• The move to the new server is done. There are some software and database maintenance updates in process. This has us passing the hat around to help out. We appreciate any donations. Seriously, even a dollar helps. The payment page may be found here - https://www.audiokarma.org/support.html

Record cleaning machine

motorstereo

motorstereo

AK Subscriber
Subscriber
Ok after reading all these posts about how wonderful these machines are I finally ordered one from kabusa. They're on back order right now so I won't be getting it for another week or so. It has the self contained vacuum and adjustable vacuum nozzle. Most of my records come from flea markets and yard sales. Some of them are downright dirty and also don't smell all that pleasant either. Any comments or suggestions for the use of my new cleaning machine? I'm quite cheap and I thought about this purchase for while. I have high hopes for this machine and sure hope I'm not dissapointed. Thanks
 
Register to hide this ad
motor,

good luck with the rcm. it's amazing what a difference a really clean disc can make to the level of sound quality you hear. i bet the $ spent will be worth the enjoyment you will experience. :yes:
 
A suggestion when you get hta new machine pickup some junk albums to learn how to do the cleaning process on first before you try out your best vinyl on it. I have actually been picking up some .25 cent excersize and christmas albums so I have something to practice on when the machine I am building is done. Hopefully by Saturday evening.
 
this seems obvious, but, you'll wanna have new paper sleeves from bagsunlimited for te newly cleaned records. and keep them in a plastic envelope along with the cardboard album cover....
 
As for the cleaning agent, I use 4 liters of distilled water to 1 liter Isopropilic alcohol and a few drops of dish washing detergent. Works pretty well.
Jorge
 
Thanks for the hints guys. I guess I'll be looking for some "exercise" or streisand albums at the local fleas to "practice" on. I also had thought about getting newer sleeves as mine look and smell a bit dated and now it appears I have a good reason to do so. I found that purchase is very low on the waf scale. Almost had to cry real tears and stomp my feet but the end result is it's on it's way. I hope it makes a noticable improvement to my record collection to move up the waf scale a few rungs.
 
Motor: Follow directions with your RCM. It won't fix scratches nor heavily mildewed records. If it's junk to start with it'll just be clean junk after you clean it.

John
 
I guess I'm hoping for to much out of a rcm to clean up some of my heavily soiled records. I look at the junk that I pick up using just a disc doctor and I wondered how much more I'm leaving behind to cause irrepairable damage to my needle and to the old record. If a favorite record is to scratched up usually I toss it and look for a better quality replacement. At least I'll have peace of mind knowing I've done all I can short of not playing the records to keep them in as good a condition as I possibly can. Jeez just 6 or 8 months ago I didn't own one single record or a tt either. Guess I've been bitten by the dreaded "vinyl bug."
 
Gently wash your mildewed record in the sink first, I've gone as far as using peroxide and a very soft brush (a horse face brush availible in tack shops), then use your rcm to clean off any residue from tap water/soap/what have you. The covers can be left out in direct sunlight to kill off the mildew stink. Some covers can be swabbed with alcohol, some smear. Get rid of the liners. Other sorces than listed above are sleevetown and squaredealsonline.
I bought a lot of stinky mildewed disks off a popular auction site and have gotten quite a few of back to playable.
 
Holst said:
Gently wash your mildewed record in the sink first, . . .
Click to expand...

Buy a Watts (Cecil B.) RWB (record wash brush) off of ebay, or a Parastat, which contains one also. You can ditch the felt lips from the Parastat, unless you have a Parostatik to wrap them around (I do!).

These are available from time to time on ebay. Never too expensive. And the brush is very similar (sorry, Harry!) to that supplied with the VPI 16.5 cleaner.
 
I built my record cleaning machine a while back and find it an invaluable tool for keeping my records clean. It's a fully automatic machine - meaning it will rotate the record, dispense fluid, scrub the record, then vacuum dry the record. It's awesome. I have since made a small change: I made the scrubbing arm into a replaceable arm. The arm is still there, but I have about 5 other tubes with different types of scrubbers that I can slide and lock over the arm to give me different degrees of cleaning. Very mildewed records? I use a thicker brush. Daily cleaning? I slide in a softer camel's hair brush. The motor I use is a very strong ice cream motor so I don't have a problem with the unit bogging down if I'm scrubbing deep. A homebrew mix of 75% distilled water/25% iso alcohal/1 drop dawn is all that is really needed to deep clean your records and leave no residue.

I have the whole build process on my website but it is temporarily down for maintenance. It should be back mid next week.

dsc063227ao.jpg


dsc061620cr.jpg
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom