Help! New TT skipping badly....


Recently bought a used VPI Scout with JMW arm  9 in.  Set up on shelf om my SolidSteel rack where I have always had a TT. Could barely breathe without arm skipping. If I walk anywhere near rack, skips. Floor is carpeted over hardwood, quite solid, never had issue with Clear Audio or Rega table. Took to Audio Connection and had completely gone over and adjusted. Better but still bad. Put cork /sorbathane blocks on shelf and put 3 inch solid maple slab on top of that. No change. removed top shelf and put the cork/ sorb. blocks directly on frame, then maple slab. still skips. everything is dead nuts level, and as stated, floor is firm. Went in basement and put a brace between floor joists, nada. Tomorrow I was thinking of taking rack down and removing spiked feet. Odds this helps? I know some will suggest wall mount, but I don't want to spend anymore money if I can avoid it.As I said, Ive had other TTs in exact spot and you could dance with never a problem. Any input would be greatly appreciated.As I said TT was recently gone over and is set up correctly. Thanks
winoguy17
Already provided two solutions- three, if you want to count springs under the rack. Which you seem to not have read anything I posted. One more try.

The problem is not the floor. If the floor was so unstable then you would have had problems with those other tables. The problem is the frequency of vibration going up the rack into the table is right in a range this particular table is unable to handle.  

The solution is springs. Thanks.

when everything looks like a spring….every spring looks just like a hammer…

 but thank God there are real engineering firms in the USA close to you that specialize in isolating this and more. For example Johnny who you know, carries HRS, turntable bases start just north of $1k. There are others, you have many choices of excellent TT and other isolation.


 A quick ? unipivot on any of the other TT ?

eyeball the cuing lever spacing, Use a light, 140 g thru 200 g LPs


Nick did your setup ? excellent man and his work ethic superb. Listening to a high resolution file of a TT he setup, Cello to die for….but it sounds like he setup at shop and you transported ? Was he aware of the skip issue ?

A wall mount ( source thru Rega dealer or online ) is a couple of hundred bucks….i know $$ but….  

level ? try to level the table with feet screwed all the way up and then down .25 to .5 turns. you may have feet extended into an unstable range.

removing rack spikes unlikely to help, most likely make it worse…35 years of experience w Linn ( selling against them but fixing others work , whenever i did that i took along a loaner SOTA Sapphire….few came back… )

Finally you got excellent advice on temporary relocation of the table, you are not testing sonics just skip. Corner in tight best spot.

hope your frustration level goes down

jim
The problem is the VP! Scout has no suspension, and the approaches you've taken to solve your problem don't acknowledge that fact. Solid Steel racks are, as the name suggests, pretty solid---stiff, passing the mechanical energy from the floor into the MDF plinth of the VPI. The MDF shelves on the SS rack flex (I know, I own four of them), but not enough to create any isolation between floor/rack and turntable.

VPI's first product was an isolation platform---a wooden box with no bottom, springs installed in the open cavity and facing the shelf upon which it was placed. It was reportedly pretty effective, but finding one may be difficult.

So, as suggested above, try a set of four springs between the top shelf of your SS rack and some sort of platform for the VPI. Symposium Acoustics makes a platform designed expressly for turntables; it is a multi-layer shelf-like plank (aluminum top and bottom, foam rubber between the two) fitted with special springs on the bottom. Worth a look on the SA website.
 
tomic601, yes, I brought the table to Nick,he was aware of the issue, I am confident table set up is not the problem. I do have all four feet of table screwed all the way in. Thank you for your input everyone.
MC, please get over yourself. I promise you I read every word you wrote and appreciate your response. Problem is ,I just don't happen to have springs laying around the house. I did just order a set of Nobsound from Amazon and will be glad to update if anyone cares For $32. worth a try. The Townshend platform costs more than the table!
Rigid turntable, unipivot tonearm, wooden floor, bad set up, big mess.
No way to fix it without spending money, money better spent on a better turntable. You might be able to make it better but stopping it altogether will take a MinusK platform to the tune of $5000. A cheaper platform might work but I do not know that for a fact. Go over your set up. Make sure your cartridge is matched to the arm. If you do anything get rid of that tonearm. 
Don't feel bad about it. Many of us myself included have bought equipment we wound up hating. Experience is the best teacher of all.