Lighter fluid ?!?

[Giovanni]

Back to the old topic of cleaning records....
Broughton & Brewster in one of their books suggest to use lighter fluid to clean records. They say it's a great antistatic. Any comment?

[Forrrce]

Lighter fluid is not the best for cleaning records. It also puts a static charge on the vinyl, which is not really what you want (what are these people talking about?). It's handy for record shop people to remove (some) greasy prints and dirt, just for display purposes...but I stopped using it many years ago.

Also, most American 7"s should never be cleaned with lighter fuel (especially the cheaper varieties) - the flimsy, almost shellac-like vinyl that most US 7"s were pressed on in the '70s and '80s can get eroded by lighter fuel, turning grey on contact. This damage is irreversable (and very audible) and the groove rapidly disintegrates when played thereafter.

Use isopropyl alcohol or industrial methylated spirits - mixed 50/50 with distilled water (for wet cleaning) - or in the case of isopropyl - neat, with a lint-free cloth.

Best to invest in a cleaning machine. VPI, Moth and Nitty Gritty (and there's a Clearaudio model also) are worth investigating. Moth and Nitty Gritty are cheaper (the latter I found to be less effective - and they blow up if you clean more than four or five sides at a time - it happened to me :roll: )

[Bernie]

Forrrce, the pump on my Mini Pro 2 has gone out twice. Best to use these with frequent breaks and lots of air circulation to cool them off.

[Forrrce]

Originally Posted by Bernie

Forrrce, the pump on my Mini Pro 2 has gone out twice. Best to use these with frequent breaks and lots of air circulation to cool them off.

I have to admit, Bernie, I thought this aspect of Nitty Gritty cleaners to be unacceptable. Clean 2 LPs then leave it for 3 hours to cool down? I'm sure they could have made them a little sturdier than that - maybe they should have implemented fans to stop them overheating so quickly. Having said that, the units are so small, fans probably would have made little difference.

I used my Nitty Gritty for 7"s only, thereafter, before investing in a secondhand Keith Monks machine (these had near-silent vacuums which didn't overheat) though mine has recently broken down and I haven't bothered to find a specialist to repair it.

My backup machine is a VPI HW-17F which is very noisy, but has semi-auto bi-directional scrubbing, is fan-cooled and can be used all day.

[Bernie]

Originally Posted by Forrrce

I thought this aspect of Nitty Gritty cleaners to be unacceptable. Clean 2 LPs then leave it for 3 hours to cool down? I'm sure they could have made them a little sturdier than that - maybe they should have implemented fans to stop them overheating so quickly. Having said that, the units are so small, fans probably would have made little difference.

Something is definitely not right then with your machine. No problems here cleaning a stack of records for an hour or two and I've had the Mini Pro 2 since 1989. As long as you have some clearance underneath for air flow and shut off between records you can go on for quite some time without problems. I sold Nitty Gritty machines when I was back in New York and none of my customers ever mentioned that. The VPIs are nice, but I feel strange flipping the record over and placing the just cleaned side on the dirty felt.

[Forrrce]

Bernie,
The Nitty Gritty model I have is the 2.5fi. I don't have the instructions anymore, but I'm sure they state that no more than 4, or maybe 6, LP sides should be cleaned consecutively; and that the machine should be left to cool down for a few hours. Can you remember if this is correct?

I once tried (I think) seven or eight sides, which popped the motor. I have known of other such cases occurring. Maybe our higher UK voltage has something to do with it (the machines are imported). I can't believe you've had yours for so long with few problems - I really thought these were a waste of money.

The VPI isn't so bad - the mat's cork and doesn't seem to contaminate the clean sides, in my case - and I've never needed to clean it (so far). If I have any doubts about static, I zap the record with a Milty gun.

[Bernie]

Originally Posted by Forrrce

Maybe our higher UK voltage has something to do with it (the machines are imported). I can't believe you've had yours for so long with few problems - I really thought these were a waste of money.

Excellent point that I didn't think about. That 220 juice could shorten the life over time.

While I've had mine a long time, I can't say I am completely happy with it and agree to some extent that it isn't a great value. If I have to do it again I might go with the VPI.