Do some records drag on turntable.

Wasn't sure how to explain this. But after obtaining a number of sets of mostly classical 45 sets, I have run into a number of records that when the arm sits down will nearly stop and sound greatly flutters. Basically sound awful. I have tried it with the record alone on the turn table, slightly reamed out the center hole a bit, and cleaned like crazy, but still they barely will turn? Usually it seems when this happens that the arm is also being worked sideways a lot more than normal off center holes.. Anyone else run into this or is it me?

The only time I've ever had a similar problem, is when the record is actually slipping on the turntable.

Is this one record or a stack? I used to have that problem with those little yellow plastic inserts in the record hole when I stacked my 45s on the center spindle. Some adapters had little "bumps" which would prevent that from happening...others didn't. I can't remember this happening as often with a larger adapter for an automatic turntable spindle.
Some record companies even went to adding a circle of grooves around the circumference of the record center to prevent sliding on automatic players - the early Columbia 33 RPM singles had this, as did Capitol / EMI products from the late 1960s through the late 1970s or so. Maybe it was one particular pressing plant which featured this - I've seen other small labels with this feature, too.
As for one disc physically slipping on the turntable, I've only ever had this happen with an LP whose center hole was a little too small for the spindle.

A few hints for a slipping record:

- Check your turntable surface. If it has rubber that has hardened, or if the flock has worn off, the record slips.

- Check your stylus force. Too much force will wear out the record, and can stop it.

- Is the stylus worn out? if so, it will drag in the record harder.

- Is the record dish-warped? This makes one side contact the turntable at only the point nearest the spindle. I put three pieces of electrical tape on the label of one dish-warped record so it would play in a stack.

- Has the record been abused? If so, it may have a deep gouge in it that is catching the stylus.

- Are you using one of those flat 45 spindles? (Yugg!) Those are notorious for dragging on records.

- Are there burrs on the record center hole?

- If you are using spiders, beware of these things:
--- They exacerbate dish-warping.
--- They sometimes have burrs in the center holes.
--- The ones with the lugs often won't drop from pusher-type spindles. I had to reduce the lengths of the lugs and round them off.

Since I posted the question I have done a bit more looking at the situation. It still seems that cetain sets of records will play just fine, and others just go nuts, so to speak. I noticed that on this GE spindle, which as you mentioned may be part of the problem, some records that are doing this move very much off center. some parts of the record make the tone arm sort of jerk in and out as it goes around. I have tired them with the plastic adaptors and usually if they are the only record on the turntable they will play, but as soon as you add them to the set they either drag really bad, or in some cases come to a stop.. Other sets will play flawlessly though a stack of 5 records with no problem.. It must be a combination of warped records, maybe slightly oversize centers?, or sometimes even the adaptors. It seems odd because I have purchased a lot of albums and its only recently that the issue have become a common problem. The turntable of this GE 500 Slimline portable is out of level for sure. Plus the rubber has a bit of a hump in it I can't get rid of either.. It would be nice to have a perfectly flat turntable for it? I wonder if this warped table is common or is this a rarity.

I am still experiencing the same issues with some records.. I was watching closely tonight and some of the records are moving sideways on the turntable as they go around? I don't know if the center holes are a bit too large letting them move excessively because others do fine.. It may also be partly a cleaning issue.. I tried cleaning with a bit of soap and water and it seems that some of them do better after that.. this last batch had a real film to the surface that plain damp rag probably didn't attack enough.

That sounds like the spindle is out of line. I saw a lot of trouble with those GE 45 spindles, because the hole for the small spindle wore out after a while.

Apparently this was an issue in the 78 days, too - every once in a while I come across a 78 with a little felt-like ring adhered to the label, and I'm guessing this was to prevent slipping when played on automatic changers. Any idea what the patent name on this was? On a similar note, did the Sav-A-Disc label "protector" really make any difference besides making the label more difficult to read?! I've found a couple of these plastic things loose in an old record box and - VERY occasionally - have seen them actually stuck to the record. At the same time it was protecting the label, I'd think it would increase the chances of slippage.

With the high stylus forces used in the 78 era, record slipping on record changers was a problem:

- An old issue of Popular Science I have suggests putting three paper reinforcement rings evenly spaced around the label.

- There was a device that was placed on top of a 78 on an acoustic player that repeated the record. It also rubbed on the label and the rim of the record. Many of the records you find with a 3/4" circle worn off the label were played with a record repeater.

- People who had the Emerson and General Instrument spindle-cam changers of the late 1930s and early 1940s loaded them wrong at least once, because the instructions were ambiguous. During the first change cycle, all of the records dropped from the spindle at once. But because one side of the stack was still on the side shelf, they all tilted, damaging the spindle holes. This is where the enlarged spindle holes you find came from.