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Vacuum Record Cleaner Rreplacement

I get most of my records from from garage sales and such, and they are typically pretty dirty.  My record cleaning protocol is to run them through the vacuum record cleaner then the ultrasonic cleaner.  If they have fingerprints or mold I’ll put them through the Neil Antin’s method.  I’ve done it this way for years with good results.

Unfortunately, my venerable Music Hall WCS-2 needs a new cleaning wand and I’ve been told from numerous sources that the parts are no longer available.  I started the hunt for a new vacuum cleaner and found a suitable replacement.  Before I pull the trigger, I wanted to determine if I really need a vacuum cleaner if I’m using the ultrasonic.  I’ve used both cleaners in succession more from habit than any practical reason, though I’ve convinced myself that the vacuum cleaner gets the big chunks off first and the ultrasonic does the fine, deep cleaning.  I don’t know if this is true or not.  

I’d like to know the thoughts of the group.  I’m more than happy to buy another vacuum cleaner, but could always put that money toward something else if it is not needed.  

Thanks in advance for your help.

jrcotner
dmk_calgary
181 posts
 

I use both US and vacuum. The vacuum DOES get more stuff off the records. Am using the cheap manual VinylVac, but it works fine. I recently switched to L'Art Du Son concentrate cleaner. Supposed to clean 500 records. Works out to about 5 cents / record. WAAAY better than the Disc Doc I had been using.

I soak the record with the cleaner, both sides. I raise the record off my turntable - bought a cheap wooden circle of wood, mounted that on a cheap turntable with a cork mat. I use 5 vinyl bumper guards you use on drawers or the backs of pictures to raise the record off the cork mat. My Cleanervinyl holds up to 10 records, but I typically do 3-6 per session. In any case, wait 5 minutes, and repeat. 

Then Cleanervinyl at about 50C for 10 minutes. Then VinylVac. Works for me and YMMV of course.

willy-t
210 posts
 

If you can set up a filter system for your us tank it will keep the water clean

Ultrasonic clean for 15-20 minutes 

Buy a Neilmeds bottle at the drug store and squirt distilled water 

on both sides to rinse anything that may be left

on the surface then air dry for 20 minutes

Results are a very clean quiet vinyl record playback 

markmoskow
63 posts
 

@oberoniaomnia Exactly what I do. None of the records I get are terribly messy, but I use the ProJect for the messier ones, and an ultrasonic for for the others. I do both at once, but always vacuum the US ones on the ProJect rather than air dry or spin dry or blow dry or whatever the US offers. Once in awhile one that goes through the US sounds crackly, I redo that on the RCM and it always sounds better, which leads me to believe it gets tougher stuff. I use the AI #6 solution on the RCM and the Humminguru drops in the US.

oberoniaomnia
369 posts
 

@jrcotner Re gunk remaining in US bath, don't know. What I do know is that when I empty the US bath after a few cycles, initially there is some brownish sauce coming out of the machine. So US does remove stuff, and much of that stuff settles to the very bottom. There is likely some gunk still in the water. When I do a lot of vacuuming, the removed water also has some color to it. As I have a vacuum I use it.

Any worries about residual detergent is unwarranted as detergent molecules are a few Angstrom (= 10exp-10 m) "thick" and after vacuuming there are only scattered molecules remaining, not a film. Average "thickness" of film is <<1 Angstrom.

I also notice quieter record with US rather than just vac.

lewm
14,704 posts
 

Oberon, your science around molecular size may be correct but I hear a big difference between rinsing with distilled water and not rinsing, after washing with a nonionic detergent and drying before rinse, using my HW17. And that difference is very much in favor of water rinsing then vacuuming a second time

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