Repairing Guides

how to repair a warped record

by Dr. Chadrick Wolff II Published 2 years ago Updated 1 year ago
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  1. Use weight to flatten the record. One simple way to try and fix a warped record is to place a heavy object on top of it overnight. ...
  2. Apply heat to the record for a short time period. ...
  3. Use a vacuum cleaner to suck out any wrinkles. If your warped record has any small wrinkles or ripples, you may be able to remove them by using a ...
  4. Use milk to make the record more pliable. Milk is actually a natural lubricant and can be used to help get rid of tiny creases or ripples in a ...
  5. Use rubbing alcohol.

To fix a warped vinyl record, sandwich the record between 2 heavy objects, like a couple large books, and let it sit for a few days or weeks until it's not warped anymore. If you're in a rush, you can quickly fix a warped vinyl record using an oven.

Full Answer

How can a warped record be repaired?

Things You'll Need

  • Two (2) sheets of glass at least 20" X 20" square
  • One (1) warped vinyl record
  • Up to two (2) heavy flat objects
  • One (1) large oven
  • Pair of oven mitts

How can you tell if a vinyl record is warped?

Method 2: Heat, Pressure, and Your Oven

  • Purchase two tempered glass sheets that cover the entirety of your record. ...
  • Once you have your tempered glass sheets, sandwich your warped record between them.
  • Preheat your oven to around 178 degrees Fahrenheit (80 Celcius).
  • Place your record and glass sandwich into your oven and wait anywhere from 1 to 3 minutes, or potentially longer if need be. ...

More items...

How to flatten a Warped Vinyl record?

So What Are My Options For Flattening A Warped Record?

  • Heavy Object Sandwich Method. What we call the “Heavy Object Sandwich Method” is about as simple as it sounds. ...
  • Glass Pane Method. The “Glass Pane Method” is a method that floats around a lot and can be extremely dangerous for your vinyl.
  • Tile Method. ...
  • Record Flattener Device. ...
  • Record Flattening Service. ...

How to fix a scratched record?

  • Get a professional vinyl cleaning kit online. ...
  • Cleaning on a budget? ...
  • Put the record on a microfiber cloth, then spray it with your cleaner. ...
  • Soak another microfiber cloth in distilled water, then wipe down both sides of the record.
  • Don’t spray the label of the record, and don’t forget to clean both sides!

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Can a warped record be fixed?

Fortunately, warped records can often be fixed, so you can be back to rockin' and rollin' in no time. You'll need two sheets of glass larger than your album, but small enough to fit in your oven. Heavier or thicker glass tends to work best.

How do you fix a curved record?

Here are the general steps:Get two large panes of glass that will fit in your oven.Preheat the oven to its lowest temperature setting.Put your vinyl & glass sandwich in the oven for 30 minutes.Turn the heat off.Let the record cool down to room temperature.Determine whether or not that fixed the warping.

How do you fix a buckled record?

4:196:45How to fix a warped vinyl record - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipSo you don't do is put this down on a flat surface. Over the edge here. Turn their plot now bumpingMoreSo you don't do is put this down on a flat surface. Over the edge here. Turn their plot now bumping down a flat surface this will be quite hot the very moment it's just about touchable. So now they

Are warped records ruined?

We are happy to say playing warped albums that are still playable, or slightly warped, will not damage your stylus or turntable. This does not mean you should just that you can. If your record is extremely damaged it can, however, damage your stylus by forcing the stylus to jump and pop around.

What causes records to warp?

Vinyl records warp because of extra weight, heat and direct sunlight. It is very important to store and use your records carefully so that they don't warp. When records heat up they become soft. After they are soft they will warp with virtually any pressure that is applied.

What does a warped vinyl look like?

The easiest way to see warping on your record is by holding it flat at eye level. A perfect vinyl record will look utterly flat on your vision. But if it is not, you will see even the slightest apparent warping. Variations in the wow and flutter are also indicators of warping.

Why are so many new records warped?

Warped Records If your record wasn't stored correctly during production or at the retail store, your new vinyl might arrive warped. Very minor warping is unlikely to cause much of problem. However, in extreme cases, a warped record may skip or produce tracking errors.

Can old vinyl records be restored?

In some circumstances, a record can be restored after it has been degraded by dust or minor scratches. In other cases, a record might be so warped or scratched that it is essentially unplayable. Before you try to fix up a record, it's wise to know whether that particular vinyl can be saved.

Are vinyls supposed to wobble?

Record players are not designed to have any wobbling in the turntable at all. However in real life most every player will have some amount of wobbling in it. As long as the movement isn't causing your record to jump or skip, the wobble really isn't anything to worry about.

Why does one side of my vinyl sound distorted?

Dirty Stylus/Needle Perhaps the most common and easily fixed cause of why a record player or turntable might sound distorted is a dirty stylus. The needle (more accurately known as a stylus) is the tiny diamond tip that tracks the record groove.

Should vinyl records be perfectly flat?

Records shouldn't be stored horizontally, or flat. As you will see, archival record boxes are designed for the records to be stood and stored vertically. Storing vinyl records flat can place too much pressure on the records lower in the stack causing damage over time.

How do I tell if a record is warped?

0:495:47How to tell if your vinyl records are warped with sight and light - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipAnd you can see that it's this unwarped record is for the most part pretty flat across - then itMoreAnd you can see that it's this unwarped record is for the most part pretty flat across - then it turns a little bittle as you turn the pencil.

How do you straighten warped plastic?

0:080:51Toy Polloi's Top Tips - How to Straighten bent plastic - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipThe best way to straighten it out is to use freshly boiled water simply place the item in theMoreThe best way to straighten it out is to use freshly boiled water simply place the item in the freshly boiled water.

How do you fix a bent vinyl cover?

1:3518:45How to fix your damaged record album covers - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipThere we go now at this point keep your record lined up just flip it over and then just fold it andMoreThere we go now at this point keep your record lined up just flip it over and then just fold it and let it land on its own. Then you can go ahead and put pressure on it.

How do you fix warped vinyl siding?

There is no way to fix siding that has already melted or bulged. The only way to repair vinyl siding that has already warped in some way is to replace it. It is possible to fix panels that are loose or too tight, though, without having to buy new ones.

How do you fix a warped vinyl window?

The first step you should take is to loosen the hinges. Since warped windows do not quite fit within the opening of the building, adjusting their tightness can help solve the problem and make them operate more smoothly. Another solution is to fill the gaps around the warped windows with additional weatherstripping.

How Do Records Get Warped?

Several things can cause your records to warp. One of the most common issues with vinyl records that cause warping is improper storage. We would highly suggest you read this related article about record storage. If you do not store records properly, then add direct sunlight and/or heat into the equation, and you have a recipe for disaster.

Can You Play A Warped Record?

This greatly depends on exactly how warped your vinyl record has become. You obviously can not play a record that has turned into a salad bowl! However, if your record is mostly flat and just wobbles a bit, you can absolutely still play them.

Can You Fix A Warped Vinyl Record?

The question of can you actually fix a warped vinyl record is a difficult one. Some options that work better than others, but sometimes they do not make sense economically.

So What Are My Options For Flattening A Warped Record?

We have seen several methods mentioned on the internet, in forums, in shops, and around circles. Our goal here is not to give you exact instructions on the methods as this is not a “How To” and, frankly, we do not want you to damage your record further which most methods will do.

What We Recommend For Flattening Your Records

There are some safer methods out of the ones mentioned in this article and those are generally the ones we would try first. We have our preferred methods that we think could work best and risk the least.

Can you leave your records in the car?

However, that does not mean that you can leave your precious records in your car at the parking lot under the scorching sun. Or get it mailed in your sun-scorched doorstep where you might accidentally leave them for days while on vacation and expect it to be okay.

Is heat bad for a record?

As mentioned before, heat is detrimental to your record’s life. However, in this method, we rely on heat to help your record get more life. We’re going to use the oven. You should have a clear picture of how wrong this method can go. An oven is for baking pizzas and cookies.

Can you stack vinyl records horizontally?

Stacking them horizontally, the vinyl record on top would probably be okay. However, for that miserable vinyl record below would be not so good. This is especially true if you have a stack that is too high or left it for too long. Some of the sleeves might have other things.

How long to warm up a record?

If you smell anything funny or hear any strange noises, remove your record from the oven. Warm your record in the oven for 2 or 3 minutes. Leaving your record in the oven for longer may melt your record.

How to keep glass from shattering?

Using oven mitts, pull the glass and record assembly out of the oven. Remember that glass can shatter with temperature shock. Do not set your hot glass on a cold granite or tile countertop, or it may shatter! Set the glass on a room temperature table or counter.

Can you fix a warped vinyl record?

Warped vinyl can lead to a wobbly sounding rendition of your favorite song. Fortunately, warped records can often be fixed, so you can be back to rockin' and rollin' in no time. You'll need two sheets of glass larger than your album, but small enough to fit in your oven. Heavier or thicker glass tends to work best.

Necessary supplies

Besides a warped record itself, you will need two glass sheets larger than your record, a weight, and an oven. You can get glass sheets in your local hardware shop. As for the oven, the one in your kitchen will work fine as long as it can maintain a constant temperature.

Repair procedure

First of all, get rid of the dust on your records surfaces, and clean them with record cleaner. Next, clean the surfaces of the glass sheets that will touch your record in the same way. Place your warped record between the glass sheets, preheat your oven to 175°F (80°C), then put the ‘sandwich’ in the oven.

Cheaper alternative

You can also try to place your record on a flat surface and some big heavy books on top of it and leave it this way for a couple of weeks. Depending on the initial degree of warping, it can also help, although it usually does not guarantee the perfect flatness of your record after the repair. But if the record plays fine, you can consider it fixed.

High-end solution

If you have a lot of warped records that are really valuable for you, you might benefit from buying a warped record flattening machine. It works on the same principle as heating in an oven, but it is more precise and safer in terms of possible damage to records.

1. Through two heavy books or objects

This is the simple and mostly applied method to get a warped vinyl record. For this, you just require to take two heavy objects, but make sure the objects must have certain weight and pressure plus they can cover the whole record under, by making a smooth structure.

Conclusion

The above article is giving some reliable solutions for the question of how to fix a warped vinyl record? These solutions are selected for discussion based on unbiased reviews. So read the article carefully and apply a suitable solution to get back the original shape of your vinyl record.

Guide to Flattening Warped Vinyl Records

Short of buying a replacement copy of your prized records, there really isn’t a quick and easy way to alleviate the pain of having a bent or warped record on your hands, and buying new isn’t always an option.

Prevention

First, don’t put your records on a shelf with too many records leaning on one unfortunate record on the end. On an overflowing shelf that lacks support dividers, the weight of each record adds up quickly, and you don’t want the records on one end to be supporting the weight of your entire collection.

Method 1: Pressure And Time

This is essentially the leave-it-between-two-large-books-for-a-long-time-and-hope-that-fixes-it way. If you have some large and heavy books to cover the record you’re trying to flatten (like that Dust & Grooves coffee table book you asked your mom to buy you last year), this method will serve you well.

Method 2: Pressure And Heat

I’m not even going to link to some of the how-to websites that will teach you ways to fix a warped record by putting it between two large panes of glass and putting it in the oven. If you pay attention to all the warnings in the sidebars, you’d have a clear picture in your mind of how wrong this could go.

Method 3: A Machine, Heat And Pressure

If someone has told you that there are machines you can buy that are specifically made to flatten out vinyl records, they were right, but you’ve been set up for disappointment. Generally speaking, they do exist, however they are not only disproportionately overpriced for their value but also nearly impossible to find.

Final Thoughts

Whichever way you decide to go, just remember that a slightly warped record that plays is better than one that looks like a salad bowl because you accidentally overheated it in your oven. If you have a warped record, give Method 1 a try before you embark on an unnecessary and possibly dangerous quest.

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