My Easy Method Flatten Warped Records Use Caution

I have received a few record albums this summer that have been bent by the heat and some have been non playable. This is the method I came up with to fix them. Don't blame me if you over do it.

[@robbrobb7587]

I wouldn't recommend setting the vinyl onto the glass directly... Use a sleeve to help protect the grooves.

[@SpaceCaptainCreations]

RobbRobb good call, I just purchased a T Shirt heat press with a digital thermometer I plan on experimenting with. A video will follow but I think I can get the temp on the glass to 145 degrees then put the sleeved album in between the hot glass. It would be amazing if I could just heat and press direct but we’ll see. I plan on using 2 sheets of glass 3/8 thick.

[@hudsonrobert49]

Yes paper only, and NOT the Polylined Record Inner Sleeves, lol

[@longwhitecloudkiwi]

Great vid. I tried this last night on a copy of Led Zeppelin 2. Has a bad warp at one edge, could just play one side but the record hit the Arm while trying to play the other side. 65 degrees was no good, didn’t do anything. Bumped it up to 80 degrees and I can now play both sides, still scrapes the arm on one side but plays good. Back in the oven now at 85 degrees for a second go. Maybe my oven temp is out of whack or the record thickness may make a difference. Either way really appreciate your video. Cheers.

[@hudsonrobert49]

Well did it work, is there a part 2??? please

[@tiborosz1825]

So any dust that was in the grooves will now be melted into the vinyl.

[@JoseGonzalez-vh5ll]

Awesome tutorial 👌

[@RLBComedy]

I watched this video because I had a warping issue I was trying to fix on the exact same record

[@SpaceCaptainCreations]

RLBComedy I got it in the Polyvinyl grab bag, killer record just had a slight curl on one side, now it plays fine without manually stopping the platter and setting the needle. Good luck with it.

[@SpaceCaptainCreations]

RLBComedy another record that has been bugging me is the Sunny Day Real Estate loser edition from Sub Pop it’s sold out like crazy but they had to send me 4 copies and every one was warped. Maybe it’s the colors in the wax but I’m going to try a new technique with a T Shirt press and see what comes of it.

[@chriscook5613]

Yikes 😲🤔. Never heat directly on a hard surface. You risk flatening the ridges back in torwards the grooves. Apply direct pressure equally to the entire disk. It'd be better to use another piece of glass overtop of everything, then add your weight. You risk collapsing the ridges back onto the grooves with that much pressure in one area. While glass is fairly flat most times, it can also have high or low spots and slight "tacoing" places which will put more pressure in some areas. Those can also be amplified if they have a 10# weight on them. Place in a paper sleeve, place between posterboard pieces or thin cardboard. Place inbetween 2 glass sheets. Those will cushion the ridges between the grooves. Most people talk about the groove deformation. It isn't the groove you have to worry about, its the ridges between them that flatten out. Those will limit lateral movement of the stylus inside the groove. This will limit clarity and deeper bass mainly, but can effect overall sound production. Obviously that's why you talk about not getting it too hot. Which leads to the next point.... We all know how sensitive pvc is. It'll liquefy and melt around 200°f , but you'll need to be around 150°f to affect change enough to warp it enough to straighten it. Plus you need a constant temp across the whole thing to not cause other areas to gain a warp.Without using something to check the temp its a big guessing game how you're doing it. No doubt you're getting it flat. I'd be curious to heard that area where that 10# weight sits though ....

[@crocop4005]

Chris Cook great info 👍 How long does it sit pressed ?

[@efg194]

Another way is to put the disc in the sun, but you have to put the disc on a cover so it does not recess with the sun.

[@royallstar]

Great! I will do the same. How thick should the glass be?

[@SpaceCaptainCreations]

I used an old piece of 3\8 marble lite in the video for the base because it looked pretty, but any 1\4 inch slab will work. The thicker the glass the more temperature retension. The too piece was only 1\8 inch tempered glass. 1\4 inch would be fine. Remember it's ambient heat you want, you aren't cooking a turkey. Good luck and don't blast the vinyl directly, it melts around 120 degrees to 200 depending on the make up. I've had great luck, especially with super limited runs the mailman sat on. Thanks for watching and be cautious, it's not a race, it's a project.

[@davidjennings127]

Records are designed with a raised middle and outer edge so when they drop on a automatic turntable the grooves are protected,believe it or not reasonable pressure across the face of lp won't harm grooves,the heat,not so sure.

[@SpaceCaptainCreations]

David Jennings you nailed it about the grooves. I’m going to try out our new T Shirt press with a digital thermometer and see what happens, my wife would kill me if she thought I bought a new piece of machinery to flatten records lol.

[@eliaskaff]

Hello Mr, i forgot 3 Vinyls in the car it was summer and it was a total disaster , i got waves on them , they are worst than the one u showed in the video , does this method help ? thank you.

[@SpaceCaptainCreations]

Yes, fortunately this isn't a common occurrence. I have flattened a handful of albums with lip curl and slight warps with much success, just don't over heat the vinyl it can destroy the grooves.

[@SPAZZOID100]

Vanda lism the plural of vinyl is VINYL!!!

[@redbadger3531]

And the result?........No? So I guess we'll just have to take your word for it then.

[@jameshughes1574]

I have Limp Bizkit Results May Vary both have lip curl and wobble all over the platter. I’m debating on trying this method?

[@Keegan_Lafonde_Music]

Just throw it out. It’s limp biz kit

[@DwightLivesMatter]

I live in FL too and I constantly receive online orders that can't be bought online, and got fed up dealing with warped vinyl.

[@SpaceCaptainCreations]

G Note luckily it’s not very often, always seems to be when I buy 2 or more from the same vendor and they cram them in a smaller mailer. This year has been brutal hot and so far so good.

[@marks2731]

I find the best method is weight but no applied heat. It takes months, but no danger of resulting in a flat disk with no groves.

[@spud1252]

Mark S I have a one inc slab of polished granite I just place the record between the granite lave it a few days and get flat vinyl

[@SpaceCaptainCreations]

I love the granite idea, just don't melt the grooves with direct heat, let the glass be the conductor. Think of it as a warm mail truck or a hot day. You want to replicate the problem that caused the warp. Not repress the wax.

[@doomorbedoomed8748]

jim davis ummm....no. I have left a record under several hardcover college books for A YEAR and it made no difference whatsoever. You MUST incorporate heat to allow the vinyl to change shape.

[@trencher7]

How much weight and how long did you do it for to work?

[@Greenhornet7718]

Totally agree. I did same process with no result

[@SpaceCaptainCreations]

New video coming soon, whole new flattening method. Still in the design stages but will surface when perfected.

[@joshuaestrada1401]

You should put something flat on top of the record THEN the weight. The weight can cause an indent in the record if it’s too warm.

[@ELECTRONICMUSIC12]

video update or did you stuff up the record howvlong do you let it sit for in the glass

[@SpaceCaptainCreations]

I usually allow the glass to cool with the weights on it until it is ambient room temperature, vinyl can be stubborn and will try to go back to it's original shape if you rush the process. The album is much more flat and the needle doesn't want to jump anymore.

[@DwightLivesMatter]

"Make sure the glass is clean" -Pulls out dirty glass and puts it on top-

[@hughbetcha436]

Man I wish a had a dime for every dished record I've bought over the years!

[@SpaceCaptainCreations]

Hugh Betcha fortunately it’s not a totally common thing, it’s usually from the factory due to poor packaging and overly tightened shrink. This has helped me a few times but I’m working on a way better method.

[@LeandroMartins-um8eq]

101 / 5.000 Resultados de tradução Resultado da tradução Hello. Could you tell us if the method worked? How many degrees did you put in to make it work? Thanks.

[@metalneanderthal]

That warp isn’t so bad that record clamp would fix while playing. Now a severe warp like role. That’s a whole different story.

Only attempt this if you can see what temperature everything is at. IE - hand held temperature guns. This is not a good method due to that. You can't determine what your melting point is at.

[@SpaceCaptainCreations]

That's why I choose clear glass and a controlled method. Not trying to flatten anything but the slab itself, slow heat and a little finesse.

[@ktor538]

Won't it smash/flatten or distort the grooves at all?

[@SpaceCaptainCreations]

K Tor the grooves are between the ridges, and on a microscopic level they are pretty deep, remember the pressing process requires a lot of heat and pressure. You can melt the grooves by using direct heat for a few minutes, I don’t recommend it. Ambient heat is just causing the vinyl to heat up to whatever situation caused the warp in the first place. I haven’t had any problems and I’ve used this process 3 times successfully and was able to greatly reduce the warp/bend enough to play the record. Keep in mind, if the record is unplayable it’s unplayable. This is just an inexpensive home brew to get you spinning again. Thanks for watching.

[@trencher7]

Ever tried long term heavy weight without heat?

[@SpaceCaptainCreations]

trencher7 yes, living in Florida long term heat is about 45 minutes. Not really hot enough to flatten the record substrate though in my opinion. Keep tuned in I’m looking at a new permanent, quick and slightly inexpensive idea that is also good for other uses. I will say, to be fair, I have had records mysteriously cure themselves after months stored upright in a semi tight storage environment. You always have to take into account the packaging and spine size of the sleeve compared to what’s actually in the packaging. Odd spaces will most definitely create warping over time. Booklets and so on in the sleeves. But in my honest opinion time and ambient pressure will work do to molecular repopulation of the material, it just depends on how many grey hairs you want to establish in the meantime, lol. Thanks for asking.

[@trencher7]

@@SpaceCaptainCreations Thanks. I just dug up my collection and have a few with some mild warping on the ends.

[@partypoison785-8]

If I do this The Grooves won't Get Worse worse? I bought Nimrod By Green Day 5 days ago (It is my First Record) And it was a Little warped, I don't want to Mess up the Sound, This method Won't change the Quality Sound? I'm Afraid that I can destroy my First and Favorite record:( Please Heeeeelp

[@partypoison785-8]

well, I did it and the record got flatten, maybe I was lucky, but It worked to me, I did it yesterday

[@SpaceCaptainCreations]

I'm glad it worked for you. I hope you enjoy many new records in the future and don't have to fix too many more.

[@galus14436]

PartyPoison785 - the good news, in any case, you will eventually like many more records better than that one haha

[@SpaceCaptainCreations]

not so serious word

[@doomorbedoomed8748]

BYE BYE, GROOVES!!!!!!!

[@SpaceCaptainCreations]

Doom or be Doomed nope, grooves are safely tucked away in the wax. I’ve done about 5 albums this way and they are all fine. I’ll take the risk any day over a cartridge hopping.

[@vladimirlopez7840]

This is how vinyl records have always been flattened. If you think that old vinyl records you buy are all flat you are mistaken. A lot of vinyl records have been flattened this way. Ive seen it done all through the 70’s and 80’s.

[@djline2]

interesting video man and very cost effective. Im in the same vote with you for trying the sun or oven. Only food goes into my stove. I need a heat gun to try this out. Thanks

[@SpaceCaptainCreations]

It's not a miracle by any means but it has cured my sadness many times. Thanks for watching.

[@billwren5033]

another useless video that does not show the record after flattening or better yet playing it on the turntable

[@SpaceCaptainCreations]

William Uren sorry to annoy you, I’ll take your comment into consideration in the future. I’ve fixed many jumpy records this way and will continue to do so. If it fails you can always heat it up more and make an expensive decorative bowl out of the record. Thanks for your input.

[@billwren5033]

bro your not annoying me its just if you don't show the full result. the video is kind of pointless

[@SpaceCaptainCreations]

William Uren it’s just a pointer man. Next time I fix one maybe I’ll post a video showing the full result. I should have shown the final result post initial problem. Hindsight is 20/20 always.

[@joost199207]

@@billwren5033 It's not pointless because he explained everything he did and why.

[@austinhunt4260]

Take your “heat gun?!”

[@hudsonrobert49]

glass is clean, NOT, you just put your hand print all over it, hope there was no grease or dust and grit on your hand.