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DIY Record Cleaner


madmike46

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Not sure if this is the right place to put this, but here goes.  I have been slowly getting back into my vinyl collection and was in need of a easy record cleaner.  I had seen and read reviews of the GEM Dandy Hydraulic Record Cleaner.  I took a look at it and figured I could build one myself and save a bunch of shipping costs.  Here in Canada if something comes out of the US we pay through the nose for shipping.  This is why I built one of these.  Here are some pictures:

 

Assembled Unit.

 

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Here is a view of the brass axle I made up.

 

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Label protectors.

 

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Label protectors started life out as a couple of these:Bow PVC Threaded Plug and with a little machining and we had label protectors/record clamps.  Here is a shot of my new and improve spray nozzle.

 

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I will take and post pictures of this being used. Enjoy.

 
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I too am very interested in seeing this thing in action.
 
A question for you Mike - are your albums so dirty that you need a washer like this ?
 
Just curious - I never cleaned mine with anything other than an old Discwasher set-up.
 
Not criticizing, just trying to understand !! 
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I never had anything beyond a Discwasher but my sense is that as the CD took hold and people let their vinyl go or simply stopped caring for it those who bought up collections needed an efficient way to deal with all the cleaning. It would seem that lead to the popularization of cleaning machines. In my vinyl purchasing days I never once saw a cleaning machine but positively everyone had a Discwasher.

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I too am very interested in seeing this thing in action.

 

A question for you Mike - are your albums so dirty that you need a washer like this ?

 

Just curious - I never cleaned mine with anything other than an old Discwasher set-up.

 

Not criticizing, just trying to understand !! 

 

Well my records had been in storage for close to 20 years.  Also as RodH said about garage sale purchases, some can be very filthy and by using this one can make a lot of these records very playable.
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I will be a few days, my video expert, my son has a really bad cold, I'll give him a day or two to recover.  He is way handier at manipulating video files then I am.  I can play them and that's about it.   I would rather use a computer to make parts as in CNC.  RodH knows what I'm talking about.
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OK I finally got this video together,  let me know if you have any questions.

 

 

 

 

Hope this works out.  My son did the video for me, it was easier for him to do it then try to explain it to the old man. msp_thumbup.gif
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Nice job Mike. party.gif
 
How about an MKII version with an air motor to spin the disc and a kwik-clamp replacing the wing nut?
These quick release cymbal nuts from Tama and EXA might do the trick.
34b0c44b-626e-44ba-8092-9e76011b7523_577 EXA-QCN8-Cymbal-Clamp.jpg
 
Here's the video
 
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  • 2 years later...
Aside from ultrasonic cleaning , what does everyone use for everyday cleaning of a record when you put it on your turntable?  Have been using D4 cleaner, but have seen some reports of the alcohol in the solution affecting the vinyl. Anyone using a silicone roller type unit?
 
Thanks,
Wayne 
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Alcohol won't hurt the vinyl, it will hurt ancient lacquer 78's though.
 
The silicone rollers don't get down into the grooves very well, where the dirt you want gone resides. They clean dust off the top and the record may look better, but it won't usually sound appreciably better. 
 
Aside from ultrasonics or steam, you need a system that uses a solution of some sort, a brush to free up the deep seated dirt and a vacuum system to get it all out. 
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