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anybody have a formula for those little specs on vinyl that appear out of nowhere

71.53.134.88
Posted on June 23, 2022 at 04:54:32
Story
Audiophile

Posts: 10457
Location: NJ
Joined: December 11, 2000
 when you been religious about the cleanliness and put them away inside what you thought was a good clean sleeve and pull the record out after a few years and find a spec of something stuck to the vinyl.

And it is almost impossible to remove it? Maybe use a drop of something to make it easier to remove?



 

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RE: anybody have a formula for those little specs on vinyl that appear out of nowhere, posted on June 24, 2022 at 08:55:40
Sondek
Audiophile

Posts: 9632
Location: Fort Worth
Joined: May 17, 2000
Contributor
  Since: April 5, 2002
 A drop of alcohol might do the trick. If it's really stuck hard, in the past I've used magnifying glass to see and the tip of a wooden toothpick to dislodge those specs.

Theory is that mold release compounds in the vinyl come to the surface during pressing from heat and pressure. The stylus tip gets hot from the friction and will melt residual release compound in the groove, and the melted goo clings on to the tip until enough builds up and it falls off. With no more heat from the stylus the goo cools and re-hardens forming those specs. Wet cleaning won't do much to remove them because the goo is not water soluble. If you rub the spec between your fingers after you get it off, it feels kind of waxy. At least that's what I've found in examining specs like what you described.

The theory certainly seems plausible, and I personally cannot come up with a better explanation for why those spec of muck appear.

 

RE: anybody have a formula for those little specs on vinyl that appear out of nowhere, posted on June 24, 2022 at 02:52:31
flood2
Audiophile

Posts: 2558
Joined: January 11, 2011
 PVC is a triboelectric material which means that it has an affinity for charge (negative in the case of rigid PVC). The moment you take the vinyl out of the sleeve be it paper or otherwise, particulates in suspension in the ambient environment will be attracted to the surface.

What I do in Winter when the air is very dry is to rinse the record with de-ionised water and use a vac dryer like the KAB EV-1 to suck off the bulk of the water but leave a layer of water on the surface. Place it on the platter and let it naturally evaporate off the surface during play. That ensures the record is as dust free as is realistic to expect during play.

It is impossible to eliminate specs of dust unless you live in and maintain a cleanroom such as is required for chip fabrication or lens manufacture that conforms to a suitable standard. ISO 2 standard is still allowing 100 particles per m3!
Just to give you an idea, there are literally many MILLIONS of particles per m3 in the average domestic setting with particles down to 0.3um and smaller (such as viruses). SARS CoV-2 is 0.1um and the smallest known virus is 20nm!

Regards Anthony

"Beauty is Truth, Truth Beauty.." Keats

 

RE: anybody have a formula for those little specs on vinyl that appear out of nowhere, posted on June 24, 2022 at 03:41:49
Story
Audiophile

Posts: 10457
Location: NJ
Joined: December 11, 2000
 this has nothing to do with what I asked

What happened in my case does not happen often whatsoever. It was even in a plastic clean sleeve. I won't find a sure method of sucess until I have another spec that is extremely difficult to remove. I have no cleaning machine right now.



 

RE: anybody have a formula for those little specs on vinyl that appear out of nowhere, posted on June 24, 2022 at 18:32:00
flood2
Audiophile

Posts: 2558
Joined: January 11, 2011
 I'm sorry you feel that way.

Regards Anthony

"Beauty is Truth, Truth Beauty.." Keats

 

RE: anybody have a formula for those little specs on vinyl that appear out of nowhere, posted on June 25, 2022 at 02:43:56
Story
Audiophile

Posts: 10457
Location: NJ
Joined: December 11, 2000
 I'm sorry you feel that way also



 

RE: anybody have a formula for those little specs on vinyl that appear out of nowhere, posted on June 24, 2022 at 06:47:37
samstone
Audiophile

Posts: 926
Location: midwest inner city
Joined: August 11, 2002
 "has nothing to do with what I asked..."
Actually it does have a lot to do with what you asked.
"plastic clean sleeve"
Are you sure it is clean? Did you clean it? Also any place that air can reach so can dust and dirt.
"no cleaning machine..."
This is the best way to clean what you refer to. I have found little specs of whitish stuff on LP's after long storage. A little fluid, some good scrubbing, and removal of the fluid via vacuum always worked. Also ensure that the record it FULLY dried before any storage. Any dampness will cause dirt and mildew.

 

RE: anybody have a formula for those little specs on vinyl that appear out of nowhere, posted on June 24, 2022 at 12:24:27
Story
Audiophile

Posts: 10457
Location: NJ
Joined: December 11, 2000
 NO, it does not, sorry to disagree. Sondek's reply is way more informative and to the point.

When you buy new sleeves you would normally expect them to be clean and not need inspection with a microscope before using. MAYBE I SHOULD WASH EVERYTHING BEFORE USE LIKE ALL DUTIFUL WINGNUTS DO

I took a terrible hit including vinyl when storm Ida hit town and also had to throw out many records, many years of collecting. I'm done with this thread.

Thanks a bunch anyway samstone



 

Uhhh... Sure man, whatever., posted on July 3, 2022 at 10:17:08
samstone
Audiophile

Posts: 926
Location: midwest inner city
Joined: August 11, 2002
 Agree with theories, and expectations, and should not have to over facts all you want. Good luck it sounds like you may need it...

 

RE: Uhhh... Sure man, whatever., posted on July 3, 2022 at 10:42:14
Story
Audiophile

Posts: 10457
Location: NJ
Joined: December 11, 2000
 we all need some



 

Possibly like others, I cannot picture the specks from your description., posted on June 24, 2022 at 23:38:41
alaskahiatt
Audiophile

Posts: 7508
Joined: December 9, 2000
Contributor
  Since: November 1, 2005
 Is there any way to take a picture, even using a microscope?

I have occasionally had hard white specks lodge themselves tightly in the groove, as they must have been the same width as the groove. If my finger nail doesn't work, I use a wooden toothpick to remove the specks.

Often, small organic material sticks to the record surface. However, I cannot use an organic solvent to remove them, as the solvent also dissolves the vinyl PVC. Once after a garage sale , I discovered after getting home that white paint splatter was on the record surface. There is nothing that can be done for the reason described above.

It sounds like you already tried a water based cleaning solution, and that didn't work. Other than diluted alcohol, I cannot think of any other solvent to use that wouldn't hurt the record.

 

the speck is gone now, posted on June 25, 2022 at 02:42:39
Story
Audiophile

Posts: 10457
Location: NJ
Joined: December 11, 2000
 it took a couple days of soaking it, first with Last cleaner, then with Last preservative - it was all I had. It still wouldn't budge so I used a brush from an old Watts 'Preener' and a bit of gentle scrubbing - just a bit. It finally came off and I did my best to clean the record with a short hair carbon fiber Decca Brush to finish it off. It was now gone and did not have any damage to the groove playing normally. It was a challenge for sure

If it had been between songs or a quiet passage it might be a different story



 

Becareful what you wish for ..., posted on June 23, 2022 at 11:42:45
13th Duke of Wymbourne
Audiophile

Posts: 2800
Location: Orange Co., Ca
Joined: September 19, 2001
 Everything you wanted to know about cleaning vinyl is at the link.
I might try the chemicals and regime suggested for discs that remain crackly after my simple wash then rinse using an RCM.

If you've ever worried you're an obsessive this may make you feel better about yourself because I bet you're not as obsessive as this guy!

 

RE: Becareful what you wish for ..., posted on June 25, 2022 at 08:59:28
Cpwill
Audiophile

Posts: 1096
Location: DC
Joined: December 22, 2003
Contributor
  Since: October 24, 2008
 Wow, was the author toilet trained prenatally?

Ciao,




"Anyone who understands jazz knows that you can't understand it. It's too complicated. That's what's so simple about it." - Yogi Berra.

Cpwill

 

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