I have a few 45s with thick inner edges.To get them to drop on my 45 player I use a hobby
knife to thin the center hole edge.Works but it looks rough.Anyone know of a neater way to thin the edge?
Before I get a lecture I ONLY do it to cheaper re-issues.

Emory paper.

Thanks.I assume that is a fine grade of abrasive? Would one of those emory finger nail files work?

Bob

Better to use the paper for it's flexability.

I use 600 grit wet or dry sandpaper, dry of course. I spindle a piece and sand the hole. It doesn’t take much effort. I keep testing the record on the spindle until it fits well. It leaves the paper label looking clean cut.

Excellent advice for widening the center hole, tho I think the original poster was asking about when the edges of the center hole are too thick, a problem I've run into on several new large-hole 45 rpm records NOT on the Collectables label (which is still good at obeying the RIAA spec for thickness dimensions of standard American 45 records, although some international pressers now proclaim that this RIAA spec is Irrelevant and no longer necessary to be complied with, since all the Real Record Buyers use Technics turntables, and no Consideration-Worthy, record-buying part of the world-wide population plays 45s on "those crappy old (American) Stacker record players which often don't even work right" anymore... Oh well, at least ONE German 45rpm presser voiced interest in maintaining compliance with the spec for stacker-compatible 45s, maybe others will consider it...)

A small stick of dynamite works well to enlarge the hole!!!

A friend recommends using a roto-burr.Used to smooth the edge of a freshly cut pipe.It
would provide a thinning of the center hole edge but I wonder how much of the label
would be removed.
Yes,Collectables remains true to the RIAA 45 dimemsions standard and amen to that! I
just wish they'd 'finish' them better. I often have to gently file excess flash from the outer
edge.While I'm at it,wish Colectables did more 45s with repros of original labels.

I haven't tried modifying any such of the too-thick 45s I own; I just currently play them with the snap-in spider inserts, but that means I have to put spider inserts inside All the other 45s I want to play in that stack...

If the records are "barely too thick", I don't know, you MIGHT get away with just sanding away a little of the edge on both sides to sort of "round" the inner hole edge.

If the records are Way Too Thick, you have to grind away about 1/8 inch or so outwards from the center hole, and evenly on both sides, enough for the blades to expand -- so your record will end up looking somewhat like the 1960's Styrene 45's with the painted-on labels, like Amy, with a 1/8" black ring of the thinner ground-away part around the hole: You would really need some kind of specialized jig or setup to do this, which is why I just stack my too-thick 45s with the spider snap-in adapters:

I would emagine a cone shaped object the right angle covered in the right type sandpaper would work good .

The thick center edge problem explains why may folks think RCA stack changers from the 1950s/60s are unreliable, or prone to malfunctioning. It took me awhile to realize that's why certain records won't drop, and got stuck on the spindle. A conical burr head on a Dremel rotary tool seems like the best way to fix the problem. I am finding that many 45s from the late 60s, and virtually all of the records from the '70s and onward, don't drop on my EY-3s, while those from the '50s are smooth changers...