Baking your records.

[larryh]

How often I have had warped records that refused to play correctly or wobbled around badly on a automatic turn table stack. I picked up a few Pathé records and when I looked them over good they were so warped I thought they were simply hopeless. I had way back tired the idea of putting them in the oven but the result was lousy and I tossed it. This time I set the oven on 190 and placed on on a flat cookie sheet and let it in for about 15 minutes. When it went in it had at least a quarter inch warp upward on the center and edges in places.. I kept an eye on it and when it finally showed that it had lowered to the cookie sheet I took it out. After it cooled down enough I put it on a cool surface. When it was totally cool I put it on the player and to my surprise it played like new. I have a number of latter records with that vexing warp to the starting edge which is enough to cause a electric tone arm to skip the grooves. I will be interested to see if this method is successful for that as well. I wondered if maybe the extra wide Pathé grooves might have helped keep it from being easily damaged. I think the first try I made it had a pretty lousy sound when I attempted to play the standard record on a electric turntable. If you try this I would be sure the record has cooled enough to stay flat. One of them ones I did I tried to quickly to remove it from the sheet and it bent like a piece of cheese.. It also went right back down!

Larry

[celticguitar666]

I bake my 78's whenever I get a warped one but it is recommended to use a sheet of glass or some other real flat non flexible surface only works for shellac not vinyl but I avoid warped records unless it is something special
Dwight

[52089]

I use the oven trick, but I put the record between 2 sheets of glass so there's weight on top and flatness on both sides.

If you don't like that, the other thing I've done is put the record "hump" side up on top of a refrigerator, then stack a couple of thick phone books on top. That will distribute the weight evenly and does not require heat, but it takes days if not weeks to flatten out the record.

[beaumonde]

I use the oven trick, but I put the record between 2 sheets of glass so there's weight on top and flatness on both sides.

I do that too. Years ago I had 2 sheets of glass cut to my specifications for just this purpose. Important not to try this on laminated records, though, as the thin laminated surfaces can easily crack. Also, it's very important to let the record cool completely (like overnight) in the oven. I put it on 170-degrees, when preheated insert the glass-shellac sandwich, then immediately turn the oven off to (eventually) cool.

[De Soto Frank]

Adam,

What were the dimensions & thickness of your glass "press-plates" ?

I have about three albums-worth of 78's from a friend's grandparents that are pretty significantly "dished"... I would love to be able to flatten them so that I can transcribe. As fate would have it, there's some good stuff in there: early Al Jolson ( on Victor), Fanny Brice, and other worthwhile stuff... not the usual pile of Hawaiian Guitar / xylophone / Rodeheaver hymns / Vernon Dalhart mawkish ballads...




Frank

[outune]

I also use two pieces of fairly heavy flat glass, but find that placing them on my deck in the sun works just great-- It doesn't take long and I pull them inside (still between he glass) within a few minutes of them becoming flat again-- Leave them between the glass for several hours to "cool" and to ensure they stay in their 'new' flat condition.--- Using glass and the sun keeps me from having to explain to my wife why she can't use the oven. I suspect that once a record is warped, the grooves sustain a certain amount of distortion/damage. Though my old, tin ear may not discern it well, I would think that there would have to be some inconsistencies in the playback-- But saving a record from the trash is well worth a little extra vibrato

Brad

[Henry]

Years ago in the old Stereo Review magazine, instructions were given for flattening warped LPs (yes, it does work on vinyl!): two pieces of ¼" plate glass, 13" square, with the warped record (clean!) sandwiched between them, placed in a cold oven; warm the oven to its lowest setting, turn off the heat, and let the oven cool down completely. Remove the glass/record sandwich and you should have a flat record. If not, repeat the process at *slightly* higher heat setting. It has worked for me every time with LPs. I've never tried it with "shellac," but I'll trust the word of those who have.

I had a local glass dealer cut the glass and round off the cut edges. This is a purchase you need make only once in a lifetime, if you're careful!

[larryh]

I had no trouble at all only having the record on a flat sheet an nothing on top. When the temperature reaches the point where the material is flexible it lays down all on its own, no forcing necessary.

Larry

[epigramophone]

I have used the plate glass sandwich method successfully, but great care is needed to ensure that both glass and record are spotlessly clean. Any debris such as a pet hair will be permanently embedded in the record surface as it softens.

[phono-smitten]

I had 2 pieces of ½" plate glass cut and edges polished for handling. My original experiments involved sandwiching the disc (shellac) between the 2 pieces of glass and 'baking' at about 170 F. The discs weren't completely flattening after 15 minutes or so and the piece of glass on the top caused some flattening of the top of the grooves in a couple spots. When I get back to experimenting I think I'll try a higher temperature without the piece of glass on top.