Tips From The Bench Restoring a Vintage Turntable Dustcover 

I would be interested in seeing the whole turntable clean up/refurb. Thanks for the great videos!

Would love to see you clean up the turntable

Great content Kevin! Would love to see how you guys clean equipment.

One thing that really helps with that process is to take a bath towel and fold it up into a square, so it fits under the dust cover! That way you can put a little extra pressure on it when you are buffing! I find this really helps and it prevents any chance of it cracking! Also are use Maguires scratch removal which really seems to do the trick on the cleanup! Just my two cents! Great job on the video, Kevin!

When it’s bad to begin with, presentable is a vast improvement. Did something like this with my Thorens cover, and it was much improved. Glad you shared this!

Clean it! Clean it! I recently picked up a SL-D1 for $30 that works well but the dust cover is in rough shape. The turntable itself is not that bad. Perfect timing for this video! It would also be great the see how to replace the hinges on the dust cover.

That turned out much better than I expected. Great job.

Really enjoyed this video Kev, I learnt a lot! Would be good to see you rejuvenate a complete turntable! 👍🎸🎼

Nice job Kevin! It looks great. I tried a Meguires headlamp kit (kinda expensive) and wen real slow. It took me four hours even though the scratches were not deep at all, just kinda cloudy. The dust cover was tinted or “smoke” is the descriptor for that one. I masked the label with a layer or two of good painter’s tape to protect the lettering. The masking tape was a pain in the neck to work around. I had to do many close areas by hand because I did not trust the drill apparatus. It looks like new, I mean really like new given it is a 1974 Denon and had never been cleaned/buffed prior. It was worth the effort, friends say “how did you find a new dustcover for that?” I also did not start with the very coarse abrasive, I just hung in there with the light stuff until I got the results I wanted. If you go with a coarse grit abrasive and heat up the acrylic, it will ruin it so if you try going a diy route, go slow. Read the instructions.

Get out of my head! I was just working on one of these last night... and getting really frustrated. Can't wait to try your recommendations.

So many turntables covers, so little time. Needed this, thanks Kevin.

Incidentally, toothpaste works well on lightly scratched watch glass. Great video.

Nice. As always, your programs provide us viewers with gobs of good stuff to know. Thanks!

Love tosee the full clean up

I polish a ton of lids, clean the badge well (iso/glass cleaner) and cover it with electrical tape, trim around it carefully with an exacto knife. This will protect it during wet sanding and polishing. Odd time the tape will come off just reply as needed.

I recently serviced a SL-3300. It's like a swiss watch inside but with larger parts! The biggest issue was getting to the grease slides directly under the motor.

Nice job! Turntables are works of art and that one needs to be restored. I haven't used a turntable since the 80s but I think they're cool. It's the vinyl I'm not crazy about.

Nice job Kevin, I've actually researched this for my Pioneer 12d. Seen some you tubers polish by hand and was always wary about burning the acrylic with a buffer. Your technique gives me a little more confidence to tackle the job, great work...peace.

Thanks for that! I bought an old Thorens TD145 that needs to have the cover polished up and now I know what to use. Thanks again.

GREAT video and I would love to see you clean up the turntable itself. I just saw another video and ordered Novus and then saw this one and immediately thought "If Kevin recommends Novus, it must be good." hahaha Thanks!

I really appreciate these videos. Thanks. :o)

Love to see a video of y’all cleaning/refurbishing the techniques.

I've had the SL-3300 since new in 1980, still works! I hot rodded it with a new stylus and gave it to my 37 year old son

love the video, good info.

Nice job on that one! Thanks for showing how it is done.

Thanks for the upload! that turned out amazing! I have a couple of old tables that need some love on the dust covers i will give this a try!

Thanks!

Looks good Kevin for one time....

Random orbital polishers like that are also the way for polishing and waxing your car. Thanks for the video and yes, I'd like to see the Technics cleaned up.

Id love to see the ole Technics all cleaned up and spinning Vinyl again

Yes it would be great to see it been cleaned!!

Great stuff! Thanks...

I used a piece of Scotch tape to cover the emblem, and it held on pretty well over multiple buffs. Use a pen knife to cut off the extra. You're great, stay awesome.

Yes, I would love to see you give that turntable a rebuild.

12:40 You can put some tape on the badge, it helps protect it a bit, for as long as it stays in place.

Great video Kevin! Yes - give that table a full detailing! I'm curious to see how far you need to strip it down to get into all the nooks and crannies.

Yes, clean up that Technics turntable.... maybe I can pick up some more tips from you .... always willing to learn new ideas to work smarter, not harder!😅

Yea resto video would be cool ! Keep the good stuff coming!

Hi Kevin, I am very interested to see how well you can restore the Technics turntable and how the professionals do such thing. The dust cover is presentable, as you say. Perhaps the whole TT can be salvaged. That would be a win.

Wow! That came out great! I’m inspired to do my own now. I’d also love to see what you can do with that turntable

The dust cover on my SL-1500 has side by side 'cigarette' burns on the top right front that almost melted through the plastic... using tips & methods shared here I am sure the cover will clean up well, and I will just leave the damage as-is to retain that distressed vintage appearance. Badges? We don't need no stinkin' badges!

Thanks for the cleaning/buffing tips ! Especially the awareness of not making contact with the hard part of the machine plate, while working on the inside walls of the cover. I hope you can resurrect this Technics ! Please post any progress!

HARD WORK, MISTER !!!

I would love a video of the turntable clean up, definitely!

Thanks. Helpful. Wish me luck on mine.

Looks 1000% better...... To protect the emblem on top just put a piece masking tape cut to size over it. . or pop it out carefully and reglue it when you're done..

Good luck with that turntable! Yep, I'm curious to see if you can bring it back to life ...

I’d love to see you clean the whole turntable up 👍

Great info,, I have been looking for the polish to clean up my dust cover.. Might try the polish on my Victory windshield also.. Thx..

I'd love to see the whole TT cleaned and some light servicing that can be done to any/all TT's

Yes, please! clean up the deck as well!

I would like to see it cleaned. Nice job on the dust cover.

If there is a enough of the plastic tab left that it can stick into the slot of the hinge, you can drill a small hole in the hinge and keep it in place with a screw. You just have to remember to take the screws out before trying to rip the cover off 🙂

Please show the TT cleaning :-) I recently took the task of seriously polishing my car in order to apply a ceramic coating and learned about the different colored foam polishing disks. Before that I had ordered a bag of them on line and when they showed up I thought it was just for looks (they all felt the same to me).. lol Thankfully I found out before using them to polish.

I’ve done about a dozen of these, so far. I’m currently working on one for my Pioneer PL-514 that was so bad, inside and out, that I had to wet sand from 800-2500 and I’m now polishing with the Novus kit and some other products in between. I have a 6” random orbital polisher and a 4” cordless angle polisher, but they’re both so unwieldy and messy, I usually end up doing most of it by hand.

Great video. My dust cover needs this bad and Ive been wondering how to do it. Thanks!

Thank you for a great video. I would be happy if you could do the turntable too. I will do some of my own turntables as well. Looking forward to your upcoming videos very much whatever topic they cover. Have a nice day.

I would be interested in seeing you rehab turntable as well, it is a great video.

For really bad scratches, start with 320 grit and work up to 3000 or finer, then use Novus # 2 to finish. I do it by hand because I don't do it often enough to justify the cost of a machine. Novus # 3 does work better if the scratches are coarse. Be sure to use # 2 after using # 3.

A video on restoring that turntable would be great! Do you do/use anything different for tinted dust covers? Thanks a lot for doing these type of videos.

Yes, I’m very interested in your cleaning technique! ( pun intended )😊

Alot of people have random orbit sanders with variable speed which will work. Foam pads with velcro can be added. Use the slowest speed and practice on scrap acrylic. Small right angle cordless polishers are available as well as Dremel tools for tight spots. Polishing is SANDING with abrasive so start with a finer grit and step down if necessary.As with sanding,you do the heavy work with the first grit and after that you are only removing previous grits scratches. Cheers.

I've used Mother's Mag Wheel polish before with my DA polisher. Works great. $5 at Walmart. Harbor Freight sells an inexpensive polisher and always check their return section in the back of the store.

Kevin, how do you deal with dustcovers that have turned cloudy yellowish with time. I have a pioneer sl-520 dustcover that has troubled me, I have thrown everything at it, all in vain....You actually did a good job with that technics. I usually buff with my hands that tool really makes a difference

91% rubbing alcohol works great for removing sharpie ink.

Would love to see it good information

Enjoy all your videos and would love to see that turntable cleaned up as well. Same question as to would you do anything differently with a tinted cover? Thanks for the series!

I go 400, 800, 1000, 1500, 2000, 3000 mcguires compound and scratch x2.0 follow with wax. I like carnuba wax and final buff with flannel cloth. It takes 1 hour. The trick is to start at the appropriate grit for the initial condition and the sequence of grit does the work for you. I usually go 5 to 7 mins per grit. Small circles, cross hatch and 45 degree. Rinse between grits and use soapy water. At 3000 grit and compound it will look very good. Scratch x2.0 and wax is money. Flannel cloth buff makes it mirror finish. I do these daily. The buff phase is like a total of 10 mins for the compound and 2.0. Polisher is 100% necessary. Keep it moving. I sit the cover on a piece of foam insulation. Cut grove in it to hold edge of the cover.

I have an original SL-3300 and have kept it in pretty good condition. Would love to see you restore your unit.

Please more repair videos!!

Thanks for sharing this. I’ve done this by hand, so nice to see the results with power tools. Also, please share a link to your audiophile upgrade Novus cap. 😂

A piece of blue painters tape will protect that center emblem.

To avoid scratches when you do the inside, you could use some tape on the sidewalls when you do the main surface of the dust cover, and later some tape on the main surface and do the side walls.

Tips for cleaning, would like to watch

Hi can the same process be done on a tinted dual cover - I am assuming yes but thought I would ask. Thank you.

Save the Technics! Its still a better turntable than my AT LP60x.

Staying original is preferable if possible. Thanks so much.

painters tape to protect the walls?

You took that bad boy from trashy to classy. I think that's the same model I have in storage that needs work. You ever film tint a cover that is too far gone?

Novus stuff is good...in your case I would invest in a couple of squeeze bottles to fill up off that super tanker jug you bought (make sure you shake the container of whatever you're using vigorously). Meguiars stuff is good. I personally like 3M FinesseIt products cause I color sand car paint with it alot. It really depends on the type of plastic you are trying to restore...there's no one absolute polish in my opinion. And stay away from headlight restoring kits...they are grossly overpriced and possibly too abrasive for a TT cover. On super heavy scratches you will need to use a finer 3M Imperial sandpaper to feather the scratch out otherwise you end up with a shiney inverted speed bump. I have personally polished many a plastic watch crystal...there's a special compound stick by Bergeon (green I think) made specifically for that purpose. I've used it in conjunction with a Foredom mini lathe at lower speeds and it still works great which is why I include it as a possibility. I guess it goes without saying try an inconspicuous spot on the back of the cover first if you are unsure of the product you are using. Also, be mindful of the color of the product you are using...will it stain a clear cover? When you go leaning on that polisher creating heat, will that dark red chrome polish you're using come off? Good luck.

A vote for a clean up video.

per un sl1200 mk 2 è lo stesso? dove posso trovare i prodorri giusti?

Clean it!

Yes, power wash that mutha!

Definitely would like to see you clean-er-up.

Yes, now that the cover is so clean the table looks even more disgusting, seeing the table cleaned up would be great!

Yes, sort the old girl out.

Kevin, You know your stuff about vintage audio no doubt but omg, THIS IS NOT how you polish clear plastic. Watching you pull out that buffer is like watching someone say they're about to change a TT cartridge and then they pull out a hammer. While yes, you can kind of maybe get the job done (poorly at best), it's the completely wrong tool that's going to take way more time and effort and have a good chance of breaking something. To start with that buffer is made for things like cars. Not 12oz pieces of plastic. It can and will fling it or shatter it. ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU WERE USING IT WITH THE COVER SITTING LOOSE. And you've seen other people get good results with 3000 grit sandpaper because the pad you're using is actually coarser probly somewhere around 2000 grit, you're just basically beating the plastic into submission. Novus is always the best polish for plastic but it is extremely hard to get semi-good results on plastic with any sort of power tools, and with what you're using "passable" is the best you can ever hope for. Just use Novus 2 with a cloth by hand and you'll get way better results with much, much less frustration. If it's deep scratches Novus 3 works but it takes time, and then it has to be buffed out with 2. You don't even mention Novus 1 but you want to finish with that as it protects the newly air-exposed plastic surface. If you really want to use power tools than get a small palm orbit sander but spend some time to learn how to polish plastic first. What would you say to someone trying to restore an amplifier but they didn't know what a capacitor does? Bottom line I respect your talent for vintage audio but you are giving people bad advice in this video, and at best they get poor results, possibly break their cover and could very well even hurt themselves following this.

Just do it by hand on the inside its not that hard

You are so verbose.