The Wood Glue vinyl cleaning method

A humidifier works much better for me than a zero-stat. I also got a Spin-Clean, which does a very good job, although not as well as the glue ripping the gunk out of the grooves. The wet bath works wonders on static.

A carbon fiber brush and a light spritz of cleaning fluid on the brush helps with less severe cases. But yeah, the post-peel static rivals rubbing a balloon on your head.

 

You want static? Try cleaning an LP with lighter fluid.

 

Off to Lowes / Home Depot for some Titebond II !

 

You said it dude!..In fact, yesterday I took out an older VOX recording of Schubert's 8th the 'Unfinished' Symphony that I got for real cheap with shrink wrap still covering the sleeve. Because I have done the Titebond ll wood glue clean to many LPs of mine,I wanted to hear an improvement on this vinyl-especially the quiter moments of the 1st movement.Well,I can't say how much the improvement WAS only because I didnt make a decent compare of before and after- but I WILL say that I got stunning improvement from my Hey Jude album beyond belief!

Does anyone here have an approach to making the vinyl surface clean and shine like a brand new record? And if so, what product can be used to shine up vinyl records?.. the wood glue does amazing things but it does not rid the surface of dirty stains or other crud and smudges.thanks.

 

I have the patience and time to try to do any TBll wood glue cleans the best that I can.Some records are better than others and ..one never knows until after the wood glue session has been done. Do you have any suggestion for making the shine and newness as in a brand new vinyl come back to life..is there any vinyl record techniques to clean off smudges and dirt(many times the wood glue does not lift the smudges and finger-prints) Thanks!

 

Have you any issues with residual finger prints/smudges etc not coming off the vinyl after you had wood-glue cleaned any of your vinyl?... i have had a few...i wonder if there is a 'vinyl cleaner' of sorts that brings back the lustre and brilliant sparkle of new vinyl records?

 

Give the record a good wipe with some distilled water and a microfiber cloth and let it dry fully before you glue. You could even make a weak alcohol solution to spray on first, followed by a few passes with distilled water. That should remove most if not all smudges and fingerprints before you glue. If it's "sleeve rash", it's something you'll just have to live with.

 

I've cleaned a few filthy records with wood glue. The key is to make sure it spreads and dries evenly. Otherwise you get a glob under the surface that just doesn't want to dry on the record and it won't come off when you peel it. Not that this is a big deal, if it happens just glue it again. Also do not cheap out and buy Titebond original. It doesn't work. TBII is the only way to go.

In my experience the records come out shiny clean. I can't say if it's better than a VPI or other high end cleaner. It does a nice job with really dirty records, but there will be some surface noise remaining in most cases. After cleaning about a dozen records I think I'd rather have a nice machine so I don't have to wait a day to clean my records.

 

I don't think those prints & smudges are residual grime, more likely a permanent discoloration. If the wood glue doesn't pull it up, I wouldn't worry about the visual aspect. It's clean as it's gonna be.

 

HA! wood-glue the chick...so that there is less static,pops,cracks coming from her

 

Ha. Ha. Haaaaaaaa. Misogyny, because that's original.

 

I have a Spin Clean, and I've noticed that the cleaning doesn't get rid of it, either. But one thing it WILL do is loosen/soften it up a bit. The times I've seen that happen, you essentially have to "polish" it off. Kinda like waxing a car, without the wax. it can take some elbow grease, but I've always managed to get it cleaned up. That said, it can be difficult to tell the difference between goop and something that's just part of the vinyl. Yes, there are times I've used a magnifying glass to check

Another thing I've done is rotate the record a few times, let it sit, rotate it the other way a few times, repeat as necessary (or until you get impatient.) When you've had enough of waiting, rotate it both ways a few times, then dry it off. That'll get a lot of the stubborn stuff, or at least make it easier to rub it off.

There are a few I've done that were so nasty that I did that AND glued it afterwards, then tested it with a cheap cart before putting it back into rotation. I had a copy of Slade in Flame that was absolutely foul (the cover was so bad I sealed it in its own plastic sleeve, just to keep it from fouling the records around it.) After two Spin Cleans and a gluing on both sides, it plays beautifully.

Granted, I just could have gotten another copy, but I wanted to see how far I could take it. And I'm glad I did, because DAMN.

Of course, I ended up getting another copy anyway.

I see where you're coming from, but I made the exact same joke about my friend Steven after he did one of those nose-adhesive-peel thingies.

 

It's like a visual aesthetic ..I do at times take my soft cloth that comes with a spray bottle vinyl cleaner..to wax-like or polish/clean the surface of all those anoying fingerprints that seem to not come off so easily.

 

I use wood glue at times and find it can do wonders in some cases. As for fingerprints, that would indicate an oily residue and I usually let those soak a few minutes with an enzymatic cleaner on the spots.

 

I'm a pretty good at carpentry and i use a lot of wood glue. It makes a mess and ruins many things that it comes in contact with.

I don't doubt fans of the product for record cleaning have seen results. Is it really any better than a spin clean as far as results are concerned?

Water without a chemical to break the surface tension doesnt get into the microscopic grooves of a record, how could wood glue make it in there?

I would also be concered there are remanence of glue left behind. I don't mean to slow down anyone's fun of playing with glue but this can't be the best option for cleaning records.

 

My guess is it soaks into the dirt, that the gunk in the grooves attracts molecules of the glue, dragging it deep into the groove. The glue might seem thick at the "macro" level to us, but down at the microscopic level of a record groove maybe it's surprisingly fluid and can worm its way into tiny spaces. In fact, I'd think a glue would need to have that ability in order to bond two surfaces well - if it didn't flow into the tiniest spaces it would just skim off the top and not adhere anything, like Silly Putty or something.

 

It works, but it definitely is a PITA, in terms of time waiting. If I had the money on hand, I'd definitely buy one of those upscale ultrasonic cleaners. But for effectiveness and cost, wood gluing a dirty LP is hard to beat.

 

When the glue is applied, it's pushed into the grooves with a card - like pushing cake batter with a spatula. Do this while the record is spinning, and it gets into the grooves ALL the way. You can actually play the peel.

 

Old finger prints are a bear to get rid of.
The oil attracts substances that, I'm told, harden.

I've had surprisingly great results with Nitty Gritty FirstRV.
(The RV doen't stand for Recreational Vehicle - implying off-road muddy driving, does it? Corny, but I'd bet it does.)
Anyway, the stuff is not cheap, but it works better than anything else I've used to get the hardest stuff out WITHOUT having to use a RCM or a rinse, although I highly recommend that as well after.
I've cleaned many a troubled record with FirstRV before wet cleaning.
The difference is easily audible.

Also, LAST, another product you can use on clean records only, will make a noticeable improvement sonically and visually. Use it sparingly. You'll see it vanish as you apply it, but you'll also hear and see an improvement.

 

Sometimes. Wood glue usually doesn't remove fingerprints in the run out grooves. Enzyme cleaners are better at removing finger prints, but overall, in my opinion, wood glue is a better cleaner for vinyl.

 

Titebond II works and it does not ruin vinyl. It's a great option for cleaning LPs. I've used the wood glue method on and off for 4 years on at least a few hundred albums. I haven't ruined an LP yet and there have been more than a few amazing moments. A better option might be an ultrasonic cleaner or one of those Keith Monks machines.

For dirty and grimey records Titebond II does the trick.

 

I have a first pressing of Plastic Ono Band that plays with a lot of noise and it gets stuck at one spot. Having fairly recently got into vinyl I'm not really sure about the best way to clean it. You guys recommend using wood glue in this case or should I look at something else? Thinking about buying a bath for vinyls.

 

I'm a finn so I don't know your titebond glued, I use swedish woodglue called Erikeeper. When I've peeled the glue of, I can feel that side that was against the record has "negative grooves". I don't know does it go to the bottom, but it definetly gets to the groove.
Thanks Newton for inventing gravity!

 

No, try a spin clean first.

I know this thread has turned into a support group for glue heads and not recommending a glue clean will be unpopular.

But...Glue is not formulated for vinyl record cleaning and we really don't know what chemicals you are putting in contact with your records for a long period of time.

I don't think that anyone has really had many cases of reaching a superior result using glue over that of a Spin Clean.

Glue is a mess, it is designed to make a structural bond for construction purposes. Go ahead and spread out about ten records on your kitchen, glue them up and the risk of having an unpleasant conversation with your wife will go up dramatically. It will take the precision of a surgeon to keep the glue from spilling onto something other than the grooves of the record in question. I am also not a fan of the "laying out" process of letting the glue dry. My records are in the sleeve, on the platter or on a very clean micro-fiber cloth. Spreading out a bunch of records that have glue on one side to dry doesn't sound great for the other side.

With a spin clean I can knock out about 20-30 records in an hour. With glue application, an hour for each side to dry and then peal the glue, this would have to be an all day long project.

With all respect to the glue heads, I am sure you have found the process to be successful. I applaud the dedication, commitment and fanaticism to cleaning records, I'm that way myself. I think we can all agree that the glue method should not be the "go to" method for cleaning records. It should be more for extreme situations when all else has failed. I completely get and understand the satisfaction of craftsmanship and having a physical artifact as a result of the effort. My wife is the same way, she likes a bagless vacuum cleaner because she can see the dirt that was picked up. It's a real sense of accomplishment.

 

I've had never a problem with spreading the glue. I put a record on drinking glass (label sized), spread a spiral of glue from center to edge and smooth it evenly with my old librarycard. Then I let it dry on that glass. So the other side is face down and doesn't touch anything.

But it's not my first option, I have Okki Nokki.