Fight the static...!

I seem to get a lot of static on my vinyl, even after a quick wet dusting before playing. I am in the process of replacing the stock paper sleeves with Mobile Fidelity anti static sleeves.

What else can be done, what do you do?

 

Before playing your record, but after any pre-play surface cleaning, lightly wipe the surface of the record with a USED Bounce brand clothes dryer cloth. I found this tip on a thread somewhere over a year ago and have found it one of the best tips ever. It consistently removes any static, is easy as can be and best of all is essentially free if you do laundry. Never use a clith straight out of the box, the clith is hard and encrusted with fabric softener chemicals and perfume. However once it's been through the cycle you have a very soft clith to work with, just fold it into quarter size and it's the perfect width to wipe an album with. I replace cloths each time I do a new clothes wash.

Your other option is a Milty Zero Stat device, but that's $99. For me that wasn't an expense I wished to incur. That lead me to discovering the Bounce dryer cloth tip.

 

Could you please tell me what's that fabric made of ? I would like to try that approach but I'm not in the USA.

 

Here's the info straight from Bounce, I'm sure there must be an equivalent product you could find locally:
https://www.pg.com/productsafety/in...ounce/Bounce_Dryer_Sheets_-_All_Varieties.pdf

 

OK; you positive no lint is left behind ? Do you damp it slightly or use it dry ? Thanx !!

 

Ill look around for a dryer sheet. We have a front load and don't use them... I am sure I have friends that use them... Thats going to be a weird conversation... lol

Ive been watching complete Discwasher sets with Zerostat on eBay for a few months... It might be time to.... pull the trigger... hahaha

 

Sometimes not much more. I have static issues as well. Those MOFI sleeves probably won't help you much, unless the sleeves you have now are adding static. Once I get them out of the sleeve, with no static, I play them, and then they have static. Lifting them off the turntable is what does it, not sure why but it does.

Anyway, the (used) bounce dryer sheet is a great idea. I have a Zerostat but decided to try out the dryer sheet and it really does work.

What I do is put the dryer sheet on the lp and then lift it off the platter. It seems to kill the static.

You can also fire a zerostat at the lp as you lift one end off. But that requires more manual dexterity.

 

The first time I saw a Lyra cartridge I kind of laughed at what appeared to be a piece of dryer sheet integrated into the design of a very expensive cartridge. But then when I heard about people using dryer sheets to dispel static, I realized that wow, that really is a piece of dryer sheet (for all intents and purposes, I don't imagine Lyra has a contract with Snuggle), and its a pretty great idea!

 

I had the pleasure of giving this tip to Michael Fremer at the recent Wax Record Fair at Capitol Records. Just as I walked over to look at one of the dealer's booths that Fremer happened to be at, another fellow started asking him about static removal. Fremer naturally recommended the Zero Stat. I chimed in about the Bounce Dryer Sheets. Surprisingly he hadn't heard about it but said he'd give it a try.

 

I finally got some used dryer sheet, unsure of the brand. As I lightly lifted it towards my record little white crystals fell off !

I was able to blow them off...

I don't think I'll be doing that again!

 

That's scary, and weird. I've been doing this for a while (with great results) and never had anything like that happen. Are you sure they were fully "used"? I can imagine a situation where if the chemicals didn't get "cooked off" well enough in the dryer cycle that maybe that left some residue to fall off? I don't know, just guessing.

 

Aren't all dryers front load? And what would that have to do with whether you use dryer sheets or not? Not trying to be snarky, just sayin'.

 

I'm sure the dryer sheets help, but isn't there some residue left on the record? (I'll have to look up what those things contain, chemically). I've posted here before that I find the Zerostat to be overkill and hard for most people to use. (I've had one since the mid-'70s, and have bought newer ones over the years- you are essentially adding a charge to neutralize a charge and it is a pretty powerful device).
Here's what I do:
first, if you are using a wand-type vacuum RCM, like a VPI, you have to be careful not to overdo the vacuum cycle- that can create static;
I do use a quality aftermarket sleeve;
I do not wear shoes or socks when handling records- these add to the potential for static;
I've tried discharging the static on my body/clothing- even to the length of getting grounded anti-static mat- not terribly effective, but part of the problem as I understand it, is that you are carrying a 'charge'- so I try to minimize that by not scuffing shoes or socks on carpeting- thus, the bare feet.
some increase in relative humidity- though you don't want the records to be stored in a very humid environment; in the Northeast, where we have winter, and central heat, the relative humidity goes down; I think you need to compensate; I keep the heat off on my third floor where all the stuff is (unless it is below zero F) because the ambient heat from the rest of the house is sufficient, and once the system is warmed up, the room gets pretty warm with all the tubes;
if you really have a static problem with records, Blake had posted a link to a workbench ionizer- the kind of thing used for circuit board assembly- they aren't cheap new, but used ones are readily available on E-bay cheaper than a Zerostat. (This is like the industrial equivalent of the Furutech anti-static device, is more robust and used, is cheaper).

To go back to the beginning, I wouldn't underestimate the effect certain record cleaning has on static- using ultrasonic as a finishing step (or point nozzle type, which are typically very expensive) pretty much eliminates the problem to the extent cleaning is a contributing factor, but I'm not advocating that you spend thousands of dollars on cleaning equipment to do so. My recollection of Percy Wilson's original white paper on cleaning is that he advocated pulling the record off the RCM (this was early days before any commercial RCM was available and Wilson was experimenting) slightly damp to reduce static.
On re-sleeving, I use a new, high quality inner sleeve, save the original inner for posterity, but don't insert the resleeved record into the jacket; instead, I use a "package" of poly bags, and various inner layers (including the original inner) as a sandwich of "layers" and slide the sleeved record in and out of the bagged package. This not only minimizes static charge from sliding the record in and out of the outer cardboard jacket, but reduces the amount of wear/handling of the jacket itself.
Most of these suggestions cost little, and I'm not advocating "one way"- just offering what I have done with some success.

 

Interesting on the used dryer sheet. I'm hesitant, as these are coated with a wax-type substance. I had a dryer repair man tell me Never to use them if I can help it. They leave a layer of this wax behind on the clothing/material. He said if you'll notice, when you use them on a load of towels, over time the towels stop picking up as much moisture as before and it's because they're getting coated. The residue also builds on the lint catcher over time. Been using the dryer balls since. (get ur mind out of the gutter!)

But, these obviously work for some. Maybe with the brief use of one that's already been through a cycle greatly diminishes any waxy residue left behind?

 

It should be a used dryer sheet that should be used for static purposes. All you need to do is gently brush the used dryer sheet over the record. Contact doesn't have to be anything more than that.

(I agree with your repair man, Booby Boogaloo. Towels don't pick up as much moisture when dried in a dryer with a typical dryer sheet. I never use them on towels and really barely use the dryer at all. I do like the air fluff feature though )

 

I don't have any hint of residue on the used dryer sheets I use. LP's with static on them are noisy before I gently drag the used dryer sheet across it and quiet after I do.

 

Wood floors and a humidifier in the room. Static used to really annoy me. Then I bought a house with all hard wood floors and put a humidifier on low at the opposite end of the room from my turn table. No more static issues and I live in Central New York where it is dry and snowy 4.5 months a year. Oh and now I have a nice gas fireplace insert in my listening room fireplace. I put one of those cast iron teapots on the mantle in front of the fireplace and keep it a third full and that has allowed me to get rid of the humidifier. My rooms humidity is around 45 to 50% in mid winter. I actually met one guy who added a whole house humidifier thing into his HVAC system to solve this very problem.

 

Tim, so you aren't 'wiping' but instead, light contact between the dryer sheet and record surface to in effect 'discharge' the record? Just trying to get my head around what you are doing....
thnx,

 

Yes sir, just lightly dragging the fabric over the surface. The only pressure applied to the LP is the weight of the fabric, which is nothing. No kind of wiping or scrubbing action. Hope that helps.

 

The discussion about used dryer sheets made me think of the inner sleeves I use, as the material feels somewhat similar. I use MA recording inner sleeves and seem to experience less static with these than the Mobile Fidelity or other sleeves I have used. Unfortunately, they are certainly not cheap at 66 cents each. As I live in a tropical climate, I use these predominately as a method for reducing the chance of mold and mildew issues more so than static. One good thing about our humid conditions is that we have less static charge issues than most places. Someone in a desert climate or those who use heat in the winter will certainly have a more credible opinion concerning static than me. That being said--MA sleeves seem to reduce static better than others for me. Here is a little promo blurb about these sleeves:

MA Recording's long-term association with manufacturers in Japan has helped them to create the most beautiful vinyl inner-sleeve ever produced. Made from two extremely soft synthetic fibers with inherent antistatic properties, these sleeves will not trap moisture and consequently will help prevent the growth of mold and mildew on the surfaces of your LPs.

 

I'm going to look into those! Thanks!

 

I have no static at all. Ever.

Here's what I do:

1) wet-wash EVERY (ALL, ESPECIALLY new ones) record before it goes on the shelf (using the LOC Tergitol solution FYI)

2) Store all records in anti-static sleeves (particularly the sleeve-city Audiophile Inners, but any similar will do) to prevent the sleeve from adding static to the record.

3) Use an anti-static mat on the turntable, in my case this one: http://www.sleevecityusa.com/Anti-Static-Turntable-Mat-with-Strobe-Pattern-p/dm-200.htm

Step 1 REMOVES All static, Step 2 keeps it off during handling, and step 3 dissipates static buildup that occurs during regular play preventing new static that would require a re-washing of the record.

I listen in a basement system with dry forced-air, it gets very dry during the winter, AND I have carpeting. But my vinyl stays DEAD SILENT. I mean DEAD silent. It's spooky.

There is no reason whatsoever to suffer through audible static noise with vinyl.

 

This is a totally crazy & free method, but not one you'll want to do in front of many people.

With the record still in the MFSL sleeve, find the nearest wall. Put a tiny amount of saliva on the record sleeve. You can just lick the sleeve if no one's looking or just get a little spit on it. Just a little though. No need to go crazy here.

Now do a head stand.

Once you're up and stable, run the sleeve (spit side toward you) on your belly 3-5 times in a counter-clockwise motion. Resist the urge to do more than 5 rotations or you'll end up with worse static.

Now remove the record and play it. Boom! Zero static guaranteed.

Please report back with your findings. Video would help us make sure you are following proper form.

Good luck!

 

Thunderon brush.