How to Fix a Warped Vinyl Record

When vinyl records are exposed to UV radiation, or excessive heat, they tend to warp. Depending on the severity of the warping, however, there are some steps you can take to bring back your loved plastic relic from the golden days of music.

I suggest you try one time on an old unwanted record first to get the feel and

 your oven temperature just right!

1. Go to your local hardware store and pick up two sheets of standard uncut replacement pane glass. Try to find the smallest piece available that measures at least 20" X 20". The thicker the glass, the better for this job.
2. Assemble the following items before getting to work: A pair of oven mitts, your vinyl record, and a heavy flat item such as a hardcover book or a small chest of some kind.
3. Heat your oven to about 175-200 degrees Fahrenheit and let it preheat for about 10-15 minutes.
4. While waiting for the oven to preheat, place one sheet of glass on a table or counter with one corner hanging slightly off the edge of the table surface. This will make the glass easier to pull off of the table later.
5. Place the vinyl record on the center of the glass
6. Place the other sheet of glass on top of the vinyl record evenly so that the glass corners line up.
7. Grab a set of oven mitts (preferably cheap ones that you can throw away or keep for future record fixing endeavors) and lift the sheets of glass containing your record off of the table and place it very gingerly into the oven, setting them on the middle rack while taking care to place the glass sheets close to the edge of the oven to avoid the danger of reaching deep into the oven to retrieve the sheets once they are hot.
8. Let the record sit between the sheets of glass in the oven for about 1 - 2 minutes, always keeping an eye on the record to make sure nothing catastrophic happens.
9. Remove the sheets of glass carefully and place them immediately on the table and quickly place whatever object you chose as your heavy flat item directly in the center of the glass.
10. Allow the glass to sit until cool to the touch and remove the heavy object and the top piece of glass carefully.
11. Pick up the record and inspect carefully. If you still notice significant warping, flip the record and repeat steps 4 through 11 and inspect again.
12. Gradual flattening is always preferred to quick change because it will preserve the grooves of the record more accurately. If you are satisfied with the outcome, play the record and see if it was salvaged!

FINAL THOUGHT!

Don't be scared to do what you have to do to fix the record because, technically, the record is lost anyways so you have two options: Make a record bowl or try to fix it.