AndyKubicki Posted August 29, 2003 Share Posted August 29, 2003 Thanks, you mentioned going in BOTH directions and I have not done that, yet it makes sense. Going in one direction can miss or do a lesser job depending on the wave form of the goove. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dubai2000 Posted August 30, 2003 Share Posted August 30, 2003 Allan, just today I read a test in one of our audio magazines in which the Clearaudio record cleaner was compared to other units (one Nitty Gritty and some European competitors). It good a good review but according to the article one model by Loricraft was not only less noisy, but also superior in it's ability to clean records. I think Loricraft produces a number of models: the one reviewed seels for something like $1700 over here. It's mechanism is similar to a Keith Monks in using a nylon string to clean the grooves (I think). I just thought you might like to know. Wolfram Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joshnich Posted August 30, 2003 Share Posted August 30, 2003 ---------------- On 8/29/2003 11:35:09 AM bclarke421 wrote: When I looked around, the 16.5 seemed to be about the same price everywhere. Any recommendations? ---------------- I dont know about the VPI, but i bought my Nitty Gritty direct from the company. I called them and asked if they had any demos etc. I ended up getting the Record Master with an Oak base for the cost of a basic 1.0. They said it was a demo but it was hard to believe that it had been used at all. josh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NOSValves Posted August 30, 2003 Share Posted August 30, 2003 Josh, This is the first time I have seen you post ! Good to see you on here. I didn't realize you had such a wide array of gear some real cool stuff there ! Craig Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randy Bey Posted August 30, 2003 Author Share Posted August 30, 2003 yes, this is my next record cleaning purchase: Of course, I need to win that lottery tonight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dubai2000 Posted August 31, 2003 Share Posted August 31, 2003 Yes, that looks just like the model reviewed. The testers claim that with this unit you don't only get very clean records without noise, but also considerable sonic improvements. Wish I had the means to give it a try.... Wolfram Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fini Posted August 31, 2003 Share Posted August 31, 2003 As a money- and space-conserving move, couldn't you just mount a tonearm on that baby and ditch your TT? Sheesh! BTW, mobile, any scotch worth a cross-country shipment should not be consumed with rocks! (Unless, of course, they're made of triple distilled H2O and a spritz of Photoflo...) fini Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dubai2000 Posted August 31, 2003 Share Posted August 31, 2003 Uppps, Allan already mentioned the Loricraft before. I really should read more carefully . Wolfram Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bkrop Posted August 31, 2003 Share Posted August 31, 2003 Fini: Thats neat! heh By definition distilled water should be 100% H2O with no contaminents. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles Turner Posted August 31, 2003 Share Posted August 31, 2003 I have a Nitty Gritty fluid injection I've been using successfully for a couple of years but I need to upgrade to the Disk Doctor brushes and fluid Allan suggested. A couple of pieces of advice... 1) I have a piece of glass...about 15" square...on the table beside the Nitty Gritty and I lay the records on it to scrub them down manually...it's easy to keep the glass clean between scrubs. 2) Cut a circle out of an old mouse pad...slightly bigger than the label...to place on the label during scrubbing. It stays put when you hold down the record and protects the label. 3) I use the fluid injection feature to wet the record for a few rotations before I scrub it manually...it gives the fluid a chance to work on it's own first. 4) Buy an extra four pack of the velvet lip pads and change them whenever they begin to darken or look frayed...for me it's about every two months. The kit comes with a cardboard tool to allow you to position the lips on the plastic. Cut about 1/8" off one of the ends, preserving the same angle. This allows you to insert the cardboard about 1/4" further into the slot and makes positioning the new pad on the lips easier. 5) Purchase a toothbrush with soft bristles and use on the lp when you find a glob of gunk on the surface of the record. I dip it in cleaning fluid and then scrub the area with the gunk. You'll be surprised how many lps you can save using this procedure. 6) After researching the various cleaning solutions I settled on buying 1 ounce VPI concentrates and adding it along with 8 ounces of 99% isopropyl to a gallon of distilled water. The 1 ounce conceentrate sells for about 12-15 dollars and seems to be a cost effective solution. enjoy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles Turner Posted August 31, 2003 Share Posted August 31, 2003 One more thing...squirt some extra cleaning fluid on the lp when you lay it on the glass to manually scrub it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randy Bey Posted September 14, 2003 Author Share Posted September 14, 2003 ---------------- First, but a set of brushes from Duane "The Disc Doctor." You'll need three of them and get some extra pads while you're at it. There are no brushes made by anyone anywhere that can compare to these. Also, step up to the plate and buy a gallon of his cleaning fluid--it will last you a couple of years and the discount you get by buying a gallon makes it more affordable. Duane is a chemist and he has been fooling around with old 78 rpm records for YEARS AND YEARS and developed his brushes and fluid originally with no intention of making it a commercial venture. The combonation of Disc Doctor pads and fluid gets more grunge out of the grooves than any other method and it's totally worth the money. Once you have scrubbed and scrubbed both sides of your LP (about 3 minutes per side), you then use the Nitty Gritty to vacuum the record thoroughly. Once the record has been through the Nitty Gritty, you grab a second Disc Doctor brush and go through the same process again, only this time you use an Ethanol based cleaner--the commercial ones are fine, but you can absolutely mix this stuff up on your own-a mixture of Ethanol, distilled water and fotoflo. After this second scrubbing (about 1-2 minutes per side) you put it through the Nitty Gritty again. Finally you grab the third Disc Doctor brush and scrub the record again with pure distilled water (about 45 sec per side) and then back to the Nitty Gritty (actully I do all of this with the record on the Nitty Gritty). After the final step I air-dry the record for about 15 mintues and then zap it with a Zerostat and put it in a VRP sleeve. ---------------- Allan, this is almost a Herculean task! I use a couple of fresh white face wash cloths; one as a surface to clean the record on, the other to hold the brushes between use. I also use them to wipe off the edges of the record after the procedure, since the NG vacuum doesn't seem to get the lateral edge very well. After about 60 seconds the DD fluid has sopped away for the most part and I must replenish it. After 120 seconds (I am using the tried and true 1 Mississippi, 2 Mississippi timing method) it's dry again and my hand is aching. So I NG vac it and move to step two, which I only do for about 60 seconds because the NG fluid has all but evaporated by then. In both cases I start with a wet brush and "fill" the record so that the grooves are totally submersed and the surface looks like a mirror. The third pass with distilled water I use the NG brush, and barely give it 30 seconds. I notice that the second pass generates a fair amount of suds, which I attribute to the DD fluid, as the NG fluid does not foam. The distilled water rinse does not foam at all. This procedure has transformed some records miraculously. Others, like the cr*p I got from my father-in-law (which looks like they've been used as second base replacements) it did little or not enough. Too bad, he has some vintage Frank Sinatra and I was hoping for a miracle. I need a miracle every day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kjohnsonhp Posted September 14, 2003 Share Posted September 14, 2003 What do you think of this item and price from the for sale post on this forum: "*VPI 16.5:Record cleaning machine.OBM.I believe this was a factory blem.Veneer is flwed in a few places and glass lid isn't exactle centered so it occurs a bit of reistance when being closed.The lid could be easily fixed but I never felt the need.Functions perfectly and is presentable. 300.00 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randy Bey Posted September 14, 2003 Author Share Posted September 14, 2003 My impression is that the DD brushes (and you!) are doing about 90% of the work. The nice thing about the NG is that the vac is on the underside, so that it draws the fluid down in the direction of natural gravity. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike stehr Posted September 14, 2003 Share Posted September 14, 2003 Robert Crumb rules!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NOSValves Posted September 15, 2003 Share Posted September 15, 2003 KJ That is a nice machine I like it much better than my Nitty Gritty ! If I didn't already have the Nitty Griddy I would scooped it up in seconds ! Craig Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dodger Posted September 15, 2003 Share Posted September 15, 2003 Greetings: I believe in another thread, mobile homeles had some excellent points on isopropyl alcohol. Win dodger Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fini Posted September 15, 2003 Share Posted September 15, 2003 ---------------- On 9/15/2003 8:07:14 AM dodger wrote: Greetings: I believe in another thread, mobile homeles had some excellent points on isopropyl alcohol. Win dodger ---------------- Win, No, I think he was on Shiraz. fini Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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