[chadbang]

Goofing around on the web, I came across a few references to a record cleaning device that was manufactured about a decade ago in Japan - the Nagaoka Rolling Record Cleaner. The company also used to manufacture quality record sleeves. According to some, it worked quite well at cleaning up dirty records. It used a stick rubber substance to roll up dust and could be washed to regain its adhesive properties. Sounded cool.

Then a bell rang in my head. "Wall Walkers" Anybody remember that fad? Those sticky spider-like things you tossed against the wall and they walked down slowly. When they got dirty, you could wash them again to make them sticky. I figured the Nagaoka Rolling Record Cleaner probably used the same material. My interest peaked, I did an Ebay search and found this auction:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...&category=3283


$96 dollars! I couldn't believe it. I hate to say it but... suckers! Of course, if it really was a miracle product, it might be worth it. But then I though, "Hm, where can I find miracle products today? Of course! On TV!"

http://www.storesdot.com/magic_lint_remover.htm

Well, it may not be made by a Japanese audiophile company but I'm sure this lint roller uses exactly the same sticky material as the Nagaoka. I'm overseas right now, so I couldn't get a US version, but a quick look at the local department store turned up an identical product made by Coronet in Germany. I bought one for five bucks! And, yes, it is that fabled "Wall walker" sticky stuff. I haven't tried mine out yet, but I can't wait.

So, if anyone's looking for a legendary audiophile cleaning product, just pick up your phone and call now! Operators are waiting!

Cheers.

 

[pikawel]

Damn hilarious (and ingenious)!!

 

[xtreme4099]

audiophile grade heh ....

 

[Oliver :)]

Quote:

Originally posted by xtreme4099 audiophile grade heh ....

No way, to make it audiophile grade, you have to:

1) get one with a black sticky surface so you so see each speck
2) mount a blacklight to make the dust on the record light up.
3) add an ionic air cleaner on the other end in order to suck away dust falling in direction of the record that could spoil your efforts.
4) hold it exactly at 45° for 45rpm.
5) cleaning: use filtered water only for acceptable, S. Pellegrino for high-end results.
6) the handle has to be made of carbon-steel, and the roller has to use a ball-bearing.

I think chadbang is really up to something here, I will def. get one of those thingies today. I hate the dust-sweeping, and the rare record I play does not (really really does not) justify wet cleaning measures. I have no idea which record I will abuse to test this though... although... that sticky stuff really leaves no residue, as far as I remember.

 

[chadbang]

I goofed around with my sticky cleaner last night. Well, it works! I don't think you're going to get the deep cleaning effect of a wash, but it will grab surface dirt and it seems to even do light fingerprints!

WORD OF WARNING: You don't know how long the cleaner has been sitting on a shelf and the first cleaning WILL leave some slightly oily residue. Luckily I anticipated this and first tried it on a piece of expendible vinyl and it left a slight film (although I was later able to wash this film off with water and record detergent formula - basically dish soap). So make sure your roll the roller a couple times across a primary surface to get rid of the oil/water that the surface of the cleaner has accumulated in storage. (I don't know what keeps the rubber/poly-elastomer moist. I don't think it's really oil). It doesn't have to be record, I used a clean magazine cover to complete my intial cleaning of the roller once I saw the film. This intial residue comes off fast and easily from the roller - after than NO FILM!

So if you have dust problems, I say give it a try. Seems to work fine. Like I say, it's not going to replace a Nitty Gritty record cleaner or even a good scrub in the sink, but it's at least as effect as a Discwasher brush, and possibly more so. If you don't want to spring for the big boy, there's also a pocket-sized version of this lint-remover than you can buy in quantity on the web for a buck! Hm, anyone want to launch an new audiophile product?

 

[Wilson M.]

Watch out with washing records with water and dish soap. Are you using filtered water at least? There's usually too much crap in tap water that will leave deposits in the grooves. Some dish soap will also leave chemical deposits. A very dilute isopropanol or a n-propanol solution is typically a better choice.

Yeah, those lint rollers are very similar to the Nagaoka. I had one of those a long time ago. I also have the old Nagaoka anti-stat "wand". It's hilarious because it looks like a taser minus the wire.

EDIT: distilled or triple-distilled water is ideal for rinsing and making up the solutions.

 

[chadbang]

You're right about the water. I better use purified water. The water here in Bangkok has a lot of minerals. I bought some special "soap" from the local audiophile shop. It seems excellent, washes off very clear. Possibly has a dose of Kodak Photoflo.

Don't feel bad. I had a D-Stat wand, myself. I think I was made by Discwasher. I think we've all bought some dud products. I'm even guilty of owning the Ronco Reco-Vac! You put the record standing up in the device and it spun the record, supposed vaccuming it (dry) while little brushes did their work. A totally useless device.

You'd have better a result just blowing on the record!

Of course this is a debate-free zone. But I also bought the Stop-light green CD pen. They guys at stereophile found it useful. I don't think I noticed a damn thing. But maybe I didn't have the equipment back then.

 

[Wilson M.]

Filtered water is the least I would use (Brita or Pur) and distilled water is ideal.

There are quite a few pretty decent record cleaning solutions. When I think of "soap", I don't think cleaning records.

I wasn't complaining about my Nagaoka anti-stat wand. I just was saying that it looks funny.

Kind of silly how this forum is debate free when it's the one area in audio that people debate about all the time. But I can see why because debate usually turns into flames about these items.

 

[TravelLite]

Quote:

Originally posted by chadbang Of course this is a debate-free zone.

I think "DBT-Free Forum" refers to Double-Blind Testing. "Debate" is probably OK though, LOL.

TravelLite