Wet record cleaning

[ebmetec]

Hi, as you can see I'm a very new member so I hope I have put this in the right section. I have built a basic record cleaning machine which consists of a Goldring GL68 turntable and an old medical grade suction pump. The pick up is fitted with 2 small plastic tubes, one to suck up the liquid from the record and the other one to supply cotton to the suction head so that the suction head is kept off of the surface of the record. Running the turntable at around 70/80 rpm and me guiding the tone arm across the surface of the record from the outer edge slowly moving towards the center. It works quite well and the "clean" records are greatly improved. What I would like to hear from you is ideas to motorize the tome arm and also to automate the cotton feed. So if any member has built their own record cleaning machine I would like to hear from you, or if you have taken a different approach, I would love to hear from you.

Cheers Chris.

[The Grand Wazoo]

I don't think I can help you with your questions, but I reckon we'd all love to see some photos!

[struth]

I bought one I am afraid.....I considered making one many times after seeing the prices but in the end bit the bullet and coughed up.....have to say t works very well and the difference is astonishing...

Good luck with your efforts and would also like to see some pics...

[nat8808]

You've obviously copied the Keith Monk's / Loricraft cleaning machines? (if not, then well done for coming up with the same idea! ).

The Keith Monks has a motor slowly supplying the nylon thread (NOT cotton - I guess the cotton could leave minute lint) from below the top. The thread goes up from the pivot of the suction arm, along the arm, comes out near the suckion head and then gets sucked up. The motor ensures the nylon is a bit slack so that it gets sucked up easily enough.

I think the motor turns fairly slowly like 1 rev per 15 minutes - just uses the nylon thread as a buffer, a kind of skid hence it has to be something that won't fall apart like cotton would.

The suction arm is also motorised and moves across the record at a set speed - don't know what that is though. Probably something very similar considering the small arc it has to follow to complete the record and how slowly it does that.. Google some videos of one in use, time it, work out the percentage of a full turn it does for one record and work out the rpm.

Here's a photo:

http://usr.audioasylum.com/images/1/18503/M1330003.JPG

The two motors use a geared drive to slow the speed down. The one on its side has the thread on it. The other motor drives the large pully under the suction arm - doesn't seem to be the rubber belt in place on this machine. This is a photo of the Gemini , twin deck - I guess the suction arm goes both ways on this (actually, I've just read that on the twin there's a switch to make the suction arm motor go in either direction. The arm starts from the outside and travels inwards on this but on the single machine it starts from the centre and travels outwards)

Here's some more detail from keith Monks:

http://www.keithmonks-rcm.co.uk/features1.html

You can see some photos of the motors. The pulley that moves the suction arm has a hole in the middle so the suction tube and thread can travel up through it.

[Reffc]

Hi, welcome to AoS!

First off, I would say don't bother to automate what you have...difficult to do and not worth the effort.

Having built my own RCM, and tried various methods the most successful was the most simple. Hand apply the cleaning solution, scrub in well using a Mobile Fidelity carbon cleaning pad and use a modified nooks and crannies vacuum nozzle to remove. This has a long slot cut into it, the same width as the LP surface, and each side of the slot are two more carbon brush pads glued into place. The end of the nozzle is blocked off (plug of MDF) but a 3mm hole left for an air bypass to stop the nozzle lifting the LP (!) and to allow an evaporative air flow over the inside of the slot which helps ensure that the LP is dry (it works).

I compared the results with a Keith Monk machine, and the DIY machine/solution were every bit as good. No automation needed. 2 minutes per LP, job done.

[ebmetec]

Hi, thanks for all your replies, I think that on reflection simple is best. I buy records as and when I see something that takes my fancy so I suppose actual cleaning time is not that important, ah well the garden will need attention soon!

Chris.

[nat8808]

Anti-anti-skating ! Pro-skating mechanism is what you want..

With your own machine, could the vacuum arm spin out as per normal skating effects? Would mean some adjustment to downforce of it first or change in friction on the vinyl surface like how the thread is spooled etc. Maybe even just a spring in place or a thread and weight like any ANTI-skating weight but obviously pulling in the opposite direction. You'd have to go from the centre -> the outside.

Remember to use a nylon thread and not cotton or you could end up with minute bits of cotton down the groove after cleaning. The continual releasing of the thread in the Keith Monks machines is to stop both friction heat build up and also dirt on the thread building up and just smearing on the cleaned record surface.

There are a couple of threads on DIYaudio.com where people have made cleaning machines using an ultrasonic cleaning bath instead. Get very good results too. Supposed to get to the heavily engrained dirt that cleaning solutions take a while to break down.

My need for record cleaning came to light a while ago when a car-boot sale copy of What's Goin' On that had a few heavy clicks on it pulled the suspension off an AT OC9 I'd just got with a deck.. obviously the cart was on it's way out anyway but got me thinking that I'll only play unclean vinyl with a cheaper MM cart on a separate deck as I really don't want ingrained dirt pulling and stressing out fancy, expensive MC carts on my main deck!

[ebmetec]

Hi, thank you for the ideas, something to think on. At the moment I'm in the middle of installing a log cabin in the garden which will have it's own HIFI system installed just as soon as it's finished. A place to listen to my music in the summer evenings with glass or two of vino!

Regards
Chris.