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hobbyists's
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© Rudolf A. Bruil - Page first published on the www on November 3rd, 1999
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hobbyists's
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© Rudolf A. Bruil - Page first published on the www on November 3rd, 1999
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My Keith Monks Record
Cleaning Machine has cleaned over 20.000 records.
That is more than 40.000 sides. Not counting the many thousands
of records the previous owner must have cleaned with this machine.
As a hobbyist and collector
I offer to clean records to other collectors.
If you are new to the game, or your record collection is growing, you better invest in a Keith Monks or a Loricraft first and then start saving for the esoteric cartridge and phono cables. I
have also overheard talk (and have read comments) of collectors who
think that cleaning a record for longer than two turns is a waist of
time. Do they have to catch a train?
The Keith
Monks Record Cleaning Machine is one of the world's best devices
for cleaning records and keeping them in excellent condition.
Recently a complete set of Haydn Trios (completely new) was offered to a friend and we discovered that the sound was not as clear as on the Philips set I own. After cleaning the records thoroughly, the piano had its defined sound and the string instruments now sounded harmonious and refined. My tip: Never buy a sealed Lp (record in a sealed cover). "Factory sealed" does not necessarily mean "impeccable". There is no guarantee the disc is MINT. You may come home and open the blister and be surprised: thin vinyl, small scuffs, badly pressed vinyl, etc. And what will the seller answer when you tell him that the record you bought from him was not OK? When I am in a shop and see a sealed record, I ask the attendant or shop owner to remove the plastic so we can check the surfaces together, or I just open the plastic myself so I can check the surfaces myself.
The cleaning
liquid should have optimal proportions of distilled water, industrial
alcohol and the exact number of drops of an industrial detergent or
a very good (pure) washing detergent. (NOTE: For cleaning
78 RPM shellac records never use alcohol but just distilled water. Go
to the specialist's web sites)
Playing a completely clean groove will even out very tiny holes in the vinyl as the needle tip reaches a high temperature (900 to 1200 degrees Celsius) and that for a very short time when riding the groove. And that is an effect which is appreciated by many vinyl lovers. It goes without saying that the needle tip should be clean and dry as well. You can use the same cleaning formula. Apply it with a soft brush first and than clean the actual diamond tip with the special LAST brush. Furthermore
the grease (or whatever additive is used by manufacturers of special
liquids) smoothes out the information in the mid band and the mid-high
register as if the tiny diamond tip is skipping some information. The
effect is that the attack and the transient response are somewhat hampered.
You can
play a record immediately after a wash. However it is better to wait
some time (an hour) before playing the record. After a day the record
will sound even better. It is important that the vinyl is completely
dry. The molecular water drops should have evaporated completely. The
vinyl should regain its hard structure.
Keith
Monks's ingenious machine cleans the record by applying the cleaning
liquid via brushes on the record which is spinning at about 80 RPM.
Dirt and grease will gradually be solved and will float in the liquid.
In order not to damage the record a thread acts as a buffer between the record's surface and the white teflon nozzle at the end of the arm. The drawing shows its functioning. The unwinding nylon thread from below is guided through a thin copper tube to the end of the arm. There it is inserted into the white teflon nozzle. Together with the dirty cleaning liquid, the thread ois transported by the suction of the pump and lands in the jar with discarded cleaning liquid. The suction arm is driven by a belt and moves slowly, starting at the label and moving towards the periphery of the record.
As with all equipment the effectiveness depends on its functioning. Therefore technical insight in its functioning, cleaning the brushes once in a while, emptying the containers in time, and finally mixing the best ingredients to obtain an effective cleaning liquid, these are all essential for the machine to deliver the best performance and give the best sonic results. I have a lot of experience regarding the cleaning of records. Do not hesitate to send me an e-mail if you want advice. There are many record cleaning machines on the market. The Loricraft cleaning machine works along the same principle as the Keith Monks and is very effective and also less expensive than the Keith Monks. The VPI and Clearaudio have similarities and do work very well. They do not have a suction arm which moves from label to periphery, but have a long pipe with a slot which is put over the record and sucks the liquid and dirt in just in one or two turns of the record. The Nitty Gritty machines follow the same principle. Zenn Audio in Singapore proposes a fast centrifugal cleaning machine (without dry suction via a vacuum pump). Recently a small machine is available on the market. It is the Cadence Okki Nokki. The platter, motor and pump seem to be sturdy and well working, though the pump is loud, but check carefully if you like the suction arm which has some rough felt around the mouth and could damage your vinyl. In my view that part should be improved and be made safer for your records.
The simplest DIY Cleaning Machine consists of a sturdy record player (Lenco or Goldring) that can play at high speed (78 to 80 RPM), a nylon brush, a carefully constructed mouth piece with soft lining, a glass jar with screwable lid, plastic transparent tube, and an old vacuum cleaner or other effective pump. See to it that the hoses (tubes) are not too wide but have a reduced capacity so that the liquid does not enter the vacuum cleaner. Brushing at high speed and vacuuming at a low, convenient speed. This is a simple way to clean records by hand and rinse them under the tap. Take care that the labels do not get soaked and damaged. This method is generally not advised as it leaves minerals and chemicals in the groove. However, it can be a first step when you need to clean records which are covered by colonies of mold (mould).
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Do
You Own a Record Cleaning Machine and
Want to Improve its Functioning? |
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Make
Your Own Cleaning Liquid.
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Here is the formula which I used for several years:
The alcohol
should be of the industrial kind without any additive. This alcohol
is cheaper than the medicinal type bought in the pharmacy which contains
a small percentage of fat and is called 'spiritus ketonatus fortior'.
Let yourself be advised by experts from the art supply shop or the paint
shop. Take care because the isopropyl is very poisonous; you need ventilation. Use
a large plastic container that is big enough to hold 4 to 5 liter.
First put in the contents of two bottles (2 liters) of distilled water
and add the drops of detergent. Shake very well. Than add 1 liter of
the alcohol and if you wish a little bit of the isopropyl alcohol. And
again shake very, very well. By shaking the container, the liquids will
mix well and the detergent will foam. After you have stopped shaking
the foam will go away after about 5 to 10 seconds. If it goes away immediately
you probably have not added enough detergent. You will notice this when
you put the liquid on the spinning record on the cleaning machine: the
liquid does not spread evenly. So, add a few more drops more and shake
again. But be careful not to put too much detergent. Many years
ago a knowledgeable analog friend from Germany gave me a small bottle
of betain. It says "Betain Z" on the label and it is from Spinnrad.
Betain is a form of hydrochloride acid substance and makes the cleaning
formula foam as described above and acts as a surface tension releaser.
16 to 20 drops for 3 liters of liquid (2x distilled water 1x ethanol)
will be enough.
What is important however if you play records wet, it is necessary to dry the record before putting it back into the sleeve and cover. It is better to clean the record after wet play. So that is where your vacuum cleaning machine comes in handy. Playing wet is quite a hassle. Playing records using a special liquid like Lenco Clean (cleaning solution) is even more complicated and because of the viscosity of the liquid will impair the transient in the signal. There will be a reduced attack in the the drum, the cymbal, the piano and other percussion instruments. I strongly advise against the use of Lenco Clean or similar product. There are other solutions to arrive at a reduced noise floor and a more controlled signal. Try a Record Stabilizer Weight or a Stabilizing Ring.
 Do
not believe the so called expert who advises you to use a window or glass
cleaner, or a bathtub product to remove dirt from the record's surface.
Never use these products. Also do not use solvents, thinners, etc. for
removing paint, glue or whatever is sticking to the vinyl. There are only a few liquids that you can safely use: industrial alcohol, methylated spirit and turpentine. Especially turpentine is useful for removing stickers (if you do not use a commercial sticker remover from the chemist's), and for dissolving and removing glue or a drop of paint stuck to the precious record. What to do? Go to the art supply shop and buy a brush. I use the Royal Talens 6 - 350. It is a relatively soft brush, but the hairs are sturdy enough to rub against any glue or drop of paint, or whatever is on the vinyl and needs to be dissolved and removed. For removing stickers: dip the brush in turpentine, press the hairs against the bottle's opening to remove excess liquid and wet the sticker on the record cover with the brush. Leave it for several minutes. Then you can try to pull at a corner of the sticker and see if it detaches. If not, apply some turpentine again and let the sticker soak. It may be necessary to use just a little bit of force. But be careful! If the sticker can be taken off, the cover will show some residue. Just brush that spot once more and then use a paper tissue to wipe off the rest of the turpentine, sticker and glue. If a stickers is put over another sticker, you will have to repeat the procedure for each sticker. There are stickers that do not soak up the turpentine because the surface is not porous, as is the case with "golden" stickers. These cannot be removed with any liquid and need some warm air from a hair dryer or should be held carefully over an open fire (stove). If it does not work, leave the sticker on. Also be careful if you want to use turpentine on very old printed cardboard/Kraft covers, because it may dissolve and smear the old printing ink. Turpentine can be safely used on laminated covers and actually most modern covers. If some of the turpentine is soaked up by the Kraft, cardboard or paper, just leave it, it will eventually vaporize. Turntable can of course be used on vinyl also. It is however greasy and you should clean the record very thoroughly again after serpentine has been applied. I recently acquired a few first pressings of a vintage label. They had been advertised as being un played and unopened. However three of the five albums had been opened and glue of the sticker was smeared on the vinyl over a wide area. There turpentine possibly could help. I soaked the brush in the turpentine and gently moved the brush over the large spot and let it soak. After a while I moved the brush again over the area, always parallel to the groove, waited again and repeated the action. The glue was dissolving gradually and nicely, and I could wipe it off with a tissue. After that of course I applied turpentine once again. All residue had to be dissolved and removed. This has to be done carefully and with patience. But the reward can be that the record surface will be neat and the groove can be played again, only of course after a few cleanings on the machine. Another
disc had a sort of debris in circles stuck to a wide area. I was not
sure whether this could be removed or if it was not vinyl grain and
the groove was really damaged by playing it with a worn needle. The
only way to be sure was to apply turpentine with the brush. Again I
moved the brush in circles. Very gently. Than waited some time and with
the brush I could take off the residue of the pressing which was made
50 years ago. And finally I could use the tissue to soak up the rest
of the turpentine. After that the disc needed two cleanings on the machine.
Surfaces of the other discs were also showing some residue -they were
first pressings that never had been played- and before cleaning the
record on the machine it was the turpentine that helped. NOTE: Always remember: Before cleaning a record on the cleaning machine, in the basin, or by hand, do always clean the record with a carbon fiber brush and if necessary with a soft velvet record brush before wetting and/or spinning the record. Get rid of all the dust and debris without applying force. And if this advice and these methods are new to you and you want to be sure that they work, try it first on an 'old' record. Once you have learned what you can and what you cannot do, you can start treating your precious discs.
 If
there are stickers on the record label, I would advise you to leave them
there and not to manipulate them, because the situation only can get worse.
But if you insist...Removing stickers can be done by using a special sticker remover, a solution which can be found in the drugstore or a specialized shop with office or art materials. You better try the effectiveness of this liquid on a dispensable record/record cover. Sometimes a label is easily damaged. Apply the liquid and let the sticker soak for some time. Then carefully try to lift the sticker at a corner. If it is not detachable, do apply some more liquid and take more time. You can
combine this method with the use of a hairdryer. Place a high cardboard
roll (the basis of a wide packaging tape) on the label, around the sticker.
Do not position the roll over the dead wax or over the groove. Now hold
the hairdryer over/in the opening of the roll and blow hot air for a
few seconds inside the roll. Check if the sticker can be lifted at the
edge. Do this carefully. Then blow again for 5 seconds. Try to remove
the sticker a bit more. Etc. You probably can also try the hairdryer
method without the use of the sticker remover solution if it damages
the color of the label. But that can be a dangerous affair.
Only in a few cases the record groove can be damaged. That is the case when a record (typically a dj single) has been played extensively with a bad needle. Cleaning the record can deteriorate the groove a bit further which in effect was already damaged. Also if the vinyl was not heated during the pressing procedure, the groove can be rough and is not poshed enough. The cleaning can have a more or less negative effect. It is also possible that low grade vinyl has been used. These cases are very rare though. There is
much turbulence going on when a stylus follows the groove. A record
can collect small particles of dust and gets dirty. Before playing a
record it needs to be wiped gently with a soft velvet brush or one of
these special carbon fiber brushes. Naturally these are only effective
if the record's surface is relatively clean. If the record is not brushed,
the dust will stay on the record and will be pressed into the groove
by the high temperature the stylus tip generates when riding the walls. The only
remedy for all the inconveniences is cleaning the record with cleaning
solutions that are safe. The cleaning solutions advised on this page
will help you to restore the quality of many a new and old record. Only in extremely rare cases a groove can be damaged by the cleaning process. The cause is not the cleaning machine with its brushes, it is not the cleaning solution, the high speed or whatever aspect of the technique of the machine. The cause is the vinyl itself, or to be more precise the time and temperature applied during the pressing of the vinyl. If the vinyl pancake is not heated enough and not heated during a sufficient time, the vinyl will not flow and attain its glossy surface. Especially when pressing 180 gr. vinyl records it can be possible that the vinyl is still somewhat raw so to speak. In very rare cases it is possible that by cleaning such a record with nylon brushes the surface suffers from the action. Do not blame this effect on the machine if you have maintained clean brushes and do use the cleaning solution which has proven to be effective and safe.
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This cleaning
formula works also very well when using the DISCO ANTISTAT (Knosti)
device, as friends and collectors have told me, and some have shown
me. If you find the right balance of the ingredients you will notice
that there will be hardly any residue, hence not much dirt does accumulate
on the needle tip when first playing a record cleaned with this ingenious
device. Do not think that by a few turns the record groove is well cleaned. As on a Keith Monks the record turns for about a minute, you should turn the record in the Disco Antistat quite for some time. Here again your experience will tell you if the wash is too short or is effective. Since isopropyl can cause leakage of the vinyl (as I am told), you should avoid cleaning with just isopropyl. But you can use it in a mix. Just add a few percent to your formula. However the Library of Congress once proposed a mixture of 20% isopropyl and 80% de-ionized water. I tried that solution and it worked all right But the isopropyl is toxic. In this case building an exhaust is even more urgent. However, I have returned to my original formula. And, surprise: The Library of Congress have devised a new formula which I did not try yet, but looks rather promising viewing its ingredients. |
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The
First Step
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Whatever machine or cleaning device you use, it is important to take dust and other particles off the record before you start cleaning it with a liquid. If you use a Keith Monks or other high speed machine, put the record on the platter of the machine or on the platter of an old turntable like a Goldring/Lenco (which you may have installed for this purpose) with the B-side facing up. Then switch the machine on and dust the record with a carbon fiber record brush. Stop the spinning. Turn the record so that Side A is facing up. Dust off this side. If the record does not have rough particles, dirt and dust, you may start the liquid cleaning process. Always put enough liquid on the surface and spread it around before spinning the platter. The liquid will prevent the record from being damaged by any left particles. If you start cleaning now, you will automatically do Side A first. And then Side B. So you will not get confused. Another important thing is to clean the brush(es) of your cleaning machine at regular intervals. Dirt may stick to the brush(es) and eventually will harm the groove. In case the dirt is really sticking to the vinyl and cannot be taken off with the carbon fiber brush, than you will have to gently clean the record under the tap first and dry it carefully with soft paper tissues. Do not exercise pressure and do not smear the tap water plus dirt over the record's surface, nor its label. Once you are satisfied with the result and have dried the surfaces with tissue paper you may start cleaning the record on the machine. If dirt, glue and other unknown materials were not removed from the disc by the cleaning process, you can try other liquids like turpentine, benzene and methylated spirit for removing persistent dirt. These liquids will generally do no harm to the vinyl. Use a small brush to apply the liquid and give the liquid time to do its job. In certain cases you also may use cotton tips. After the dirt has been removed a paper tissue will absorb excess liquid. Then the record can be cleaned again. In case of the turpentine you may clean it more than once, or add an extra drop of washing detergent. |
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The
Spindle Hole Diameter.
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You can 'create' your own spindle hole widener. Buy a pair of small kitchen scissors with blades that are about 8 mm wide in the middle at the pivot (screw). Cut off one eye. Now you can fold the blades so that they shift further over each other. The cutting edges are now at the outside. Fold the two blade together so that they fit into the spindle hole. Take the record in one hand and with the other you put the scissors blades into the hole. The blades will always adjust to the size of the spindle hole. Gently turn the scissors. The amount of pressure you apply will determine the extend of widening the spindle hole. In most cases a few light turns at one side will do. Take care
that the debris (paper, vinyl) is taken off the record. Do it with your
finger. You can turn one finger nail in the hole and flatten/clean the
edge and blow the debris away. Try if the record fits on the turntable
without having to apply force. If it does not fit give the scissors
another light turn. I have been using this method for many years and it provides an even widening. This is to my knowledge the best way to go about and will give good results. Most of the time it is not the vinyl which is obstructing, but the edge of the paper label that will prevent the record hole to slide over the spindle.
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Inner Sleeves.
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After
thoroughly cleaning the record, I put it in a new sleeve. Certain
inner sleeves like the ones from Decca, London, Deutsche Grammophon and
Philips can be very cautiously cleaned with a paper tissue and a few drops
of methylated spirit. It takes some practice. In general though I use
a new inner sleeve and slip the original one (if it has text and/or pictures)
into the cover as well.
To avoid
mold caused by humidity and to avoid sticking of plastic to the surface
Philips used inner sleeves of thin, soft blotting paper, just
a folded sheet, no glue, no flip back borders. That was in the 1950's.
That was an excellent practice. Later the blotting paper was replaced
by folded sheets of white paper, and for the more expensive series the
sleeves were made of paper sealed inside plastic bags. If you want to play wet, than a preferred method is using distilled water. In all cases it is of importance that you clean the record on a cleaning machine after it has been played wet or at least see to it that the surface is completely dry before you put the Lp back into the inner sleeve. The quality of the sleeve is of the utmost importance. If you have very old records with sturdy cardboard covers that hardly allow you to insert a modern polylined paper sleeve, you could use the simple plastic Nagaoka variety of inner sleeves. The Nagaoka inner sleeves do slip easily into the old nineteen fifties/sixties cardboard covers. Be careful though. They are thin and with the record inside, they also slip easily out of your hand. It is far better to use the square double lined all plastic inner sleeves as used by Proac, Soundstream, and others. For records from the nineteen seventies and eighties the modern polylined paper sleeves are excellent. They are less expensive. |
My pages do generate a lot of traffic for which additional bandwidth has to be bought.
If you like the advice and it was useful to you?
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Record
Storage: LPs and 7 inch 45 RPM discs.
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Many visitors of my pages do ask me about how to store their valuable records. There are various sites dealing with this subject. There is also advice from the Library of Congress who in 1959 published a research paper on the life expectancy of acetates, vinyl records and tapes. The conclusion was that records could maintain their quality for over a century and even tape had a rather long life if taken care of storage and maintenance. Now, many decades later, one can only agree with the finding that records can have a very long life, provided humidity is kept relatively low, the room temperature is not too high (preferably under 35 degrees or even lower), records are kept out of the sun and heating sources can not radiate directly on the albums, and the records should be stored vertically and do not have room/space to bend. In hot climates they should be stored in a room on the north side of the house/apartment, and the shelves should have doors or venetian blinds. Rooms should have curtains. Why keep
records for more than one hundred years? Well, the Lp has the extraordinary
feature that its signal always can be reproduced because the information
in the groove is analogous and has to be read with a mechanical device.
One wonders if a century from now the CD still can be auditioned. To protect old, valuable albums and also gatefold editions, I use outer sleeves of transparent plastic. I use the thick variety which is supple, not the hard kind. There is also a thinner, less sturdy transparent outer sleeve available. The records are slipped into the sleeve from the top. This makes it possible to store the album and pull it out of the cabinet entirely without leaving the album on the shelve and holding just the plastic outer sleeve in your hand.
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For 7"/45
RPM records also shelves can be constructed. But it can be a good idea to
make containers of (birch) plywood, complete with a simple or luxurious
grip. Long containers need extra reinforcement half way. The containers
can be stacked and labeled.
I have a lot of experience regarding the cleaning of records. Do not
hesitate to send me an e-mail
if you want specific advice. |
© Rudolf A. Bruil - Page first published on the www on November 3rd, 1999
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There
is much you can do to improve the signal by using a Stabilizing Weight,
a Stabilizing Ring, a better cable... but most important is cleaning
the record first and removing the debris (which has been collected during
many years of use) out of the groove. Or clean a new record as well
to discover its full sound potential.
The
best option for a buffer thread is the nylon thread as it was originally
used by Keith Monks. It came from England and was The Celebrated
Talbot No. 30. Not solid but the braided type. This make is no longer
available. Many owners of Keith Monks and of Loricraft machines
have been experimenting to find a solution.
Some
turntables have rather large spindles. And some records have spindle
holes which are too narrow. Most of the time it is the paper label which
is pressed at the edge into the spindle hole of the record. 
