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"Fixing" Scratches on 45s???

HorseleechHorseleech 3,830 Posts
edited March 2009 in Strut Central
I know this is stupid but... Has anyone had success "filling in" scratcheswith some kind of foreign substance? Putty? Wood Fill? Toothpaste? I have an incredibly great 45, one of the only known copies, and it's in great shape EXCEPT for 3 loud pops at a crucial moment in the song. Really annoying. A tiny divot is to blame. Anyone?

  Comments

  • holmesholmes 3,532 Posts
    no, anything you put in there will still click or just get dug back out by the needle. I'm afraid you'll probably have to live with it.
  • BreakSelfBreakSelf 2,925 Posts
    Try this:

    http://www.geocities.com/capitolhill/Lobby/7049/skips.htm
  • mannybolonemannybolone Los Angeles, CA 15,025 Posts
    You can fix a skip. You can't fix a pop, sorry.
  • HorseleechHorseleech 3,830 Posts
    Most likely you're right, Holmes, but it will be my project this week to see if anything will help.

    I have a few things I'm going to try (on a different single, of course).

    If I can turn a loud POP into a soft pffft, I'll consider it a success.

    I'll post the results here.
  • mannybolonemannybolone Los Angeles, CA 15,025 Posts
    Saying - if it's as rare as you say, why risk further damage? A softer material runs the risk of having the needle drag it out of the divot AND INTO THE GROOVES, thereby degrading the sound even further. The only thing I can think to do is try cutting a deeper groove through the divot; it might be the "pop" you hear is the stylus hitting the sides of the divot and a deeper cut might lesson its impact.
  • HorseleechHorseleech 3,830 Posts
    Saying - if it's as rare as you say, why risk further damage? A softer material runs the risk of having the needle drag it out of the divot AND INTO THE GROOVES, thereby degrading the sound even further. The only thing I can think to do is try cutting a deeper groove through the divot; it might be the "pop" you hear is the stylus hitting the sides of the divot and a deeper cut might lesson its impact.

    That's why I'm trying it on another 45.
  • mannybolonemannybolone Los Angeles, CA 15,025 Posts
    In that case, try a teeeeensy drop of epoxy glue.
  • HorseleechHorseleech 3,830 Posts
    That's a good one.

    Basically I'm going to take a few Phil Collins 45s (or some such crap), scratch them in the same way (which should be perversely enjoyable) and fill them with a variety of stuff that hardens.

    I have high hopes for a certain product.
  • LokoOneLokoOne 1,823 Posts
    I have never tried this myself but a record dealer once swore to me that by wetting the record slightly and playing it moist it would reduce pops.

    Like I said i never tried it but if your experimenting on another 45, might be worth trying
  • ReynaldoReynaldo 6,054 Posts
    wetting the record slightly and playing it moist
    EROTIC
  • GrafwritahGrafwritah 4,184 Posts
    I have never tried this myself but a record dealer once swore to me that by wetting the record slightly and playing it moist it would reduce pops.

    Like I said i never tried it but if your experimenting on another 45, might be worth trying

    Lubrication? The pops are just the needle hitting either the divot of the scratch or the built up sides where the scratch was dug out.

    Seems kind of pointless. Absolute best case scenario would be no pop, just a drop out in the sound where the groove is gone (or filled in).

    You could always bust out a magnifying glass and see if it's up (sides of the scratch coming up above the groove) and if so, pull a metal needle through it to smooth it out. But the you run the risk of messing up the good groove next to it.

    I just don't think any benefit that could be gained would be worth the possible/probable risk of the good groove around it.
  • BreakSelfBreakSelf 2,925 Posts
    I have never tried this myself but a record dealer once swore to me that by wetting the record slightly and playing it moist it would reduce pops.

    I've actually seen this work. Supposedly, playing the record at 78rpm while doing it helps.
  • HorseleechHorseleech 3,830 Posts
    I have never tried this myself but a record dealer once swore to me that by wetting the record slightly and playing it moist it would reduce pops.

    Like I said i never tried it but if your experimenting on another 45, might be worth trying

    Is this what the girl in your avatar is doing? If so...
  • LokoOneLokoOne 1,823 Posts
    I have never tried this myself but a record dealer once swore to me that by wetting the record slightly and playing it moist it would reduce pops.

    Like I said i never tried it but if your experimenting on another 45, might be worth trying

    Is this what the girl in your avatar is doing? If so...




    female saliva fixes EVERYTHING!
  • holmesholmes 3,532 Posts
    I have never tried this myself but a record dealer once swore to me that by wetting the record slightly and playing it moist it would reduce pops.
    Again, this is not really ideal, this will reduce surface noise to an extent but not really loud clicks. It also opens up another can of worms where the cantilever of your stylus/cartridge may get wet & may lead to corrosion/strength issues over time.
  • JohnnyRedJohnnyRed 11 Posts
    Also I've heard that if you "wet-play" once, you're basically comitted to always wet=playing that record
  • pabloscooterpabloscooter 370 Posts
    Also I've heard that if you "wet-play" once, you're basically comitted to always wet=playing that record

    I've "played wet" before and never did it seem to ruin the record for future plays, at least not in any noticeable way. I will say that any sonic improvement will really only be noticeable when the record is wet- if that's what you meant.

    I also agree that it will possibly damage your needle/cartridge, but probably only slowly if ever.

    all that said, filling a dimple isn't going to work ever. If there is something in the way of the grove that is making a pop then deep cleaning could help. But it seems like you don't understand what is making the sound when you play a record 'cause putting some junk in the groove isn't going to bring your sound back. clean that shit as good as you can (elmers, vpi, whatever floats your boat) then maybe run a heavy stylus through the groove manually, working it back and forth. Like said earlier if it's really rare people would rather have a pop or two then an experimental repair.
  • mannybolonemannybolone Los Angeles, CA 15,025 Posts
    Pablo: I think he gets that it won't replace the sound. He wants to eliminate the "pop!"
  • pabloscooterpabloscooter 370 Posts
    and replace the pop with a mystery noise?
  • GrafwritahGrafwritah 4,184 Posts
    and replace the pop with a mystery noise?

    He's figured out a method of filling in scratches with small bits of National Geographic Whale Songs flexi-discs.
  • waxjunkywaxjunky 1,849 Posts
    Given the size of the flaw that's making the pop, I don't think there is anyway reasonable way to fix it.

    Mint up?
  • pabloscooterpabloscooter 370 Posts


    He's figured out a method of filling in scratches with small bits of National Geographic Whale Songs flexi-discs.

  • mannybolonemannybolone Los Angeles, CA 15,025 Posts
    and replace the pop with a mystery noise?

    You got me. I think it's a fool's errand but I'm all for DIY audio improvement projects.
  • LokoOneLokoOne 1,823 Posts
    Someone with biology/chemistry skills should hybrid some type of non harmful bacteria bug that can travel/live in the microscopic grooves and eat away any junk and dust particles and other 'rubbish'...

    Any mad scientist up in here?
  • HorseleechHorseleech 3,830 Posts


    I think it's a fool's errand
    Which means I'm the man for the job!

    Seriously, I used the same phrase to describe this tilt to a friend
    earlier today. He didn't disagree.
  • LokoOneLokoOne 1,823 Posts


    I think it's a fool's errand

    Which means I'm the man for the job!

    Seriously, I used the same phrase to describe this tilt to a friend
    earlier today. He didn't disagree.
    Any chance you can film the process and youtube it? It would be like a SS Mythbusters.....
  • HorseleechHorseleech 3,830 Posts


    I think it's a fool's errand

    Which means I'm the man for the job!

    Seriously, I used the same phrase to describe this tilt to a friend
    earlier today. He didn't disagree.

    Any chance you can film the process and youtube it? It would be like a SS Mythbusters.....
    Normally I prefer to make a fool of myself in private, or in front of a select group of friends, but maybe I'll make an exception.
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