My experience cleaning a Stylus

[ReggieB]

Bolldy hell £80

As I said - expensive, but it is the best I've used.

[struth]

ive one of these..

nagaoka

[Mike Reed]

I stopped using my dustbuster as I wasn't quite sure about how it pulled the cantilever as it was lifted off plus I am convinced it introduced some gunk (may have been what had been previously deposited).

I too, share your concern about the cantilever being pulled the wrong way, however gentle on extraction you are. I've voiced this a number of times on forums but nobody has adversely commented. One would think, with such a well-known and widely used device (mine's a VP Passion) and a fair history, that the designers/manufacturers would have considered this.

I have a theory that with ally cantilevers, the adverse pressure would be okay, as these are generally on magnets and cheaper m/coils and are probably more rugged. On upmarket boron cantilevers, I'm not so sure. Dust busters are good, and do what they say on the tin (and mine's in a tin!) but I share Martin's concern, so rarely use it.

[martinswimmer]

I clean the stylus with a stiff VDH brush and a drop of alcohol every 2 sides. There's a 20x magnifying glass next to the turntable used to check the stylus before the play. Just today I've received a cartridge I bought on eBay and it was caked in black stuff. i think the main thing is not to let the alcohol seep into the suspension as it softens the rubber.

[p147]

Over the years, experience has taught me to stay clear of the green sandpaper, ultrasonic, gels or putty, I only now use a very fine sable hair artist brush to remove the fluffy stuff and careful use of a magic sponge to remove the more stubborn stuff, and no liquids.

[Barry]

Over the years, experience has taught me to stay clear of the green sandpaper, ultrasonic, gels or putty, I only now use a very fine sable hair artist brush to remove the fluffy stuff and careful use of a magic sponge to remove the more stubborn stuff, and no liquids.

Agreed - some cantilevers (admittedly only used on the cheaper cartridges) take the form of a hollow tube. Capillary action can cause the cleaning fluid to be drawn up into the cartridge body and attack the suspension. This is not a problem with solid boron or gemstone cantilevers, however some stylii are attached to the cantilever with glue, which can be loosened if solvent is used.

My modus operandi is to clean all vinyl on an RCM, use anti-static inner liners, and to use an anti-static brush on the record before cueing. Any 'flecks' that fall onto the record are removed using an artist's brush, which is also used on the stylus after each side.

[scotty38]

Barry's process is more or less what I do now apart from the brush on the record. I bought a "decent" carbon fibre one and it seems to introduce static so I now don't bother with that either.

[p147]

I should have added, The best Item I have ever bought was on E-bay and it was a Magnifying glass which incorporated a 'Magnifying Loupe' in the handle and light, which enables me to see the stylus in far greater detail. Highly recommend and quite reasonable.

[struth]

I found my carbon brush added static too so I started leaving a finger on the brush hairs as I did it and my other hand resting on an earth source. No static now.
I also found that using brush and finishing completely onto the label did work best as there was no lift off mark

[Barry]

I found my carbon brush added static too so I started leaving a finger on the brush hairs as I did it and my other hand resting on an earth source. No static now.
I also found that using brush and finishing completely onto the label did work best as there was no lift off mark

Agreed - that is how I use my Decca carbon fibre record brush.