Marco's cleaning process with new vinyl, using an RCM

by gum, this vinyl business is a lark...

I've never had much time for carbon brushes - the sort one holds on the disc while it spins before a play etc, always finding they add static rather than otherwise...., as well as doing a poor job of actually getting the dust they collect actually 'off' the disc surface...

I recently came across the advice of grounding the brush to the spindle as you take it off and I must admit that does seem to work better ... but having been testing such techniques with a new disc (fairly dodgy pressing of Minstrel in the Gallery, but that's another story), I'm appalled by the 'micro-abrasions' (to be honest, they don't look that 'micro!) left in the two areas I'd used the brush (right across one radius of the grooves of course).
The brush I have is a no-name one, and the bristles do seem stiffer than some (deram?) that I've had in the past ... but even so, I won't be doing that again.

found a (bad-tempered and inconclusive, as per...) thread on it here:

http://forums.stevehoffman.tv/thread....281574/page-6


what particularly irks me is that I've just bought (delivered) one of these:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/css/orde...ya_st_oh_crumb

I've had these on the past, and they do at least work in the terms of collecting dust ahead of the stylus, and the idea of a grounding cable always appeals (can't remember if it seemed to work in the past or not!) ... but now I don't know whether to use it or not. On the face of it, it would be daft after what I've seen using a brush.
I will try and get a pic or two of the 'scratches' when I can.

Any comments / advice much appreciated as ever.

Marc

(btw, should this really be a new thread? if a passing mod thinks so, and is able to oblige, that would be great)

I use stiff nail brush on some bad ones and it doesnt scratch if used right way so you shouldn't cause any marks with a fibre one if you do it right. Dusting a clean one i put it on turntable and spin it .lay brush on and work in to label to spindle then lift..usually not much there if its been cleaned and anti staticed at last use or clean.. The antistatic pistols are good to reinforce what your cleaning solution should do static wise

thanks Struth.
this brush I mention does seem on the 'stiff' side for carbon fibre ... as I say I'll try and get a piccy or two up at some point. Although you have to get the light 'right' to see the marks, once you do, they certainly aint subtle...

the dustbug I mention is much less likely to cause trouble I would hope, if balanced correctly... but then again ... :scratch:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by struth

I use stiff nail brush on some bad ones and it doesnt scratch if used right way so you shouldn't cause any marks with a fibre one if you do it right. Dusting a clean one i put it on turntable and spin it .lay brush on and work in to label to spindle then lift..usually not much there if its been cleaned and anti staticed at last use or clean.. The antistatic pistols are good to reinforce what your cleaning solution should do static wise

---

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Slippershod

details on who you buy from please, Gary?
Lots of suppliers / prices on ebay, but unclear as to how well 'distilled' their product is....

---

Off the bay mate. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Distilled-...kAAOSwFNZWxOq4 This product tells how the water is distilled:
•Pretreated through carbon filters
•Softened by Water Softener
•Pre-purified via Reverse Osmosis System
•Distilled (Glass)
•Treated with UV Ultraviolet High Intensity Light
•Filtered through 0.2 Micron Microbial Particulate System
•Polished

I have found this stuff excellent and now less than £14 delivered, you can't go wrong.

thanks a lot, Gary. I'll give 'em a go.

(mind you, after all of that, I'm surprised there's any water left at all :eek: !)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by AudioFreak

....
•Polished
....

---

How do you accomplish that? ;)

Tin of polish lol

Think it's like a filtration chamber use them in wine making. Can be done with a chemical in water that falls to bottom and taking small partials with it

http://i1135.photobucket.com/albums/...d/DSCN1530.jpg

hope that's showing - ages since I linked a photo...

assuming it is: this photo shows the marks I mentioned caused by (my attempt at) 'standard' use of a carbon fibre brush - and I have to say - it can be very difficult to see them, depending on light and angle of disc.
feel free to dismiss it as no more than evidence of my cack-handedness, but it's certainly given me pause for thought in terms of using any kind of carbon fibre brush now.

As mentioned, Ive got one of those carbon-fibre brushed dustbugs, but am thinking of sticking a sable-haired one onto it instead - I seem to have countered static by spraying water with an atomiser in the area around my deck ...

are you brushing across the grooves? i always brush diagonally outwards

that's what I used to do - but came across advice (youtube vid I think) which said you should move the brush directly off in a quick movement to the side ... you can see how well it worked :rolleyes:

I haven't tested methodically yet to see if these 'scratches' are audible (working up to actually cleaning the disc again, first!)