The Mike New Bearing Base Plate

[Marco]

Having listened to the deck a few hours this morning with the "bonded bearing" I am astounded just how much better all music genres are sounding now. It's not just the bass that benefits. There is a tangible improvement in grip and timing across all frequencies resulting in a more lifelike and natural presentation - these improvements are not subtle IMO.

Eventually, sometimes later rather than sooner, the message hits home...

I would hesitate to say ( but I will) that the improvement is so great due to the greater rigidity and stability of the bearing that anyone considering a MN bearing should give serious consideration to getting a base plate at the same time and have done with it.

Precisely my thoughts, Steve. Why own a superbly engineered bearing, but only be able to realise 80% of its sonic capability?

Marco.

[Wakefield Turntables]

Outstanding!
Glad I'm not just guilty of "emperors new clothes" syndrome.
Did you use liquid resin like I did or epoxy?

Epoxy, and a mini spirit level to make sure the bearing sat true.

Would wax not do the same thing, with the added advantage of being able to be removed?

Wouldn't wax eventually dry out?

[RobbieGong]

I got some time on Saturday and set to installing the MN base plate bearing in time for Christmas. My deck has been out of action since earlier in the year so I'm desperate to get it up and running again. All was good initially, psb removed etc. The problem I've encountered is at the stage in Mikes instructions, where you put the bearing inside the base plate hole, put the pcb over and on top and then secure these together with the three long slim black Allen headed screws / bolts supplied. I spent literally hours trying to get all three screws to locate into the baseplate. I'd maybe get two in but the third would be nigh on impossible to locate. I think I just about managed it once but no matter how delicately and slowly I turned the screws, one after the other it would cause the base plate to lift away from the flat shoulders of the bearing. Basically the plate would just not stay flat and flush against the flat of the bearing shoulders. As I say this was the one time I could get all three screws to locate / bite. After that I just could not get the third screw to locate / bite no matter how much I tried. I gave up in the end with very sore fingers after all the screw turning and allen key rotating - Extremely frustrating.

I am most certainly not inept at this sort of thing having fitted my MN bearing, MN ETP platter and removed the stock psu and fitted my external psu. I can only conclude that maybe the holes in the base plate are not perfectly accurate. They may seem to be by eye. As a result, I think that the most minute discrepancy is causing there to be maybe a need for the minutest degree of flex in the base plate I have which of course being very solid brass there wont be.
I emailed Mike last night and still await his expert view. In the meantime, Has anyone else encountered anything like this with their baseplate / install ??

[Mike_New]

Hi Robert,
Firstly I did not know that DB was making the Base Plates from Brass. My specification was to use Mild Steel plate as this privides a much stronger thread for the three steel bolts. Do not force the bolts otherwise you will strip the threads, although it would seem that the threaded holes are not exactly positioned, either as to the angular position (120deg) or the diametric distance.
You will have to get DB to send you a replacement.

[RobbieGong]

Right ! I've just applied the epoxy

[worrasf]

Go on, show us your new top plate and I'll give you a wine gum.

I claim my wine gum Andrei

Just gotten around to taking a photo of the top plate sans slider and disc adapter cut outs.

I'm very pleased with the looks.

Steve

[Macca]

That does look very classy, Stephen.

[worrasf]

Thanks

[Marco]

That looks superb, Stephen! Did you do the work yourself, and if so, would you consider doing it for others (for an appropriate fee)? I’d quite fancy something like that myself

Marco.

[worrasf]

Thanks Marco. All I did was remove pitch assembly etc. I bought the top plate off a guy on eBay - he did it as a "special" but still only charged £45 inc p&p which I think is darn good. I sourced the Technics logo plate from an eBay seller in Australia.