Zerostat gun do they work?

[arfz28]

I was wondering if anyone out there uses one of those zerostat guns that is saposed to take static away from alblums. I have carpet in my room with my stereo and have perty mutch static electricity in the room. A lot of my records when taking them off of the platers of my turntables will cling to the mat while taking them off, I know it is a static electricity problem, its worse in the winter time. Do these guns work? If they do I might try one. THANKS ALL.

[NOSValves]

Before I bought my Record Cleaner I used the Zerostat all the time and yes they do work. My house gets pretty dry so static is a problem. The Nitty Gritty record cleaner really works wonder beyond the Zerostat though.

Craig

[Deang]

I use mine on the clothes as I pull them out of the dryer.

Seriously though, if the problem is that bad you need to add some humidity into the air -- not just for your music listening, but also for health reasons and to help lower your electric/gas bill.

[bkrop]

Is discwasher record cleaning fluid still available? What is out there for cleaning LPs short of big buck record cleaning machines?

[kjohnsonhp]

Disc Doctor's Miracle record Cleaner & brushes can be used in place of a machine. A home brew would work, too. This is a one time clean that takes some time.

The Disc Washer fluid is available and easier for frequent use with their brush.

CAUTION: Some folks have warned me against using the Disc Washing fluid. Anyone have thoughts on this? If I use the brush dry it generates static electricity.

[Mallette]

I run like hell from Disc Washer. I've not used it in years, but I found that it would break down if not used up in a few months. Once in this state, it left an audible film on the disc that could not be removed. I didn't/could not believe this. So I bought another large bottle. The second time it happened, I determined what I was experiencing was not swamp gas.

I cannot explain the above, but there is no question about it.

Since then, I use mild detergent and warm water with a baby washcloth when I need to really clean a record, then a Nitty Gritty vaccuum to remove liquid and dry. Beyond that, a simply preening with a soft brush does the trick.

If you do not have or don't want to spring for a vaccuum, use distilled water to rinse, then place the disc on a large chamois and cover with another. Gently press.

Dave

[Chris Robinson]

I use a VPI record vac and it does a very nice job. I clean the LP's once, zap them with the zapper, put them in a rice sleeve and put them away. Works great.

Here are my notes taken from previous posts on home brew cleaning solutions. I use a little less alcohol and a little more water than what is recommended below. A touch of Ivory liquid finishes it off (Ivory, by the way, is great for detailing cars; it leaves no film but gets the dirt off).

DIY cleaning fluids

A generally accepted recipe based on suggestions by Laura Dearborn and others is:

3 parts distilled water (triple distilled, de-ionized)

1 part Isopropyl alcohol, 70% commonly available but 91% lab grade preferred.

A few drops of photographic wetting agent if possible Triton X-100, Triton X-110 or Triton X-115 or Monolan 2000, not Kodak Photoflo which is reputed to leave a residue (though used by some). Recommended is 12 drops per gallon or 2-3 drops per litre, though some use up to 8 drops per litre. If you add too much, the fluid gets sudsy on the record.

Variants:

Replace the wetting agent with washing up liquid or windscreen wash fluid (reputedly pure) or industrial glass cleaner e.g Micro (a laboratory-glassware cleaner) or Liquinox

Lately, I've been using straight windshield washer fluid. It's the only mixture I've tried that leaves no static film or visible residue on glass. It definitely cleans.

The solution I used to use consists of a quart of distilled water, a pint of 99% isopropanol (from Safeway) and 3 drops of Dawn dishwashing detergent. .

Photographic "wetting agent" is soap. I have cleaned and repaired Navy reconnaissance cameras with it. Ivory dishwashing detergent was the usual and natural choice for this as it is the mildest out there. A little Ivory and a lot of distilled H2O will do many good things for you. The Navy spent big bucks on this solution. Then a tech rep spilled the beans and we made our own

Use other alcohol types. This issue is controversial. Examples proposed include Denatured alcohol (90% ethyl, 9.5% methyl, .5% pyridine) BUT this is a carcinogen, and ethanol..

After washing the record with this cleaning fluid, rinse with pure distilled water to remove any residue.

[dodger]

Hello:

If you can't introduce more humidity (I agree with Dean for reasons), the ZeroStat does work.

There was another one from from England called discpreener. That seemed to work for dust.

But the ZeroStat does work.

Win dodger

[dodger]

Greetings:

I own two.

This makes my 200th post!

Two for two.

Win dodger

[artto]

Yes, ZeroStat guns work. I believe they were used in photography, to keep the developed drying film from clinging to each other.

If vinyl needs cleaning I use Smirnoff Silver. It's distilled several times, purer than even bottled water. Has just the right amount of alcohol to remove debris without damaging the vinyl. I apply it with a DiscWasher brush.

After it dries, I use GrooveGlide. Don't use too much. A little dab will do ya. Buff it into the record, both directions. Eliminates static problems. Also reduces noise & distortion (if the record is clean & it's applied PROPERLY).

Stylast cleaner & lubricant on the pickup stylus.

[Allan Songer]

Smirnoff Silver? That's almost as expensive as Disc Doctor solution and I GUARANTEE you it doesn't work as well. Unless of course you down a few ounces before every listening session as well---makes those annoying tics and pops blend into the background every time.

I prefer three fingers of Booker's myself.

As far as the Zerostat goes, I've had one for a long, long time and I use it whenever the Santa Ana winds kick up and send the humidity below the 50% range---works like magic.

[bkrop]

Oh BTW the zerostat gun works, sorry for sidelining the thread, just bundled discwasher fluids along with discwasher zerostat.

[JBryan]

The Zerostat works great for me and when used in conjunction with the VPI record cleaner and a decent cleaner and brush (I use Disk Doctor), its pretty much all you need to get the best performance from you LPs. If you're getting static after playing your LPs, you should check the ground wire from the TT for continuity. Also, if you're using a ground wire from the tonearm cable, you may want to try grounding the table's subchassis instead. That really solved most of my static problems. Have fun, Bryan

[Aggie Klipsch]

Make sure your finger touches the platter when removing the disc. This should eliminate most of the static by creating a ground loop through your fingers to the carpet. You might add a ground wire from the turntable to the back of your reciever.

[arfz28]

Thanks guys for all your replys,It sounds like most people like the results of the zerostat gun, I will keep an I for one on ebay and give it a try. As for the ground wires they are conected to the back my receiver and on my scott 299, I dont think it is a ground problem because I have static on 3 different turntables. I will try and touch the plater after taking off the record maby that will help.Thanks again

[artto]

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On 8/5/2003 9:55:52 PM Allan Songer wrote:

Smirnoff Silver? That's almost as expensive as Disc Doctor solution and I GUARANTEE you it doesn't work as well. Unless of course you down a few ounces before every listening session as well---makes those annoying tics and pops blend into the background every time.

----------------

Allan, I GUARANTEE you Smirnoff Silver works just as well, if not better. Think about it. It's far more pure than water. Even 'distilled' water. Has just the right amount of solvent for maximum extraction without damaging the vinyl, and a faster evaporation rate to boot. (I think Rick Flynn our Forum plastics expert confirmed this some months ago on another thread) Far fewer potential contaminents than Disc Docter solution. How many times do they purify Disc Doctor solution? AND, as you said, Smirnoff Silver (100proof) doesn't even cost as much! Not to mention the (positive) potential side effects.

[Allan Songer]

I used to use exculsively a homemade solution that included about 60% pure ethanol and 40% distilled water with a couple of drops of photoflo. I still use this as my SECOND scrubbing after a complete going over with Disc Doctor solution. I scub a THIRD time with distilled water only. I use the Nitty Gritty between each scrubbing. Each record takes about 10-12 minutes to clean. I will stack my method up against ANYBODYS!!! I have the cleanest records you have ever seen! My next improvement will be a new vaccum cleaning machine--I'm pretty much set on the Loricraft because it's QUIET and my wife will then be able to be in the same house with me when I'm cleaning records!

Even if you stick with the Smirnoff only, buy a set of Disc Doctor brushes--they are the best I have ever used hands down.