Record Cleaning

[SEAWOLF97]

here's the "panama" ...it sounds pretty good, can find NOTHING about it.

Panama went completely dead ...oh well. Now using a V15/3.

Found my "Cosmic Sounds of the Zodiac" disk (see "whats playing now" thread). made in 1967, it was ...what's the best word ?? ...contaminated ?

http://audioheritage.org/vbulletin/s...483#post205483

Ignoring all the replies in this thread , I took it to the kitchen sink , hand rubbed dish soap all over , thoroughly rubbed in and off ,rinsed, then dried it with a towel, then went back over it with the discwasher brush and D4 and wow !!! that really worked.. sounds VG ..not like new, but VG !!

[LRBacon]

Found my "Cosmic Sounds of the Zodiac" disk (see "whats playing now" thread). made in 1967, it was ...what's the best word ?? ...contaminated ?

I had that LP. Haven't listened to it for close to 40 years. Kinda different. I have also used the dish soap method you described on LP's before. It's been a number of years, too.
I have a V-15 type IV cartridge, that I haven't used for quite awhile either, it's on a Sony PSX-6 DD turntable. Thought the viscous damped brush was the cat's meow, I could finally listen to warped LP's without the tone arm jumping half way across the disc.

Larry

[SEAWOLF97]

So I got a MapleShade catalog in the mail last week and its mostly snake oil audio enhancements.....but I read about STEAM CLEANING records in there..

http://www.mapleshaderecords.com/aud...ningsystem.php

and say "Oh yeah, that might work , uh huh " and remembering that I've got a couple of steamers that look just like the catalog pic ( cute little buggers - "made in Italy" ...the cat says theirs shoots at 140 degrees , so got mine going and shot it at a cooking thermometer and it was 145-150 ,,,cool ,,,so tried it out on an unwanted Graham Nash record and then played it ... My My My , it sure did clean up all the old nasty dirt , checked and no warpage ... will continue experiment again before using on good vinyl ...but so far VERY GOOD

their steamer:

[Doc Mark]

Evening, All,

I have lots of records, and used the regular old Discwasher system for more than 30 years, with absolute success. I read in this thread how someone who had used one like that, ended up with records that were almost unlistenable. I've never had problem one with that system, and all the records I bought brand new back then, still look and sound like brand new, and that's one heck of a lot of records!

The only thing that I do in addition to the regular Discwasher stuff, is to use a "Zerostat" anti-static gun. I've had that, too, for more years than I can remember. The one I currently own is my second one, actually, as the first one died after many years of use. Maybe that's why the dirt actually comes off the record, as the Zerostat gun causes it to lose static and therefore be more easily picked up. I used to prove that it worked, to any skeptics, by blowing up a balloon, tying it off, then rubbing it on my leg to create some static and sticking it to the wall. One or two shots with the Zerostat gun, and it fell right off the wall! In our business today, I still use it on days when we have a lot of static electricity in the air. I have to measure myriad tiny items into small plastic bags, and on those days, the stuff sticks to the sides of the bags, and makes a real mess! So, I just grab my Zerostat gun, and after a couple of shots, everything is where it is supposed to be, with no muss, no fuss. I have had such wonderful luck with the Discwasher/Zerostat combination, that I will most certainly just keep on using it. The outstanding condition of my record collection speaks for that system's efficacy. Oh, and my Sure V15 III has lasted for the same amount of time, and I believe it still has it's original stylus. Had it measured once, many years, ago, and was told it was almost perfect with very little wear. For what it's worth..... Take care, and God Bless!

Every Good Wish,
Doc

[SEAWOLF97]

I have lots of records, and used the regular old Discwasher system for more than 30 years, with absolute success.
Doc

Doc ...when I was working on my own purchased new LP's , the D4 system worked OK, but those records have been well picked over by my kids ( my dotter is a part time DJ in Germany, son a college student - getting into vinyl ) and so have been rebuilding the collection this summer , mainly from Thrifts and garage sales ( see this thread ==>> http://www.audioheritage.org/vbullet...ead.php?t=2724 ) and most of the LP's need more help than the D4 can provide .... I am picky about the ones I purchase, but some of those that look perfect in the store ...well, they .......

So being unable to afford a RCM , I'm happy for any cleaning tips and happy finding that the steam method may hold promise.

[Doc Mark]

Hey, Seawolf,

Spot on, my Friend, and well said! I'm really picky about my records, and even when I buy a used one, if it doesn't appear almost mint, I won't spring for it. Right now, I've rearranged the living room, and our TV is now setting on top of the door to the turntable! So, no LP's for me, at least for a while, and I miss them already! Glad you chance upon the steam cleaning method, and that it works so well for you. Take care, and God Bless!

Every Good Wish,
Doc

[gerard]

I bought one disc cleaning system for kabusa .
In fact it is a nitty gritty but less expensive ( 159.00 $ ).

http://www.kabusa.com/frameset.htm?/rcleaner.htm

Works perfectly , clean the Lp , less noise , no cracks any more on classical records .

Use my own cleaning solution with water , alcohol and wetting agent .

Gerard

[SEAWOLF97]

I was reading a CL ad for used tt that said

"Use this with an USB adapter to make mp3's from your analog records"

is there such a thing ?? rca to usb ? does it sound ok (if it does exist)

looked a little more and yes, I guess there is ..
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001ARZDLS?...0&linkCode=asn

so if using this, do you then lose the RIAA curve ?

[hjames]

I was reading a CL ad for used tt that said

"Use this with an USB adapter to make mp3's from your analog records"

is there such a thing ?? rca to usb ? does it sound ok (if it does exist)

looked a little more and yes, I guess there is ..
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001ARZDLS?...0&linkCode=asn

so if using this, do you then lose the RIAA curve ?

Your digital capture/conversion software should handle the RIAA EQ - on my MAC, its "Final Vinyl" - came with the iMic from Griffin software.

[SEAWOLF97]

So I got a MapleShade catalog in the mail last week and its mostly snake oil audio enhancements.....but I read about STEAM CLEANING records in there..

darn .... it works well , just wipe LP down when wet with a good record cleaning brush

[SEAWOLF97]

I think that the magic solution has arrived....

hand washing did well for my vinyl, but not quite good enuff , same for steaming...so I combined the two

using an old tt dustcover, I turn it upside down straddling the kitchen sink, half fill it with luke warm water with just a couple drops of dish washing soap, let marinate a minute or two ...then brush down both sides with a parostat cleaning cylendar,,,then,,,,without draining too much saopy water from it,,,place it on a flattened bath towel on the countertop and then steam both sides and brush down again with a diskwasher brush ....then damp it dry with another towel ... WOW !!! have saved many "beyond hope" records ....out of a hundred or so, only 2 have tacoed on me ....Goldfinger & The Graduate ....hmmm, both movie soundtracks and both light weight vinyl ....but the 180g disks are bulletproof and never warp ......flattened the tacos under a big stack and even they came back OK...success

[jblsound]

I use a solution of 50/50% rubbing alcohol/distilled water. I spray it on the record and use the cleaning brush from a Sound Guard kit and then wipe it again with a piece of old T shirt soaked in distilled water and then dry it with another piece of T shirt.
Finally I use the vacuum wand with, a clean brush attachment, to suck up any remaining dirt particles and water. That has brought back from the grave many old LPs to at least 90+% clean.

[scorpio]

I've used a simple Moth DIY RCM, it is quite basic and noisy but works OK. However, I never enjoyed the magic of getting noisy records back to life using the standard isopropanol/distilled water/drops of washing liquid.

Going through this thread, I checked the Kodak photo flow and realized that this is a well know non-ionic surfactant from the nonylphenol ethoxylated family. This is a family of surfactant that is the very best wetting agent there is, I know it well has having been involved in wetting and spreading issues for many years in my work as a chemist. The negative of nonylphenol ethoxylates is that they are bad when getting into the environment, being non biodegradable and having endocrine disrupting properties. For these last two reasons, the family has been banned for use in most developped countries.

Good thing is, being a chemist, I could find a small sample in our labs, and I've tried it instead of the usual cleaning liquid I used until now. Guess what, it did the trick, I never managed to have older noisy records cleaned so well and deeply in just two passes. I would not say that they become as noise free as a CD's, but very close to good quality new vinyl.

Remember this name of nonylphenol ethoxylates (classic trade names are Makon 1O, Nonipol 9, Triton W-30 but there are many others), it's unbeatable, and with it's water solubility, I bet the very little residue will be washed away with a single distilled water rinse. Also, it's negative properties I mentioned above are not really an issue considering the amount used in even hard core record cleaning, it has really been banned because it used to be used at hundred of thousand of tons a year, not the few drops we'd use.

I have salvaged about 40 mls of it, this should ensure me many years of superb cleaning. I'll see if I can make any stock of the stuff whenever I can locate any.

[SEAWOLF97]

being ultra frugal ( read cheap ) , but knowing the benefits of a record clamp/weight ( really does hold down a less-than-flat LP) I've been using a big rubber foot from a dead JBL sub , with the hole drilled out. works well.

BUT , my new (2me) B&O table is so low profile that the sub foot wont fit and be able to close the cover ..

got to looking around for a round object, abt the right weight and low profile ..
NECESSITY IS THE MOTHER OF INVENTION....

A hockey puck !!!! perfect ...drill 'er out and you've saved $35

gonna find a JBL sticker to go over the tacky Portland Winterhawks one..

I like it

[jblsound]

I've got a few NHL pucks, I'll have to give that a try.
He shoots, He scores!