How to Fix a Warped Vinyl Record? An Easy Guide

Records are often collected with passion, only people with great interest in them can do such things. That’s why they are precious to them (obviously). Finding certain damage or warp in their shape can be a sad thing as it’s not always a condition to buy a new one.

Damage can be because of many reasons, for instance placing too many records together can warp certain of them. But here arises a question: what if a vinyl record gets warped? what’s next? How can it be fixed? This article below has surely some solution to this problem.

If you have a warped vinyl record, don’t worry. Read the solutions given below to make it fixed or flattened again;

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.

Two heavy-sized books can be the best object pair for placing a record under. As they can create a certain level of pressure but can’t damage the actual structure of the record. Also, books can create a perfectly smooth surface.

Follow the following few steps to get the procedure done;

• Take two large, heavy, and wide enough books, to make the proper area, put some pressure, and cover the whole record under, respectively.
• Take some flat-surfaced table.
• Put one book over the table’s surface.
• Take a record, you want to get fixed from the warped.
• Before placing the record, clean it completely and make it free of dust, as it can cause scratch otherwise.
• Now, place the record over the first book.
• And put another book (left) over the record.
• Now leave it for a few days or weeks until the record gets flattened from the warped.
• This method can’t be get done in few hours only, that’s why it is considered the longest method to get the vinyl records original shape back.
• Under such time, constant pressure will make the surface of the record perfectly smooth.
• After few days, check your record and if it still has some issue left, leave it again for few more days.

Note:

While placing a record under books, make sure the size of the book covers the maximum record under. Otherwise, the leftover area of the record will get warped itself.

2. Using/Applying Both Pressure and Heat

This is another method to resolve a warped vinyl record’s shape. But this method requires extra cautions to get it done well without causing any damage to the record. An extra amount of heat is not good for the originality of the record and extra pressure is either dangerous.

Follow few steps below, to apply the solution;

• First of all, take two glass panes or sheets of glass.
• Place one glass sheet below or at some flat surface.
• Take a record you want to get free of warped or damaged, place it above at the glass sheet.
• Take another glass sheet and gently place it over the record.
• On the other side, preheat your oven at 175 F or the suitable temperature, it depends on your oven’s type.
• Mostly, it takes ten to fifteen minutes in oven’s heating.
• Once your oven reaches a certain level of temperature, pick up the glass sheets (that contains the record).
• Place it gently inside the over’s surface, but don’t push it inside too far, because doing such a thing will retrieve it later.
• For this, use mitts (oven mitts) to stay away from the burn.
• Now carefully, leave it (a record) under the oven, for around three minutes, that’s almost enough to get the work done.
• After reaching at the three minutes, instantly stop the oven’s working.
• Because more time can damage or melt the record itself.
• Also, in between such three minutes keep your eyes and nose open, to see either the record is in an incorrect position or is getting melted and to get aware of any strange burning smell, respectively.
• If you find any melting state and some strange smell, quickly removes the record out of the oven.
• After three minutes, remove the glass sheets containing the record, carefully while using an oven mitt. Because at this point the glass sheets must contain a hot temperature level.
• Now, place the glass sheets/panes at some flat surface like over some table.
• Placing some towel or board (cutting board) in between table and glass panes is a better way to keep the procedure going.

At this point, there may be a question arising in your mind, that the heading suggests it’s a pressure and heat combination. Heat is done, where’s the pressure?

• This is the time to apply pressure alongside the heat.
• After placing the hot glass sheets at the table, place a certain heavy object over them, right at the point where under record’s center is present.
• This heavy object will put some pressure over the record while its heat up.
• And they together will help in retaking the original shape of the vinyl record.
• Keep up the procedure until the glass sheets get cooled down.
• After that remove the record and check it carefully either simply or by placing it inside a record player.
• If it flattened good enough, but in case some warp has left, repeat the method carefully to get 100 percent results.

Note:

Before placing the glass sheets/panes inside the oven, make sure they are at room temperature. Otherwise, after getting inside the oven they might shatter.

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.