Steam cleaning records 2

In short, you and Crem are getting a divorce.

Kipdent using my 16.5 for the time i've been steaming there has been no visual or mechanical errors noted to the unit. I do line the inside that takes the steam blast with paper towels.

When i started steaming i was using padded brushes. The difference in playback when i switched to VPIs 17f brushes was much quieter vinyl. I picked up some older blues lps not long ago and used my steaming method on them these lps were moldy, dirty and just in bad shape. Now playback of these lps is nothing short of amazing.

I'm not sure but maybe you might be missing some of the grooves or possibly not having the steam spray close enough while scrubbing with your brush to get all of the grunge out. In any case if steaming is not for you good luck in your new methods.

Best of luck with your vinyl and enjoy the music.
Mike

Should you fail to appreciate record steaming , thats ok. You try once , you screw up & expect instant gradification, what a group. You have a right to expect clicks & pops and I strongly recommend you spend 2K-10K for a record cleaning machine. It might help. But, who knows the results you will enjoy from the expense. Because your collection maybe fraught with prior owner abuse or manufacturing problems. Just because that dosen't go away, don't blame anyone but your self. The alternative, give your vinyl away. We thank you. I buy many "rejects" for nothing only to enjoy sonic benefits far beyond what others believed possible. As for the frauds your future is imbeded with the fact , you are just that frauds.

Hi Kipdent
what your are telling is practically a 1 for 1 story I could relate (Just not in the very lucid and detailed description of yours)

You mention 'stubborn' particles causing pops or ticks. For the ones raised above the groove surface I found also no other method than by using a finger nail (as gently as possible). I use a Hannl MERA, which does a very good job but it can not always get rid of those.

As far as cavitation and the steam cleaning goes, I really do not want to start some scientific 'side thread' on this. As an ex-wind surfer and water sports person I am very familiar with this phenomena -- check under spin-out...
My point, steam is expanded water i.e. of lesser density, it is the same as in water, when due to high surface speeds water under suction (close to vacuum) creates a 'steam bubble'. Water CAN boil at room temperature if you simply lower the pressure, the same principal used in the 'steam cleaner'. It is the sudden collapse / contraction of these tiny steam/vacuum bubbles that affect the surface they are imploding on. It lifts off particles in the extremely fast and millions of times over and over repeated process of bubble implosions. This is the steam cleaners action, not high temperature (its actually pretty cool) or jet pressure or what ever.

There you have it, now go argue some more.
Steam cleaning works, no doubt, but I have my reservations about it, and it is very messy. Not my idea of efficient record cleaning.

A last point for Kipdent and the 'irremovable' tick (it is seldom a pop). If it is a POP, you find 9/10 some VERY HEAVY VTF cart stylus was dropped from some height, creating a usually round indent, effecting 2 - 3 grooves. Can't do a thing here i.e. irreparable damage.
Next, the small ticks and also more continuous crackle or groove noise. I had some of these, and then some. More often, if not all, are pretty hard vinyl of some vintage. 'Mercuries' and 'Turnabout' come to mind again. The more you clean, the worse they sound. It is my contention that these are simply signs of groove disintegration / break-up, the groove is 'chipped out' and gets more chipped out by repeated cleaning efforts --- steam cleaning should truly give them the rest and clean them beyond listening.

Greetings,
Axel