DIY record cleaning machine (RCM) consolidation and resource thread

DC

"Manhattan Boy"
Subscriber
Hi folks ... there are many really great threads discussing vacuums, motors, wands, fluids, and even philosophies concerning building DIY versions of record cleaning machines. This thread is meant to consolidate some these resources together so finding information is not so daunting. If you discover a thread that should be on this list, drop me a note and I'll "edit" this first post to include it. I'll try to treat this as a work-in-progress thread.

Note: There are already many threads discussing the merits of buying a commercially available RCM vs. building a DIY version. This is not about that - this is intended as a resource for those interested in various ways that a DIY version might be accomplished.

A tip for doing searches:
If you are going to do a search, search both the "DIY" forum and the "turntables" forum - both have lots of good relevant threads.

Note: There are many threads for these related topics in both forums:
- steam cleaning records (search "steam")
- fluids - commercial fluids vs. home-brew mixes and recipes (search "fluid" or "fluids" or "soap" or "alcohol")
- brushes - dozens of variations on a theme (search "brush" and "brushes" in turntable forum)
- Spin Clean, a table-top wet-scrub device (search "Spin Clean" in turntable forum)
- tension clamps for cleaners as well as players (search "clamp")
- GEM Dandy record cleaner, a PVC tube "apparatus" for in-sink spinning and cleaning (search "sink" and "Dandy" or "PVC")

Threads are from the DIY Forum and Turntables Forum:

jcamero's recent re-build (and original build linked in the thread):
http://audiokarma.org/forums/index....r-lots-of-images-damn-long-winded-too.790218/

g.e.'s VPI-OkkiNokki-Moth inspired RCM:
http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=131104.0

micksf's recent build:
http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=633152

tandberg man's Okki Nokki style build:
http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=632204

Boojum's weekender RCM build:
http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=588986

Luckytiger's ultrasonic RCM:
http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=573573

hi*ball's build (check out his o-ring record clamp - genius!):
http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=567344

LoStrings' build:
http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=562132

hutchballs' build:
http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=562101

ODYOFAEL's build (also listed in this thread, but now has its own thread):
http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=527500

the architech's build:
http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=496441

mmiller's RCM project (check out the very nice motor he's using):
http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=488423

blademansw's "cabinet" RCM:
http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=480368

DougMac's "stereo cabinet" RCM:
http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=479995

dodog's RCMCS thread:
http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=431520

JimmyNeutron's "ARK" Automatic Record Kleaner:
http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=412316

Tar of Gor's "bathroom cabinet" build:
http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=393629

chipmunk's "rotary brush" RCM (wow!):
http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=387590

thevinylking's "carpeted" RCM:
http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=381345

dnpainting's second RCM (with automation!):
http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=376385

markus111's "quiet" RCM:
http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=375582

oldvinyldude's recent thread:
http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=373991

Spectrum77's "rotisserie" RCM:
http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=363562

djnagle's thread (a work in progress at the moment):
http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=359037

rally's DIY Keith Monks/Loricraft thread: (Nice!)
http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=357604

wowazeplin's Loricraft/thread buffer RCM:
http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=351226

dnpainting's thread:
http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=341692

Bluespower's DIY-RCM MkII: (Wow!)
http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=335623

mfrench's "Vactrola" RCM thread:
http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=319179

DougMac's DIY RCM on a sliding tray: (in mfrench's thread)
http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?p=3960156#post3960156

squeegy200's " ... in a single afternoon" thread:
http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=318745

DC's Victrola-based RCM thread: (that also references several previous threads)
http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=317986

Condorsat's discussion thread: (also see mfrench's Victrola pics, several posts down)
http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=309107

sanlanman's thread: (and discussion of clamps to overcome record sticking to vacuum wand)
http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=303417

ARJohn's "challenged" :))) thread:
http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=290709

chadnliz's thread with several YouTube links showing DIY RCMs:
http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=271820

ace420's "easy" DIY RCM thread:
http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=265593

sanlanman's thread with various "drive" discussions and pics:
http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=258500

see Tar Of Gor's RCM in this thread:
http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=258387

scootchu's DIY thread:
http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=254880

coop402's thread: (with an automatic fluid distributor!)
http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=252408

Tar Of Gor's RCM thread:
http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=248689

Sam Cogley's "junkyard dog" RCM thread:
http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=243721

loneraider's thread:
http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=241633

Bluespower's "Junkyard Wars RCM" thread:
http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=231097

Elcoholic's "VPI Clone" thread:
http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=222987

edd9000's "thread buffer" (ala Keith Monks/Loricraft) thread:
http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=204450

DC's first thread, with additional posts and photos from ARJohn, Similost, and Andyman:
http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=194765

Brett A's manual/vacuum system thread:
http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=192217

DENNYDOG's machine he found on CL thread:
http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=186038

Shiminok's "Record Cleaning Robot" thread:
http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=184026

Brett A's "ethical question" thread: (and some good pics from him and mhardy6647)
http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=181196

Lamont Grady's thread (with external link) and good discussion on problems using stock TT motors (not enough torque):
http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=178491

Similost's thread:
http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=177370

andres' RCM (in IKEA rack) thread:
http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=164809

onwardjames' "Ghetto" RCM thread: (update at the bottom)
http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=164625

Ronco record cleaning device: (funny?)
http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=160895

DougMac's" thread: (with an additional link to another thread with a few more pics)
http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=138687

cactuscowboy's thread:
http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=134104

Outlaw's thread:
http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=104568

macaltec's thread:
http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=81001

see Mark W.'s RCM here: (original thread in "General ... " forum)
http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=70822

OMI's very, very detailed thread: (excellent "how to" for those who need a little more direction)
http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=70082

see JimmyNeutron's automated RCM here: (more photos on his site, but it seems down)
http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=66756

Andyman's original thread:
http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=66523
 
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great idea man and great work consolidating these.

I'm still digging but can't find the thread of a guy on here that made a GEM-Dandy-alike gismo that cleaned several albums at once, he then built an RCM at home that looked really awesome.
 
Thanks DC!
I've been trying to put together an RCM myself and was having trouble searching for these threads. Thanks for taking the time to do this!
 
Here's mine.

-case is an old typewriter case
-12 amp motor from a dirt devil
-some electrical conduit
 

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An acquaintance put this together with a Target Store rolling kitchen island cart.
Its based on a VPI wand, with a wet/dry vac inside the cabinet. He also stores cleaning supplies in the drawer. Its a pretty nice cleaning station. Its a non-powered, hand-turned platter.

index.jpg

index-1.jpg
 
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Can anyone recommend a high-torque, low RPM motor that one could use to either spin a platter directly or via belt? I see several such as these (no affiliation)

http://www.virtualvillage.com/machinery-parts-motors

but I'm unsure what specs I should be looking for. It would be great to hook up a little 12V DC motor (if the torque was right) and use a wall-wart to power it. Also, if one were to use a wall-wart (or similar AC to DC converter), how would one convert the warts plug to two leads that could clip onto/attach to the motor's poles?

Unfortunately, ice-cream makers and the like don't show up at my GWs and I don't think my wife would be keen on me ripping apart our vacuum to use it's motor. Any suggestions for a motor in the $25 (or less) range, the smaller the better, would be welcome.
 
Thanks for all the hard work compiling this! I have been reading with great interest. I am following Brett a's design.
 
An acquaintance put this together with a Target Store rolling kitchen island cart.
Its based on a VPI wand, with a wet/dry vac inside the cabinet. He also stores cleaning supplies in the drawer. Its a pretty nice cleaning station. Its a non-powered, hand-turned platter.

I really like that set up. It really opens up the scope of what I was thinking of doing. And there is a lot of room on the table top if you want to expand it and add fluid feed tubes / motors. Very cool.
 
great idea man and great work consolidating these.

I'm still digging but can't find the thread of a guy on here that made a GEM-Dandy-alike gismo that cleaned several albums at once, he then built an RCM at home that looked really awesome.

If you DO find that PLEASE post it!! I use the GEM Dandy in conjunction with a Walgreens steamcleaner and a VPI for really dirty records.
 
Very cool Don. I was thinking about how I would make up the suck wand and now I have many examples to chose from.

Don: what does K8BB mean. Are you a ham?
 
Evening all, I've got a thread on my version of a thread buffer RCM I posted in the DIY forum a month or so ago. Got a nice Vacuum pump off ebay since then and It's working real nice now, just have to finish up the enclosure...

Linky
 
Hey RCM fabricators:

I am wondering if anyone has been successful using friction drive on the platter?

I have a thought to use a small gearmotor, about 60 rpm, to drive a plastic pully that has a rubber ring on it's edge, (out of an HP printer). Basically like an idler drive. My donor platter has a finished surface that the belt originally drove. It would give me about a 1:7 reduction to the platter from 60rpm=9 rpm platter speed. I even thought about using 2 motors, mounted 180 degrees apart.

Here's the gearmotors I had in mind:
http://cgi.ebay.com/1-PC-New-DC-24V...708?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item45f12f0024

They are also reversible, which simplifies things. It's amazing how few descriptions fail to include CCW or CW rotation.

Thoughts?

Thanks
 
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