The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

For months I've been working on making a mold to make an original style one piece diaphragm gasket for the Vic #2. The mold is almost complete so the next issue is how soft should it be?

Soft pencil eraser soft?
Uncooked meat soft?
As firm as the sole of Chuck Taylor sneakers?'

Any input would be appreciated. A Shore A number would be great

I'd say it was more "rubber binder soft."

The original gasket was a single split-ring gasket which, during assembly at the factory, had to have been soft and flexible enough to stretch over the perimeter of the relatively fragile mica diaphragm without damaging it. Whether it was done by hand or machine, I don't know.

A large rubber binder, of course, won't work because it degrades relatively fast. I tried on once, years ago, and it sounded fantastic for about a month, before the rubber started to harden.

I'm not sure what the preferred modern alternative is. I haven't had to rebuild a #2 sound box for decades.

My Exhibition sound box was rebuilt about 25-30 years ago with a conventional tube gasket for the front, and silicone in place of the back gasket. This allows the entire surface of the diaphragm to plunge with the movement of the needle-bar, which I think is more along the lines of what the designers had in mind for the #2 sound box.

OrthoFan

Check with Wyatt

OrthoFan wrote:I'd say it was more "rubber binder soft."

Thank you. I'm not sure what a rubber binder is, all the ones I've see are a relatively firm polyeurathane. Would ypu mind posting a link to one?

donniej wrote:

OrthoFan wrote:I'd say it was more "rubber binder soft."

Thank you. I'm not sure what a rubber binder is, all the ones I've see are a relatively firm polyeurathane. Would ypu mind posting a link to one?

I should have said "rubber band." "Rubber binder" is a regional term -- http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.p ... r%20binder. (I'm originally from Minnesota, but no longer call a casserole a "hot dish." )

I'm not sure if these are still made of rubber, but this is what they look like:
OrthoFan

Thanks again, super-soft it is