Wicked cool vinyl cleaning brush

steveinaz

Not new by any means, but maybe unknown to some; paint pads---the microfiber type for doing trim. You can feel it tracking the grooves, like a train on the tracks.

I've been piddling around, because I can't order the TT yet, due to the fact that a new wall mount plasma will be needed first, to free space on the rack. (Don't you love this hobby?). Sooooo....I've been playing with homebrew record cleaners (25%--99% alcohol/75% distilled water) and various cleaning tools on a bummed up "victim" album, to test results. I started out using a microfiber towel to clean with, then drying with a 2nd towel. Works well, but I don't think the gooves were getting much love. So I decided to try the subject painters pad. It seems to work very well. It does drop a hair or 2, but these are easily wiped away with the drying towel.

The pad dries quickly, and has padding behind the micofiber brush---a whopping $5.35! The holder for the pad has a convenient handle of sorts--actually where you screw in your extension handle. Pretty cool.

I can hear you already "Steve, you cheap F**k, buy an RCM, it's better." Yeah, yeah...lemme just hand you my wallet, and let you go to town. RCM? Maybe in the future, baby steps.--OH WAIT...I could ask Sal to buy it for me. awesome.

Tony M

That painting thing does have what could be some good scrubbing and removal qualities to it. I'll try it one day.

Thanks for the tip.

steveinaz

It really grabs those grooves, and is plenty soft. I just used moderate to light pressure. Make sure it's the microfiber type, replacement pads were like $3.85--schweet right?

jimmydep

I use the 3" paint brush method, but I'm sure the pad works as well.

madmax

Steve, you cheap F**k, buy an RCM, it's better! I would not still be into vinyl had I not got the VPI cleaner. The more you handle vinyl the more damage is done.

hearingimpared

Good stuff Steve!!! How is it with static?


Chuck you crack me up!

steveinaz

I haven't noticed any problem with it creating static--but static is a definite issue in Southern Arizona, with 13% humidity.

My record jackets arrive today so I can finally get cleaning on the GG purchased albums.

hearingimpared

steveinaz wrote: »

I haven't noticed any problem with it creating static--but static is a definite issue in Southern Arizona, with 13% humidity.

My record jackets arrive today so I can finally get cleaning on the GG purchased albums.

Do you think it kills static Steve?

thsmith

Steve, I have plenty Triton X-114 surfactant if you would like some to add to your homebrew. Just shoot a PM with your snail mail address. I use a similiar solution with 3-4 drops of the triton.

steveinaz

hearingimpared wrote: »

Do you think it kills static Steve?

I don't know?

steveinaz

thsmith wrote: »

Steve, I have plenty Triton X-114 surfactant if you would like some to add to your homebrew. Just shoot a PM with your snail mail address. I use a similiar solution with 3-4 drops of the triton.

Appreciate the offer, but I've got some coming...thanks though.

ben62670

I use steel wool and Borax.

steveinaz

Is the borax for stabilizing pH? (A little swimming pool humor).

steveinaz

My method is to lay the LP on a microfiber towel, sprinkle with alcohol/distilled water*, use the paint pad to push the fluid around; wipe dry with another mf towel. Seems to work real well.

*1 part 99% Isopropol alcohol, 3 parts distilled water

I have been debatiing adding a drop of dawn....

gimpod

ben62670 wrote: »

I use steel wool and Borax.

That's too much work. This is what I use

vmaxer

gimpod wrote: »

That's too much work. This is what I use

Probably quicker than the VPI:eek:

jimmydep

The VPI rcm is the way to go, I just have to sell it to my wife. She can't understand why I spend so much time cleaning my records and cant find time to squirt a little Lysol into the toilet and brush it down.

gimpod

vmaxer wrote: »

Probably quicker than the VPI:eek:

Sure is but they sound a little dull afterwords but they sure is clean. :rolleyes:

doctorcilantro

All good. You are on the path. I used to use a 1.5 mini-shop vac with microbfiber fitted to a special nozzle. Then had a deconstructoned cheap Marantz TT shell for spinning and washing by hand with some nylon Nitty Gritty brushes.

...those were the days.

nuthin wrong with paying yer dues to the vinyl gods....:biggrin:

steveinaz wrote: »

Not new by any means, but maybe unknown to some; paint pads---the microfiber type for doing trim. You can feel it tracking the grooves, like a train on the tracks.

I've been piddling around, because I can't order the TT yet, due to the fact that a new wall mount plasma will be needed first, to free space on the rack. (Don't you love this hobby?). Sooooo....I've been playing with homebrew record cleaners (25%--99% alcohol/75% distilled water) and various cleaning tools on a bummed up "victim" album, to test results. I started out using a microfiber towel to clean with, then drying with a 2nd towel. Works well, but I don't think the gooves were getting much love. So I decided to try the subject painters pad. It seems to work very well. It does drop a hair or 2, but these are easily wiped away with the drying towel.

The pad dries quickly, and has padding behind the micofiber brush---a whopping $5.35! The holder for the pad has a convenient handle of sorts--actually where you screw in your extension handle. Pretty cool.

I can hear you already "Steve, you cheap F**k, buy an RCM, it's better." Yeah, yeah...lemme just hand you my wallet, and let you go to town. RCM? Maybe in the future, baby steps.--OH WAIT...I could ask Sal to buy it for me. awesome.

moggi1964

Wood glue: awesome results and if I screw up I get some really unique looking Frisbees!

dkg999

After you scrub with the paint pad, and prior to wiping with the microfibre towel, take another spray bottle with distilled water and a few drops of the Triton in it and use it to spray and wash all the cleaning fluid off, then wipe with the towel. I found that made the single biggest improvement in getting the gunk you've suspended in the cleaning fluid off the LP.

Tour2ma

Two problems with the microfiber pads'/ cloths' brissels: too short and too rigid (kinda two sides of the same coin).

For manual cleaning Cecil Watts wrote the book(let)... literally... and supplied tools that set the standard in the 70's... and still more than hold their own today.

For wet, deep cleaning Watts' Record Brush (on the left) had hundreds of long, thin (0.025" diameter) monofilaments that were (and this was his beautifully simple twist) angle cut to allow them to reach all the way to the bottom of the groove with very light pressure. This, combined with their length, assured that they conformed to not only the contour of the groove (your traintrack), but also, and more importantly, to the contours within the groove. Microfiber pads fall short on this last, critical point. Yet the filaments were not so long that they folded over as a paint brush's brissels will.

The Watts' Parostatic Disc Preener (middle in the pic) was a microfiber wrapped tube used for dry removal of surface dust just prior to play. Wide enough to span the grooved radius of an LP, you simply fired up your TT and (here was the Preener's trick) counter rotated it against the direction of the record rotation. Touch had to be light to avoid bogging down your TT's drive. Counter-rotation lifted dust off the surface. And as a kicker the tube was hollow with a sleeved sponge insert. Dampening the sponge provided some anti-static function, but not much.

Watts had a third piece (2nd pic) called a Dustbug. It rode the LP during play to sweep up dust attracted to the LP during play (vinyl spinning at 33 rpm generates static electricity).

The third piece shown in the first pic is an old Audioquest imitator.

I still have my original, three-piece Watts' care, and was fortunate a few years ago to find NOS replacements on ebay. I still use the Preener as needed and the Dustbug routinely. For normal, wet cleaning my Nitty Gritty is more than adequate, but if I pull an old LP from my youth or a Goodwill buy that is extra dirty, out comes Cecil's brush for a prewash at the sink. Had I gone the VPI route, I'd regularly use the brush.


Picture borrowed from AudioAsylum post.

Picture borrowed from worthpoint.com.

TroyD

The Watts Preener is the shiznit.

BDT

hearingimpared

It sure is!!! I wish I hadn't given mine away years ago.

Bruce I'm damned glad to see you back Brother!!!

Bruce click here for a great laugh provided by Dave (Demi)!

http://i274.photobucket.com/albums/jj268/jarmideo/santapolk1.jpg

gidrah

Tour2Ma? Wow! I've missed you buddy.

Steve - Until I can find a RCM that is both more convenient and economical I will continue to use a fabric steamer that I bought from the thrift store and microfibre towels I buy from the $1 store.

SCompRacer

Tour2ma wrote: »

Watts had a third piece (2nd pic) called a Dustbug.

I still have my Dustbug...not the brushes though.

IIRC, you moistened the fine brush that contacted the LP with the magic liquid..just to get it damp. Some folks would run a wire from near the brush and drain the static to a ground.

hearingimpared

I would like to give this one a try;

http://store.acousticsounds.com/d/70875?store=acousticsounds&keywords=NL122710

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Check out these RCMs from the same manufacturer;

http://store.acousticsounds.com/d/70870?store=acousticsounds&keywords=NL122710

http://store.acousticsounds.com/d/70869?store=acousticsounds&keywords=NL122710

Compared to other brushes and RCMs these seem rather reasonably priced.