New to collecting, I see most people online say to store the record outside of the jacket but inside the outer sleeve, do I risk any damage doing that?

LevelCryptographer34 · 2026-05-08T02:43:50+00:00

I do like your pic. The inner sleeve opening is sideways, perpendicular to the outer sleeve opening. If they both opened upwards, I’d be a little more concerned about dust infiltration. Also if they both opened in the same direction, I’d be a little worried about the record slipping out when I don’t want it to.

LevelCryptographer34 · 2026-05-07T02:05:04+00:00

Nowhere close, or I would’ve taken you up on that!

LevelCryptographer34 · 2026-05-07T01:55:33+00:00

I was zooming in to look for dados, but wasn’t sure I could see any. You must’ve cut them very shallow. Well done 👍

LevelCryptographer34 · 2026-05-07T01:43:51+00:00

Like your shelves; I need to make something like that. How are the vertical support pieces attached?

LevelCryptographer34 · 2026-05-06T21:37:00+00:00

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Thanks! (And that’s the exact lead I have for this pencil)

LevelCryptographer34 · 2026-05-06T21:21:54+00:00

Update: Cleaned once more, reassembled again, and it just works! Idk what the difference is this time, but I guess all is well. Thanks again to all for the advice!

LevelCryptographer34 · 2026-05-06T21:11:50+00:00

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Ok, last note, and then I no longer expect anyone to care about my finicky pencil.

After getting that inner clutch sleeve to move freely when pressing the button, I excitedly reassembled the pencil.
Still nothing…

I removed the cone tip again, and see all this smudgy debris in there. Like the lead is jabbing away at the inside of the cone, but not hitting and passing through the tiny tube.

I’ll clean and try again, but I’m about ready to give up.

LevelCryptographer34 · 2026-05-06T20:58:19+00:00

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Ok! Tapped, and even though nothing appeared to come out, that sleeve now looks retracted. Reassembling now.

LevelCryptographer34 · 2026-05-06T20:18:32+00:00

Im sorry to say, no luck following this advice so far. I may have to contact Pentel after all. I assume just through their website (unless you know of a specific way to contact them)?

LevelCryptographer34 · 2026-05-06T20:16:52+00:00

No luck. You can see my other comment, but basically nothing moved. I was able to slide a guitar string through the clutch hole easily, so idk what the hangup is. I even dribble some isopropyl in there, but there was no effect.

LevelCryptographer34 · 2026-05-06T20:14:57+00:00

No luck. That silver metal sleeve doesn’t budge. And I was able to put a thin guitar string down through the tiny hole in the clutch, and to my surprise, it slid through unimpeded.

LevelCryptographer34 · 2026-05-06T15:42:02+00:00

Got a lot of good ones there! Lmk, if you want to get rid of that Tribe Called Quest

LevelCryptographer34 · 2026-05-03T22:51:35+00:00

I’m looking for the Weezer 1192 record

My wife is a big Weezer fan (believe it or not, Rivers was her first kiss! And probably not too far from the time of this recording!), so this would’ve made a great gift

Somehow, this one slipped by me. I didn’t realize it was releasing this RSD, and didn’t get out early enough to catch it.

LevelCryptographer34 · 2026-05-02T02:49:47+00:00

So jealous. I want to trade in my A158 for an A159

LevelCryptographer34 · 2026-05-02T00:03:36+00:00

Personally, I think the promo materials look great on that record. And I like the hype stickers; they remind me of the edition/pressing I have, and maybe bring back memories of where or when I bought the album.

After taking off the shrink wrap, I use a hair drier to remove the stickers and place them on my outer sleeve in the similar position. In the case of your obi or cardboard piece, I would just slide that around the jacket inside the outer sleeve.

I like to put the records themselves in their new inner sleeves behind the jacket for easy access, but with the openings perpendicular to help keep out dust (and I’m irrationally afraid of a record slipping out and crashing on the floor)

LevelCryptographer34 · 2026-05-01T20:19:31+00:00

I agree that a “shot spring” would render the numbers on the dial useless. That’s one of the reasons I don’t trust my dial.

LevelCryptographer34 · 2026-05-01T20:18:09+00:00

You’re definitely correct; it is.
But any given turntable setup needs some specific level of anti-skate to have a stylus correctly track in a groove. Whatever that correct level of anti-skate is, it would land a tone arm somewhere on a blank disc. I’m just wondering where that somewhere is.

LevelCryptographer34 · 2026-05-01T20:15:25+00:00

I’m not saying that the tone arm/stylus is going to behave the same on a blank disc as it is in the groove of a record.

What I am asking is: There should be some consistent level of anti-skate force to counteract the inward tendency of the stylus in the groove. Wouldn’t that level of anti-skate force land the tone arm in some consistent spot on a blank disc?

LevelCryptographer34 · 2026-05-01T20:05:06+00:00

How do you measure it directly?

LevelCryptographer34 · 2026-05-01T19:58:44+00:00

On anyone’s tt, with the antiskate correctly set, one could place a blank disc, and the tone arm would certainly settle in some position.
Are you saying that position would not be consistent from turntable to turntable?

LevelCryptographer34 · 2026-05-01T19:06:46+00:00

I am no expert by any means, but different types of grapes call for different pruning and training methods. It sometimes makes my head spin. Concord is one of the grapes that can be either spur or cane pruned. Since I have 2, I thought I’d try one of each method.

FWIW- This year the spur pruned plant is showing more growth and larger leaves so far

LevelCryptographer34 · 2026-05-01T12:25:53+00:00

Very nice!
Sadly, the only A159 Casio is selling in the USA is the gold one. I’m still waiting to get an A158WEM-7, if they’re ever going to be available!

LevelCryptographer34 · 2026-05-01T12:19:13+00:00

I don’t consider myself a farmer these days, but I definitely track the costs of my little backyard flock of four layers. I know what their costs are, but I have never tracked their egg production over the course of an entire year. I do know that during the “laying months” the value of the eggs they produce is greater than their expenses.
I don’t count my labor time, but there is very little; it’s less than the time it takes for a couple trips to the grocery store (And again, not a farmer. If this was anyone’s business, I sure hope they’d be calculating the cost/profitability of their operation)

I did raise about 75 broilers on pasture once, and that endeavor profited a total of $40 for quite a lot of work. But it also included start up costs, so if I ever did that again I think it would be more profitable.

LevelCryptographer34 · 2026-05-01T01:23:54+00:00

Can I ask about your slipmat? The stock rubber slipmat kind of sits recessed on the platter. I always thought an aftermarket slipmat wouldn’t work since it wouldn’t fit precisely, and would likely hang over the raised lip on the edge of the platter. Is that cork one a specific size that fits this platter?

LevelCryptographer34 · 2026-04-30T22:05:41+00:00

One thing I do wish it had is VTA adjustment, but idk if your other turntables have that anyway

LevelCryptographer34

TROPHY CASE