High Mag Vinyl Pics

Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by Koptapad, May 21, 2007.

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  1. Koptapad

    Koptapad Forum Resident Thread Starter

    I got interested about cleaning vinyl and what the grooves look like. I took the most beat up lp I had - Cream's Wheels of Fire - and took pics before and after cleaning. The lp was already junk.

    1) Air blast with canned air
    2) Dawn dish detergent with a new cellulose sponge. Gently wipe and rinse.
    3) Rinse with DI water.

    The vinyl dewets nicely.

    Before cleaning....look how thin that groove wall is. I wonder what the spec is?
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  2. Koptapad

    Koptapad Forum Resident Thread Starter

    After cleaning....now I know how you can get a bad pop on one side of the stereo waveform, look how the scratch extends into the groove on one side.

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    More after cleaning...

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  3. Koptapad

    Koptapad Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Using a SEM now...

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  4. Koptapad

    Koptapad Forum Resident Thread Starter

    More before cleaning...

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  5. Koptapad

    Koptapad Forum Resident Thread Starter

    After cleaning....

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  6. Koptapad

    Koptapad Forum Resident Thread Starter

    More after cleaning...


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    sound chaser and dogpile like this.
  7. Koptapad

    Koptapad Forum Resident Thread Starter

    So it looks like only the superficial dust/dirt was removed. The stuff that is embedded or burned in needs something different. Maybe ultrasonics, I can try that later but I don't have high hopes. I refuse to destroy a quiet lp in good shape to check it out.
     
  8. Gary

    Gary Nauga Gort! Staff

    Location:
    Toronto
    Have you tried a record cleaning machine? They have a vacuum. I wonder if the results would be any different?


    Just curious. :)
     
  9. Onward

    Onward Forum Resident

    Location:
    Oslo, Norway
    :bigeek: That was some seriously cool photos. Could you take some of a new/mint record? I'm curious as to how clean they really are :)
     
  10. RDK

    RDK Active Member

    Location:
    Los Angeles, CA
    Neat photos! I've always wanted an electron microscope. I'd be scanning things all day long. :laugh:
     
  11. Koptapad

    Koptapad Forum Resident Thread Starter


    No. I've been using dish detergent. But I really need a new TT. I will get one this summer.
     
  12. LesPaul666

    LesPaul666 Mr Markie - The Rock And Roll Snarkie

    Location:
    New Jersey
    I've been using the combination Oribitrac/Rega school of record cleaning for a long time now, and I think it may be time for a Nitty Gritty or VPI. I hear they have to be maintained, due to brushes wearing out etc. They all tell me I'm missing a lot by not using a wet cleaner, and I truly believe this.
     
  13. nelamvr6

    nelamvr6 Music Lover

    Location:
    New London, CT USA
    Great pics! Thanks! :righton:
     
  14. LeeS

    LeeS Music Fan

    Location:
    Atlanta
    Cool pics. Isn't Minnetonka home of Audio Research?
     
  15. Feisal K

    Feisal K Forum Resident

    Location:
    Malaysia
    did you look on eBay? :laugh:
     
  16. johnny33

    johnny33 New Member

    Location:
    usa
    You know I was cleaning my Zep RL copy the other night @ 4 in the morning ...

    ..what? ..what are you guys looking at? :p

    And it occured to me that dishes many times have to soak before the crud will break lose.

    Has anybody ever "soaked " their records? And did it work better? Or bad idea..?

    Now please excuse me. I have a record bath to draw... :)
     
  17. nelamvr6

    nelamvr6 Music Lover

    Location:
    New London, CT USA
    I'd be a little worried about damaging the label...
     
  18. Doug G.

    Doug G. Forum Resident

    Location:
    Austin, MN USA
    Fantastic images James! You Minnesotans sure are smart. :D :edthumbs:

    It actually shows how effective your dish detergent cleaning was. There's not much left in the grooves and most of it appears to be below the level at which a stylus would track.

    It would be interesting to see the same groove areas after different cleaning methods, however.

    I have always thought that being able to see the grooves at this level is a must when discussing the relative merits of different ways of cleaning records and not just relying on assertions based on not much evidence.

    Again, great work!

    You even got some attention over on the asylum. :righton:

    Doug
     
  19. Parelius

    Parelius New Member

    Location:
    Norway (Oslo)
    Very nice pictures. Thanks!
     
  20. scotto

    scotto Senior Member

    Very cool.
    I'd like to see similar shots of a stylus before and after cleaning.
     
  21. MikeyH

    MikeyH Stamper King

    Location:
    Berkeley, CA
    On the contrary.. you seem to have cleaned it up quite well.

    All that little stuff in the bottom is well out of the way of the stylus. Playing a record is traumatic for the record and stylus. Have you tried listening to the disc? what's the audible improvement, if any?

    One of the more revealing things on the SEM pictures is all those striations along the groove. That's record wear. The 'dips' in the walls at the bends, that's damage due to mistracking.

    You can also see quite well why some scratches are totally missed by the stylus, which rides about half way up the groove wall (when not worn).
     
  22. RDK

    RDK Active Member

    Location:
    Los Angeles, CA
    Was it only me, or did anyone else open this thread expecting to see vintage pics of stoners listening to Grateful Dead albums? :D
     
  23. mab

    mab New Member

    Location:
    Austin, Tx.
    Love those pics! Thanks.
     
  24. Oyama

    Oyama Senior Member

    Location:
    Canada
    Please tell us how you managed to take such great close-ups!
     
  25. Koptapad

    Koptapad Forum Resident Thread Starter

    I don't know, but it is the home of Minnetonka Moccasins!

     
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