Straightening
Warped Vinyl
by
Rob
Wegner
July
2002
Has this ever happened
to you? You have a rare record that every DJ wants but can't
find. After a long night of spinning, you accidentally leave
your record bag in your car. It's summer and there's no garage.
That afternoon, you
discover that this hard-to-replace record is warped. Depending
on the severity of the warp, it's quite possible to save this
record.
Here are two techniques
for straightening warped records:
Technique One
This technique assumes
that you're not in a hurry to reuse this record. Simply place
the warped record at the bottom of a heavy stack (usually records).
After some time, the record(s) will begin to flatten. Be sure
that the record(s) is on a flat surface. The amount of weight
on the record, the length of time under the stack, and even the
room temperature will determine when your record becomes playable.
In extreme cases, it may take years for the record to straighten.
Technique Two
A quicker approach
is to place the warped record between two glass plates of equal
size (approximately 15" X 15" or more each) and briefly
place the record in the sun. You must closely monitor the record
to prevent damage. The theory here is that the sun's heat will
soften the vinyl while the glass molds the record flat. I do
not recommend attempting this technique unless the record is
severely warped. In other words, try this technique at your own
risk - and don't forget to wear sun block.
