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In Reply to: RE: How do you like that thing? posted by Mick Wolfe on November 07, 2021 at 19:35:40
Unfortunately, in my case it's pretty much an either/or situation. I live in a pretty small log home with my system up in the loft firing out over the railing into the great room. It's already pretty crowded up there.
I actually already have a motorized vacuum machine up there but don't care for it. I prefer a manual machine, so I was thinking about replacing it either with the Record Doctor or the ultrasonic.
Follow Ups:
See my previous posts on the Record Doctor V.Like Wolfe, I also recommend using a wetting agent and a final distilled water rinse with a vacuum machine. I use a heavily modified Record Doctor V for the final rinse.
The Record Doctor does get very hot even after just six LPs, but I have found that true of my three vacuum machines. My other two vacuum machines( Nitty Gritty and Taiwanese clone of VPI)get hot after nine LPs.
Edits: 11/09/21
As I said, I prefer a manual machine, and the only other one I know of is the Nitty Gritty, which was over $800 at last check. The more reasonable model in plain black no longer appears to be available, and I can't justify that price tag.
Purely manual and you hook it up to a shop vac (I use the smallest model from Home Depot that was about $40). Buy an extra vacuum arm - one for wash and one for rinse - and you'll be all-in for $200. The vacuum arms do not use stick-on velvet lips, you get the option of microfibre covering or a thin mesh cloth. My preference is the mesh cloth, it does not hold moisture and you can see when it is getting dirty. I swap out that cloth after a cleaning session, put in fresh ones and wash the dirty ones for next time.I did buy Vinyl Bug's applicator brushes but I suggest to use paint edging pads from Home Depot instead.
Regards,
13DoW
Edits: 11/09/21
It looks interesting. The reviews are good, and the price low enough where it doesn't represent a big risk, so I ordered one. Will report back...
Record Doctor 6 that made the height of the record turner the same height as the suction groove.
The other option would be the KAB unit that also requires a household vacuum. Many folks are happy with it, and the price is only $149!
If I still had my old copier service vac that KAB would be an option. Unfortunately, we don't have a typical vacuum, just a Dyson is plenty for this little log home - no carpet.
You do raise some valid points, though. I think that I will call Audio Advisor about it. Thanks for the heads-up.
How did an ultrasonic record cleaning thread end up being about which vacuum system is best?
I was just answering him with my past experiences concerning one of his choices. That might help him decide between an ultrasonic machine or vacuum machine. Ultrasonic machines are still part of the discussion.I own both an ultrasonic machine and a heavily modified Record Doctor V.
Edits: 11/09/21
Thanks for the photo. It looks like an effective and efficient setup, but one I definitely don't have the available space for, so I ordered the Vinyl Bug as suggested by the 13thDuke. Will report back.
the life of the record and the stylus.
Actually, I once had a Nitty Gritty, which I sold like a complete dumb@ss when I bought a package deal that included a new motorized record cleaner. I should have kept it until I had the chance to check out the new one. Lesson learned, because I prefer the manual. But in any case, I have had and been using a record cleaner. I was looking for a better option.
Actually I owned an Opera Consonance machine and gladly sold it to move into the world of ultrasonic cleaning
I would not go back to a noisy vacuum system ever again.
Can't say as I blame you. Such would not be my choice if I had more available space.
using a small percentage of isopropyl alcohol and distilled water. Alcohol is a universal solvent, even though it is not as good an organic solvent as alternative surfactants. Alcohol does help reduce the surface tension as well, even though it is not as effective as a surfactant.
You could then rinse off the alcohol based solution manually while protecting your record label using one of the a label protectors linked below. You could then drip dry the record in a rack or use a lint free cloth. In the last century, I rinsed off the record under a sink faucet, followed by pouring distilled water over the surface, then I put the record into a rack to drip dry(see pic).
I have been using 99.9% isopropyl and find that when I wipe afterwards with microfiber clothes, the alchohol completely evaporates as does my Tri-art record solution which clearly states that rinsing is unnecessary.
This makes things much simpler in the steps of my cleaning process.
It eliminates the need to rinse and vacuum.
I try to keep as minimal contact with the vinyl as possible.
Even though I filter my ultrasonic bath after four records, I still have a slight amount of surface material on the record after the ultrasonic bath(see the link below). The microfiber cloth wiping may be enough to eliminate that problem. I vacuum that off with my rinse cycle on the Record Doctor V.
I researched the Tri-Art solution as much as I could, and I think that it is mostly a weak solution of some alcohol. I never found a msds for the Tri-Art, but the Tri-Art site did state that alcohol was one ingredient. Alcohol is a universal solvent and it can reduce the surface tension of the water. Both of these characteristics are included in the Tri-Art advertisement.
If the Tri-Art had an additional surfactant in the cleaning solution besides the alcohol, then it would have to be rinsed off somehow.
Thanks for that.
As this is new to me I'm learning about surfactants and rinsing and I will have to buy a machine to vacuum if I decide to go that route. But for now I am very happy with the quality of clean I am getting.
Thank you for putting the thread back on track. :-)
nt
I picked up a few small bottles of Tri-art record cleaning solution that doesn't require a rinse.
It works in conjunction with isopropyl alcohol.
In your particular situation and if you're inclined to just clean 2 or 3 records at a time, the Record Doctor might be the more prudent choice. I say this because when I mix up a batch of cleaning solution and clean with my inexpensive ultrasonic machine, I do a mass cleaning of nearly 40 records in a session. In other words, I pretty much set a day aside for record cleaning. Then start with a fresh batch of cleaning solution for the next round whenever that would be. But that's just me, others may approach it differently.
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