YOUR Record Cleaning Methods (Disc Doctor or otherwise...)

Follow Up...

I DID try the artist paint brush method and I was pleasanty surprised. I flooded the Lp with distilled water, dabbed it off, then followed with the cleaning solution. Holding the brush straight up and winding it around the face of the Lp, it seems to really follow the grooves, meaning that its sweeping them clean. The width of the brush is about one track wide, so it takes about 6 or 7 circles per side.

After this, a Nice heavy spritz of distilled water to rinse out the grooves and the Lp was definetly cleaner. There was less noise on playback.

 

What I use as a last resort (this works better on impacted dirt better than anything else I have ever used, most commonly on sleeveless 45s): Elmer's Glue.
It's best that the disc get a rudimentary cleaning first, with no standing water (damp grooves are OK). Smear on a thick layer of Elmer's in the entire play zone, avoiding the label. Let it dry. If you put on a thin layer, it will only flake off with a lot of picking, the thick layer will lift off in one piece, pulling up all or most of the impacted dirt in the groove. Smear it all the way to the rim, so that you will have no difficulty sliding a fingernail under the dryed glue to start your peel. You even get some of the shine back, and boy does it sound cleaner than you ever thought it would.
Skeptical? Try it on a disc you don't care about, cover 50% of one side for an A/B comparison.

 

Damian,

You are not using the Disc Doctor system correctly.

 

I agree with everything you've said here, but who said you should put the records away in dirty sleeves? Not only is that a ridiculous thing to do but it is against Disc Doctor recommendations. No matter what vinyl cleaning system you use, it should ALWAYS include replacing the inner sleeve if it is dirty....and most of them are. New sleeves can be purchased in bulk and are an essential part of any serious record care regimen.

 

Rudy,

If the Disc Doctor system isn't working for you, you are either misunderstanding the instructions or you have defective product/brushes. This is simply the best thing for cleaning records out there. I have experimented extensively with many different products/machines and have spent at least 100 hours on the phone with Duane Goldman and my conclusion is that his products are unmatched. I consider myself to be a bit of an expert in terms of the proper and most effective way to clean with these tools and if you are interested, I suppose I can type out a lengthy, step by step post as to how it should be done.

 

The elmers glue thing is amazing! Never thought of that. i know there is a professioanl cleaner that you smear on the the records, let dry and peel off, but it requires tons of prep. the Elmers thing is hysterical. Ive GOTTA try that! Thanks lord.

 

You're not serious, are you? I thought that post was a joke, but now I'm not sure. Please, friends....do not use Elmer's Glue on your lps.

 

Prix, there IS a cleaner that you smear on your lps, wait for it to dry, then peel off. i HAVE it. I just never used it because the prep was ridiculous.

It does seem that the Elmers thing is impossible, but I'd like to try it on a junk record and see what happens. Stranger things have happened.

 

We'll have to agree to disagree...if you read my lenghty post, I made it clear that I started by following directions to the letter, and it did not work. As I thought several years ago, felt just isn't going to work. It can't. Bought the VPI brush, it cleaned better. And compared to the DD brushes, a brush still does a better job. And now I'm out the money. Should have followed my gut instincts in the first place.

 

Rudy...try the paint brush method. Will only cost you a couple of bucks at any art supply store.

Let me know what you think.

Mikey

 

Neat, Mikey! I'm going to have to try that out also. I'm doing OK with the VPI brush, but if I can find a brush that's stiff and fine enough to get into the grooves without bending (unlike felt), I'll definitely pick one or two up. My mother had artist brushes but they were for doing fine lettering and ruling with India ink. It would probably take me 6-1/2 weeks to do an LP with one of those tiny things.

 

Definitely will. I never gave those much thought before. Thanks for the idea!

Looks like we're on the Olympic Syncrhonized Forum Posting Relay Team there, crossing posts again.

 

Prix, do you use a machine or all by hand? I wouldn't mind hearing how you do things. Right now I use the DD brushes and fluid with the VPI 16.5. I follow the clean/rinse twice method using dedicated brushes and tubes.

I'm still learning how do to this stuff better so I'm open to anything. I can't always tell if the crackle I hear is embedded or just groove damage.

Thanks.

 

You're braver than I am! I just had a thought: I wonder if this would work with rubber cement? It should still stick to the crud, but it would be easier to peel off. Couldn't use water though, since the rubber cement would not adhere. (It's not water based.) I have plenty of old records to experiment with. Hmmmmm... (puts on his white lab coat). The only thing I wonder about is the solvent that rubber cement is based on, and whether or not it would do anything to the vinyl. I do know it is safe enough to use on photographs--commercial artists used to use it to paste photographs and other art pieces down to layout boards, and could safely remove the items just by applying some of the thinner to the project. It evaporated quickly enough that it didn't leave any type of stain.

For the stubborn cruds, I'm thinking of trying some industrial "plastic safe cleaner", which I mentioned here months ago. If this stuff is safe enough for aerospace applications, I don't see the harm in trying it on some basket case vinyl and seeing how it does. Only wish it didn't come in an aerosol can...I'd rather have it as a liquid.

 

I use the DD method by hand only. A machine would be helpful only as a means of removing the fluid instantly. Since the fluid leaves no residue, there is no need to do this other than as a matter of convenience. If I had the room, I would probably have a record cleaning machine for this purpose and I would probably build my own. There are several DIY designs that are a far cry from spending big $$.

 

I don't doubt that, but please remember....there are many, many "record care" products on the market that do more harm than good. Some of the main issues with the glue method....and I can't believe we're even taking this seriously in discussion....are A) possible damage to the grooves upon removal of dried glue B) chemical reactions between the glue and the vinyl surface that are harmful C) the RESIDUE you CAN'T see with the naked eye that the glue leaves behind! This may not only damage your vinyl, but could eventually ruin your cartridge.

If you think that the glue method is safe, have you ever examined it with a high powered microscope to see? I haven't done so myself, but I'd be willing to bet my most expensive piece of vinyl that the results won't be very favorable. IMO, putting any kind of glue on a record is a real bad idea, no offense. It makes me think of all those Jamaican lps that have glue baked into the grooves that are impossible to clean, among other horrors.

 

Sorry, Rudy. I missed that post. I'll have to read it through and get back to you on this one. In the meantime, if you want to recoup some of your investment and unload what's left of your DD system, I have a customer who just purchased an entire system from me who would happily take it off your hands. Send me a PM if you're interested and I'll set it up for you.

 

I'm not joking (this time, at least), it does lift out imbedded particles, and when layered on thick it lifts out completely. I looked with powerful magnifiers and found no bits of glue (which can happen with a thin layer).

 

NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Rubber cement uses solvents that adversely affect vinyl. I tried it, I learned. And it can be tough to get out of the groove.

 

Rudy, how much DD fluid are you using? If your records are requiring three rinse cycles, it sounds like excessive cleaner may be the issue. Also, are you diluting the cleaner or using it straight out of the bottle? I apologize if these seem like stupid questions assuming you followed the directions as you say, but I'm at a loss to figure out why our experiences with this product seem so different. I've used the DD system to pick up the pieces after using the VPI brush and machine that belonged to a friend of mine and I've also cleaned plenty of my old '40s and '50s jazz records(Dizzy, Mulligan, Parker, etc) with great results.

 

Prix, if you ever feel like it, I'd appreciate you taking the time and typing a guide to proper DD system usage.

I've had varied results, no doubt depending on the condition of the LPs I was cleaning. Some LPs have cleaned nothing short of unbelievable and some just a bit.

I tried the art brush thing a couple times.. didn't do it for me. I'm not saying it doesn't work .. in fact it probably did do some good, but cleaning up a whole LP side with a 1/2" brush is a bit of a PITA, really. I also wonder about possible groove damage.

I tried two brushes: the 1/2" wide one mentioned above (natural bristle, square-cut, bristles about 3/4" long. Some time later I picked up a smaller, stiffer one but felt it was too much. It was about 1/4" wide, also natural bristle, bristles about 3/8" long.

 

I tend to agree with prix here. The DD fluid must be diluted properly, and you mustn't use too much. I only do two distilled-water rinses after applying the DD fluid, and my LPs end up whisper-quiet.

 

Well Damian, the right way to use the art brushes is to put the Lp on a TT, wet it , put the cleaning solution around the whole face of the LP, then set the lp spinning, and just hold the brush on top of each track. Move the brush from track to track, cleaning it off each time. The whole thing only take a couple of minutes.

 

Yes, that's what I did. I set the record spinning and held (not pressed, just held) the brush at an almost-90° angle to the LP, changing 'bands' every now and then.

I don't remember whether I wetted the LP or just dipped the brush in fluid though ('fluid' being most probably distilled water -might've even been tap water back then- with or without a drop or two of dish detergent and/or rubbing alcohol).

 

And you say that did not work? Did you rinse with Distilled water? thats the key.