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Build-up on stylus - any new cures?

Hi, I run a restored TD-124 and SME 3009 series II, a Shure V-15 III, and a JICO SAS stylus. The last record or two I played sounded a bit off and I wondered whether I had managed to wear out the stylus. Using a pocket microscope I bought for this, I was able to see that the stylus tip still has good "shoulders," so that much is good. However, it has an astonishing amount of sparkly white build-up around the diamond.

There is a thread on here from 2014 with good advice, and I've used slices from a magic eraser for some years now, occasionally with alcohol. Usually I clean the stylus every other record side with a dry ME. Any new thoughts on removing this junk?
One 2014 poster suggested gently dragging the stylus on the ME back to front. I have never done that but would like to hear if anyone thinks that is safe for the tip? Hopefully there is an inexpensive solution, thanks!
mixermarkwilliams
mixermarkwilliams OP
14 posts
 
Thanks, I'll add LP9 to my growing collection of stylus cleaning stuff, I appreciate it.
As to what I use for cleaning, it's the humble Spin-Clean. I always use the prescribed amount of surfactant, not washing a record until it seems well distributed in the distilled water. I suppose it could be leaving deposits on the discs, though I haven't seen any mention of this before.
mixermarkwilliams OP
14 posts
 
Any thoughts on ultrasonic cleaners? My wife has one suitable for jewelry. There are also those Flux HiFi Sonic devices that purport to employ some not-so-ultra frequencies.
arcticdeth's avatar
arcticdeth
1,572 posts
 
We wipe the stylus forward (towards me) with the little Ortofon round brush.
 No grooveglide used , although, it does make,records last longer.
grooveglide only on the rare records!

  Stuff really kills pops & hiss from speakers. Don’t use at all anymore, %70:of my records have been put to my computer via technics sl1200mkII WITH the Ortofon Arkiv Concorde, and for the records that sound thin, less bass, I put on the nightclub II Concorde to put to my hard drive before cleaning a,bit with audiolab 3.0, then burn to CDs. 


I clean in the sink with Ivory mild soap and a painters corner brush. Then on a dry towel, and vacuum with my shop vac with felt pads I stuck to the underside of the attachment. Works a dream!
arcticdeth's avatar
arcticdeth
1,572 posts
 
https://www.amazon.com/Turntable-Lab-Audiosetup-Carbon-Stylus/dp/B01LOJMZ3K/ref=asc_df_B01LOJMZ3K/?t...


 Have a few of these. The Ortofon ones. Any brand will do. 
 Ortofon sent me 2 of these when my X5-mc cantilever broke off years back. 
mixermarkwilliams OP
14 posts
 
Thanks! I have brushes, magic erasers, and various things. I read that the SAS styli just scoop up stuff and the tip now looks like it is inside a micro snow ball with the just the very tip of the diamond protruding. An ultrasonic jewelry cleaner may be the next attempt.
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