Turntable Plinth (Base)

Here are some photos of the custom plinth (base) I designed and built for my Thorens TD 166 MkII turntable a few years ago. The sides are maple with cherry accents (dowels). The base plate is 1/2” oak plywood with birch edge banding, inset by 1/4”.

I used a three-step finish. First, I used Watco danish oil to warm the maple and accentuate the little grain it has, and to darken the cherry dowels. Then I used spray shellac to build the finish and add gloss. Finally, I applied paste wax with #0000 steel wool to smooth the shellac and soften the gloss to create a smooth satin finish. I stained the edges of the base plate a very dark brown (almost black).

Around back, I added phono jacks (Dayton RCA-CHRB from Parts Express) and a binding post for the ground wire. I also routed slots for the dust cover hinges.

If you’re interested in seeing other designs I considered or in reading more about how I sculpted the sides, please see my two-part blog series for this project.

-- Ron Stewart