Foil damping tape as a tonearm tube wrap?
@nationalbar described one application in this thread: https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/arche-headshell-and-technics-1200g @rauliruegas cited this post in this thread: https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/picking-up-a-new-technics-sl1200g-tt-tomorrow |
@nationbar pm’ed me about his experience with this tweak. Here is the gist of that pm: “Hello, The product I use is 3M Damping Foil (tape), # 2552 It is a constrained layer damping tape. Here is the product sheet on 3M's web site: https://www.3m.com/3M/enUS/company-us/all-3m-products/~/3M-Damping-Foil-2552/?N=5002385+3293194280&a... I use the 1" x 5 yards roll (that's enough to do fifteen tonearms!) I buy it from Grainger, they have the best price and they sell smaller quantities, most industrial sources only offer large quantities. Here: https://www.grainger.com/search?searchBar=true&searchQuery=3m+2552 Forget about the description on Grainger's website re:" EMI absorber tape", that's for another product altogether. The product is indeed 3M 2552. I wrap the armtube only, from just behind the headshell collet, up to but stopping at the bearing lug section, where it gets bigger.. just behind the arm lock. I wrap-carefully- in a spiral, with about 50% overlap. Beware, the adhesive is strong- I actually spoke to an engineer at 3M in Minnesota to enquire about removing the tape from a magnesium tube. he said removal requires a 4 pound pull for the adhesive to release. The reason I am damping the arm this way, as well as using the KAB fluid damping system and the arche headshell is the London Reference cartridge I use is very low compliance, and sends a LOT of energy down the tonearm tube, which feeds back to the stylus. The 3M damping tape is FAR more effective than teflon plumbers tape or heat shrink tubing. The combination of all three elements, the arche headshell, the damping tape, and the KAB fluid damping system, eliminated the mechanical quirks from the London cartridge, allowing it to track properly, and also it lowered surface noise, which this cartridge is known for. The tape wrapped on the armtube added about 6 grams of weight, so remember to re-adjust your VTF.” |
The first link from my previous post includes a broken link. The clean link is here: https://www.3m.com/3M/en_US/company-us/all-3m-products/~/3M-Damping-Foil-2552/?N=5002385+3293194280&... Here is the link to the product specification sheet: http://multimedia.3m.com/mws/media/96388O/3mtm-damping-foil-2552.pdf |
