I just purchased a Pro-ject VC-E record cleaning machine and I'm setting it up to clean my first batch of vinyl. For those of you that have one, or even a similar vacuum based system, how do you clean the the felt strips on the vacuum arm and how often? Is it necessary to do it after each record? Also, how often do you do the same to the goat's hair brush? Is it rinsed out in between each record? I'm just concerned about contaminating the next record to be cleaned. Thank you in advance for your help!!
I have a VC-S........but this could apply to any cleaner. I have a stiff brush that I use on the felt strips on the armtube. The brush, I just rinse it occasionally as I only use that to spread the distilled water I use as a wash. The cleaner formula I use is spread using one of those paint pad applicators with the soft bristle pads. Those I wash occasionally with soap and warm water and replace the pad every 3-4 months, they are cheap.
I’ve used the Shur-line paint pads as part of my record cleaning process for several years! i ‘m going to try it with this RCM...
You'll get different answer to these questions, some people are more detailed than others. I honestly don't hardly ever clean the brush. Some might, but I just don't worry about it. I figure the fresh fluid on the record is doing it job, and my ears tend to agree. As for the felt, basically the same. If I'm doing multiple records in a row, I might take the tube off with the vacuum running and let it suck up some off the excess liquid on the felt, but that's about it. If I notice any build up of lint, I might give it a quick run with a lint brush at most. Now when I had a platter for the record, I hit that with a lint roller before each cleaning session. The VC-S2 eliminates that all together, which was a big part of what drew me to the design.
As far as the felt strips on the vacuum wand, I will use a nail brush just to remove whatever’s on them and maybe a little distilled water if needed. I will definitely rinse the brush out after each session with distilled water and let air dry before putting away.
Great tips in here that I will try to implement on my VC-S. I also want to sort of hijack this thread with a related question. I desperately need new felt strips but I want the WHITE ones that the machine originally came with. The black replacement ones are much shorter and I would have to change the platter height which I want to avoid if at all possible. It seems that it's basically impossible to find the white ones online for sale. Anybody have a clue?
Send Sumiko an email, let us know what they say. I suspect other felt ones will fit that maybe MD sells.
I asked MD already. They basically told me they have whatever production sends to them and its basically a crapshoot. The black wider but shorter felt strips are the ones readily available on the web. Like I said above, the height is completely different than the white ones and I don't like the felt material of it.
Bumping an older thread. Any update on these Pro-Ject record cleaners? thinking of getting one. I have a Pro-Ject x2. Be interesting to hear whether the bigger one is worth the extra ££? cheers.
I have a question about this machine I have a tremendous static problem after using this machine. What has your experiences with static been? And what is your guys record cleaning routines with this machine
No static problem here. Got the Vc-E over a year now. Is you're house very dry and stand this machine on a carpet? I live in very Humid country static is normally no issue here, only where i work and has IT-coolingsytems running. grtz Peter
I also have been having a very hard time judging how much fluid I should use. Also when the records are actually dry I have been thinking my records are dry. But then there is residue on needle after play. Any suggestions?
I leave the record on a rack to air dry after a clean. That should solve the residual problem - although obviously it’s a pain in the proverbial if that’s the record you want to play. in terms of how much - I’m sure there are some videos, I just use a spray and I seem to have a feel on how much is enough.
You could clean them again if there’s an issue? I’d probably Google some videos to get the right solution/ water ratio. Maybe that’s an issue.
This how I do it: 1. Felt strips; I use a soft childrens tooth brush to keep the felt strips on the wand clean during the cleaning session. I clean the strips after each time I use the vacuum. After each cleaning session I rinse the wand with lukewarm tap water, wipe the felt strips as dry as possible with a microfiber cloth or a small paper towel. Finally I use the tooth brush once more on the felt strips before letting the strips airdry. 2. Goat hair brush; I rinse it with lukewarm tap water after each cleaning session and let it airdry afterwards. Don’t worry about the brush contaminating the next record during the cleaning session, as long as there aren’t any build up of dirt on the bristles there’s no reason to worry. If that would happen for some reason then rinse the brush. My advice to you is to try to keep things simple during the cleaning session and not to worry about the details. Experiment a bit and try to find a way that works for you.
Try to clean a couple of records again, if the records are very dirty then repeat the whole cleaning process one, two or even more times if necessary until they are clean. Time is the key, spread the cleaning solution and then let it work for a couple of minutes before using the brush again. If you get problems with static build up then spread some cleaning solution again and clean the record one more time. Try to decimate the number of rotations when vacuuming the record. Experiment a bit and try to find a set-up that works for you avoiding static build up. Which cleaning solution do you use? I can highly recommend L’Art du Son which is the most effective solution I’ve used for cleaning records. I always get great results from using it.
