RRL Cleaner, Vinyl Zyme, and Groove Glide

4yanx I couldn't remember where I read the first time! Sorry to steal your thunder.

To he original poster - It's my understanding that Brian @ RRL has access to higher purity water than most of us can get our hands on. Hence my reference to 4yanx's comment of gargling with pepsi.

For the one who are interested in how good the removal of our machine is, here is a link :

http://www.purewaterinc.com/html/frequently_asked_questions.htm

Go to the 'Can I see Lab test results for your distillers?' section where you can download a PDF with the lab test results.

Back to the topic. As I do not own a RCM yet, what am I supposed to do with the RRL ? At the moment I apply 3-4 drops on a DiscDoctor brush. Wipe it in the LP. Wipe it off with a soft cloth. Than I wipe with another DD brush distilled water on the LP. Wipe it off with another cloth. Let it dry. Clean it with a carbon fiber brush and put it in a new sleeve. Should I skip the distilled water part ? As I do not have a vacuum should I just wipe the RRL off or let it dry ? I used before DD with the same technique, but was not satisfied with the result.As I just stared with vinyl, after 20 years absence, I appreciate some help here.
Thanks.

Styx,
Regardless of what cleaning solution you use, removing contaminated solutions from the record before they evaporate is essential. Otherwise, when the liquid evaporates all the gunk that it's holding in suspension ends up right back in the grooves.

In fact, I'd say that a liquid + DD brush procedure without vacuuming is worse than no procedure at all. You're breaking the dirt and contaminants down into smaller pieces and spreading them evenly around the record, making it easier for them to lodge deeply in the grooves. They'll be much harder to dissolve or suspend the next time. It's easier to pick up a lump of coal than a layer of coal dust.

If you can't afford a new RCM there are plenty of threads here and even more on Vinyl Asylum about how to DIY one. Most DIY RCM's cost under $100. Any vacuuming is better than none. I used to use a $25 Shop Vac from Walmart. Served me well for nearly a year before I got my RCM.

Doug,

I did create the DIY RCM but had some problems. The 'machine' was finished the velvet nicely lined up on the crevice tool. Than I used it with our house vacuum system, I shouldn't have done this. First the vacuum sucked the velvet in. Velvet gone. Than it sucked the record from the table. I used an old record for testing of course. That is one of the main problem. Even with a small vacuum it does suck the record up. First I have to find a weak vacuum. I almost feel like Gyro Gearloose. Thanks for the help.

Styx: A simple solution is to install some type of adjustable pressure relief valve into the vacuum system. This will allow you to achieve the highest levels of suction without actually lifting the disc off of the platter. If you don't want to get fancy, you can simply drill a hole in the vacuum hose or a plastic fitting and cover part of it with your finger. By varying how much air is sucked through the "controlled leak", you'll vary the amount of air ( suction ) at the disc. This allows you to adjust for the weight of the disc, as some discs are noticeably heavier and can sustain higher levels of suction whereas others are very light and flimsy and want to get pulled up very easily. If you have enough hose / fittings to experiment with, you might be able to find just the right sized "bleeder hole" i.e. a happy medium for all discs without the need for manual manipulation to regulate the suction. Sean
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