Topic: Vinyl Cleaning

[nickgregory]

I am curiuos what people use for vinyl cleaning...I am not in the market for one of the cleaning machines, or homebrewed versions, but looking into other options...there appears to be a few options on needle doc, and currently I am considering the Gruv Glide kit

http://www.needledoctor.com/Gruv-Glide?sc=2&category=108

the stanton kit

http://www.needledoctor.com/Stanton-VC-1-Vinyl-Cleaner?sc=2&category=108

the d4 kit...

http://www.needledoctor.com/Discwasher-D4-Kit?sc=2&category=108

I also saw this posted on this board...and may consider this ..

http://recordrama.com/shop/nfoscomm/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=23&products_id=35

all that said, curious to hear suggestions and input...thanks in advance!

Nick

[scervin]

Was using http://discdoc.com/  cleaning solutions, but will be ordering this in the near future:

http://www.audiointelligent.com/

[capnhook]

I was moving some stuff last week out of my buddy's mom's house they were selling.........and snagged an old D-4 kit he used to use a long time ago.  Seems to work great....and reduces static, too.  Now, if I could locate my old Zerostat ion gun........................

[jeromejello]

i had been looking for a while for something easy and cheap... my local record shop had something very similar to the d4 (if not the same damn thing).  I am happy with the purchase.  it seems to work really well even dry for cleaning some of the more smudged areas.

[Kyle]

I use the Record-Rama spin cleaner (they are right down the street ) and it really does a nice job. For day to day playback, I usually give the vinyl a once-over with an anti-static cloth (for cleaning negatives) - pulls the dust right off and def reduces static  pops during playback. +T for vinyl upkeep!

[Nick's Picks]

the one that carl built is pretty sweet.
Just a platter, a vacuum and some felt I believe.

[Sloan Simpson]

the one that carl built is pretty sweet.
Just a platter, a vacuum and some felt I believe.

Mine looks way ghetto compared to what Carl did, but the DIY vacuum solution is INDISPENSIBLE IMO.  I actually ordered the lucite/felt wand that VPI uses in their actual machines for $25, spent another $25 on the smallest Shop-Vac available.  Night and day difference on used records.

[junonato]

gruv glide

[nickgregory]

I ended up finding a guy on craiglist who had a nitty gritty record doctor, new in the box, that he was given but got out of vinyl soon after and never used it.  Sold it to me for $150.  Seemed like a good price given it would have cost me in the ~$100 range to build one...

[bgalizio]

I like the nitty gritty machine. Works great! Poke around and you can probably find one locally.

[janka]

I put together a good record cleaning system for cheap. I'm just using an old turntable platter, mobile fidelity brush, a shop-vac and record doctor cleaning fluid. I modified the long narrow attachment that came with the shop-vac. Basically just cut a long slit on the bottom of the attachment and plugged the original opening with gaffers tape. I then cut a replacement pad from the MF brush and stuck it on both sides of the slit in the attachment.

My cleaning regement is as follows.
Place record on old platter, apply fluid to Mobile Fidelity brush, scrub record, spray record with distilled water, then vacuum. I then rinse the MF brush with water and vacuum that with the modified attachment. That keeps both the brush and vacuum pads nice and clean without excess wear.

Works like a champ. I then have another brush I use for quick dusting of the record before each play.

Shop-vac - $25
Mobile Fidelity Brush - $20 (replacement pads 2 for $5) http://www.elusivedisc.com/products.asp?dept=509
Old Platter Free
Cleaning fluid $35 http://www.elusivedisc.com/prodinfo.asp?number=DDMRC32
dry cleaning brush - $25 http://www.elusivedisc.com/prodinfo.asp?number=MHHEBRUSH

In hindsight I'd skip the dry cleaning brush and just get 2 Mobile Fidelity brushes for $30. Order several replacement pad sets too. They last awhile but at $5 for 2 you might as well get several at once to avoid extra shipping cost down the road.
 

[boojum]

This is how the Library of Congress does it: http://www.loc.gov/preserv/care/record.html

 

[carlbeck]

Janka's is the same exact thing as mine just not in a cabinet, for the money it is more then enough. I can't say it enough but you have to vacuum your records.

[mmadd29]

I like the nitty gritty machine. Works great! Poke around and you can probably find one locally.

http://www.tracertek.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=52

Holy Shit...look at the price.....that $150 was a great buy...

[janka]

I like the nitty gritty machine. Works great! Poke around and you can probably find one locally.

http://www.tracertek.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=52

Holy Shit...look at the price.....that $150 was a great buy...

 
They must like you, it's telling me $315.