Dug by little moles

[venta]

I went shopping for singles this morning. However, now I am playing them as I attempt to kick my room into shape and I have run into a problem.

The hole in the middle of my nice new Kooks single is smaller than the record player's spindle. Not just needs-a-bit-of-force, but actually too small. Is there a standard solution to this problem ? I'm a bit reluctant to take a file to it, as I'd probably end up with an elliptic hole and a record that played wonky.

Today's haul was:

Kooks - Eddie's Gun. I've heard this a few times and rather liked it. Can't confirm opinions, because I can't play it. See above.

Maximo Park - Gone Missing. Pleasant listening, but not outstanding - I think it's one of life's album tracks, really. I'll admit it, I'm mostly in it because I like the singer's accent :) Both the A side and the B side are on the same side, with the lyrics etched into the flip side of the record. You can have so much more fun producing vinyl than CDs. Having two tracks on one side means you have to play it at 33 1/3, which they don't bother to tell you - why does no one print speeds on records any more ?

Corl - Outlines. I'd been reading about these guys, and wanted to know what they sounded like. Need a few more listens to form an opinion properly. Two B-sides, a free poster, and white vinyl, though :)

Lemon Jelly - Make Things Right. Lemon Jelly win this week's funky packaging award for the lovely hungry-caterpillar style concentric rings. Even if they did let their artistic integrity have full sway, and didn't sully the record sleeve with anything demeaning like, say, a title. The A side is good old Lemon Jelly style sampling. The B side is twelve concentric rings instead of a spiral. Yup, they're all "looped beats", to allow you to do your own remixing ("two turntables and microphone not included"). If I find the record two of the single, I'll also get a nice beat-free version of the single and some more ambient loops. I'm tempted to hunt it down and beg the use of someone's decks for an hour. Hurrah for people with creatively daft ideas.

Total outlay for all that fun: £3.96.

... and I only went into Virgin to get the picturedisk of the new Bloc Party single.

Comments

[pseudomonas.livejournal.com]

Is there a standard solution to this problem?
One of these? (I'm hazarding a guess rather than speaking from experience here)

[venta.livejournal.com]

Yup, that might well do it. Sadly, I've inexplicably misplaced my violin peg reamer this week :)

[zotz]

venta -> hardware shop -> round-section needle file.

Circular in cross-section, so you'd really have to work to get the hole wrong. Make sure it covers the right size before you take it home. It usually only takes one or two turns to persuade a recalcitrant disk, so don't go overboard on the first one.

Conceivably you could get one for a pound or two. It very much depends what the local hardware shops are like. It doesn't need to be anything fancy, as vinyl's pretty soft.

[zotz]

why does no one print speeds on records any more ?

Peel tribute.

[venta.livejournal.com]

Yup, that sounds like a goer. I think my supply of ironmongers near work is limited to Robert Dyas, but if he can't sort me out I shall try the proper, old-fashioned ironmonger off the high street in Oxford.

Have also now remembered that the reason I never played the Doves single I bought was that it didn't fit the spindle, so it seems to be a common enough problem to merit spending a few quid on solving it.

[venta.livejournal.com]

*splutter*

[neilh.livejournal.com]

Is there a standard solution to this problem?
Download the mp3.

[j4.livejournal.com]

You need a tapered file with a circular cross-section (there's got to be a better/neater description*), which you can then just turn round and round in the hole, and that should file it evenly (avoiding elliptical holes).

* I think it's just a "round file", actually. Like the round one of these.

[broadmeadow.livejournal.com]

Is there a standard solution to this problem?

Punch out the centre bit so you get the much larger hole (as you would do if putting the record in a juke machine) and place a spider adaptor in this hole.

I have some spare ones if you want one.

[broadmeadow.livejournal.com]

> juke machine

Or even a jukebox!

[venta.livejournal.com]

That just provides the different problems of "how do I punch the middle out" and "where do I get a spider adaptor" :)

[venta.livejournal.com]

Indeed. According to B&Q's packaging, I have a "Round File" with a "Soft Grip Handle". Woo.

It also has a baleful warning on the back that I "use the tool for the intended purpose only". It doesn't, however, tell me what they intended me to use it for.

[broadmeadow.livejournal.com]

> how do I punch the middle out

Well, it's designed to be removable. On some singles it's barely held in at all.

> where do I get a spider adaptor

From me - see my posting!

Anyhow, you have it sorted now. Filing the hole out a bit seemed like the best solution to me, but your original requirement was for a plan other than that...