[78-L] Washing records

[H D Goldman]

Hi Don,

Oops.  Send the reply to Don; no wonder we haven't seen it posted.  Thanks for catching that mistake.  Permit me to add a comment as well.

With respect to cleaning disc recordings, the cleaning solution & method of application [brush, sonication, bath, etc] determine the quality of cleaning not the method of fluid removal.  Vacuum-assisted fluid removal is often preferred for its simplicity & convenience.  While a DIY vacuum-based system can be put together for less than $100, there's is no denying the effectiveness & efficiency afforded by the truncated cone employed in the Keith-Monks/Loricraft designs vs. the vacuum wand used for most record cleaning machines.  DIY systems using wet/dry vacuums often benefit from a slight bleed or reduction in hose diameter to reduce vacuum strength.

The original reply should have read:

For over 18 years, following 10 years of development & evaluation, we have offered applicators, fluid & a suggested procedure that can safely & thoroughly clean shellac, lacquer, acetate, Diamond Disc & vinyl disc recordings. This process can be used with either manual or vacuum-assisted removal of fluids; used as directed the result is the same regardless of how the fluids are removed. Common household soaps & detergents leave residues that simple rinsing does not thoroughly remove.  These residuals can affect playback, support the growth of mold & mildew & contrary to the view of many are simply not thorough.

 The integrity of the record surface is obviously of concern but this approach has never been shown to harm intact laminated surfaces.

Regards,

Duane Goldman

On Feb 12, 2010, at 9:22 AM, Don Chichester wrote:

> You may want to remove the negative from the last sentence in paragraph one.
>  
> Don

> > On Feb 12, 2010, at 12:36 AM, DAVID BURNHAM wrote:
> > 
> > > Michael Biel wrote: 
> > > 
> > > But you have to COMPLETELY dry the records and keep them dry in order 
> > > for this to happen. There are also different grades of shellac, and the 
> > > shellac used for Red Seal records is well known to be more resistant to 
> > > water and moisture damage than used in black label Victors.
> > > 
> > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> > > 
> > > Most of the records I've washed in this manner have been RCA red seals and I always dry them as much as and as fast as possible in order not to leave water marks. I hesitate to wash Columbias because of the possibility of water getting in between the layers and causing damage. But aside from buying an umpteen thousand dollar cleaning machine, what is considered to be the safest way to clean shellac records?
> > > 
> > > db


H D Goldman Lagniappe Chemicals Ltd. 
PO Box 37066 St. Louis, MO 63141 USA
v/f 314 205 1388 thedoctor at discdoc.com