Paper Record Player Printed Kit
#PaperAutomataKit
I’m delighted to announce that the Record Player Kit, previously available as a downloadable project, is now available as a printed kit. Read on to find out where you can order your own.
Apart from the stylus, fashioned from a modified sewing needle, the entire project is made from thin card. Cut, fold, and glue your way through the fully illustrated step-by-step instructions to make your own working record player! It’s not exactly hi-fi, and you probably shouldn’t use it on your precious collector’s editions, but for a record player made entirely out of paper, it’s surprisingly good! Sure, the wow and flutter would make a hi-fi purist weep, but for a paper record player, it’s a triumph, and the flutter might just extend to your heart as you hear it play.
The Record Player Kit is printed by my friends over at Go On Make Me, and it’s available online from Happy Puzzle, visit Happy Puzzle to get yours. While you’re browsing, why not take a peek at my other printed kits too? It’s a great gift, a fun afternoon project, and a brilliant way to make something that actually plays music!
This project grew out of an afternoon of brainstorming around my Mesh Gear Essential Mechanism, which you can find here. The idea behind the Essential Mechanism series is to offer starting-point mechanisms, ready to be expanded into fully fledged paper automata. You can explore the full range of Essential Mechanisms here.
🎶 A Bit of Background
After sketching out a few ideas, I landed on the record player as the most promising candidate. I wasn’t entirely sure it would work, so I mocked up a tone arm and horn to test the concept. I remembered that there was an old record player at my parents’ house, so armed with a 7" single I’d picked up from the local charity shop, I paid them a visit to use it as a test bed.
I set the record spinning, then, balancing the tone arm on my finger, lowered the needle onto the vinyl. The song was Viva Espana, and as the music crackled to life through the phono horn, I was genuinely moved. It was such a simple setup, but hearing that unmistakable melody play from my own handmade contraption felt quietly magical. That was the turning point: I knew I had a working project ahead of me.
⚙️ Mechanics & Modifications
To get the record spinning at the correct speed, I modified my mesh gear mechanism so that turning the crank at around twice per second—roughly 120rpm—produced an output of 45rpm. I had to narrow the vertical crank to fit through the hole in the record, and added a spider to the top to support the vinyl and keep it level.
The original version of the record player was released as a downloadable project, and it’s still available on my website. If you're a premium subscriber, you can also find it in an earlier newsletter here.
It’s always a thrill to see kits that began life as a humble PDF evolve into printed booklets you can hold in your hands. There’s something deeply satisfying about that transition, from screen to paper, from idea to object.
This project has been one of those quietly joyful builds, full of small engineering puzzles, nostalgic moments, and the thrill of hearing music play from something made entirely of paper. From balancing the tone arm on my finger to refining the gear ratio, each step brought its own kind of magic. If you haven’t tried it yet, I hope you’ll give it a spin, literally. And if you have, I’d love to hear how it played out for you.
💌 Thank You
Thank you so much for subscribing to my newsletter, I really appreciate your interest and support. It means a lot to know these projects resonate with fellow makers and curious minds. Whether you’re building along, sharing your own twists, or simply enjoying the stories, I’m glad to have you here.