[earwicker7]

As I stated on a previous thread, I am totally enjoying cleaning my records. It's very relaxing; as one member aptly noted, it's very Mr. Miyagi-esque... "Wax on, wax off."

Anyways, I wanted to start a thread for people who are into record cleaning to share their techniques, tips, etc.

As to myself, I decided to ditch the VPI 16.5 (will be on sale soon) and order a Loricraft PRC4-Deluxe. For anyone who loves gadgets, you should really check out this company's stuff--
http://www.smartdev.com/loricraft.html
I was so impressed by the technology that I ordered one of their units. It's supposed to be here in a week or so; of course I'll post a review once I've had some time with it.

Also, one of the webpages they link to has an incredibly detailed method for cleaning records that brought up techniques I had never considered--
http://www.smartdev.com/Cleaning-tutorial.html

 

[bigshot]

I would like to invite anyone who enjoys record cleaning to spend a few months at the warehouse space where I keep my collection!

See ya
Steve

 

[earwicker7]

Quote:

Originally Posted by bigshot /img/forum/go_quote.gif I would like to invite anyone who enjoys record cleaning to spend a few months at the warehouse space where I keep my collection! See ya Steve

A lot of places will deep clean your records for a small fee... I've considered doing this to recoup the substantial cost of the Loricraft. So if you have a few records that are super special to you that you need cleaned, I could probably be convinced to do it for a really cheap price.

 

[bigshot]

How much for 15,000 records?

See ya
Steve

 

[earwicker7]

Quote:

Originally Posted by bigshot /img/forum/go_quote.gif How much for 15,000 records? See ya Steve

Well, I can probably do 5 or 6 an hour, so... a new Ferrari should suffice

.

 

[fraseyboy]

We have a BIG selection of records, but I dont like to listen to them because of the crackles and pops. I think this happens because it needs to be cleaned. So I bought a Parastat cleaning kit. Hopefully when it arrives vinyl will become listenable again.

 

[bigshot]

Crackles and pops are most likely damage to the record, and no amount of cleaning is going to correct it.

See ya
Steve

 

[earwicker7]

Quote:

Originally Posted by bigshot /img/forum/go_quote.gif Crackles and pops are most likely damage to the record, and no amount of cleaning is going to correct it. See ya Steve

Not necessarily...

What is your cleaning routine? Are you using a wet cleaner? I'd hope that with the umpteen thousands of records (which I happen to be extremely jealous of) you spent a few hundred bucks on a record cleaner

 

[bigshot]

I use white vinegar and distilled water. Sponges and soft terrycloth. It works great.

See ya
Steve

 

[fraseyboy]

No way are our records damaged. They have been kept in the absolute BEST way possible. They're treated like babies. Only thing is, they've never been cleaned before O_O

I had a hard time convincing mum that we needed something to clean them. She wonders why I am wanting to get into Vinyl since she says that when CD's were brought in, everyone was all 'wow' about the sound quality. She says vinyl always has pops. Its just what it does.

 

[memepool]

Quote:

Originally Posted by bigshot /img/forum/go_quote.gif Crackles and pops are most likely damage to the record, and no amount of cleaning is going to correct it.

A proper vacumm cleaning system will make any record much quieter than simple manual cleaning can accomplish. There is no need to spend huge amounts of money on a professional machine like the Lorricraft / Keith Monks although these are of course excellent.

KABUSA sell a barebones version of the Nitty Gritty system without a motor or vacuum cleaner which you simply attach a domestic cleaner hose to. This only costs about 100USD.

 

[riffer]

I have a Nitty Gritty Mini Pro 2 that I picked up cheap on ebay. I had to seal some leaks and put on new brushes, but it works well.

I am slowly cleaning and playing my LP's. I probably only have about 500, but everytime I go into the basement, I seem to find more. Then there are the new ones I buy. I use the Disc Doctor Quick Wash. I used to use the manual brushes, but too much of a hassle.

BTW, on my system, I rarely get noise or clicks/pops unless there is an actual scratch on the LP. Sometimes the vinyl is just bad, like the Iron Maiden picture discs I picked up last year. Very noisy.

 

[Bluetick]

Yep, ditto on the domestic vacuum cleaner rig. I have a little shop vac dedicted to this function. I get it wet, then the shop vac/brush sucks the living crap out of it. It works well for serious sessions, but for everyday cleaning- my little Hunt brush and hand cleaning works well enough.

To anyone that assumes vinyl is noisy by design- you are only partially right. The stylus collects junk from the air as it plays. If you doubt this- clean the stylus and record best you can. Play the record, then closely examine the stylus. I bet it attracted lint and dust from the air during playback. Some of that junk gets trampled under the tip and makes for a nice little pop. Solution? Put the dustcover on during playback. Some people always do- some people never do. You might be surprised how well this simple task works.

 

[johnsonad]

Oh I would like one of those! It looks like fun! I go down to the local shop and use their 17.5. They charge a few cents per record but I don't have to maintain it. My collection is small but will continue to grow. Thanks for the links and I look forward to following this odd thread

 

[earwicker7]

Quote:

Originally Posted by bigshot /img/forum/go_quote.gif I use white vinegar and distilled water. Sponges and soft terrycloth. It works great. See ya Steve

Please, please, please sell 100 of your least favorite albums and buy a used wet machine. I'm frankly stunned that someone with a vast collection of records uses a rag to keep them clean