I built my own record cleaner that worked well for along time.  I used an old ice cream machine motor, a modified vacuum cleaner crevice tool, Two ratchet sockets, a small oreck vacuum, two pieces of round acrylic, epoxy, velvet, and a nut and bolt. 

First I used a dremel tool to cut a slot length wise in the crevice tool.  The length of the slot spans the record grove area.  Then I squared off the end of the tool and glued a wooden plug in the end.  I used contact cement to cover either side of the slot with velvet.  I drilled several breather holes on the tool to control the amount of suction.

I cut two pieces of round acrylic the diameter of a record label and drilled a record sized hole in the middle.  I epoxied a nut in the bottom of one of the 9/16 sockets and a bolt in bottom of the other.  The record goes between the round acrylic and the nut an bolt get spun on to grip the record. 

The 9/16 socket happened to fit on the plastic hex drive of the ice cream machine.

I fit the record in between the two acrylic/socket assemblies and thread the other acrylic/socket side on through the hole in the record.  I insert one of the sockets in the motor.  Spray the cleaning fluid on the record.  Give it a light brushing and vacuum.  I then flip the record inserting the other socket and repeat.  

I will post a picture when I get home.

PS:  The ice cream maker was salvaged from the local dump.  It died.  I am looking for another one with the same 9/16 drive.  In the mean time I got a nitty gritty and it works just as well with a higher wife acceptance factor.  If I find a motor I may end up selling the machine parts less the vacuum.  

rcarlton:

How about his little honey for an inexpensive record cleaner?

It can be found at Walgreen's. I use distilled water. It is out of stock because audiophiles have been buying them.

Here is a YouTube description of the cleaning process. Another video using this cleaning method.

Mapleshade sells a similar system for $150.  Probably worth a try.

http://www.mapleshaderecords.com/audioproducts/deepcleaningsystem.php 

I think somewhere, probably on my home laptop, I have some sort of directions for building a record cleaner using an old turntable.  They recommended a high torque model such as an old direct drive Technics.  I think I also have a recipe for record cleaning solutions, maybe a couple including one from the Library of Congress which used a chemical that is very hard to get but you'd need very little.  I'll try to post those things if I can find them and don't forget. 

I think this was basically fire up the turntable, maybe clamping the album down, spray on the cleaner, apply a good brush (maybe VPI?) and then vacuum it off which was basically a crevice tool plugged at one end with a long slit cut in it.  Not as elegant as a VPI or Nitty Gritty but a lot cheaper. 

 HarryO gave me a Kenwood TT that needs a little work and even told me how to get it back in operation when he was cleaning out his boneyard.... Good enough shape I may try getting it up and running and put on my old Shure M97HE-AH (I think they still make replacement styli for the M97HE models?) and use for copying some of my mother-out-laws old kind of beat up albums to CD.  Things I'm a little leary of playing with my V15type5MR. 

Now I'm worried that the old Discwasher did more harm than good!?  I can somewhat believe that though as why it does pick up a lot of dust, it probably also pushes some things in deeper. 

My understanding of wet cleaning is that the brush loosens things up and then the crap floats and the vacuum pulls it all away and dries the record.  No experience but supposedly can clean up a bunch of grunginess besides the dreaded ticks and pops. 

I'll have to check out the steam cleaning approach - conceptually sounds good as long as the heat doesn't cause problems...   Our firewall at work won't let us go to youtube.  

I've also heard that the Spin Clean works pretty well but you have to dry the album after it passes through the solution and velvet pads for cleaning ... seems vacuuming would get rid of the crud better. The Spin Clean is available at Garage A Records  http://www.garage-a-records.com/products.php?cat=118   Very nice gentleman.  When I was searching for a new cable for my Dual CS5000 I actually found it at a couple of sites but they both (maybe this one but I can't recall if they had the Dual cables) recommended just to get any decent cable and solder it directly to the connector pins.  I probably should've added RCA jacks but just went direct with the soldered cable to replace the wasted original cable.  Very nice guys.  Convinced me not to buy the OEM cables they had as in their opinion they were rathy chintzy. 

Please keep us informed and thanks to all for the great ideas.  Maybe it's time I get back to that record cleaner project I've been thinking about for several years. 

I use one of those perfection steamers when I drag out ugly (yard sale) vinyl.  It works fine and doesn't hurt anything near as I can tell.  Now if you stuck it right against the record and went away to watch a DVD it might, but you can control it all by varying the distance.  I try to keep the paper label dry and that's tricky as the water drips across the center sometimes.

How to make a cleaner - http://www.teresaudio.com/haven/cleaner/cleaner.html seems good to me.

For cleaning solution I goto Walgreens or CVS and order 99.99% pure isopropyl alcohol (about 3 bucks a bottle).  Regular off the shelf is 70% or so.  Mix with 50/50 distilled water (or you can order special water).  A drop or two of non sudsing detergent preferable without scent.  You can buy something fancy there too I suppose.  You can go lab grade and pay lots more.

It's cheap and evaporates well, leaves no film.  I use a tiny bit of laundry detergent, and I mean tiny.  Like a small dab of the stuff that accumulates into detergent goo on the soap dispenser.

Blob it on and wipe it off.  Hope I'm not doing something stupid, but so far so good.

InnerTuber:

For cleaning solution I goto Walgreens or CVS and order 99.99% pure isopropyl alcohol (about 3 bucks a bottle).  Regular off the shelf is 70% or so.  Mix with 50/50 distilled water (or you can order special water).  A drop or two of non sudsing detergent preferable without scent.  You can buy something fancy there too I suppose.  You can go lab grade and pay lots more.

It's cheap and evaporates well, leaves no film.  I use a tiny bit of laundry detergent, and I mean tiny.  Like a small dab of the stuff that accumulates into detergent goo on the soap dispenser.

Blob it on and wipe it off.  Hope I'm not doing something stupid, but so far so good.

The local record store owner told me he uses 50/50, rubbing alcohol and water, I used the regular 70% on a couple stacks and it works well.  I take a spray bottle and spray down an old white t-shirt and wipe off the record.  Best part is it dries very quickly. 

I clean against the groove, from inside out.  Is it better to go with the groove, around the record?

 Thanks,

Karl

InnerTuber:

How to make a cleaner - http://www.teresaudio.com/haven/cleaner/cleaner.html seems good to me.

Thanks InnerTuber - that's one of the ones I'd found I was thinking about. 

Some very pretty turntables at the Teresaudio site http://www.teresaudio.com/

(And very expensive....)

But they do sell components if you want to roll your own and have some DIY links.  Looks like a fun site. 

Other fun things include Chris's Tube Haven (the proprieters system) including Cogent True To Life horn speakers and DYI transmission line subwoofer.  His subwoofer page has a link on Teres site to Grant Gassmans massive horn subwoofer though it's hidden behind a picture so very little detail using Edgarhorns for the mains.  Fun stuff. 

Sure thing - I was going to try one too, but all my shop vacs are like 5-8 hp and I think they might suck the music right out of the groove!  It's on my list of things to try to make one day ... 

 Very cool thanks for all the information. I like the steamer..... I bet it would work great with the vpi cleaner mod. I really think this is going to work.

When I visited my friend Sergei in Moscow Russia earlier this year, I was quite amused to find him in the back room using Vodka to clean his vinyl.  I was also surprised to find out that he doesn't drink a drop of any alcoholic beverage, ever. 

Greg

Alcohol will not hurt vinyl. But I suppose Russian Vodka will make those grooves stand on end and sing pretty.

JJK

bliss53:

rcarlton:

How about his little honey for an inexpensive record cleaner?

It can be found at Walgreen's. I use distilled water. It is out of stock because audiophiles have been buying them.

Here is a YouTube description of the cleaning process. Another video using this cleaning method.

 

Mapleshade sells a similar system for $150.  Probably worth a try.

http://www.mapleshaderecords.com/audioproducts/deepcleaningsystem.php 

Which system? Walgreens or Mapleshade?

InnerTuber:

How to make a cleaner - http://www.teresaudio.com/haven/cleaner/cleaner.html seems good to me.

That is the site I got the crevice tool idea from. 

rcarlton:

Which system? Walgreens or Mapleshade?

When I first read mapleshade catalog I suspected that there might be some snake oil for sale.  I got some iso blocks and they work as advertised.  There may be some value to buying the system they have put together and tested.  You could also get the same results with a walgreens machine, homemade solution, etc.  Depends on how much effort you want to put in to put together your system.