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

[Gazjam]

Nice to know i've been using your fluid the right way Paul.
Hate to go back and do 300odd LPs again...

I did not want to comment on this, because as you know I make and sell a record cleaning fluid and I don't want to be accused of "Shiling" However, there seem to be so many misconceptions about what should go into a good RCM fluid and how it should be used that I want to clarify a few points.

1) If you are having to brush for 2 or three minutes, the wetness of the fluid is wrong and no matter how long you brush, you won't reach the bottom of the groove. The wetting agent has to be of a seeking type that causes capillary action to draw the fluid into the groove and soak the detritus trapped there.

2) Soak time, it takes a maximum of 10 second for the capillary action to cause the fluid to get as far down the groove as it will get, after that, about 10 seconds soak time will loosen the crud as much as possible WITH EACH APPLICATION, it may be that it more than one go, but leaving the fluid longer makes no difference, once it's done all it can, it's done all it can, it becomes saturated and you need to use some more.

3) Enzyme cleaners are detrimental to your records if not rinsed off and to your RCM, especially the point nozzle type, rinsed or not. I've lost count of the number of machines I've had to strip down and clean out because the growth many people have seen in the bottle with fluids such as L'Art du Son, occurs in the pipework of you RCM and when it dries out it leaves a black powdery residue that jams the machine. The best degreasant is Isopropanol anyway. It also kills mould and bacteria if mixed with water, so why would you need anything else?

4) Ilfatol as a wetting agent. As a photographer, I used Ilfatol for years, but it's not anti static, that's why Ilford sell anti stat film wipes. Part of the formula has to be an anti stat, Oh and by the way don't use Kodak Photo-Flo if you can still get it as it contains products which are anti stat, but are also de-vinylising.

Cheers

[CageyH]

"Archive" solution recipe as used by record libraries stateside and in the UK in bygone times:

25% (max) lab grade 99.9% pure IPA;

75% demineralised/de-ionised water;

Add to this 0.5 to 1% by volume Ilford Ilfotol wetting agent (do not use older recipes such as Kodak Photoflo as the additives could leave a residue).

Personally, I'd avoid using washing up liquid as it contains large amounts of salt but a little (as in a few drops per litre) may be ok.

Water - check
IPA - check
Ilfotol - check

Time for the first home brew cleaning solution.

[karma67]

Water - check
IPA - check
Ilfotol - check

Time for the first home brew cleaning solution.

this will give you a good guide for using it.
https://londonjazzcollector.wordpres...r-vacuum-rcms/

[Rush2112]

In reality my timings are probably much shorter than stated ! As for the comments on Ilfotel anyone got another option which is AntiStatic ?

[pikebobstar]

Hi Rush2112,

Sorry for Hi Jacking this thread. Completely off topic but just wanted to commend you on an excellent user ID. "All the world to me's a stage and we are merely players performers and portrayers.....etc...well you know how it goes.

Favourite Rush track? mine is Natural Science

[misterdog]

], there is usually a small build of static, as a result of the felt strips, fitted to the drying nozzle, passing over the record surface and making light contact with it, during the drying process. Therefore, simply 'zap' the record surface once with the Zerostat gun, thereby discharging it from any static, lift the record off of the platter and pop it into an anti-static record sleeve.

Marco.

Or use pure cotton velvet pads !

Most velvet is now acrylic but I managed to source some proper stuff. 10mm cotton velvet ribbon and some 2 sided tape..


@ RUSH 2112.

ILFORD ILFOTOL is a non-ionic wetting agent used as a final rinse before drying films. It can be used in all manual and machine processes to aid rapid even drying and so greatly reduce the risk of drying marks being formed. ILFOTOL can also be used as a final rinse before drying fibre based prints, again it promotes rapid, even drying. Additionally it can be used to clean glass and plastic lenses and filters and as an antistatic treatment. 1 Litre.

[Mike - H]

I’ve been playing with my nice new Okki Nokki, trying different methods. I bought some of Pauls ‘The Right One’ fluid, and I had some Disc Doctor fluid which I bought in a kit with cleaning pads etc. I tried the brush that came with the machine first with Pauls cleaning fluid, I wasn’t getting the coverage I was expecting. So I changed to the Disc doctor products which seemed better, but with these you have to do a rinse. When I changed to using The Right One fluid along with the disc doctor pads I got the best results of all.

At present I only have one nozzle so I’m cleaning my recently bought new records before moving on to my older stuff. I’m amazed how greasy my hands are, I’m a surgical assistant and scrub my hands at least 4 or 5 times a day and I would have said I had dry hands. Some of my Beatles mono collection were in really tight card sleeves and I had to pull the record out, rather than just let it slide out. Even this minimal contact left marks that were a bitch to shift from the otherwise brand new discs. I brought home some Nitrile gloves from work so I don’t have to worry about inadvertent contact with the surface. I cleaned about a dozen discs, and was probably a bit free with the fluid but at the end I only got a few drops out of the drain tube, I wondered if flushing the tank out at the end might be worth a try?

[gsq4848]

I’ve been playing with my nice new Okki Nokki, trying different methods. I bought some of Pauls ‘The Right One’ fluid, and I had some Disc Doctor fluid which I bought in a kit with cleaning pads etc. I tried the brush that came with the machine first with Pauls cleaning fluid, I wasn’t getting the coverage I was expecting. So I changed to the Disc doctor products which seemed better, but with these you have to do a rinse. When I changed to using The Right One fluid along with the disc doctor pads I got the best results of all.

At present I only have one nozzle so I’m cleaning my recently bought new records before moving on to my older stuff. I’m amazed how greasy my hands are, I’m a surgical assistant and scrub my hands at least 4 or 5 times a day and I would have said I had dry hands. Some of my Beatles mono collection were in really tight card sleeves and I had to pull the record out, rather than just let it slide out. Even this minimal contact left marks that were a bitch to shift from the otherwise brand new discs. I brought home some Nitrile gloves from work so I don’t have to worry about inadvertent contact with the surface. I cleaned about a dozen discs, and was probably a bit free with the fluid but at the end I only got a few drops out of the drain tube, I wondered if flushing the tank out at the end might be worth a try?

Interesting. I too have a new shiny Okki Nokki. I shall follow your progress with interest; for now I plan to use the supplied fluid and brush. I've purchased some distilled water (rather than use my stock of de-ionised water I've used with my SpinClean) to mix with the fluid. Using the machine for the first time tomorrow...

[Mike - H]

Just a few lines on the machine itself, I had to send the first one back as it was damage in transit but the sales people at Frank Harvey (hifix) were excellent and replaced it no quibble. It seems solidly made and is smart in appearance, I chose white. Several reviews had complained that they can be noisy but I was pleasantly surprised by the sound level, particularly when it warmed up after half a dozen discs or so, no excessive heat just warm from continuous use. I do wonder if most of the fluid is evaporated by the suction and warmth will this lead to build up of gunk lining the tank, as mentioned earlier I may try flushing the tank or maybe priming it with some fresh water at the start? will have another session tomorrow.

[AlfaGTV]

The amount of 'gunk' in the tank also depends on what you're using as a cleansing liquid. I mostly use organic solutions for my stage 2 cleaning, L'ArtduSon or Tarkett BioClean. And they do leave more residue which allows mold and stuff to form in the tank.
(I always use an Isopropyl/Pure water/Washup liquid in the first part of cleaning a record)
I've had my Okki for about four years and it was sent back once due some strange effects. There was a constant hum when not in use, but connected to mains. This seems to have sent out some galvanic currents in different parts of the machine which caused corrosion. This mainly affected the suction pipe which lost its surface treatment and of course stopped it from moving freely in its mount.
The other issue was that the center tap on the platter had too few and too loose coils exposed which in the end caused med to strip them... :/
Anyways, my machine was repaired, the faulty electronics board was exchanged, the suction pipe was renewed and the the center tap was rebuild by a workshop, replacing the coils for one with more than a centimeter of coils, and much tighter.
However, there is still a very low hum when mains are connected and due to this i never leave it connected when not in use.
Function has always been top notch though, except for the issue with the coils that is!

/Mike