2017 (now 2018) VOA Charity Ultrasonic Record Cleaning

[dfunghi]

Offered again for 2018

I will wash in my US*, scrub on my platter with Discdoc brushes and rinse/ vac clean as a final step prior to destat treatment and a re sleeve. Damaged LPs can not be fixed but dirty ones can at times have miraculous results.

I will do 5 LPs for $30 and cover return media mail shipping.

Depending on how many (if any) people take me up on this and send AK/VOA money I will schedule a time for LPs to be sent so I can do a marathon cleaning and get all done at once. Since the holidays are close I will leave this offer open until 12/17/17 (now open until 12/22/18) at midnight local to me time (California). LPs will be sent to me after xmas and returned within about 10 days (that is when I will send, when USPS gets them to you YMMV).

I am going to limit this to five sets of 5 or 25 LPs total (I can do 28 in a day, so I suppose a couple extra are possible).

I can not promise your LPs will be made 100% better as some times it is groove wear or damage. But they will come back 100% clean and if dirt (even stubborn, embedded dirt) was noisy that will be fixed. Occasionally very stubborn fingerprints will remain slightly visible no matter how hard I try. I believe the vinyl gets stained BWDIK?

Most of the time very shiny, glossy vinyl will be returned to you and hopefully a marked improvement in SQ.

*A 12-15 minute soak in 40° C distilled with 1:1000 Tergitol, 1:1000 ReSurge and a couple drops of Dawn. Hand wash is 1:400 Tergitol, rinse is 100% distilled warm water via a pressurized hand sprayer (40PSI) and a 5HP shopvac for final stage. Then air dried for 1 hour or more, de stat with Thunderon brush and sleeved in HQ poly inners and Outers.

 

[dfunghi]

I have asked for reviews from some that have benefited from this........ Help AK, get clean records and everyone comes out a winner.

 

[bjlefebvre]

I'm going to look through my stack and find five LPs for this. I just got one back from dfunghi - a Japanese pressing of a Charles Mingus album that I nearly got rid of because the sound was so bad. No snap or crackle, but extremely muffled as if there was a coating of crud in the grooves. My vacuum cleaning machine works wonders on most of my vinyl but it didn't help this one. Here's what I sent after I got the record back from dfunghi's ultra sonic cleaning-

"Hey, the records arrived yesterday. Just got a chance to listen to the Mingus now (working from home today) and, pardon my French - holy f*** it sounds much better. Like not only actually listenable, which it wasn't before, but good sounding. I'm now a believer in US cleaning, at least for the hard-case records. There must have been tobacco smoke or something in the grooves that the wet vac cleaning I gave it wasn't dislodging. Like night and day now."

 

[captouch]

Here’s my response to David - posted from a PM with his permission:

“Hi David,

Got all the records early this afternoon. The FV, given how it was bought with no inner sleeve, is the most noisy, but I expected that. Because it has fairly frequent small tics, etc, I can't honestly say for sure whether it got better or not. I only played side 1.

Round About Midnight sounds great - I played both sides. I believe this one did get overall quieter and a lot of the very small tics/pops were eliminated. There's still some noise here and there, but it kind of goes with a record that's now 60yrs old.

But Know What I Mean. . .WOW, this one really made the whole effort worth it many times over. It went from having really annoying sound on the lead-in and misc non-subtle noise in certain spots to sounding REALLY silent and clean, very much like what you'd expect/want from an audiophile AP release. This result was really impressive.”

So I have only positive things to say about US cleaning and David’s thorough system for cleaning.

 

[bjlefebvre]

Just to make it clear from my earlier post - I will reserve a spot for a set of five. How do we donate the money?

 

[dfunghi]

Just to make it clear from my earlier post - I will reserve a spot for a set of five. How do we donate the money?

I believe you send it to grumpy (AK) and mark it VOA Auctions. Hold off sending me LPs until the smoke clears here. Also since I owed you a couple of cleanings also feel free to send up to 7 LPs which is one full batch. I re upped on sleeves, I can re sleeve where necessary.

 

[ETLS]

If you need some hepastat let me know and I'll ship you a small bottle.

 

[dfunghi]

If you need some hepastat let me know and I'll ship you a small bottle.

Thanks but I use a different formula. I may try Triton when I run out of what I have now. I have never found a need to disinfect LPs after a wash but this is no place to have that conversation.

For those considering my process I laid out my formula and process in post #1 to answer any concerns.

 

[bjlefebvre]

Just donated. C'mon you guys, it's a worthy cause and it'll get the crud of your rekkids.

 

[dfunghi]

Only one taker..... Ben I will give you the all clear to send LPs as soon as we are sure. The Thomas fire is still alive and although moved into back country we are one bad wind event form disaster still. Plus not a drop of rain in sight for the foreseeable future.

 

[bjlefebvre]

Dude, take your time - make sure those flames are at least "mostly out" and you guys are safe before worrying 'bout US cleaning.
And come on, the rest of you nuts - pony up for VOA!

 

[dfunghi]

Is the offer still valid? If so, count me in for a set of 5.

Sure, please send Dave the dough and I will let you know when to send LPs. Still cleaning ash and soot from our home...... do not want to take US out until I know it is safe. I will PM you my address for sending LPs to.

 

[dfunghi]

Smoke and ash has cleared here and I plan to run the US next weekend. You should both have my info for sending LPs to and if you are not ready (still deciding which to send) I will be doing a US bath a couple times a month until I get caught up........ maybe 2021?

 

[Hajidub]

I've heard that if you send him 2-eye Columbia's, after the cleaning you're mailed 6-eyes!

 

[dfunghi]

Is the offer still valid? If so, count me in for a set of 5.

You never sent me any LPs. You still have credit for 5 washings. I plan to do a bunch over the long weekend next week if you want to send them soon.

 

[dfunghi]

If you need some hepastat let me know and I'll ship you a small bottle.

Would love to try a small dose of Triton before I order a large bottle. Do you have any use for Tergitol S3? I won't use it anymore since it seems to leave oil spots behind. Not sure how others have success with that one. The S9 however I love.

D

 

[dfunghi]

Louisjames is in for last years and 5 more this year. Mrs G let's us know where to send dough.

D

 

[ETLS]

I can ship you a small bottle of Triton, and I'll send you a small bottle of the Hepastat to boot. The Hepastat seems to really knock the static out as compared to just the straight Triton alone. You can experiment with it at your leisure, and see what you like best. I can't see what I would use the Tergitol on, but you're more than welcome to have a couple small bottles of the Triton and Hepastat.

 

[dfunghi]

small bottle of the Hepastat to boot.

I have ReSurge which works well and I never have static build up unless it is in the drying process when we have 4% humidity or so. My re order of Tergitol S9 may be for Triton instead if I like it. I think Triton may have Tergitol in it?

 

[ETLS]

I can't answer whether Tergitol is Triton or verse visa. I can say it does what I'm needing it to do.