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Mayware Formula 4 tonearm

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dmagalhaes

Active Member
Can anyone who owns one of these help me out. I received one that was damaged during shipping. It does not look like it is beyond repair but I cannot get it to operate properly. I could use some high res photos of the base to see whether the lexan cylinder is glued to the base or not. Also what is the reccommended lubricant for the pivot.


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Thanks for the help. Is it supposed to wobble around like it does? I've never dealt with a uni-pivot. What do I use for damping fluid in the cylinder? I really can't imagine that this thing is a solid performer the way it wobbles around. I've mounted and installed a cartridge on it once and it did not seem to be steady in the side to side motion.
 
I have a tube of the fluid for the pivot from my long gone F4 III. This fluid makes STP seem like thin machine oil so no the arm should not wobble around.

The steel pin pivots on a jeweled bearing and any damage to either of these contacting surfaces can ruin the arm, but without fluid damping the movement it will not seem like a worthwhile transcription device. I really liked mine, mounted on a Kenwood KD-500.
 
dmagalhaes said:
Thanks for the help. Is it supposed to wobble around like it does? I've never dealt with a uni-pivot. What do I use for damping fluid in the cylinder? I really can't imagine that this thing is a solid performer the way it wobbles around. I've mounted and installed a cartridge on it once and it did not seem to be steady in the side to side motion.
Click to expand...

Are you using a high-compliance cartridge?
 
Hi Dmalaghaes,

The Mayware supplied silicone for dampning this unipivot (and silicon is a must before you can even begin to tune in this arm) has a viscosity index of 60000 centistokes @ 25 degrees C.
Your pictures don't reveal the other side. Does it still have the antiskate devise (thread-wheel-bucket)? Did you get lead shot to add to the bucket with this?
- Mario
 
I have one of these on my Denon DP-1250. It doesn't have the anti-skating device. I just use the off axis counterweight to do the same thing. I really like the arm, though it can get a bit sibilant if not perfectly set up. What off the shelf fluid would work best for damping? That may stop the sibilence, as I have always just used singer machine oil.
 
Whether the OP has the earlier Mk version Formula 4 “bias compensation” adjustable weight …

72gwpyp.jpg


Or the later version bucket ….

86zb0uh.jpg


It’s more a question of whether he has anything. It’s not clear from his photo, but it does look like he’s missing, at least, the thread that is supposed to be anchored to the small grub screw (circled).

6l8lbar.jpg


- Mario
 
VH, I believe the sibilance you are hearing is from improper antiskate compensation, assuming the rest of the setup is correct. I don't think the fluid will help that too much, but sewing machine oil is waaaaaay to light for that purpose. The offset counterweight is to balance the cartridge vertically so that it is perpendicular to the vinyl.

Turntablebasics has the fluid available in different viscosities for different tonearm applications. As stated the 600,000 cSt fluid is for the monopivots.
 
Mopic5 said:
Whether the OP has the earlier Mk version Formula 4 “bias compensation” adjustable weight …

72gwpyp.jpg


Or the later version bucket ….

86zb0uh.jpg


It’s more a question of whether he has anything. It’s not clear from his photo, but it does look like he’s missing, at least, the thread that is supposed to be anchored to the small grub screw (circled).

6l8lbar.jpg


- Mario
Click to expand...

I have the later version with the bucket. I replaced the broken string with some fishing line but have not yet got some lead shot. This arm is a work in progress since it will be for a spare table.
 
virak said:
Are you using a high-compliance cartridge?
Click to expand...

I had a spare Grado green in it for a few minutes with some olive oil in the pivot well. I got that suggestion from another board. It was obviously not the right viscosity. Upon close inspection no damage has been done to the well and the jeweled bearing is completely intact.
 
The lead shot used in the Formula IVs seem to be, in fact, shell grade – pretty crude – not extremely spherical nor smooth. I’m no hunter, but I’d guess this to be birdshot over buckshot. Here’s a picture:

6ycoxao.jpg


It falls a bit shy of 3mm in diameter. Maybe a trip to a hunter’s store can fix you up. According to the manual, the empty bucket already asserts a compensation value to a tracking force of 0.50 grams. After that, compensation for each .25 gram is accomplished by adding 4 shot to the bucket; so that 4 = .75 grams VTF; 8 = 1.00; 12 = 1.25; 16 = 1.50; 20 = 1.75 etc.

Since you've got time on this, you might want to consider using thread for the anti-skate - but then I don't know how stiff your fishing line is.

Good luck.
- Mario
 
Blue Shadow said:
I have a tube of the fluid for the pivot from my long gone F4 III. This fluid makes STP seem like thin machine oil so no the arm should not wobble around.

The steel pin pivots on a jeweled bearing and any damage to either of these contacting surfaces can ruin the arm, but without fluid damping the movement it will not seem like a worthwhile transcription device. I really liked mine, mounted on a Kenwood KD-500.
Click to expand...

i just bought a kd 500 with a mayware arm III from someone in tx could this possibily have been yours?
 
I doubt it. The KD-500 Mayware combination was popular as the arm was not expensive and performed very well. That was the era of low mass tonearms and it was one of the good ones that was available from a few different manufacturers.
 
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