Deep Cleaned My First Record

I have been buying plenty of records at thrift stores and yard sales. While some are in incredible shape lots are very dirty.

This morning after reading and getting supplies I sink washed my first record. I used two Auto Zone Bondo dent pullers, a pack of 24 microfiber clothes and a paint pad from Home Depot and Hello, I'm Johnny Cash.

Before I washed the record I put it on the TT, it was full of background noise so I took it off the platter and took it to the sink.

A few minutes washing, hand drying with the cloths and then an air dry and the difference was amazing. While there were still some pops on the record the noise level dropped considerably.

Next I need to rig my old TT and shop vac into a record vacuum to speed things up.

Chad

If you search here you will find amazing DIY record cleaning machines made from old turntables and other parts that are downright beautiful and utilitarian. The builders of these machines give Step-by-step instructions of how the did theirs as well. Good luck to you and have fun!

I had a similar "first" today. I vacuumed after a Dawn sink wash for the first time. The only wet vac we had was a Little Green carpet cleaning machine. I put a microfiber cloth over the end of the hose (after taking rug cleaning brush attachment off) and it worked really well. It was great watching all that moisture vanish. It was clumsy, though. I'll have to see about getting my old USB turntable set up as a site for vacuum cleaning... also get a proper wet shop vac.

If you want to build a vacuum based record cleaning machine (RCM), you can buy the arm wand from VPI that will help with actual cleaning across the record. Makes the DIY machines much easier to build

BrocLuno said:

If you want to build a vacuum based record cleaning machine (RCM), you can buy the arm wand from VPI that will help with actual cleaning across the record. Makes the DIY machines much easier to build

Click to expand...

That's what I did. An ice cream maker motor, platter and spindle from a free Pioneer turntable and my shop vac. I just made mine to where all I have to do is stick the end of my shop vac to the fitting sticking through the side.

And my $5 record clamp! :thmbsp:

Do you have any pics of how the "drive train" is hooked up/attached to the platter?

Tarl Of Gor said:

That's what I did. An ice cream maker motor, platter and spindle from a free Pioneer turntable and my shop vac. I just made mine to where all I have to do is stick the end of my shop vac to the fitting sticking through the side.

And my $5 record clamp! :thmbsp:

Click to expand...

I used gears from the inside of a spare tire lift from a Ford F150. I had to modify them slightly but it works great. It probably spins a little too fast but it works.

Great ideas. I got the parts to make a record cleaner like a Loricraft PRC3 but a VPI type seems better. Or at least that it would clean more quicker.

I might go that way.

Chad

I'm interested in the VPI wand, which part number is it?

TheDr said:

I'm interested in the VPI wand, which part number is it?

Click to expand...

This is where I got mine:

http://www.elusivedisc.com/prodinfo.asp?number=HW-3015