10L Ultrasonic Tank + "Vinyl Stack ULTRA Sonic Spin Kit" = DIY Ultrasonic Record Cleaner for ~£450

I've been following this DIY ultrasonic thread on AK and about 2/3 of the way through a kit is mentioned, made in the USA, that is designed to be coupled with an ultrasonic cleaner (e.g. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/380820021982) to create a DIY ultrasonic record cleaner.

Here's the kit: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/161402849405. If it weren't for the mystery of "how much VAT is HMRC going to add to this?" then I'd probably buy one. Has anyone given this a try, or made their own DIY ultrasonic cleaners?

 

I was talking with my friend about a DIY solution just yesterday. I'll have to send them this link.

As for HMRC, they'll add VAT @ 20%. Royal Mail will charge you about £10-15 (can't recall what they're brokerage fee is but it's lower than everyone else's in the UK). There might be duty on this item and there's an HMRC number where you can get details on any potential duty rates. Quite helpful and I used to use them often when I lived there.

 

The spin kit they make is actually really really nice for what it is, but results will vary greatly depending on the quality of whatever ultrasonic tank you use. I got a really basic cheap one and it does a fantastic job rinsing, but I'd need to invest in a nicer tank if I were to call it a real cleaning solution.

 

I built my own ultrasonic cleaning system, but used the "Vinyl Stack" record clamp and the magnetic attachment system as shown in your link. (used my own motor, tank, motor attachment mechanism and so forth) I am extremely impressed with the way that the "Vinyl Stack" component clamps the records and magnetically attaches firmly and smoothly with a "click". I wish I could claim that I had thought of the magnetic idea myself as it is brilliant! I built two different prototypes of record attachment/label protector devices and neither came close to the performance and quality of the unit in the link you provided. I don't have access to a machine shop and was just working with hand tools at home. Wish I had bought their unit before wasting time trying to build my own. I use a 10RPH (revolutions per HOUR) motor and really like the slow speed. Most of the water from the tank drains off the record as it slowly rotates and keeps the clamped "label area" dry. My system seems to work really well.

 

What tank did you use....this all looks fantastic, just want the right tank at the right price.

 

Bought a used L&R ultrasonic tank off ebay for $100. It was a 45KHZ unit. I was not sure how well ultrasonic cleaning of records would work, so I bought an old beat up one for cheap to try in case it didn't meet my expectations. Now that I have used it for some time, I would not be afraid to go ahead and spend more for the ultrasonic unit. That being said, I think the L&R I bought is a good quality unit, it was just old and not that pretty. Make sure you get one that is large enough so that your record will fit and can be submerged into the dead wax. Extra deep tanks serve no appreciable purpose and take more distilled/lab grade water to fill. A drain at the bottom of the tank is a real convenience and, while not absolutely necessary, is something you should look for as a bonus feature. As far as whether to get one with 40KHz, 60KHz, 80KHz transducers, well you are on your own with that question. Many of the expensive commercial units are 40KHz units and they work fine. My 45KHz unit works fine. Some seem to think that the higher frequency ultrasonic units are better, but they cost much more. I wish I had a 60 or 80 to try, but again mine works fine and it is paid for. If your research produces some reasonable data concerning a superior tank, please let me know as I have been considering building a second unit to test against my current one. I would use the least effective one for primary cleaning with cleaning agents and the "best" one for final cleaning/rinse using only reagent grade lab water. I presently manually clean records before putting them through the ultrasonic machine.

 

I'm running a 40-45, and I feel like I might get more out of a 60 or 80, but I have no real basis for comparison.

 

Are you guys using it as your sole record cleaning solution, or more as a "last step"? I'm not keen on the whole prep time + ten minute spin + dry time, it doesn't lend itself to one-on-one cleaning (i.e. buy a new record, bring it home, clean it quickly, play it), but I am very keen on the idea of it being the "last word in record cleaning". What to do?...

 

I buy used vinyl that sometimes has mold, mildew or dirt from being stored for 20 or 30 (or more) years. I do not want to put these directly into the ultrasonic as they will "trash" my water after just a few records. I clean them first with a cleaning solution (distilled water, 99% pure isopropyl alcohol, distilled white vinegar and Dawn dishwashing detergent) over/in the sink to get the bulk of the surface gunk off of them. A quick rinse and they are ready for deep cleaning in the ultrasonic. Now for new or relatively clean vinyl, they can go straight into the tank. I could put the dirty ones directly into the ultrasonic tank, but I will be changing out the water frequently as it will be filthy! I use laboratory grade reagent water in my ultrasonic cleaner. I don't want to rifle through gallons of the stuff if I can help it.

 

I feel the same way jimbutsu. I would like to try a 60 or 80 KHz just to see if they work even better. That is a lot of money for an experiment that may or may not yield better results. I guess one could always sell the extra ultrasonic tank if there is no appreciable difference. Another idea would be to use one for primary cleaning and the best one for the final cleaning stage. My unit is getting the job done and I just bought a new turntable and pair of amplifiers, so I won't be getting another tank soon.

 

@Sailfree : what are your top tips? Do you heat the water? Add anything to it? How long (and how fast) do you spin the records in the tank for?

 

I am thinking this is a great price for a tank.....with heat too!

http://www.ebay.com/itm/10L-10-L-UL...824?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item19f78cdec8

then the spin kit - http://www.ebay.com/itm/Ultrasonic-...inyl-Stack-ULTRA-Sonic-Spin-Kit-/161402849405

all in for $500.....

 

Basically what I did. I dont' know how good those thanks *really* are, is the problem. As I said, though, I have no basis for comparison.

 

My top tip is, get in there and try stuff yourself and see if it works for you. I am certainly not an expert on this and everyone seems to have their own ideas as to what works best for them. I will say that everyone using an ultrasonic cleaning system seems to believe it is at least one of, if not the very best cleaning method available. So far I have never read a post where the user felt this method is ineffective.

I use room temperature water (about 76 degrees F here in the Virgin Islands) Warmer water could possibly work better---I don't know. My Ultrasonic tank does not have a heater and I don't bother to heat it up first.

I use only pure laboratory grade water in my tank. I believe it is important to remove any impurities or cleaning agents when doing the "final cleaning". I do use additives as listed in post #9 when pre-cleaning records prior to using the ultrasonic machine.

My motor is a very slow 10RPH motor---so 10 revolutions per hour. I usually run it 20 minutes to get two full revolutions of the record.

 

Looks like a good plan to me adamdube! I bet it will work great for you. As jimbutsu and I agree on one area of uncertainty---Just how good are the tanks we are using? Will a more expensive or higher frequency machine work even better???? Who knows without going through the expense of doing a comparison---An ultrasonic shoot-out so to speak!

 

My biggest thing with ordering an ultrasonic tank off of ebay is, all the sellers have a lot of negative feedback. So, if you get a junk tank, it's going to be a pain to get a replacement. But the prices are the best around, I also really like the Vinyl Stack Spin Kit, looks like a nice piece of equipment. I'll be purchasing one in the near future, I think.

 

Thanks for replying At the moment I'm waiting on an Okki Nokki to arrive. I could've gotten either that or the DIY ultrasonic for roughly the same price, I decided to go with the product with a warranty and more support for the time being. Maybe in a year or so, after more people have had experience with the ultrasonic method, I'll dive in!

 

The way the Vinyl Stack clamps the records and attaches to the drive mechanism using an alignment pin and a strong magnet is brilliant! The discs with the rubber O-rings makes record loading easy and do a good job of keeping the labels dry. I was impressed with the Vinyl Stack.

 

Though I have ZERO experience with UC, from what I've read it seems that while you can get excellent results with either a vacuum-based RCM or an Ultrasonic record cleaner, both offer benefits particular to their methodology and in fact, can work in tandem to provide a higher level of cleaning than from one or the other. UC seems to do a very good job of removing the dirt, etc. from deep within the record grooves while the vacuum RCM allows the use of various solutions that can do a better job of removing oils and chemicals from the record surface as well as the obvious benefit of vacuuming. The downsides of UC is that the solution needs to be kept very clean or the cavitation process can essentially act as a sand blaster and damage the record. As well, some have commented that a rinse with distilled/pure water is necessary to remove the residue and air drying doesn't seem to be an optimal approach. I won't go into the problems associated with vacuum RCM's but there are as many, if not more concerns.

Back in January, I ordered a 10 Litre 80kHz UC through Amazon and it arrived a few weeks ago - which was about 2 weeks ahead of the scheduled delivery date (its not available at the moment but it was shipped directly from the manufacturer in China for less than $750 total). Ever since, I have been looking at the various designs and although the 'Vinyl Stack' magnet assembly looks viable, I have not ruled out the simple geared spindle a la David's V8 (among others).

My original idea was to build a frame that would fit over the lip of the tank and attach the motor, gear and spindle assembly so that it can easily be lifted off. Someone recently posted a design over at DiyAudio where the assembly simply hooks over the edge of the tank and can be clamped or in his case, held in place with a magnet (I'd provide a link but it seems his pics aren't loading). I like that approach - it's easily removed and doesn't take up much space which allows for more filtration options. I'm trying to be patient and take it slow as new ideas and designs crop up on the various forums all the time.

My next step is to find a motor. All Electronics offered a 1/10rpm synchronous motor for $5 that would've suited my needs well but they've been unavailable since January. If anyone has a source for a 1/10rpm or 6rpH motor, please share. Thanks!

 

Please let us know how you like the Okki Nokki. The great thing about this forum is to get opinions from others that are willing to share experiences with specific products. It can be very helpful.

 

JBryan, I am anxious to get your opinion on how well the 80KHz unit performs. My gut feeling is that it will be great and maybe work even better than my 45KHz UC. If they didn't cost so much more, I would have tried a 60 or 80 myself by now. I hate to spend that much if mine works just as well. A side by side comparison would be great!

For what it is worth, I took the middle ground an used the Vinyl Stack clamping and magnetic motor drive attaching mechanism, then used my own "mounting frame"much like you describe above. The Vinyl Stack is far better than anything I could cobble together myself, but I am not crazy about their one size fits all "sliding tube"mounting system. I will get the info on the 6RPH motor I use and provide that for you. It sells for somewhere around $25 if memory serves me correctly. The only problem with this motor is that it uses a 1/8" diameter shaft. It works just fine, however a larger diameter output shaft would make me feel a little bit more comfortable. My friend copied my UC design and uses the same motor with no problems. 1/8" appears to be big enough to support the weight, but larger would be better to me for peace of mind if for no other reason.

 

I was going down this route as well after I got my tank, and I ended up with the Vinyl Stack - it is so much nicer than whatever I would have cobbled together. For me, the convenience of the magnetic system was a huge selling point, but at the end of the day it boils down to what your time is worth. For the amount of time and effort I'd have to invest in finding/sourcing parts, building and rebuilding (because the first try will never quite work right), I came out way ahead with the Vinyl Stack.. That said, if you really enjoy building that sort of thing then there might be a lot of value in the process that makes it worthwhile - I enjoy doing that stuff, but my wife doesn't like how I or whatever area of the house I've taken over get when I find a project... she's not wrong...

 

Very well said jimbutsu! I built two versions of the record clamping and motor drive attaching mechanisms prior to buying the Vinyl Stack. If I could have come up with something better, it would have been worth the time, effort and expense. Needless to say, my versions were not even a close second. The Vinyl Stack is slick and very easy to use!

 

I just purchases the ULTRA Sonic Spin Kit and a 10L Trusonik 40kHz tank. I would sure like a KLAudio machine but just can't justify the price.

 

I'd love to hear what sort of results people are seeing with different ratings of tank. I have a 40khz tank and I feel like the results are just meh (but who's to say I'm doing it right?). I'd like to know what different tanks seem to do, especially if anyone's tried more than one frequency.