Confused...best cleaning device under $600 VPI, spin clean, nitty gritty, wood glue?

Only if you want scratches on your newly cleaned LPs.

Zerostat will take care of the static.

 

Or the cheaper, and just as effective, Mapleshade Ionoclast.

 

I've never seen the Hunt brush cause scratches.

 

Geoff, you were the one who asked the question.

 

Fair enough.

 

I've been seriously thinking of combining the KAB w/my Spin Clean method. For the time being I am definitely on a budget so I have to do it "on the cheap". My experience with the SC has been really surprising and a delight since I got it on special for $48 a while back. It's been a succesful, inexpensive solution for the time being. However I do think it could benefit from the vacuum technique that the KAB could provide since there are times I find remnants of drying cloth that gets stuck on my AT-440mla stylus-and it's a bear to clean off despite my best efforts. I've tried using discwasher before playing but still doesn't help in all cases.

Also I have to admit that SC is not the most convenient method since you have to basically stock-pile records for one huge cleaning session(they say up to 50 records and usually I do 20-30). Otherwise you are totally wasting the cleaning solution. There are times when I buy an lp and am dying to play it straight away but have to wait until I accumulate enough albums for a cleaning session and sometimes that's a long wait. Having a KAB, or NG, VPI or such would eliminate that problem and give me the instant gratification I'm looking for.

Lastly I'll just say although I long for a nice machine in the future, I tend to be wary of VPI. I remember reading about problems with the MDF getting warped, moldy, etc. I'm sure that's been on a more rare occasion but enough that people were writing about it.

I'm always interested in this topic of record cleaning and I hope some of my thoughts/opinions prove to be helpful.

 

Quite frankly, the KAB is great at removing things like fingerprints and dust/dirt that's not really heavy on the LP.

I tend to buy LPs that are either VG++ to new so I'm not really sure what it can do with "garage sale" records.

I cleaned all my LPs iin my collection (spanning 30+ years) and yes, there were some that seemed to need that extra help in cleaning..small fingerprints, etc, but I've always been meticulous in keeping my vinyl records clean..in fact, it's about the only thing I'm really anal about ( in the cleaning world ).

 

You may have missed this thread. Several Hunt/Audioquest CF brush users reporting scratches.

You and I even discussed this same topic 4 years ago.

 

Agreed

 

I posted this in another thread recently. These were a couple of records cleaned/vacuumed with a KAB EV-1. When I resurrected my vinyl set up and got into wet cleaning about 6-7 years ago I set up a record cleaning "station" in my basement by sourcing a scrap turntable (cost me nothing) for application of fluids and the KAB sits beside it.

I've cleaned more than 3000 records on the KAB in that time period, many of which were filthy. Those pictured had water damage that included disintegration of the paper inners that subsequently dried on the records and an abundance of mould (white mould on the records themselves and black mould on the jackets).

I'm not an fan of scrubbing records. I've ruined a couple that way so I don't do it anymore. For me the key to effective record cleaning is to source the best fluids, get them as gently as possible down into the grooves (I use carbon fibre brushes for application of fluids) and let those fluids do the cleaning by effectively suspending any dirt/detritus so it can be vacuumed away. The KAB does this (removing the fluid and the suspended dirt) as well as any wand or slot based RCM at any price and I am not convinced it is significantly bettered by systems like the Loricraft or Monks (I've had records cleaned on a Monks which I have recleaned using different fluids and the KAB and they have been improved upon significantly-all this really proves is that a second cleaning may be beneficial and that fluids are extremely important, it certainly doesn't prove that the KAB is better than a Monks) to warrant the extra expenditure. I had an opportunity to purchase a beat up Monks for $800 before purchasing the KAB and I have never regretted it, nor do I have any desire to purchase a Monks at this stage either.

The records cleaned in the photos play near mint now. They were subjected to soak times with cleaning fluid that were quite a bit longer than normal for me-I allowed the first stage cleaner I use (AIVS #15) to sit for about 15 minutes on each side before vacuuming and then rinsing twice (and steaming) with ultrapure water. They're a pretty extreme example, but illustrate what good fluids and technique can accomplish with even a very basic vacuum system. That would also include a very simply modified shop vac.

 

Several folks in those threads also did not see any scratches either.

 

Very nice. Good job.

 

And some folks win in Vegas, too.

Just think it's important to point out these things, as enough random people seem to experience the issue, so no one else has to get the "unwelcome" surprise of scratches.

 

Fair enough Sam. I just think it's more of a remote possibility than an everyday event. I find a pique polo shirt is good for cleaning the Hunt brush after every use.

I have seen some fine scratches from the included VPI brush.

 

Excellent recommendation!

 

I use the Hunt brush, to clean the VPI brush. Serious.

 

Wood glue. Got some really dirty records this weekend to test my glue skills on.

 

I'll be the odd man out to swear by the wet-wash with a mofi brush using the library of congress Tergitol solution method. Killer.

 

Where do you get the solution, Wiggles? Or do you make it?

 

Glad to see Geritol getting into the LP cleaning biz. Probably some overlap of demographic.

 

Back in the '90s, when I managed a record shop, we used Photo-Flo along with warm water, instead of soap. I was taught to use it by my predecessor; for the life of me, I can't remember what his reasoning was at this point -- except for the fact that it did foam up a bit and was also completely non-abrasive. 16 oz doesn't sound like a lot, but we didn't use more than a few drops per side, and we reserved it for the dirtier LPs.

http://www.amazon.com/Kodak-1464510-Photo-Flo-200-16oz/dp/B00009R7E0

 

I recommend the VPI 16.5 as well. For enzyme cleaners, I get great results with Audio Intelligent fluids with my VPI.

Those Sleevetown heavy outer sleeves are sweet, I'm becoming addicted to them. However, they may be pushing the OP's budget a bit over the top. Depending on how many LPs one wants to enshrine in the fancy sleeves, the cost could quickly get high.

 

I bought the Tergitol via Talas (a museum/library preservation supply company):

http://apps.webcreate.com/ecom/catalog/product_specific.cfm?ClientID=15&ProductID=17376

A pint of each is enough to last a lifetime. I dilute about 10 drops from an eyedropper of each into 1 gallon of water, and then use large baking rounds for the solution and a distilled water rinse. I change the rinse frequently, and use about 1 gallon of the solution to clean roughly 30 records at a time, and then let them air-dry. Very fast, very effective method of cleaning.

http://www.loc.gov/preservation/care/record.html

I started out using spray bottles of the stuff and spraying water as the rinse, and using about 20 drops of each per gallon for the solution. But the spray bottle method was clumsy, slow, and ineffective at rinsing the solution completely off. It left no audible residue that I could hear, but you could see some water spotting on the flat islands in the inner run-out. So to get a really good water winse I got the big baking rounds and now shake the record around vigorously in that water bath, and use a slightly more diluted Tergitol solution, and that seems to be working very well for me right now. Good pressings that are silent to begin with are DEAD quiet. Pretty incredible, actually.

As far as effectiveness versus commercially available solutions, I don't know, but it's pretty dang effective for me. And a *lot* cheaper than buying cleaning solution, I could probably make enough solution with the amount I have to clean millions and millions of records.

I'm going to experiment a little bit with wood glue, because I have a few records that still have some grime, and I'm curious if a more aggressive cleaning method will help that out, or if that dirt is worn in there good. To be continued...