I read this thread while using my DIY RCM, and find the following point so important that I'd reiterate it - the quality of extraction during the cleaning process is (probably) even more important than the solvent used for cleaning.
First, until I built my own RCM (using transparent 4mm tubing ultimately terminated by a ShopVac), I didn't realize exactly how much liquid is held in those grooved (even when the LP appears dry).
Second, I recall hearing (reading?) that after using a manual (no vacuum) cleaning process, it takes a couple of plays of the LP to get it to sound the best. Why would that be? Probably because you've dissolved a bunch of gunk, and combined with the evaporated solvent residue, it's settled into the recesses of the groove waiting to be dug-out by your stylus. Now *that's* an expensive record cleaning tool.
Just like Doug, I learned the hard way. First I simply dusted my new (used) records with a Swiffer duster. Then I invested in the Disc Doc solution and brushes - I thought I was in the big-league now - and washed my LPs in the sink. Then a spent a whopping $1.92 (or something like that) and cut a slit in a ShopVac hose extender and wrapped it in velvet to vacuum my records. Now *this* was a solid improvement.
Hold your hat - this is where things get expensive. I'm still using those DiscDoc brushes, but now I'm using the MOFI Plus cleaner. Also, I built a RCM out of an old turntable, a mason jar, 2 diameters of flexible hose, and a bit of Disc Doc replacement pad to keep the vacuum tip off my LP. Imagine a VPI / Loricraft hybrid. My total investment in this RCM was probably $50 (not including the ShopVac, Disc Doc brushes, or fluid). This was the greatest upgrade to my system to date. Why? It's all about the extraction process.
While a manual process (IMHO) is better than no process, if you have a ShopVac, you're a $2 piece of velvet away from getting a taste of what vacuum extraction can do.
First, until I built my own RCM (using transparent 4mm tubing ultimately terminated by a ShopVac), I didn't realize exactly how much liquid is held in those grooved (even when the LP appears dry).
Second, I recall hearing (reading?) that after using a manual (no vacuum) cleaning process, it takes a couple of plays of the LP to get it to sound the best. Why would that be? Probably because you've dissolved a bunch of gunk, and combined with the evaporated solvent residue, it's settled into the recesses of the groove waiting to be dug-out by your stylus. Now *that's* an expensive record cleaning tool.
Just like Doug, I learned the hard way. First I simply dusted my new (used) records with a Swiffer duster. Then I invested in the Disc Doc solution and brushes - I thought I was in the big-league now - and washed my LPs in the sink. Then a spent a whopping $1.92 (or something like that) and cut a slit in a ShopVac hose extender and wrapped it in velvet to vacuum my records. Now *this* was a solid improvement.
Hold your hat - this is where things get expensive. I'm still using those DiscDoc brushes, but now I'm using the MOFI Plus cleaner. Also, I built a RCM out of an old turntable, a mason jar, 2 diameters of flexible hose, and a bit of Disc Doc replacement pad to keep the vacuum tip off my LP. Imagine a VPI / Loricraft hybrid. My total investment in this RCM was probably $50 (not including the ShopVac, Disc Doc brushes, or fluid). This was the greatest upgrade to my system to date. Why? It's all about the extraction process.
While a manual process (IMHO) is better than no process, if you have a ShopVac, you're a $2 piece of velvet away from getting a taste of what vacuum extraction can do.