Ultrasonic record cleaners

@whart Nice to see you posting on this !

You and Neil have done a real service to the community. That's where I learned to finish with a distilled spritz, and to do an anti-static wipe with Tigercloth.

Thanks! And all the best!

@lewm  That's my experience too.

Should have added that not all US machines are created equal. The Elmasonic is a lab grade machine which can be expected to meet spec. Lab stuff has to meet spec or there's hell to pay - consumer stuff, not so much.

@lewm  I have done that test. I cleaned most of my collection with a VPI 16.5. Then I bought  a German Elmasonic 80KHz US cleaner and built an RCM around it. Then I cleaned my entire collection on the US setup.

Using the few uncleaned, but carefully handled since new, records to calibrate the test, I noted how much gunk was present after US cleaning 50 records. Visual observation only, of residue and colour of fluid. No accurate measurement, no photos, sorry.

Then I cleaned 50 more records, in new fluid, which had previously been cleaned on the VPI. About the same amount of amount of residue as before, colour less changed. A second US cleaning in clean fluid produced essentially no more gunk, although in problem cases multiple US cleaning improved sonics..

Cleaning with US improved sonics over VPI. The improvement was about equivalent to upgrading a major component. An added benefit is stylus wear.

I  had a photomicrograph taken of a Koetsu after nearly 1000 hours of play, and it showed, according to the dealer, "minimal wear", which is what I thought. He went on to note that I should not even consider rebuilding it, "unless I had a whole lot more money than he thought I did." So it looks like my cartridges are wearing very slowly, and the US cleaning is not only paying for itself, but paying dividends.

I am careful to do heroic rinsing, 2 rinses in pure running water, followed by a distilled water bath and then distilled water spritz. I also use a lab grade detergent from Fisher which is especially formulated for plastics. 80KHz. New sleeves. With other regimes, such as diluted alcohol (Danger !), I have no idea, so YMMV.

@antinn  Wow! Just plain, WOW.

Haven't seen your book since the draft stage, and I'm just blown away. Highly professional look, feel, and of course, encyclopaedic content. Congrats to you and to Bill. @whart 

Wow!

@charliee Evidently I was less clear than I hoped.

I was describing a test procedure. My cleaning procedure is:

1. wet and remove surface crud with running purified water

2. for very dirty records only, 10 minutes at 37 KHZ with detergent; otherwise skip this step

3. 10 minutes at 80KHz with detergent and 40 degrees C

4. rinse heartily with running purified water

5. rinse in distilled water bath

6. spritz with distilled water

7. air dry

I'm careful what I download too. Vinyl Press has caused no (0) problems for me. @antinn How do you clean Tigercloth without compromising it's properties? Thanks!

"So, in the world of mijostyn any method that uses the same fluid over and over again is rubbish which tells you what I think about most ultrasonic cleaners."

Um, isn’t that’s what rinsing is for?

’Laboratory grade’ is the kind of stuff sold by a laboratory supply company, which is certified to meet it’s specifications. It’s more expensive because consumer grade stuff could be a complete fraud and no-one would know the difference. Labs have the ability to test what they buy, and if it doesn’t meet spec, well, the MIC does have recourse. Think ’hospital grade’ power outlets, mil spec fasteners.

RE: "lab grade".

I stand corrected by antinn. I had no idea that the term had been hijacked as a marketing tool. I was using the term to mean, "of a quality appropriate to a commercial or scientific laboratory."