@whart When I purchased the Disc Doctor system for my VPI 16.5 (30 years old) from Tom Port of Better Records, I was told to use separate wands for DD and washing/rinsing as well as separate brushes. I use either RO or distilled water for the rinses.
One-stop solution for vacuum record cleaner?
I use my VPI-17 vacuum record cleaner with only water in it to rinse and suck up debris and dust. Always do serious cleaning by hand, using disc-doctor record wash, but it is so labor-intensive I rarely do it. Never tried the Disc Doctor concentrate, not wanting to contaminate the device irretrievably. Is there a good cleaner one could use in the VPI as a one-stop solution, for records that only need light cleaning, that cleans better than pure water but wouldn’t leave a residue?
- ...
- 9 posts total
@audiodwebe, looking at some of my old threads - I did take your advice and ordered L'Art Du Son. |
L'Art Du Son leaves a residue of the wrong kind and requires rincing. Wash a clean mirror with it and see what you get. Not all residue is bad. There are anti static chemicals that leave the finest film that totally halt the formation of static electricity and they do not collect on the stylus which is the key test. If you have a lump of gue on your stylus after 5 sides you have a problem. It also helps to use a solvent mix with a high vapor pressure. A mixture of 25% ethanol in distilled water is perfect. It speeds drying, cleaning and only needs a few drops of surfactant to distribute the solvent evenly. I have soaked records in 100% denatured alcohol for weeks at a time and the records suffered no damage whatsoever. I have also soaked records in brake cleaning fluid with the same results. Records are remarkable tolerant with the exception of mechanical abrasion which every vinyl spinner knows from experience. There are no chemicals on the surface of the record that a solvent can remove. All additives, which maybe account for 2% of the mix are evenly distributed throughout the vinyl and can not be removed. |
- 9 posts total