VPI Cork Mat for HW 16.5 Cleaning Machine

The VPI Cork Mat — The Surface Your Record Lies On While It Is Cleaned

A replacement cork mat for VPI's HW-16.5, HW-17 and HW-27 record cleaning machines, sold singly. It sits on the platter, and the record sits on it — which makes it the one part of a cleaning machine in constant contact with the surface you are trying to protect.

Cork earns its place here for two reasons. It grips a record without marking it, and it does not hold fluid the way a fabric surface does, so it is not carrying last week's dissolved grime into this week's cleaning.

Fit and Function

Why the Mat Matters

A record being scrubbed and vacuumed needs to stay exactly where it was put. The mat provides the friction that keeps it from turning under the brush, and it supports the playing surface evenly so the record is not pressed down onto a hard platter.

Which Machines It Fits

VPI lists it for the HW-16.5, HW-17 and HW-27. Those three share a platter design, which is why a single mat serves all of them and why the machine's designation is the only thing you need to check.

A cork mat is a wear item. Once it has compressed, hardened, or picked up enough residue to stop releasing cleanly, it has quietly started doing the opposite of the job you bought it for — holding contamination against the record rather than supporting it.

Who Is This Mat Best For?

• You own an HW-16.5, HW-17 or HW-27 — all three take this mat
• Your mat is stained or compressed — a saturated mat holds residue against the next record
• Records slip while you brush — that is grip the mat is no longer providing
• You clean in volume — the mat wears in proportion to how much you use the machine
• Your machine is a Cyclone or a different make — those use their own platters, and their spares are in record cleaning accessories

How Do You Fit It?

Unplug the machine, lift the old mat off the platter and clear any residue underneath, then lay the new one down over the spindle and seat it flat. Check there is no debris trapped beneath it — anything under the mat will print through into the record above.

Pairs Well With

What most owners keep alongside.

• Record cleaning accessories — the rest of the spares and consumables
• Record cleaning solutions — the fluid the machine is there to remove
• Record cleaning machines — if you are still choosing one
• Record brushes — for the dust that never needs a machine

Frequently Asked Questions

Will it fit my machine?

VPI lists it for the HW-16.5, HW-17 and HW-27, which share a platter design. Other VPI machines and other makes use their own.

How often does a cork mat need replacing?

It depends entirely on use. The signals are staining that will not clean off, a surface that has gone hard and shiny, or records that slip when they used to grip.

How many do I need?

One per machine, sold singly. There is no reason to hold a spare unless you clean in real volume, since a mat lasts a long time before it stops releasing cleanly.

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