bill7621
Chief Journeyman
I was wondering about the big one. Too bad they ruined it.
Micro (Seiki) BL-91 restoration
- Thread starter J!m
- Start date
J!m
Veteran and General Yakker
It really needs to go. It’s far longer than needed and rather trashed now.
J!m
Veteran and General Yakker
Minor update. 
I ultrasonic cleaned (in acetone) the top and bottom bronze bushing, to make sure all the old everything is out of them. Then I decided to lap the thrust plate and the plated brass plug that supports it.
The polymer balls are in but the oil just shipped today, so maybe Friday I’ll have that.
I ultrasonic cleaned (in acetone) the top and bottom bronze bushing, to make sure all the old everything is out of them. Then I decided to lap the thrust plate and the plated brass plug that supports it.
The polymer balls are in but the oil just shipped today, so maybe Friday I’ll have that.
J!m
Veteran and General Yakker
Bearing is all set. Fresh oil and new polymer thrust ball.
Current state of things. Still need the feet and the cord for the arm (and a stylus if I keep this cartridge). Looks pretty decent now.
I had to re-align the arm- it seems it was either set wrong Or it was smashed out of position by the platter. It’s looking good now.
The latest batch of paddles seem like they’re going to work too…
J!m
Veteran and General Yakker
I was on the fence about the cartridge. It seems Jico makes some pretty nice replacement stylus’ for it. The US distributor has an SAS in a ruby cantilever for “reasonable” money. I was thinking Boron is good enough but is there any significant advantage to ruby over boron?
The word on the street, well VE, is the Jico SAS is all that and a bag of chips, and actually an improvement over the Sure Hyper Eliptical.
Even a fancy stylus will be less than anything fancier than the VM95… (justification)?
The word on the street, well VE, is the Jico SAS is all that and a bag of chips, and actually an improvement over the Sure Hyper Eliptical.
Even a fancy stylus will be less than anything fancier than the VM95… (justification)?
J!m
Veteran and General Yakker
Additional foot remnants and an original OFC arm cable came in last week. Just messing with the cable today.
All the rubber bags for the feet have been fed and watered with rubber rejuvenator stuff. It’s expensive stuff for pinch rollers, stinks a bit like napalm and bananas, but it made a big difference on these old, petrified rubber bits. I have enough parts now to have four feet on it, so we’re near the finish line!
The white car “scared” the BMW tech today and now the foreman is on it… well no shit! If it was a simple fix, you’d never even know about it!
All the rubber bags for the feet have been fed and watered with rubber rejuvenator stuff. It’s expensive stuff for pinch rollers, stinks a bit like napalm and bananas, but it made a big difference on these old, petrified rubber bits. I have enough parts now to have four feet on it, so we’re near the finish line!
The white car “scared” the BMW tech today and now the foreman is on it… well no shit! If it was a simple fix, you’d never even know about it!
Last edited:
grapplesaw
Veteran and General Yakker
Jim you have put on quite a clinic here. job is quite outstanding
J!m
Veteran and General Yakker
Thank you!
Just doing what I do.
Just doing what I do.
NeverSatisfied
Chief Journeyman
J!m
Veteran and General Yakker
ADHD helps tremendously.
J!m
Veteran and General Yakker
I think I’m just about done.
Put the feet together and onto the deck. Then nearly ripped one off… they kinda suck. Never slide the unit- it must be picked up and placed down straight.
Looked at the cable- the jacket was back from the DIN connector and I planned to add some shrink tubing. I took out the tiny screws but couldn’t slide the sleeve off the Teflon insulator. But, in wrestling with it, I found the jacket could be slid back up and under the sleeve, so I did that.
Then checked continuity from the cartridge clips to the RCAs, and that’s good. I did not test the carriage coils because I heard some can be damaged by the meter’s voltage.
Next I installed my damper paddle and made sure it’s clearing the full arc and all seems good. It’s close to the sides, and I suspect they get broken when someone lifts the arm too high/fast and it hits the inner wall of the trough. But this one feels very solid. I think it’ll work well as long as it doesn’t interact with the silicone, which I have inbound now- both 80k and 100k. 100 is suggested with the stock paddle but I think running a bit thicker on the paddle, requires a bit thinner on the oil. It should still do the trick.
I just love looking at this thing. It’s magnificent.
Put the feet together and onto the deck. Then nearly ripped one off… they kinda suck. Never slide the unit- it must be picked up and placed down straight.
Looked at the cable- the jacket was back from the DIN connector and I planned to add some shrink tubing. I took out the tiny screws but couldn’t slide the sleeve off the Teflon insulator. But, in wrestling with it, I found the jacket could be slid back up and under the sleeve, so I did that.
Then checked continuity from the cartridge clips to the RCAs, and that’s good. I did not test the carriage coils because I heard some can be damaged by the meter’s voltage.
Next I installed my damper paddle and made sure it’s clearing the full arc and all seems good. It’s close to the sides, and I suspect they get broken when someone lifts the arm too high/fast and it hits the inner wall of the trough. But this one feels very solid. I think it’ll work well as long as it doesn’t interact with the silicone, which I have inbound now- both 80k and 100k. 100 is suggested with the stock paddle but I think running a bit thicker on the paddle, requires a bit thinner on the oil. It should still do the trick.
I just love looking at this thing. It’s magnificent.
WOPL Sniffer
Veteran and General Yakker
Great work Jim, hope it sound as good as it looks......
J!m
Veteran and General Yakker
Thank you guys.
Even if it sounds like crap, I’ll just sit and watch it spin while I play CDs…
Even if it sounds like crap, I’ll just sit and watch it spin while I play CDs…
J!m
Veteran and General Yakker
I think she’ll play.
grapplesaw
Veteran and General Yakker
Think? You know it will
krellmk
Chief Journeyman
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Awesome
Bob Boyer
Veteran and General Yakker
Amazing piece of kit and an amazing job, Jim. Very cool. Pretty sure you're going to enjoy it.
Bob Boyer
Veteran and General Yakker
I went back to the beginning to look at that cartridge - is it a V15 of some iteration? I'm no longer up on my later Shure cartridges or JICO styli, so I'm just guessing here. I'm wondering how one of the larger Denon MC - or a Shelter - catridges would sound on that arm.