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Getting audio and hi-fi parts remade
Knobs, slider caps, feet, cassette doors, turntable hinges and dust-cover parts for hi-fi you want to keep. Matching the look matters as much as the fit.
Post your part — free Posting is free. You pay only if you accept a maker's quote.
Hi-fi equipment is kept for a long time. At community repair events in the Open Repair Alliance data, hi-fi items brought in for repair averaged about 18 years old (summarised by U.S. PIRG Education Fund, October 2024). By then, original knobs, feet and cosmetic parts are often unobtainable.
These are good jobs for makers with resin printers and lathes: a knob turned from aluminium or printed in resin and finished to match can look like the original. The existing Spool List spare-parts guide lists vintage audio and synth knobs, slider caps, feet and panel parts among typical jobs.
Parts makers commonly remake
- Volume, selector and tuning knobs (printed or turned)
- Slider caps and switch tips
- Feet and isolation pads
- Cassette-deck doors and door catches
- Turntable dust-cover hinges, lid stays and tonearm rests
- Speaker grille clips and badges
- Tuner dial pointers and cord pulleys
Materials and processes
Resin
Fine detail and smooth finish for knobs and caps.
Machined aluminium or brass
Turned knobs where the original was metal.
PETG or ASA
Hinges, lid stays and brackets.
TPU
Feet and isolation pads.
Don't have these remade
- Mains switches, fuse holders, power transformers and their covers
- Anything inside a valve (tube) amplifier near high voltage or heat
- Covers that stop fingers reaching live parts
Buy certified originals for these and have them fitted by a qualified person. The safety page explains why.
Try these first
- Search the model with vintage hi-fi parts sellers and forums.
- Look for donor units sold for parts.
- Check whether a member of a model forum has already drawn the part.
If nobody sells the part at a sensible price, a maker is the next step.
Good to know
For a set of knobs, send the best one and photos of the rest; the maker can copy one and make matching copies.
Describe the shaft: round, D-shaped or splined, its diameter and how the knob is held (push-fit or grub screw).
What to put in your post
- Brand, model and the knob's position on the panel.
- Shaft type and diameter, and the knob's outer diameter and height.
- The finish to match: brushed metal, gloss black, a printed line or dot.
- Photos from every side with a ruler in shot, and the measurements that matter. The measuring guide shows how.
Step by step: find the model number, measure the part and photograph it for a quote.
Not sure it is a good job for a maker? Run the checker. Ready to write it up? The brief builder drafts the description for you.
Post your part on The Spool List
ReplacementParts.app is run by The Spool List Ltd. This button opens our own marketplace, which earns a commission from makers on completed orders.
Broken part in your hand?
Photograph it, measure it, post it once.
Post the part free on The Spool List. Makers quote with a price and a lead time, and the platform holds your payment until you confirm delivery.
Sources
- U.S. PIRG Education Fund: 5 surprising findings from data about 208,000 repairs, Open Repair Alliance data (15 October 2024)
- The Spool List: replacement and spare parts made to order
Figures are quoted as the sources state them. Spotted something out of date? The rules and schemes change often; check the source.