindle turning an idler drive wheel that spins the platter. Plenty of torque to get through whatever the groove throws at the stylus without slowing down. You can go from mild to wild on these builds as there are custom parts available, like Titanium idler wheels, platter bearings, folks offering build to order heavy plinths of layered/constrained layer materials and even the uber Slate material. There is a fellow in Amsterdam that waterjets out a thick flat top plate out of Stainless that decouples the motor that normally hangs from the stamped pan. Folks have mounted both inexpensive and pricey arms on the heavy plinth Lenco, even air bearing linear trackers.

I had purchased my Lenco L75 two or three years ago before even beater tables were fetching a high price. Mine had a junk tone arm but the mechanicals were good. It has the desirable 5 hole metal idler drive, the heavy platter (4kg or 9 pounds) and is the 110/60Hz version. Basically the idea is to get rid of the stock hollow plinth and build a heavy layered or constrained layer plinth. Some even use poured concrete or what some say is the best material, a thick slab of Slate.

I am staying with the stock parts for now, just clean and lube. The plinth wil be made up of six layers of Baltic Birch which will be glued and screwed together. You can leave the top pan complete or cut it up. With the pan full size, your choices of arms is restricted to the existing hole in the pan. By cutting most of the pan off, you can install any 9" - 12" arm made, providing the plinth is large enough. I like the minimal look of the cut top plate anyway. I retained the original on/off switch position as it also controls linkage that disengages the idler wheel when turned off. On the left is the speed control, 16 to 78.

Thinking down the road of possible resale, my plan is to make an arm board configuration that will fit the popular 9" arms. I planned to use my 12" Moerch DP6 currently mounted on my Nottingham Space 294. I may still try the Moerch, but it looks like I just committed to buy doctorcilantro's AdvanceDAnalog MG-1 Air Bearing Linear Tracking Tonearm. There are folks at Lenco Heaven that use this arm and love the results.

I have the layers cut out. I will temporarily assemble the layers with just screws to figure out the arm board design and make sure it all fits. Not sure of the finish, but I am considering seal and paint the plinth instead of a stained wood finish.

george daniel

serious build there Rich,,man,,you're dug in deep eh?

FTGV

Thats a very involved rebuild Rich ,I'll be keeping a eye on your progress.

schwarcw

I am anxious to see how this project proceeds. Rich's craftsmanship is priceless as the build quality will be impeccable.

Resale? Don't even advertise! Call me immediately when you have made the decision. I am a patient man, take your time and enjoy.

Great project! Good luck!

Polkersince85

Nice project. Swiss made just like the watches. I have an old Dual 1228 that I need to rebuild for my 78 records.

.

Fongolio

Very nice project. I love these rebuild/mod posts.....probably because I love modding/rebuilding.

schwarcw

I'm interested in the internal and tonearm wiring selection. Are you going to have an RCA "outbox"?

SCompRacer

Thanks very much for the kind words.....

schwarcw wrote: »

I'm interested in the internal and tonearm wiring selection. Are you going to have an RCA "outbox"?

Carl, most likely no on the RCA box. Most Lenco builds have holes drilled/cut beneath the arm board through all the layers of the plinth to route the tonearm wiring out.



Now The MG-1 air bearing arm I acquired from doc does have two short runs of 1/8" coax to an external RCA box. If I chose to use it, I could run the tonearm wires external along the top of plinth and attach the box to the rear of plinth. Or I could desolder the box, run the wiring through drilled passages and resolder it. I may just run from the cartridge/tonearm straight to the ModWright phono stage. That will eliminate the S video connector the tone arm wiring plugs into and another set of IC's from the RCA box to the phono pre.




Here is where I am at. I just have the plinth layers screwed together for now. They will be glued and screwed after the armboard/cutouts are made. I used my drill press to accurately drill mounting holes for the pan. Blind nuts are installed in the third layer of the plinth for machine screw threaded fasteners so there will be no wood screws to strip when tightening the pan down. I'll also use blind nuts for the arm board and the adjustable feet.

I hadn't designed the plinth for the linear tracking arm, so I have some things to work out. Like the on/off switch idler wheel disconnect lever will hit the bottom of the linear tracking tonearm. I may have to go with the 16 speed position on/off idler wheel disconnect mod, or make a shorter switch lever. If I had known I was getting a linear tracking arm, I would have moved the pan 1/2" toward the front and would have been able to mount the MG-1 at the left rear of plinth.

ESavinon

That's going to be one hell of a turntable you're building there!

FTGV

Wow .I suspect that mounting that LT arm requires extreme precision in that at only one exact point will it give the correct stylus/record geometry?

schwarcw

Oh man! This is awesome looking! That air arm from Dr. C was the finishing touch on what will become a masterpiece. Beautiful!

Face

Nice job on cutting the BB.

SCompRacer

Thanks again for the kind words. Mike, I miss my table saw...I sold it after cutting these layers a couple of years ago.

FTGV wrote: »

Wow .I suspect that mounting that LT arm requires extreme precision in that at only one exact point will it give the correct stylus/record geometry?

It is a bunch more work to me compared to a pivoted arm. I've been spoiled with articulated armboards. Turn to set the pivot to spindle distance, tighten it, set stylus overhang and double check alignment with my Feickert and play. Further verify with voltmeter or scope if you really want to get down in it.

A nice plastic coated template is included that aligns the center of all holes off the spindle (mounting, air line, tonearm wiring). There is a specified spindle to center of the arm mount stud. The template is bordered with mm ruler markings that you can align with centering lines drawn across the plinth. Then there are three Allen screws arranged in a triangle on the arm base around that stud. Tighten/loosen until you are square. Access is via holes in the top of mount.

You really gotta be on the level with this table. Make sure the table is level, the platter is level to the table and make the air beam level to the platter. The air beam tube must also be parallel to the centerline of spindle. The arm tube is adjustable to put the stylus on target. A nice plastic coated alignment guide is included for that as well.

I decided on a rear mount. The arm board does hang off the back slightly. As I mentioned earlier I had not planned on installing an air bearing linear tracker. The original plan was for a 9" and 12" arm, then I saw doc's ad..... I do plan to add an armboard cutout for the popular Rega arm to make the plinth more sellable, if and when I do. I'm already thinking of building a PTP (Peter's Top Plate) Lenco, which is a flat stainless plate instead of the stamped pan.

It sounds pretty darn good even in this roughed in trial state. It is still just screwed together. The air pump is slightly noisy but will be installed in the basement. I had to add a quick and dirty ground to silence a hum as I haven't installed a grounded power cord as yet.

PRAT and dynamics are excellent. No lack of bass with this arm, at all. I have an old Acutex MM cartridge on it for now and the old dog sounds fantastic. This table deserves a fine finish. Some folks leave the plinth square, some radius the corners, some paint and some stain or leave the plinth natural. Many of the denizens at the Lenco Lovers also name their tables, so I'm thinking of cutting angles at the corners and beveling the top and bottom edges, painting it and call it..... Beveley. If I eff up, I'll rename it Slants. Carl, any color preferences?:biggrin:

FTGV

Nice,almost makes me want to get back into vinyl in a bigger way.As for finish I vote for an au natuale look with a clear finish.

schwarcw

SCompRacer wrote: »

Carl, any color preferences?:biggrin:

I like the cherry veneer, use a wood dye not a stain, hand rub polyurethane. Consult our wood expert Jesse. Oak works well in your decor.:biggrin: This is going to be way out of my price range:frown: It's a real beauty though, I already have the sweats and the upgrade jones to own it!

george daniel

Wow,, nice work Rich,, you really 'set the bar' up a few notches.

analog97

Carl just told me about this thread. My hat is off to you. I think you've got a real winner here on this project, and what a beauty it will be! Good luck as you finish the job.... maybe a 2-tone? Cherry sides and a piano-black laquered top? Just a thought....you are the boss....kudos!!!

Face

Personally, I'd sand it flush, maybe apply a subtle stain to it, and then poly it. No veneer needed.

heiney9

Sweetness

H9

Ern Dog

Rich- Awesome project. Is that a blue faced Modwright preamp peeking in the background of the first picture?

SCompRacer

Thanks very much for the kind words and finish suggestions. It gives me encouragement to complete the project. Carl, I?m not Jean Nantais and won?t be asking $4K for this.:eek:

I added an armboard cutout that will support popular 9" arms and scrapped the 12" arm mounting. I left enough space to provide access to popular VTA adjusters used on Rega arms. (With the stamped pan recessed deeper in the plinth, a Rega must mount ~1/2" to 5/8" below the top surface to allow proper VTA. A narrow armboard would not allow easy access to a VTA adjuster knob). There are pilot holes drilled for two popular arms in the second layer that can be drilled/cut when mounting an arm of choice. There is a large enough cutout in layers three through six for tonearm wiring and (hopefully) an SME 3009 arm base/wiring.

The top layer armboard cutouts were routed smooth and square to the top surface (had some trouble there) before gluing the layers together. I ran a tap through all the blind nuts for the arm board/stamped pan/threaded feet to get any glue out of the threads that may have flowed there during assembly. An RAS friend?s brother has a well equipped wood shop that may be cutting (or at least providing) me some Maple for the armboard/armboard filler pieces.

Carl, rather than call Jesse I?d like to just send it to him. I haven?t decided on the finish yet, but am leaning towards a gloss Black lacquer finish. I do know gloss requires a lot of work to look good and don?t know if I want to go through that. Maybe I?ll take the easy way out and do a satin finish.

I?ve studied hundreds of Lenco projects over the years, and many of the Baltic Birch plinths are stained/cleared and left with square or rounded edges/corners. Some do veneer, some wrap exotic wood around the Baltic Birch, etc. I was thinking beveled edges on the top and bottom with 45 degree cut corners. But that could mean a lot of extra edge filling/sanding. I did manage to do a different cut on the right side of pan where the on/off switch idler linkage disconnect lever is placed. Not sure how different I want to be with a finish.

SCompRacer

Ern Dog wrote: »

Is that a blue faced Modwright preamp peeking in the background of the first picture?

Yes, it is a ModWright SWLP 9.0 Signature Edition (ModWright caps, tube rectified PS with latest upgrade). It has been with me since 2007 and I still like the pre amp and phono stage very much. While it doesn?t see much use anymore, I also have his modded 9100ES with tube regulated PS. He was still working out the details of the digital in mod for the 9100 I suggested he provide when I went PC based with my digital music (Squeezebox Touch>external DAC). That digital in mod is ~$800 IIRC (due to adding another clock for the incoming digital).

schwarcw

Looking awesome Rich!

You are in good hand with Jesse for sure! I like Larry's idea about the cherry sides and the black top. That combo would be awesome!

Give any thought to the feet? I think brass spikes with the black or whatever you chose would look fabulous!

SCompRacer

Carl, no thought for feet yet other than the ones on there. They have a removable rubber boot on the bottom. Quite practical actually for my application (Gingko isolation base), but not real pretty. If I mess up the finish, it won't need feet as I will reach deep into my Nordic past and give it a Viking funeral. But yes, some Brass spikes would look nice under there.

OK, I arrived at a shape and we can call it Beveley. Bevels cut on the top and bottom edge all the way around with rounded edges on the corners. I decided against 45 degree corner cuts. One more hole or two, and the fun starts with finishing. My preference is for gloss Black.....satin if it doesn't look good.

schwarcw

Wow! The bevels look nice, and the corners are so sharp they look like they could draw blood!

SCompRacer

Progress! About time, eh?:cheesygrin: Just out of the spray booth, Cadillac Black, Jack..... Looks pretty good as is, but still needs to be wet sanded and buffed.

Face

Very nice!

newrival

that gloss is really going to show off imperfections in the wood. You may want to consider bondo'ing the entire outside, then follownig up with a an extensively progressive sanding, then finally a couple layers of paint with wet sanding in between. Just a thought, as your work up to this point has been great, and I'd hate to see the paint detract from all your effort.

A very nice project though. Keep it up!

agfrost

Nice to see Project Lenco making progress, Rich. Have you seen it in person or has that shot just been emailed to you? Pretty exciting to see it coming along.

Jay

SCompRacer

Thanks for the kind words! Jay, it is in hand, pic taken outside the garage. New, it is primer sealed and imperfections filled with bondo/spot filler putty. Some folks that are better equipped may kiln dry and seal it with high grade synthetic phenolic resin. That would really help prevent shifting of layers and keep moisture and humidity out. Therefore I am at the mercy of time as to what will happen. Future project will hopefully be a PTP4 stainless top plate with Slate plinth. Or Maple, the hard stuff, which would not be painted.

SCompRacer

I couldn't resist a Stainless bearing/spindle upgrade from Mirko. The new bearing is so much beefier and quieter than the OEM one. It don't leak either. Most folks use a hose clamp and rubber boot on the bottom of the OEM bearings to keep the oil in. I also have Mirko's Titanium idler wheel with new tyre and milled aluminum idler arm on the way. The replacement idler arm/idler wheel has a larger axle/bushing than the OEM one and the arm is more rigid than the OEM round rod.

I finished drilling the arm board for the linear tracking arm. Fellow RAS member Aaron (ALL212) was kind enough to provide me with a couple of nice chunks of Maple to work with. Thanks Aaron! You will be happy to know they will just be cleared. (He said he would take them back if I painted the Maple). I am thinking of doing the pivoted arm board filler in Maple with a clear finish too.

I had polished the exposed part of the top pan, but it was too much bling against the Black finish for me. So I sanded it and sprayed it with a Grey. I cheated and didn't do the parts of the pan you can't see.