How to Make a Record Player

Record players date back to 1887 when Thomas Edison invented the phonograph to play spoken words, not music. Since then, record players have evolved from a 1940s mainstay to a household vintage item. Many aspiring inventors have attempted to create a record player themselves with different results, and you can now be one of them.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Turntable
• Lithium-ion battery
• Electric motor
• Screwdriver
• Masking tape
• Construction paper
• Pin or paper clip
• Magnet

1. Go to a vintage record store and study how a record player is set up. Take a photograph to get an idea of what the end result should be. Another possibility is to go to a high end audio store to see how a turntable spins records at a faster pace.

2. Create the record player by using an old turntable as the base. In order to make the turntable work, replace the motor and the record needle. Get a small working electric DC motor from a hardware store. Also buy a lithium-ion battery from an electronics store for when the motor battery needs to be replaced.

3. Remove the screws from each corner of the turntable platter with a Craftsman screwdriver. Pull the spindle, or turntable wheel, off to gain access to the motor. Once the spindle is gone, you'll find the motor directly underneath it.

4. Pick up the old motor and place it back inside the turntable with the motor shaft facing upwards. The motor shaft replaces the previous turntable spindle.

5. Wrap masking tape around the motor shaft until it's the size of a hole in a record. Make sure the record fits tightly before adding any more tape.

6. Roll a piece of paper until it looks like a megaphone with the smaller end as tiny as possible. Put small pieces of tape along the sides to hold it in position. Put a pin or a paper clip through the hole. Put an extra piece of tape around the pin or paper clip to keep the paper from unrolling.

7. Start the motor and hold the pin to the spinning record to listen to music. Stick a magnet inside the paper to keep it in place.

Tips & Warnings

• If the record plays too slow or too fast, replace the battery or get a faster motor.
• If the battery needs to be replaced, take the motor lid off and pull out the battery from the center of the motor. Place the new battery inside and put the motor lid back.
• Avoid playing collectible records on the machine because the needle wears down the quality of the records.