How do you clean records/repair covers?

FatbackFatback 6,746 Posts
edited March 2016 in Record Collecting
Who uses a machine? What kind do you have? If you clean records by hand, how?

  Comments


  • alcohol + h2o for most things

    lighter fluid for the toughies and to remove price tags and other gunk.

    i've been known to glue a few covers if they split with no tears, elmers.




  • i got a plant sprayer bottle, and mix parsons sudsy ammonia with water: 8 parts
    water to 1 part Parsons. spray it on record, let it sit a second then wipe grooves
    clockwise only with cut up old cotton t-shirt squares. repeat if necessary. its cool
    because you can really apply pressure and scrub, so long as its damp and you go
    clockwise. Works wonders.

    for cover splits and tears (only if i know im keeping the record): elmers applied
    carefully (keep it thin and let it set a bit so its tacky and not too thick before
    joining paper to cardboard), i use those metal clips to hold it in place so it
    dries properly.



  • parsecparsec 5,087 Posts
    boraxo and brillo dogg

  • ammonia with water


    That kinda scares me a little. The smell alone can kill, its got to leave its mark. I prefer alcohol, lighter fluid, goo be gone basically anything that is mostly alcohol.

    Im not down with the elmers either, for things that come undone I prefer a good old glue stick. It distributes more evenly with less mess..plus its strong enough to get the job done. If it came unglued it wasnt too strong to begin with. Dont even get me started on using paper clips and clamps.

  • ammonia with water


    That kinda scares me a little. The smell alone can kill, its got to leave its mark. I prefer alcohol, lighter fluid, goo be gone basically anything that is mostly alcohol.
    well, i used to use alchohol, and when i started using the method i described, i started getting way better results. could just be me though. you only put a little of the parsons in, its mostly water. it does smell while using it - but it evaporates, leaving nothing smelly on the record. its better for actual "dirt" removal, i think. but it might be 6 of 1, .5 dozen of another.

    Im not down with the elmers either, for things that come undone I prefer a good old glue stick. It distributes more evenly with less mess..plus its strong enough to get the job done. If it came unglued it wasnt too strong to begin with. Dont even get me started on using paper clips and clamps.

    yeah, i can see the glue stick working good... I sorta developed a nerd-tastic technique with the elmers that involves using a very thin sharpened wooden dowl stick to apply it right where its needed (under paper flaps etc), and ive had great success so far. Ive actually reattatched completely split covers into fully functioning jackets that dont fall apart again and look pretty good. but glue sticks are rad.

  • TobiTobi 187 Posts


    I use this little machine, it works really fine!

      


  • i use the Bags Unlimited Groovy Cleaner because I got a bottle for free, spray some on and wipe with a lint-free cloth.


    the only repair i ever make to covers is if they're the one-piece newer style, if a seam comes unglued I'll reglue it with tacky glue, other than that I leave seam splits and tears and shit alone.

  • Ive had good results using a hairdryer to rid covers from messy tape jobs on the seams. Hot air softens the glue and the tape can be gently peeled off....and any residue will just wipe away.

  • ultra sonics



    anyone else rocking these ??



    get space age on that dirt & grime



    for 25 years now



  • FrankFrank 2,376 Posts
    I made excelent experiences with a small ultasonic bath for 45s and just ordered a big one for LPs.

    Digging here in Africa makes you get pretty inventive/desperate in some cases.
    I made successful experiments with Hydrochloric Acid that eats away most everything that is not Vinyl.(Vinyl as in PolyVINYLchloride (PVC) is a very sturdy material, they even make containers out of it to store agressive chemical substances in)

    Lighterfluid is pretty good, dissolves candle wax amongst other things (candle wax stains are frequent in Africa since people always used candles during the very frequent power failures.

    I found this one minute longer and one drumbreak richer 45 version of docteur Nico's Sookie -it was trashed and had a crack. I cleaned it with hydrochloric acid, then with oven cleaner and finaly superglued a piece of a box cutter blade to the back of it to repair the crack. Voil?? -sounded good enough for club play!
    Even got through Airport security with it...

  • VPI fully automatic. Homemade solution: distilled H2O, 91% alcohol 8 parts to 1, a dash of windex (cuts grease and helps evaporate the solution).

    ORB Disc flattener (within a month or so).

    I will tape messy seam splits if the record is not too pricey, otherwise I leave it alone. Glue splits I re-glue with elmers and paperclips but I want to get a glue stick. Elmers has never let me down though.

  • FatbackFatback 6,746 Posts
    ORB Disc flattener (within a month or so).

    OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG!!!

    Hops around like a little girl.

    How much per record?

  • puppup 133 Posts
    I have a simple and sure fire recipe.

    Two step process.

    First get large bowl fill with warm water add one small drop of Method brand diswashing liquid. Use a sponge with the warm soapy water to thoroughly clean the tough dirt. It really gets up the shit stuck in the grooves from years of dust and finger print oils etc.

    Second after the record is dry, take a spray bottle and fill it with 1/2 water and 1/2 isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol). Use a dry (not very fibrous) cloth. Spray the solution onto the cloth or the record directly and wipe away. This last step removes any soap residue from step one which can and will trap additional dust.

    Flea market finds end up sounding like they came from a dealer!

    works every time and costs next to nothing.

  • Coffinjoe how much are those ultrasonic joints? I've been using the alcohol water spray bottle method and its good but not so thorough. When I bring back records form PR they are usually caked in something and my usual cleaning only removes surface stuff, I know there has to be stuff deeper in the grooves affecting playback and infecting my needle.

    One of the guys at Academy told me that VPI vacuum cleaning methods can potentially damage a record by moving the grooves out of place with such strong suction. Any of you heard antyhing like that before? He also said back in the day people use to just put records under the sink and scrub them with soap and water. This method must have been popular cause damn I find some roughed up records.


  • One of the guys at Academy told me that VPI vacuum cleaning methods can potentially damage a record by moving the grooves out of place with such strong suction. Any of you heard antyhing like that before?


  • JLRJLR 3,835 Posts


    Disc Doctor Brushes, baby. Home made solution 66.66 % Iso-alcohol and 33.33 % distilled water. Pre-treatment in the sink for hard to clean pieces.

  • puppup 133 Posts
    I've been using the alcohol water spray bottle method and its good but not so thorough. When I bring back records form PR they are usually caked in something and my usual cleaning only removes surface stuff, I know there has to be stuff deeper in the grooves affecting playback and infecting my needle.

    elbow grease, my man, elbow grease. To make the no budget technique work you have to really rub and push and sponge. My hands and forearms are typically burning with lactic acid by the time I am done cleaning a batch of 20 records.

    No pain, no gain.

  • I just tell one of the servants to clean them.

  • One of the guys at Academy told me that VPI vacuum cleaning methods can potentially damage a record by moving the grooves out of place with such strong suction. Any of you heard antyhing like that before?

    yes, that's why i went ultra

    Coffinjoe how much are those ultrasonic joints?

    from $100 (small ones, good for 7", but to slow for 12") to $500
    you don't need all the whistles & bells offered, mine was $300, a friend
    found a bit more powerful model for $250,
    but lacks some of the noise reductions.
    you can use straight tap water,
    or a squirt of dishwash or dr bonners to help remove grease
    no brushes or sponges need to touch the vinyl
    in use for 25+ years by ja reggae/ska collectors
    gets that ground in greasy sand & grit out

    dudes use to keep it a big secret
    b/w
    or charge $$ for "cleaning services"
    (outernational + nighthawk related)



  • you can use straight tap water


  • FatbackFatback 6,746 Posts
    this is blowing my mind. you gotta show me how those shits work. i'm on my way to Crackerburg.

    holla

  • FatbackFatback 6,746 Posts

    One of the guys at Academy told me that VPI vacuum cleaning methods can potentially damage a record by moving the grooves out of place with such strong suction. Any of you heard antyhing like that before?


    huh? yeah, need to verify this.

    i know that you better make sure there is no grit or anything that can stick up on the felt. bad news. use a rag to preclean or canned air.

    perhaps some people vacuum too long? you only need to get the fluid off. 2-3 rotations. most people slop too much fluid on there.

  • Yeah I do not use the built-in fluid dispenser for that reason. Spray bottle thx. Clean the felt, etc. Replace the tube and the brush every 4-6 months.

    I have cleaned literally thousands of records on this machine and not a one has been worse off afterwards - everyone has a tale of what makes their method better, but VPI is a top company that would not have made these machines popular for years if they didn't work.

    One guy at a record store vs. some of the most serious collectros/dealers I've met...




  • you can use straight tap water




    it's all molecular & shit


  • I don't know about VA, but up here in NYC tap water got harsh metal and living organisms in it among other impurities. That shit can not only damage your record but the microscopic organisms can latch on and live in your grooves.

    I don't really keep kosher, but I still do not want shellfish in my records

  • JLRJLR 3,835 Posts

    you can use straight tap water




    it's all molecular & shit


    salty residues left by tap water produce sound when interacting with the needle.

  • I don't know about VA, but up here in NYC tap water got harsh metal and living organisms in it among other impurities. That shit can not only damage your record but the microscopic organisms can latch on and live in your grooves.

    I don't really keep kosher, but I still do not want shellfish in my records

    i think by the nature of how ultrasonic works
    this is avoided
    like i say
    been used for decades with no iff effects

  • Yeah I figured.

    Still. I don't want no crustaceans in my grooves.

  • I'v been singing the praises of this machine for a long time - the KAB record claner is the best bang for your buck in the way of record cleaning machines. Recommended it to Meaty & I think he's been getting good use out of it. Its 100 bucks, cleans your records to perfection. Been using it for 3 years with no problem. I'm a picky guy & I like this machine. The real deal. Best deal in audio & record related ish.

  • 5156001780051560017800 wiltshire 7 Posts
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