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Rushton's DIY approach to ultrasonic record cleaning published by Positive Feedback

Over the past several months I’ve invested a fair amount of time exploring ultrasonic cleaning because I’ve fallen way too far behind in my record cleaning. With over 6000 LPs, I needed a faster way to clean than my trusted multi-step manual wet/vac cleaning process. That manual process got the best results I’ve ever found, but I was not keeping up with my collection and it is just painful to me to play a record that I’ve not cleaned.

In exploring ultrasonic cleaning, my hope was to find that I could complete multiple LPs in a single US cleaning cycle and greatly speed up my rate of cleaning records. My goals were to FIRST do no harm and then SECOND see how close I could get to the results of my manual cleaning regimen.

My past experiences with ultrasonic cleaning demonstrations were completely underwhelming. What I heard did not approach the excellence I was achieving with my multi-step wet/vac cleaning regimen.

What I’ve learned, and now apply in my new ultrasonic cleaning regimen, are multiple elements to the cleaning process that must be used in combination to achieve the best possible results. And these results have far exceeded my expectations.

I’d thought of posting here on Audiogon the summary of what I’ve learned and am now applying as my new record cleaning regimen, but the inability to post images and to apply formatting here caused me to send my summary to David Robinson at Positive Feedback who has graciously published my comments as a guest essay. Please read that essay, and then come back here to Audiogon with comments and to share your experiences:

http://positive-feedback.com/audio-discourse/rushton-paul-diy-approach-ultrasonic-cleaning-lps/


I look forward to some further discussion and sharing of experiences.

.


128x128rushton
sbank's avatar
sbank
3,379 posts
 
So Rush's writeup and this thread have me jumping into the ultrasonic pool(or is that bath?). Over the last week I ordered a 40hz 10L tank, vinyl stack(4) and the chemicals suggested. My plan is to follow Rush's process with one exception...

I'm at the low end of the budget pool and have sold off my VPI 16.5 so now I will be looking for a low cost method for vacuuming off the water/ethanol rinses. Just ordered the suggested vacuum wand from squeakycleanvinyl.com to attach to my Shopvac. The open question is for a rotating platter to use while vacuuming.

Searches led me to a DIY manual solution where a soft foam cushion grid is glued to a wooden "lazy susan". A threaded spindle or equivalent is mounted in the center with an easy grip large knob threaded on top. Probably very easy to make and ~$20 total cost. Main downside, manually spinning could get tedious if doing a large # LPs in a session. One user said he liked the manual control better than machine rotation. 

A small brainstorm leads me to this question. Would a vintage turntable that offers 16rpm speed option provide appropriate torque to serve as a rotating platter for vacuuming? Any suggestions of one brand or another that is more likely to reliably spin and suit the need? Craigslist etc. often have vintage tables for under $20, often because they have broken tonearms or need new stylus. Some of these old guys look pretty neat and if they have enough torque could make an interesting, quirky way to get the job done. 

Other suggestions on skinning this sub-topic? Cheers,
Spencer

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rushton's avatar
rushton OP
2,445 posts
 
@sbank , congratulations on diving into the pool (er, tank). For something to spin your records while using that vacuum wand, I like your idea of using a vintage turntable with 16rpm speed. But you can probably  change the ratios of any belt drive or puck drive junker turntable you find at Goodwill with a bit of ingenuity since you don't have to worry about rumble or speed accuracy. The trick is to find one with a spindle that can accommodate a friction fit or screw on clamp. Then place a 1 1/2"-3" diameter o-ring around the spindle so you're floating the record above the surface of the platter and you're good to go. 

I'm hesitant about the full surface cushion because you're transferring wetness from one side to the other of your just cleaned/dried vinyl. On my VPI RCM, I'm floating my LPs on o-rings so they don't rest on the mat and have been doing this for 10 years.
dgarretson
2,599 posts
 

Spencer, I think you'll find that once you arrive at the correct chemistry, the LP comes out of the bath dry except for the immersed portion.  A quick swipe with the Vinyl stack microfiber cloth clears 95% of moisture from that section, after which the record will air dry in a few minutes.

I still have my VPI 16.5 and have experimented with it to vacuum off ultrasonically cleaned LPs.  The problem is that since the record has two wet sides, the foam mat on the 16.5 will pick up moisture that transfers to the dry side when the LP is flipped.  For awhile I used an old Ringmat II with thin cork strips on top of the 16.5 platter to minimize the re-wetting of the LP, but the microfiber cloth is simpler and works just as well.      

bcowen
68 posts
 
I'm using the elegant and highly engineered dustcover from my Nottingham 'table, which consists of a grooveless LP with a Nott' logo on it  :)  Place that on the VPI platter with the wet side of the just cleaned record on it, and remove it when I flip the LP over.  One swipe with a cloth dries it off and it's ready for the next one.  And when I'm done cleaning, it goes back on the Nottingham. The extra thickness doesn't seem to hinder the vacuum action on the VPI.
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