mr.smashy
02-01-2012, 12:49 AM
http://i43.tinypic.com/2qsyrkj.jpg
Introduction
Record cleaning is vital. In order to get the most out of your records they need to be clean. Clean records sound better, track better, and last longer. The very process of playing a record dictates that cleaning is absolutely necessary. The audio signal that is generated by the needle tracking though the groove is altered by anything that changes the shape of the groove. Dirt in the groove can be picked up by the stylus and become adhered to it through the pressure caused by playback. Dirt on the stylus will affect the reproduction of sound until the stylus is cleaned. The dirt that becomes affixed to the stylus also detrimentally affects its tracking ability. The added friction generated by the dirt will accelerate wear on the stylus and the groove wall.
There are a two ways of going about record cleaning; the cheap way, and the expensive way. The cheap way involves manual brushes, and the expensive way involves using a record cleaning machine. Record cleaning machines can cost over $2,000 USD, and usually consist of a box with a turntable and a vacuum attachment. The cheaper machines are operated by hand and some are totally automatic. Machines clean very well and require very little effort, but their costs are prohibitive. Hand cleaning, with manual brushes, is very cost effective, but requires more time and patience. Both methods can achieve the same levels of cleanliness.
This tutorial will go over different methods of manual record cleaning. I’ll discuss dry cleaning and wet cleaning. Also included in this guide is a recipe for cleaning fluid. Record cleaning can be an expensive endeavor, but there are very easy ways to get the most for your money.
DIY Cleaning Fluid
Record cleaning fluid can be expensive. Discwasher D4+ is a relatively cheap and readily available cleaning fluid that is usually sold in 1 ¼ fluid ounce (37ml) bottles that cost around $4.00 USD each. Some audiophile grade cleaning fluids cost over $30 USD for a quart (946ml) bottle. Over the years you will use a lot of fluid and the costs add up. Rather than buying a commercial record cleaner, I prefer to make my own solution. The cost benefits are amazing, and it also allows you greater control over how you clean your records. The basis of most record cleaning fluid is a solution of isopropyl alcohol, water, and a wetting agent. To make the best fluid possible you will need the purest ingredients you can find, within reason. Any impurities in your fluid can be left on the record, which is counter-productive and should be avoided.
The first ingredient you’ll need for the DIY cleaning fluid is water. Remarkably pure water can be found at the supermarket; look for “Triple Distilled” or “Steam Distilled” on the label. I found a gallon of steam distilled, pasteurized drinking water for $2.50 USD. Regular bottled water contains minerals that will contaminate the record, so avoid it. The next ingredient is isopropyl alcohol. Look for pure or 99% pure isopropyl alcohol. Normal rubbing alcohol can contain camphor so check the labels. I was also able to find 99% isopropyl rubbing alcohol at the supermarket, costing me $2.00 for two bottles. Some people insist on lab grade isopropyl alcohol, but the extra costs and trouble searching for it outweigh the benefits. Lastly, the solution needs a wetting agent. A wetting agent is basically soap; its purpose is to break the surface tension and allow the cleaning fluid to enter the record groove. I would warn against using soap, but some people do use dishwashing detergent or a rinsing agent like Jet Dry. Photographic wetting fluid, for developing pictures, is a better wetting agent. Photo-grade wetting fluid is free of dyes and perfumes that don’t belong on records. Photographic wetting fluid also has an anti-static property, which will help your records greatly. Static buildup causes the record to attract dirt and dust, which is a bad thing. I personally prefer Kodak Photo-Flo because it’s cheap and relatively easy to find. Photo-Flo is reputed to leave a residue, but I have found it to be safe. I picked up a 118ml bottle at a Wolf Camera for $4.75, and it should last me a lifetime. To properly mix and store the record cleaning fluid you will need a few more items, so here is a list of everything you will need for this project.
1) Distilled water
2) 99% isopropyl alcohol
3) Wetting agent (Kodak Photo-Flo or similar)
4) A graduated cylinder or a large measuring cup
5) Empty water bottles for mixing and storage
6) Small bottles for application of the fluid in the cleaning process
7) Funnels
The basic formula for the DIY cleaning solution is three parts water, one part alcohol, one drop wetting agent. For scratch records use two parts water, two parts alcohol, and one drop wetting agent. Make batches of fluid in one liter quantities to properly dilute the wetting agent. The higher alcohol ratio in the scratch formula helps break down the oils that are deposited on the record by the hands during record manipulation.
To mix up a batch of standard cleaning fluid, wash all the bottles and the measuring cup. Measure out 750ml of water and pour it into a clean 1 liter bottle. I prefer to use empty drinking water bottles because they are made of PETE plastic, which holds up well to the alcohol and does not leech plastic into the fluid. Be sure to remove the labels and clearly mark the bottle “POISON” to avoid any unfortunate mix-ups. Put a big black “X” on the cap with a Sharpie. Measure out 250ml of isopropyl alcohol and transfer it into the mixing bottle. Add one drop wetting agent to the solution. Use as little wetting agent as possible. Once everything is in the mix bottle, shake it and see how much foam rises. A little soap foam is ok, but it should settle quickly. If the bubbles last more than 2 or 3 seconds, you used too much wetting agent, so start over. If the bubbles subside quickly, transfer some of the solution from the mixing bottle to a smaller bottle. I bought a “travel essentials” kit at the drug store for $2.00. It contains a couple of PETE plastic bottles with tops like a shampoo bottle, for easy application. I have also used an empty Discwasher bottle. If you use generic bottles, mark them clearly as POISON.
Introduction
Record cleaning is vital. In order to get the most out of your records they need to be clean. Clean records sound better, track better, and last longer. The very process of playing a record dictates that cleaning is absolutely necessary. The audio signal that is generated by the needle tracking though the groove is altered by anything that changes the shape of the groove. Dirt in the groove can be picked up by the stylus and become adhered to it through the pressure caused by playback. Dirt on the stylus will affect the reproduction of sound until the stylus is cleaned. The dirt that becomes affixed to the stylus also detrimentally affects its tracking ability. The added friction generated by the dirt will accelerate wear on the stylus and the groove wall.
There are a two ways of going about record cleaning; the cheap way, and the expensive way. The cheap way involves manual brushes, and the expensive way involves using a record cleaning machine. Record cleaning machines can cost over $2,000 USD, and usually consist of a box with a turntable and a vacuum attachment. The cheaper machines are operated by hand and some are totally automatic. Machines clean very well and require very little effort, but their costs are prohibitive. Hand cleaning, with manual brushes, is very cost effective, but requires more time and patience. Both methods can achieve the same levels of cleanliness.
This tutorial will go over different methods of manual record cleaning. I’ll discuss dry cleaning and wet cleaning. Also included in this guide is a recipe for cleaning fluid. Record cleaning can be an expensive endeavor, but there are very easy ways to get the most for your money.
DIY Cleaning Fluid
Record cleaning fluid can be expensive. Discwasher D4+ is a relatively cheap and readily available cleaning fluid that is usually sold in 1 ¼ fluid ounce (37ml) bottles that cost around $4.00 USD each. Some audiophile grade cleaning fluids cost over $30 USD for a quart (946ml) bottle. Over the years you will use a lot of fluid and the costs add up. Rather than buying a commercial record cleaner, I prefer to make my own solution. The cost benefits are amazing, and it also allows you greater control over how you clean your records. The basis of most record cleaning fluid is a solution of isopropyl alcohol, water, and a wetting agent. To make the best fluid possible you will need the purest ingredients you can find, within reason. Any impurities in your fluid can be left on the record, which is counter-productive and should be avoided.
The first ingredient you’ll need for the DIY cleaning fluid is water. Remarkably pure water can be found at the supermarket; look for “Triple Distilled” or “Steam Distilled” on the label. I found a gallon of steam distilled, pasteurized drinking water for $2.50 USD. Regular bottled water contains minerals that will contaminate the record, so avoid it. The next ingredient is isopropyl alcohol. Look for pure or 99% pure isopropyl alcohol. Normal rubbing alcohol can contain camphor so check the labels. I was also able to find 99% isopropyl rubbing alcohol at the supermarket, costing me $2.00 for two bottles. Some people insist on lab grade isopropyl alcohol, but the extra costs and trouble searching for it outweigh the benefits. Lastly, the solution needs a wetting agent. A wetting agent is basically soap; its purpose is to break the surface tension and allow the cleaning fluid to enter the record groove. I would warn against using soap, but some people do use dishwashing detergent or a rinsing agent like Jet Dry. Photographic wetting fluid, for developing pictures, is a better wetting agent. Photo-grade wetting fluid is free of dyes and perfumes that don’t belong on records. Photographic wetting fluid also has an anti-static property, which will help your records greatly. Static buildup causes the record to attract dirt and dust, which is a bad thing. I personally prefer Kodak Photo-Flo because it’s cheap and relatively easy to find. Photo-Flo is reputed to leave a residue, but I have found it to be safe. I picked up a 118ml bottle at a Wolf Camera for $4.75, and it should last me a lifetime. To properly mix and store the record cleaning fluid you will need a few more items, so here is a list of everything you will need for this project.
1) Distilled water
2) 99% isopropyl alcohol
3) Wetting agent (Kodak Photo-Flo or similar)
4) A graduated cylinder or a large measuring cup
5) Empty water bottles for mixing and storage
6) Small bottles for application of the fluid in the cleaning process
7) Funnels
The basic formula for the DIY cleaning solution is three parts water, one part alcohol, one drop wetting agent. For scratch records use two parts water, two parts alcohol, and one drop wetting agent. Make batches of fluid in one liter quantities to properly dilute the wetting agent. The higher alcohol ratio in the scratch formula helps break down the oils that are deposited on the record by the hands during record manipulation.
To mix up a batch of standard cleaning fluid, wash all the bottles and the measuring cup. Measure out 750ml of water and pour it into a clean 1 liter bottle. I prefer to use empty drinking water bottles because they are made of PETE plastic, which holds up well to the alcohol and does not leech plastic into the fluid. Be sure to remove the labels and clearly mark the bottle “POISON” to avoid any unfortunate mix-ups. Put a big black “X” on the cap with a Sharpie. Measure out 250ml of isopropyl alcohol and transfer it into the mixing bottle. Add one drop wetting agent to the solution. Use as little wetting agent as possible. Once everything is in the mix bottle, shake it and see how much foam rises. A little soap foam is ok, but it should settle quickly. If the bubbles last more than 2 or 3 seconds, you used too much wetting agent, so start over. If the bubbles subside quickly, transfer some of the solution from the mixing bottle to a smaller bottle. I bought a “travel essentials” kit at the drug store for $2.00. It contains a couple of PETE plastic bottles with tops like a shampoo bottle, for easy application. I have also used an empty Discwasher bottle. If you use generic bottles, mark them clearly as POISON.