DIY Record Player

July 25, 2016
 by 

DIY Record Player

Nearly eight years ago I began building a record player. Many projects have gotten in the way between then and now but I’m happy to say the project is finally complete thanks to the help of my friend Brian.


As you can see from the sketch above, the goal was to create a teardrop design. Something simple and elegant. This was the only part we actually had to fabricate ourselves.

DIY Record Player Template and Mockup

We used Jatoba wood and machined it with a band saw and a router. First we made a template out of 1/4″ plywood as our guide. This also was our template for using the router to get a perfect fit.

The motor, platter, and bearing were all sourced from DIY HiFi Supply. The tonearm is a Rega 202 that I bought from eBay. Its a decent starter tonearm and not too expensive.

This platter was laser cut out of 40mm thick acrylic at a final diameter of 298mm. Its truly is a beautiful piece of work. The markings on the platter are for timing it with a strobe. Below is a photo of the bearing that I ordered along with it. It too is a very nicely machined piece of work with a self-oiling design using rifles to push the oil back up to the bearing. When everything is all connected together it turns very smoothly.

DIY Record Player Mockup

DIY Record Player

Record Player Finished


Categories: Audiophile, Electronics


One Comment

  1. Tino Augurusa says:

    Hello! I just came across this site and loved the TT immediately and the craftsmanship that went into it.
    I am interested in want to build my very own TT but not really sure where to begin. I did acquire a very old but very good idler motor that I intend to use with the new build. I do have some ideas on designs but haven’t settled on anything yet. Do you have any advice / suggestions with what I need do? I really appreciate it. Thanks!

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