QA

Quick Answer: How To Flatten Warped Records

Here are the general steps: Get two large panes of glass that will fit in your oven. Preheat the oven to its lowest temperature setting. Put your vinyl & glass sandwich in the oven for 30 minutes. Turn the heat off. Let the record cool down to room temperature. Determine whether or not that fixed the warping.

Can you fix a bent vinyl record?

Fortunately, warped records can often be fixed, so you can be back to rockin’ and rollin’ in no time. You’ll need two sheets of glass larger than your album, but small enough to fit in your oven. Heavier or thicker glass tends to work best.

Is it OK to play a slightly warped record?

Playing a warped record may damage the record further if the warp causes the stylus to skip. A skipping stylus can scratch the record grooves causing irreparable damage. So, if you want to protect your records, don’t play them when warped.

Does warped vinyl affect sound?

As it is with most things, how warped a record is determines how jarring of a sound your record player produces. While many minor record warps go unreported, warps can be a significant issue. Mistracking, changes in tracking force, vertical tracking angle, and pitch and harmonic fluctuations can all be caused by warps.

Do warped records damage the stylus?

Playing a warped record won’t damage the stylus or the player but it can damage the record. In the worst case scenario your stylus might not be able to stay in the grooves so it may skip a lot and damage the record even further.

Are warped records ruined?

We are happy to say playing warped albums that are still playable, or slightly warped, will not damage your stylus or turntable. This does not mean you should just that you can. If your record is extremely damaged it can, however, damage your stylus by forcing the stylus to jump and pop around.

Why is my record wobbling and skipping?

Some of the most common reasons for it happening is the record player could be poorly made or the spindle is warped. Are record players supposed to wobble? Record players are not designed to have any wobbling in the turntable at all. However in real life most every player will have some amount of wobbling in it.

Why is my vinyl record skipping?

A common reason your records may skip is dust and dirt that gets into the grooves. While it may occur on old records due to storage, paper sleeves or dust in the environment, new records may also have dust or dirt. You want to remove any dust or dirt from the record before playing it to prevent skipping.

Is it OK to clean vinyl records with alcohol?

Wash The Record In particular, we recommend avoiding any that contain isopropyl alcohol. While it will clean the muck off your record, many people report that over time it’ll also damage the protective coating on your vinyl. If you are going to use a solution with isopropyl alcohol – use is sparingly.

Are vinyl records perfectly flat?

Records shouldn’t be stored horizontally, or flat. As you will see, archival record boxes are designed for the records to be stood and stored vertically. Storing vinyl records flat can place too much pressure on the records lower in the stack causing damage over time.

How do I stop my records from warping?

Vinyl records need to be stored in an upright position to ensure they stay in good condition. Records that have been stored at a slant for an extended period of time can warp because of the uneven pressure that has been placed on them. This is why records are often kept in crates that position them upright.

Are all records warped?

Even without external heat, a vinyl record can warp from any extra weight or pressure that it is put under. A typical Vinyl record starts warping at the temperature of 140°F (60°C) and it starts melting at the temperature of 212°F (100°C).

At what temperature do records warp?

Warping also has a different temperature than melting. Warping occurs at 140°F (60°C), while melting occurs at 212°F (100°C). Remember that once the record has melted, you cannot restore or reverse it. The heating process will completely ruin the record, and a new one will have to take its place.

Do you need a record weight?

Placing additional weight on your record can provide a few benefits: Keeping records flat: New or old, few records are perfectly flat. Warping can make it harder for the stylus to track properly. If you have records that are slightly warped, then weighting the center may keep them flatter and improve trackability.

Can you iron a record?

Yes. Here’s how to do it: First, make sure to get the iron hot enough to melt your favorite albums down into a black, gooey mess.

Does vinyl flat work?

The Vinyl Flat is a great way to fixed warped records, as long as you use it correctly. Some LPs take longer than others depending on the severity of the warp and the weight of the record. I have found that most heavy weight records need about 10 to 12 hours @ 130 – 135°F range for any edge warps.