Can paper towels be used to clean? I've noticed the cloth I use makes static electricity that just causes more lint to be caught. I live in a very technologically "closed-minded" place that doesn't remember vinyl so I have no way of buying these supplies given (brushes, cleaners etc.) Any suggestions on places online to purchase these things or any places near the Chattanooga area on the chance that someone here actually lives near there? amusicdirect.com was given so more would be much appreciated.

Don't use paper towels. They aren't terribly soft and will also deposit fibers in the grooves.

Go to Jerry Raskin's Needle Doctor online at http://www.needledoctor.com and look there. This is a fantastic shop out of Minneapolis with a friendly, knowledgable staff. Plus, they carry everything!

Good luck....

I have the Allsop Orbitrac 2. It's obviously no VPI, and I know I'm an idiot for not owning one yet, but I haven't been able to lay down the cash. I think this orbitrac thing works pretty well though, especially for the price. It's a lot quicker than the cloth/cleaning solution method too (which I've done plenty of). I recommend this thing if you don't have the $500-$1000 to buy a good cleaning machine.

I was on another forum, discussing various cleaning methods, and it was brought up that some folks found that applying wood-glue (or carpenter's glue) to both sides of a records and peeling it off after it dried worked remarkably well at restore a filthy record to it's best condition possible.

So I tried it myself.

While it really uses up a lot of wood-glue, it actually is really effective. Maybe a last resort for that forty-year-old mono Pink Floyd LP that needs more cleaning than a vacuum-powered LP cleaner can provide.

WHAT YOU NEED TO DO THIS "EXPERIMENT":
1 LP of with no sentimental value
1 or 2 circular coasters (not beer-soaked) from the nearby tavern
"magic" or "invisible" tape (glossy kind)
wood-glue of carpenter's glue
cheap rubber spatula
possibly a razor blade

WHAT YOU DO:

1. Using three or four small pieces of TAPE, affix COASTER over the printed center label on the side of the record you are to clean. This will keep it from getting damaged. Be sure tape does not extend into the lead-out grooves.

2. On same side of record, affix four 1" pieces of TAPE in the following positions (as if the face of the LP were numbered like the face of a clock): 12 o'clock, 3 o'clock, 6 o'clock, 9 o'clock. Be careful that tape is only adhered to the small portion of vinyl OUTSIDE the lead-in groove. Tape adhesive residue is tacky and the last thing you want to gunk up your stylus. These pieces of tape should hang off the lip of the LP.

3. LIBERALLY apply whatever GLUE you purchased in a dozen concentric rings on the grooved face of the LP. SPREAD the glue into an even, consistent layer with the RUBBER SPATULA. Be efficient, as you should have as even a coat as possible, making sure to finish the spreading before the glue starts to dry up. Note that the layer of glue should extend so far outward as to cover affixed portions of the four pieces of tape. This makes later steps more effective.

4. Let GLUE dry for 24 hours. In the meanwhile, learn to identify the common birds in your environs.

5. Using the 12 o'clock, 3 o'clock, 6 o'clock, 9 o'clock pieces of TAPE as tabs, REMOVE the solid, semi-opaque layer of GLUE by gently pulling up on a chosen piece of TAPE, carefully lifting off as much of the hardened GLUE film as possible before moving on to the next piece of TAPE for more of the same.

If you succeed in removing all the glue at first crack, you live a charmed existence, my friend. If you don't succeed...

6. Look for half-removed scabs of GLUE film. GENTLY flex the record so as to better expose a lip of the scab's partially-removed edge. CAREFULLY use RAZOR BLADE for precision scab removal. You will find this not so difficult.

7. Any still-adhered bits of GLUE will want to pop-up and partially remove themselves if you apply some flex to the record at the point their contact. When they finally do lift off a little, do as you did in Step 6.
NOTE: Be mindful as to the flexibility of your vinyl; certain heavy-gauge pressings and other synthetic materials are more brittle and prone to snapping. For this reason, SHELLACS, ACETATES, 78s AND RIGID, HEAVY-GAUGE RECORDS SHOULD NOT BE USED FOR IN THIS METHOD!

8. Carefully REMOVE COASTER. Also, make sure you've removed all bits and traces of glue.

Now, go ahead, give it a listen... sounds almost brand-new, right? Okay: Repeat steps 1-7 for the other side of record.

END

A spinning record has a lot of torque, and the couple grams of weight the mass of your tonearm is exerting on the fine point where your stylus meets the groove adds up to pressure and heat. This is how whatever grime is in the groove gets baked into it. However, a blunted/chipped stylus will also irreparably damage your vinyl, so be kind to your stylus too.

The idea here is that the glue bonds with any & all gunk stuck inside the grooves of your record that hasn't been baked in by being played over. Like the strips of wax removed from the fanny of many a fine lassie, the level of detail in the groove impression on the glue you remove is suprising.

steve wrote:Use warm water with a wetting agent (a drop of dish detergent or Kodak Photo Flow in a liter of water). Use soft cloth wet with solution, then a dry soft cloth (lint-free) to dry. Holding the record in one hand by the label, wash one side, then dry that side, then wash the other.

You can also get one of the VPI motorized vacuum record washers, which are really badass. I have one and I really love it.

Doesn't dish-washing liquid have a high acid content? Wouldn't this damage the vinyl?

Or is my information incorrect...

Get a ph strip from a restaurant or something.
Fuck it, I'll do it tomorrow.

Will let you know.

enframed wrote:Is there a really noticeable difference in sound between using a machine and using fluid and a brush? On new records? Used?Yes. I got a Nitty Gritty a couple years back and the difference was significant, albeit as one would expect much more noticeable on older used records than on new records. The machine rescued a few records that I thought were dirtied beyond being playable when I was cleaning them with a brush.

Brinkman wrote:I was on another forum, discussing various cleaning methods, and it was brought up that some folks found that applying wood-glue (or carpenter's glue) to both sides of a records and peeling it off after it dried worked remarkably well at restore a filthy record to it's best condition possible.So I tried it myself.While it really uses up a lot of wood-glue, it actually is really effective. Maybe a last resort for that forty-year-old mono Pink Floyd LP that needs more cleaning than a vacuum-powered LP cleaner can provide.WHAT YOU NEED TO DO THIS "EXPERIMENT":1 LP of with no sentimental value 1 or 2 circular coasters (not beer-soaked) from the nearby tavern"magic" or "invisible" tape (glossy kind)wood-glue of carpenter's glue cheap rubber spatulapossibly a razor bladeWHAT YOU DO:1. Using three or four small pieces of TAPE, affix COASTER over the printed center label on the side of the record you are to clean. This will keep it from getting damaged. Be sure tape does not extend into the lead-out grooves.2. On same side of record, affix four 1" pieces of TAPE in the following positions (as if the face of the LP were numbered like the face of a clock): 12 o'clock, 3 o'clock, 6 o'clock, 9 o'clock. Be careful that tape is only adhered to the small portion of vinyl OUTSIDE the lead-in groove. Tape adhesive residue is tacky and the last thing you want to gunk up your stylus. These pieces of tape should hang off the lip of the LP. 3. LIBERALLY apply whatever GLUE you purchased in a dozen concentric rings on the grooved face of the LP. SPREAD the glue into an even, consistent layer with the RUBBER SPATULA. Be efficient, as you should have as even a coat as possible, making sure to finish the spreading before the glue starts to dry up. Note that the layer of glue should extend so far outward as to cover affixed portions of the four pieces of tape. This makes later steps more effective.4. Let GLUE dry for 24 hours. In the meanwhile, learn to identify the common birds in your environs.5. Using the 12 o'clock, 3 o'clock, 6 o'clock, 9 o'clock pieces of TAPE as tabs, REMOVE the solid, semi-opaque layer of GLUE by gently pulling up on a chosen piece of TAPE, carefully lifting off as much of the hardened GLUE film as possible before moving on to the next piece of TAPE for more of the same.If you succeed in removing all the glue at first crack, you live a charmed existence, my friend. If you don't succeed...6. Look for half-removed scabs of GLUE film. GENTLY flex the record so as to better expose a lip of the scab's partially-removed edge. CAREFULLY use RAZOR BLADE for precision scab removal. You will find this not so difficult. 7. Any still-adhered bits of GLUE will want to pop-up and partially remove themselves if you apply some flex to the record at the point their contact. When they finally do lift off a little, do as you did in Step 6.NOTE: Be mindful as to the flexibility of your vinyl; certain heavy-gauge pressings and other synthetic materials are more brittle and prone to snapping. For this reason, SHELLACS, ACETATES, 78s AND RIGID, HEAVY-GAUGE RECORDS SHOULD NOT BE USED FOR IN THIS METHOD!8. Carefully REMOVE COASTER. Also, make sure you've removed all bits and traces of glue. Now, go ahead, give it a listen... sounds almost brand-new, right? Okay: Repeat steps 1-7 for the other side of record.ENDA spinning record has a lot of torque, and the couple grams of weight the mass of your tonearm is exerting on the fine point where your stylus meets the groove adds up to pressure and heat. This is how whatever grime is in the groove gets baked into it. However, a blunted/chipped stylus will also irreparably damage your vinyl, so be kind to your stylus too.The idea here is that the glue bonds with any & all gunk stuck inside the grooves of your record that hasn't been baked in by being played over. Like the strips of wax removed from the fanny of many a fine lassie, the level of detail in the groove impression on the glue you remove is suprising.http://lifehacker.com/5495614/use-wood- ... e=true&s=i

Thanks.

Is there a really noticeable difference in sound between using a machine and using fluid and a brush? On new records? Used?