1+2+3 Paper Clip Record Player

BY PHIL BOWIE

GOT A TURNTABLE THAT STILL TURNS? Got an old vinyl record? Make this pocket player in a few minutes for less than a penny.

1. Prepare the paper clip.

Unbend the paper clip and reshape it into a hook. Using fine-grit sandpaper, sand the long end to a fairly even, slightly dull point.

2. Join the paper clip and foam peanut.

Insert the hook-shaped clip into the peanut as shown.

3. Play a record.

Place an old 45rpm or 33rpm LP record (one you don’t care about scratching) onto a turntable, and turn it on. Without pressing down too hard, carefully hold the pointed end of the paper clip in a groove as shown. You’ll hear the music reproduced in remarkable fidelity, as the closed cells in the foam peanut act like a cluster of tiny amplifying speakers.

Going Further

For mellower sound, use a softer (but still closed-cell) foam peanut. For more volume, add another peanut alongside the first one, like a peanut kabob, and apply a hair more playing pressure. For more sophistication, as when playing classical selections, use an actual steel record needle with the foam peanut, available dirt-cheap online.

To experiment further, try straightening the paper clip and taping it firmly to the side of a small polystyrene drinking cup with a thin, translucent, plastic top snapped onto it (a half-pint deli-style container works well, too). It makes a remarkably loud speaker.

Don’t have a turntable? Turn a lazy Susan into a makeshift turntable: oil the ball bearing in the base, place a piece of rubber nonskid shelf liner on the top surface, and center a 45 record on top. You have to spin it fairly well to get enough rpm, but it does work!

Note: It’s important to hold the player by the paper clip wire to get the best sound. If you hold the peanut, your fingers tend to dampen the sound.

Damien Scogin

Phil Bowie is a boat captain, pilot, motorcycle rider, and lifelong freelance writer of articles and fiction. philbowie.com