Brush for RCM

[Stratmangler]

Looking for a cheap brush to scrub your LPs prior to vacuuming off the cleaning solution?
I picked a couple of these up at ASDA for around £5.00 for the pair.

http://www.atb-bargains.co.uk/ekmps/shops/atbbargains/images/wilkinson-sword-finest-bristle-shaving-brush-brand-wilkinson-sword-100g.-3228-p.jpg

[Lee Henley]

Looks interesting, how effective are they and have you compared them to anything else?

[Rare Bird]

Flock paint pads, you can get small ones around 4'' square with handle ontop..

[keiths]

I still swear by the KAB 'Discsweep' brush - goat hair and 'Thunderon' anti-static nylon mix with nice short, stiff bristles and an easy to grip handle. About 12quid or so including delivery from the US.

[Marco]

Mmmm..... I prefer something with stiff (reasonably hard) bristles, which you can apply reasonable pressure to, and work deep into the grooves to dislodge any deep-down crud. Those found on a shaving brush are too soft, and also tend to shed after a while and land on the record surface.

For the most effective cleaning, I've yet to find anything better than the brush that came with my VPI 16.5 RCM:


http://img194.imageshack.us/img194/7734/vpibrush.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/194/vpibrush.jpg/)


http://www.lpgear.com/product/VPIE3010.html

You want nice STIFF bristles, in order to do the best job! :exactly:

Marco.

[Rare Bird]

Those paint pads are reasonably hard Marco..

[Marco]

I was going to ask you that, dude, as I couldn't tell from the pics. In that case, cool! :)

The bristles on the VPI brush are made from a kind of nylon/acrylic material, and it really dislodges the most deeply-ingrained crud. Then again, I spend a good 10 mins, or sometimes more, cleaning a record, until it shines like a mirror! ;)

The result is near-silence, in terms of noise, during playback, and a crystal clear sound....

Marco.

[Rare Bird]

I suppose with em being low level you have to be carefull not to catch your LP with the corner..

[chelsea]

I use the brush that comes with the parastat;

http://usr.audioasylum.com/images/0/3036/watts_brush.jpg

[Marco]

Looks a bit soft, Stu?

Marco.

[chelsea]

It is pretty stiff marco.
The ones i was using before were far to soft and felt they were just skimming the surface.

[Marco]

No worries, matey... Yes, for bristles, stiff is important. It's the action of dislodging deeply-ingrained crud, and then sucking said crud cleanly out of the grooves, which separates using an RCM from all other inferior record cleaning methods.

If you're going to just use any old soft floppy thing to apply the cleaning action, which as you say just skims the surface, then it defeats the purpose of using an RCM in the first place!! :exactly:

Marco.

[DaveK]

FWIW I'm with Andre' on this - the paint pads are ideal for this purpose, being fine enough to get into the bottom of any groove, enough of them per square inch to ensure nothing gets missed, soft enough to ensure no mechanical damage is done to the vinyl but, being very short, tend to flex only slightly, i.e. they keep pointing towards the bottom of the groove. Almost made for the purpose :lol: .
Dave.

[JazzBones]

FWIW I'm with Andre' on this - the paint pads are ideal for this purpose, being fine enough to get into the bottom of any groove, enough of them per square inch to ensure nothing gets missed, soft enough to ensure no mechanical damage is done to the vinyl but, being very short, tend to flex only slightly, i.e. they keep pointing towards the bottom of the groove. Almost made for the purpose :lol: .
Dave.

+ me, I'm with you and Andre on this one plus the careful use of steam vapour to help get the crud out first... final procedure, use a good vacuum lift RCM method.

[Marco]

Next time I'm in Homebase, or some such, I'll pick up some paint pads and compare the results of using those, versus my VPI brush, and report my findings here.

I'm all for saving money by utilising a cheap domestic item, but *only* if the job gets done to the same standard as when using a product talior made for the purpose, otherwise it's not worth cutting corners! :exactly:

Marco.

[DaveK]

Marco, I look forward to you posting of your success with the paint pads and then I shall post that, despite my lack of experience of such matters, I have taught Marco something about vinyl audio matters :lol: :ner:

[The Grand Wazoo]

I tried paint pads and didn't like them because I felt they were holding on to too much of the fluid & not getting it onto the disc in sufficient quantity.
I went back to my normal combination of the one that came with the Moth and a Mobile Fidelity one.

[Macca]

It is not so much the brush as how you use it - use plenty of the jollop - the RCM will vacuum it all up, and pay specific attention to the inner grooves and you won't go far wrong.

[Marco]

It is not so much the brush as how you use it - use plenty of the jollop...

Jollop? Wossat then, a new cleaning material I've not heard of, or some quaint lingo you daftees use in Staffs? :eyebrows:

Marco.

[The Grand Wazoo]

Jollop - Generic term for wet schtuff.

[Stratmangler]

Jollop - Generic term for wet schtuff.

I don't think this would leave many records residue free http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=jollop :eyebrows:

[The Grand Wazoo]

Disclaimer:
Other brands of wet schtuff are available!

[Stratmangler]

Disclaimer:
Other brands of wet schtuff are available!

:)

[Marco]

Jollop - Generic term for wet schtuff.

New one on me, now learned :)

Marco.

[AlfaGTV]

http://img194.imageshack.us/img194/7734/vpibrush.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/194/vpibrush.jpg/)

You want nice STIFF bristles, in order to do the best job! :exactly:

Marco.

That kinda looks similar to the Loricraft brush:
http://www.svalander.se/?ma=get_image&id=11846&thumb=1

(Loricraft als have a goat hair version for a tenner more.
I still prefer the one that came with my Okki though, seems to get deeper into the groove! :)

Regards
//Mike