Flattening Warped LPs?
- Thread starter gener8r
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This is probably the most effective method. It can sometimes improve moderate edge or dish warps. Severe edge warps are nearly impossible to correct. Better to find a different copy of the record.
I've experimented extensively with the sun, the oven, and a dry-mount press. Don't waste too much time on it, especially if you're talking about something common like a Police or Springsteen LP.
brucered
Well-Known Member
if it was new, return it. i've done it a bunch of times to bigbox stores and local indie stores, without them questioning it. buy a new copy and if it's the same, keep doing it. if it's a local store, ask them to open it up and try it out in shop before you take it home.
if it's used and/or ebay etc, you're probably out of luck. buy a new copy and hope for the best.
i've tried the iron in between two bath towels before, just playing around. it got a pretty warped record fairly flat. i should have stopped there, but i jacked up the heat and made it even worse then when i started. i think the key to this method is LOW LOW LOW heat. the lower the better, and just keep going over the towel. i even double or triple folded the towel, but i did work.
if it's used and/or ebay etc, you're probably out of luck. buy a new copy and hope for the best.
i've tried the iron in between two bath towels before, just playing around. it got a pretty warped record fairly flat. i should have stopped there, but i jacked up the heat and made it even worse then when i started. i think the key to this method is LOW LOW LOW heat. the lower the better, and just keep going over the towel. i even double or triple folded the towel, but i did work.
Mark W.
Nut house of the Universe
Ok something that is not talked about when discussing warps is that many are physically impossible to restore.
The reason for this is simple the vinyl has been stretched. I you use the Fact the shortest distance between two points is a straight line. Then lets say the edge of a LP (looking at the edge across the plane of the label) is a straight line on a nice non warped LP.
If you then put a nice pie crust type wrap in the edge of the record as is so common. The line that was the straight line is now a compound curve. SO IT HAS TO BE LONGER and no amount of pushing is going to shrink those molecules back closer together.
A simple bent up edge or very slight bowl effect is a little different there the stretching is deeper into the record and if you warm the record and push down on it it will stretch the inside of the curve and flatten the LP. Now this will cause a very small in/out wow in the trace but a good stylus will just follow it and while it will have some distortion it will be very minor and almost impossible to detect.
You can only stretch vinyl by warming it you can NOT compress it. PERIOD
It all boils down to if the vinyl has been stretched make a snack bowl out of the LP. If it has only been bent in one direction slightly you have a chance using the glass stack method.
Hope this makes sense
The reason for this is simple the vinyl has been stretched. I you use the Fact the shortest distance between two points is a straight line. Then lets say the edge of a LP (looking at the edge across the plane of the label) is a straight line on a nice non warped LP.
If you then put a nice pie crust type wrap in the edge of the record as is so common. The line that was the straight line is now a compound curve. SO IT HAS TO BE LONGER and no amount of pushing is going to shrink those molecules back closer together.
A simple bent up edge or very slight bowl effect is a little different there the stretching is deeper into the record and if you warm the record and push down on it it will stretch the inside of the curve and flatten the LP. Now this will cause a very small in/out wow in the trace but a good stylus will just follow it and while it will have some distortion it will be very minor and almost impossible to detect.
You can only stretch vinyl by warming it you can NOT compress it. PERIOD
It all boils down to if the vinyl has been stretched make a snack bowl out of the LP. If it has only been bent in one direction slightly you have a chance using the glass stack method.
Hope this makes sense
