Ultrasonic record cleaners

@dogberry,

The book addresses Degas as follows:

XIV.2.1 Dissolved Gases & Degas: Fluids exposed to air will absorb air and the solubility of air in water is inversely proportional with temperature and can decrease by about 25% between 20°C/68°F and 40°C/104°F. Air that is dissolved in the fluid will interfere with cavitation. As the cavitation bubble forms, the dissolved air in the fluid migrates into the cavitation bubble preventing maximum cavitation intensity when the cavitation bubble collapses. The degas process operates the ultrasonics with a tank of fresh liquid to remove some or most of the dissolved air. Degas efficiency is dependent on frequency, power and volume. Low frequency 40-kHz and less can take 30 minutes or more to fully degas a large tank, while 80 kHz and greater can accomplish degas in as little as 5 minutes. During the degas process, bubbles may be seen rising in the fluid; the fluid may go from cloudy to clear; there may be a change in sound; and the surface can change to smooth with just a slight rippling effect caused by the ultrasonics.

The book does not state to degas each day if using the same bath although it is implied with the first sentence above. If the book is ever revised, XIV.2.1 will be revised to be more explicit.

With the Tiger Cloth, I have made a recent discovery that is not a concern, but as it is inquired about, it may be relevant.

The Tiger Cloth has now been used as Neil Described on approx' 70ish Albums.   The DIW Rinse is carried out with Pressurised Bottle with a Jet Nozzle, it does work sufficiently as a Blast Rinse. 

I too leave the T'cloth out to air dry and then in a sealed bag to store it.

Recently I purchased a Camera Lens that I have put through the wringer of learning its qualities over the past few months and only a few days ago decided to give the Front Protection Filter a Clean. My thoughts went to the Tiger Cloth which I utilised.

The cleaning was not successful for the Lens with the Tiger Cloth, as there was a new produced smearing showing on the lens filter that was remaining. I had to use my usual method that is a Lens Fluid Cleaner and Lint Free Paper Towels to clean the Lens to the standard usually achieved.

As said, this is not a concern, as I genuinely don't see the T'cloth as causing any cleaning issues with the Vinyl Lp's, it is very efficient at absorbing the thin film of DIW following a rinse and Sponging Dry.

 What the T'cloth is most likely also collecting, is a very miniscule quantity of a Solution, and after 70ish uses has enough contained in the proportion of the Cloth I used on the Lens to be detected on the Glass. 

Prior to using the T'cloth on a Lens in the future, I will soak it overnight in a distilled water and when dry, try it on a Lens to see if the smearing has ceased from occurring.    

@pindac,

When you cleaned the camera lens did you use the tiger-cloth dry, or did you use your lens cleaning solution and try to dry with the tiger-cloth? 

When you use sponge & tiger-cloth for record drying, do you wear gloves?  

What specific sponge are you using?  How do you get the water out of the sponge after use and how do you store it?

In between cleaning steps, do you rinse/dry your free-hand (that works the brush) a little which will pick up some cleaning agent?  I have a lint-free microfiber cloth that I hang and grab it with my free-hand to somewhat dry it between steps to minimize cleaner carryover noting that when I go to dry with the sponge, it's the same free hand that was working the brush with the cleaners. 

The tiger-cloth is not very absorbent - so if used with a lens cleaning solution, it may not remove the lens cleaning solution enough to prevent leaving a residue.  If used dry it could just smear what was on the lens.

Again, for record drying, the tiger-cloth is not used to dry the record.  Instead, it takes the water left behind by the PVA sponge and absorbs some (but not much), but mostly it spread outs the water to a thin uniform film which then dries quickly.  Otherwise, water droplets can take over an hour to dry.  

After cleaning six records - my PVA sponge is very wet (I just ring-it out) but the Tiger-cloth is barely damp.  

In the meantime, I have used the same tiger-cloth as I address in the book over 500-times w/o problems.  Any haze is readily evident on the lead-in groove and the dead-wax (run-out) areas.  I have contaminated a PVA sponge and the haze was evident - I tossed it (reproposed for floor cleaning) and got a new one.  

I do wear Gloves during cleaning and sleeving the dried LPs.

I do not wear Gloves whilst assembling or putting the cleaning items away.

I have a batch of Sponges, and as I only Clean Six LPs in one session as the average, the sponges absorb hardly any water as a new one is used for an LP.

A Sponge might get used on a second occasion if I run out of Dry Sponges, when an additional LP is to be cleaned but this is rare now, the habit is for six

The Lens was dry when the T'cloth was used to clean the Protective Filter.

As said, I do not view this as a concern for the process of cleaning a LP, unless there is something to be added as a contribution that would identify it as a condition present that is of a concern.    

It is really something, the formulas and recipes that sounded like a good idea at the time. Best left in this case to a chemist who understands the chemical makeup of that which is to be cleaned, using the safest and most effective products.

 Then let's take to another microscopically delicate area, the stylus, and pull out a razor sharp blade to whittle of chunks of burned on dirt. Don't worry, it's a diamond, you can't hurt it. Where's my Mr. Clean magic eraser? You have an added benefit if you own a unipivot tonearm. Take it off the TT, and hold it tight between yer knees. Now you can really wreak havoc on grime.

 That's how it's done in the clean room boys.