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New Hobby Ultrasonic Record Cleaning

Purchased a cheap $199.00 stainless steel digital ultrasonic cleaner with a very nice record cleaning attachment off Amazon and I am having a blast.

This thing is heated, has a timer and an electric motor to rotate the records in the US tank. It is a 6L unit and it is made in China. Seems well built and it cleans records like a much more expensive machine.

I have cleaned a half dozen albums that are 40 plus years old and have only been cleaned with vacuuming machines and this thing is great. The albums I have cleaned sound darn near new and my wife thought I bought another new cartridge or phono pre-amp.

Can not recommend this type of cleaning system enough.

Rediscover those old albums.. if this thing lasts a couple of years I will be a happy dude. 
128x128skypunk
antinn
408 posts
 
@bjw54,

Your process of pre-clean first with a spin-clean (or vacuum RCM or manual in sink) and then final clean with ultrasonic is a time-tested record cleaning process when working with water-based cleaners.  

Large automated industry does essentially the same thing sometimes pre-cleaning with parts-washer and then ultrasonic or they have multi-bay ultrasonic units.  But, essentially, the process is the same:  pre-clean to get the big stuff and then final clean to get the small stuff (that is under the big junk)
skypunk's avatar
skypunk OP
499 posts
 
Great stuff!
@slaw @bjw54 @antinn ....
rajivhifi's avatar
rajivhifi
57 posts
 
Thanks for the link. Seems like a generic design adapted to vinyl cleaning use case per the below review:

https://theaudiophileman.com/record-cleaner-pro-ultrasonic-review/

I have a Pro-ject vacuum cleaning RCM. I wonder how much better this might be of the Pro-ject? 
herman
2,273 posts
 
concerns about heat are unfounded. Currently using one of George Merrills cleaners.

http://hifigem.com/hydraulic-lp-cleaning-apparatusMKII.html

it is a bit messy but if you have a utility sink somewhere like I do it does a fantastic job

After applying the supplied cleaning fluid, I've got enough water pressure that I use hot water from the tap to rinse with a hand sprayer after I blast them with a handheld steam cleaner and never warped a record, even those really thin ones. Try it yourself on a throw away record

there was a lengthy, really lengthy thread, a few years ago about using a steam cleaner... I won't rehash it ... but it works,, something like this which is the one I am currently using

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06XHXFHWG/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o09_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1


slaw's avatar
slaw
22,149 posts
 
I tried.
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