Cool Vinyl Accesories (the other thread won't load)

[Grainger49]

I hold the LP between my thumb and fingers, thumb at the hole fingers on the edge and shoot it.  I have tried the Zerostat on the table and it didn't work as well.  Maybe because the platter was grounded, maybe not.

 

[Grainger49]

Also For Dusting:

Radio Shack Carbon Fiber Brush (I'm Cheap!):

 

[Grainger49]

For Your Stylus, removes gunk:

I can't remember the name of this one but for $22 much cheaper than the other stuff.

 

[Wanderer]

For stylus cleaning I have been using the Mr Clean "Magic Eraser".

I have found it very effective and VERY cheep. 

 

[Grainger49]

I've not gotten the right idea of using the Mr Eraser.  How does it work?

 

[Wanderer]

The ME is used much like the Extremephono unit you show.

I just have a chunk of ME next to the platter and dip the stylus a couple times straight up and down with the tone arm cue after each side.  DON"T drag the stylus throught the ME. DON"T wet the ME with anything. Just cue up and down. 

The the plain white bottom-of-the-line ME is the one. 

http://www.high-endaudio.com/Magic.html

http://www.plasticsportal.net/wa/plasticsEU/function/conversions:/publish/common/upload/foams/basotect_consumer_eraser.pdf

 

[Grainger49]

My assessment of the ME was that it was a micro abrasive.  It does get scuffs off of walls but leaves a residue.  I see where the Extreme Phono goo would clean the stylus, but don't really get why the ME would.  But if it does, that is good for me.

 

[Wanderer]

My assessment of the ME was that it was a micro abrasive.  It does get scuffs off of walls but leaves a residue.  I see where the Extreme Phono goo would clean the stylus, but don't really get why the ME would.  But if it does, that is good for me.

I was hardly convinced myself but others were singing it's praises on Vinyl Engine and Vinyl Asylum. For a couple bucks I gave it a whirl and was impressed.      

 

[Grainger49]

BTW, I went back and added pictures to several of the cheapskate vinyl accessory posts I had made.

 

[howardnair]

one of the turntables i have is a linn-the instructions say not to clean your records but let the needle do it-i don't follow this advice-i use use a light wash of dawn on used records then one or the other of the cleaning solutions from the needle doctor and always a static brush before playing

 

[Grainger49]

This is an often told story.  It comes from the UK, same as the Cecil E. Watts record cleaning devices of the 70s.  I always found it interesting that the same place that started many of the record cleaning methods also fathered this philosophy. 

What we heard/learned in the 70s was that if you play a dirty LP you run the risk of driving the dirt into the groove.  It can either permanently drive dirt into the vinyl or deform the vinyl so it sounds like the dirt is still there even if you clean it.

 

[Grainger49]

Since it is winter this is appropriate.  My room is a little under 3,000 cubic feet.  This 1Gal. humidifier runs 24/7 when I am not listening.  I don't have a static problem.  Relative Humidity is controlled to 50%.

 

[balancedtriode]

has anyone tried one of these yet? I am thinking of getting one to fix quite a few old records of mine
http://vinylflat.com/vinylflatproducts.html

 

[Doc B]

seems like I recall folks did that in the olden days with an oven and two sheets of glass

 

[Grainger49]

seems like I recall folks did that in the olden days with an oven and two sheets of glass

+1, and more recently too!  It is more risky with the above method.

 

[jrebman]

Coltrane,

I have not seen this one, but a friend has a very fancy, record flattener that has it's own heating elements and sophisticated time/temperature controller to gradually ramp the heat up and down and takes about 8 hours to go through one full cycle.  Looks like a round waffle iron, isn't cheap, but it does typically work pretty well.

This looks like an interesting alternative for about 20% the price (with the heating pouch added.)

May look into it myself once I get out and start looking for used vinyl.

-- Jim