My Modifications to the Spin Clean

One of the things I disliked about the Spin Clean (SC) was if the record was left too long in the soup the label would get wet. I look at cleaning records as I do washing dishes - some dishes need to be soaked more to get all the dried-off food off the plate and the same is true for some of the gunk on records.

With my mods I am able to leave the records in the soup for as long as I want without fear the label will get wet. My idea worked well and between the Tergitol (both types) a member recommended and my Audio Desk (which I also modified) my records, especially my often played older LPs and the LPs I buy at stores have never sounded better and they come out looking awesome. The Tergitol works great as the Library of Congress found out.

Never had a scratch on any of the many, many records I cleaned with my modified SC although I take extra care when putting in and taking out the records from the SC.

Items needed:

A flat strip of aluminum about 1.25" wide ( I bought mine at Lowes)

Screws - .75"

Washers

Wing Nuts

A drill bit larger than the screws you intend to use (I used #8 sized stainless)

13" wiper blades - cut out where the label is

Razor blade

and lastly something to cut a .5" channel in the top - I used my router on my router table (also designed by me)

I drilled the aluminum first and then the top of the SC.

Some pics

 

I use a vinyl styl basin that comes with a disc that fits over the label. It works great for me. But then I do a final rinse with distilled water in a spin clean knockoff basin with not disc to cover the label. I just rinse by turning it in the basin two or three turns before a final vacuum to dry it.

 

Do you guys play your record right away after clean or do you wait a day

 

Why wait? Once it’s dry, it’s ready to spin cleanly.

 

Thank you

 

If you vacuum as your last step it should be ready to go, if you put it on a rack to dry i’d Wait an hour or so.

 

Very clever use of the Spin-Clean lid!

 

Even after vacuuming dry I still put them on a rack to air dry for 10-15 minutes, and I always replace the sleeve. I use a bit more elaborate method of cleaning, but rinsing and drying is the same. You would be surprised at all the impurities in distilled water. I use Type 1 ionized water twice, once as an initial rinse then for the final rinse with some 100% pure ethyl alcohol.

Rollin

 

I clean first with a “vinyl styl” basin that has goat hair brushes using a solution of distilled water w/ 10% isopropyl alcohol and .03% triton x-100. Then I use a shop vac w/ “vinyl vac” attachment to pick up the particles brought to the surface but not washed away in the bath. Then I place in a different basin that is filled with plain distilled water as a rinse. Then back to the vacuum to dry and into a new poly inner sleeve. It has worked very well for me.

 

Thanks. I don't know why they don't offer something like this as an option. It would be easy for a mold maker to create.

I have since modified it again using the 'cutter' that you get with Kirkland's 'Stretch Tite' plastic wrap. It was a mating made in heaven as the channel holds the wiper blade as if it were meant to be together and the other channel holds tight on the aluminum strip I used.

I'm retired, single and I like to think - and this was something I thought about.

 

Pretty cool idea! Makes a lot of sense to me.

 

I am having a lot of trouble with my spin clean, the cleaning process is great but drying is a headache, when I dry with towels which are anti static, not the ones that came with it, it still seams to leave static on records, and if I air dry I see water spots, will a small car vac work, or could I use the brush from groove washer to dry, I swished to the groove washer for a bit and it just seems like records are not as clean as spin clean

 

I’m getting to be a broken record on this but if you want to get your records clean on a budget:

Squeaky Clean Vinyl Record Care

VinylBug – Record Cleaning Systems

Either way, good luck.

 

What kind of vacuum do you use, how does it do with static?
Do

 

Photo links dead for me

 

I use this one and no problems with static:

Shop-Vac 2021000 Micro Wet/Dry Vac Portable Compact Micro Vacuum with Collapsible Handle, Wall Bracket & Multifunction Accessories, Uses Type A Filter Bag & Type MM Foam Sleeve https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004UQVQ0I/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_CS2cDbKSRZRRF

 

Pick up an old turntable or lazy susan, a $25-30 wet dry shop vac that is 1 to 1.5 hp, and a vinyl vac attachment. I'd suggest you vacuum after you remove from the spin clean, rinse in distilled water and then vacuum again. A few turns in each direction and your record will be completely dry. As for static if you utilize a dry cleaning brush to use when you are about to play a record it will remove the static, just start the turntable, place the brush on the record and wipe any surface particles off. If that doesn't work you might have to get one of those anti-static guns and shoot them.

 

Call me crazy, but how about this use the groove washer formula and then wash with distilled water in spin clean, and then either air dry or use vacuum?

 

Sorry rinse not wash

 

I vacuum twice, after the cleaning and then after the rinse. But only vacuuming after the rinse might work too. I'm not familiar with Groove Washer.

 

so I really should get some kind of vacuum or attachment, does the vinyl vac really work?

 

I don’t see why it wouldn’t. Seems a little more fiddly than the Squeaky Clean or VinylBug and requires an old broken turntable but it’s only $30, right? Give it a shot and let us know what you think.

 

okay I think I will thanks

 

Yes and for a lot less money. A 1 or 1.5 hp shop vac at a Home Depot or Lowes runs about $30 and as noted above the vinyl vac is $30. throw in an old turntable from a thrift for $5 or $10 and you've got $70 max. All those RCMs do the same thing but cost much more. The record doesn't know the difference.

 

okay the only thing I’m scared about before pulling the trigger is I have a huge static problem, living here in Arizona, I do have a humidifier but I’m just trying to avoid static I heard vacuum machines cause static, and in Arizona that is a no no any experience with static and these machines