SPR08Y Posted June 28, 2020 Share Posted June 28, 2020 Hi all, I couldn't find a thread discussing this, so... My Roksan Xerxes X has an aluminium platter that keeps getting smudge marks on it. I've cleaned it once in the past, white spirit I think from memory, which seemed to do the trick, yet the smudges have appeared again... What's the collective wisdom of dealing with this? Options I have considered so far: cleaning more regularly... spraying with some kind of clear coat after cleaning, which I'm reluctant to do - could be a disaster! getting the platter anodised. Might be the best option. Could go with a funky colour; charcoal, deep green, or 'deep purple' - not that I'm into them... Ha! Appreciate any suggestions! Kind regards, Michael Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andyr Posted June 28, 2020 Share Posted June 28, 2020 Haha - truly a 'First World Problem"! Andy 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aussievintage Posted June 28, 2020 Share Posted June 28, 2020 My solution was to put many many fingerprints around the platter so no particular one stands out and annoys me 7 minutes ago, SPR08Y said: spraying with some kind of clear coat after cleaning, which I'm reluctant to do - could be a disaster! I am sure you could always sand/buff it off later if you change your mind. I have clear coated brass fittings on guitars so they stayed shiny. I also painted a platter with hammertone grey to hide a badly tarnished finish. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shark Posted June 28, 2020 Share Posted June 28, 2020 Hi SPRO8Y. Anodising is probably the easiest solution to your problem. If you choose "natural finish" the anodizer will not add a dye before the sealing process, but it will still be a different colour to the original Raw Aluminium, but will be much more tolerant of fingerprints. You can use various 2 pack finishes after your painter metal preps the Raw Aluminium and the completed platter will be true to original colour but more expensive. Anodising should be somewhere around $100. Cheers, Mark. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tasebass Posted June 28, 2020 Share Posted June 28, 2020 you can go painted platter on the outside.... Or grab some of these and with some elbow grease ..... Cheers Tase. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markielinhart Posted June 28, 2020 Share Posted June 28, 2020 Great post! Recently I polished the rim of my aluminium platter because of the same smudging issue. Using Solvol Autosol polish I spent quite a while with hand work then finished it with a lambs wool pad on a rotary angle grinder. Looks great and I swear it’s improved the performance (lol)... 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
t_mike Posted June 28, 2020 Share Posted June 28, 2020 Wear white cotton gloves when using it. Your records won't get fingerprints either. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest jakeyb77 Posted June 28, 2020 Share Posted June 28, 2020 I’d just lightly polish it with autosol. My concern with painting etc is throwing a balanced platter off balance. Some platters have relief holes etc to balance platters. If the coating is thicker on one point then the rotation being off centre may put wear on other parts. Or maybe I’m just thinking too deep Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest jakeyb77 Posted June 28, 2020 Share Posted June 28, 2020 2 minutes ago, t_mike said: Wear white cotton gloves when using it. Your records won't get fingerprints either. Yes because dressing up like Bugs Bunny every time you want to play a record is very convenient Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
t_mike Posted June 28, 2020 Share Posted June 28, 2020 7 minutes ago, jakeyb77 said: Yes because dressing up like Bugs Bunny every time you want to play a record is very convenient I was thinking Mickey Mouse. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattyW Posted June 28, 2020 Share Posted June 28, 2020 Dang, that's real purty 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GregWormald Posted June 29, 2020 Share Posted June 29, 2020 (edited) I really like the colour. How was it done? When mine was really yucky I donned the white gloves and gave it a careful satin finish with some (IIRC) 1200 grit wet/dry paper on a sanding block and then a couple of light spray coats of a lacquer designed for non-ferrous metals. It still looks good after 4-5 years. It does get wiped with a damp microfibre cloth every year or so. Edited June 29, 2020 by GregWormald spelling 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markielinhart Posted June 29, 2020 Share Posted June 29, 2020 2 hours ago, GregWormald said: I really like the colour. How was it done? When mine was really yucky I donned the white gloves and gave it a careful satin finish with some (IIRC) 1200 grit wet/dry paper on a sanding block and then a couple of light spray coats of a lacquer designed for non-ferrous metals. It still looks good after 4-5 years. It does get wiped with a damp microfibre cloth every year or so. Great post! Recently I polished the rim of my aluminium platter because of the same smudging issue. Using Solvol Autosol polish I spent quite a while with hand work then finished it with a lambs wool pad on a rotary angle grinder. Looks great and I swear it’s improved the performance (lol)... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markielinhart Posted June 29, 2020 Share Posted June 29, 2020 It’s me being arty. It’s blue light from the telly screen... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim D Posted June 29, 2020 Share Posted June 29, 2020 I was going crazy trying to keep the platter smudge free but solved the problem by buying a different turntable! The new one is black, textured and I think powder coated but more importantly, finger print tarnish free. Happy now.. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monkey_Relish Posted July 3, 2020 Share Posted July 3, 2020 Polish the platter, then give the polished section a coat of turtle wax, or whatever wax you wish. This should keep the Aluminium from smudging. You may need to reapply every couple of years or so. Mr Relish 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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