Save your money for buying records. Here's my cheap-o method that works wonders on my old records. I got a crevice tool formy sho vac and plugged up the end with a bit of wood, then cut a slot about record width on one wide side using a roto-tool. I then used two sided foam core adhesive tape (you can get this at most drug and hardware stores as it is used to stick things to the wall)on either side of the slot and put some felt on top of this. I attached the tool to my Sears wet/dry shop vac which,with its 3hp motor will suck up a VPI 17 record cleaner for lunch.
To clean records, I simply place the record on a felt mat and spray it with my home-made record cleaning solution (mostly distilled water with some isopropyl alcohol and a drop or two of dish soap)I brush this in with a fine chinex bristle varnishing brush (new one of course)After letting it set for a few minutes,I suck it off with the crevice tool. To turn the record,simply lift up the crevice tool(the record comes with it because of the suction) turn it 1/8th turn and put it down again. No fancy turning motor is required. You can see the liquid being sucked towards the crevice tool around the record and its left dry after you pass over it. Finally, when I go to play the record, I give it a wipe with a record brush to remove any bit of felt that may have been left. The result is old records that are ABSOLUTELY quiet except for the tape hiss that is inherent to the recording (and scratches but I don't buy records that have them)
Total cost - about $12 for the crevice tool and misc. That doesn't count the shop vac but you could use any vac. The amount of water you suck off is trivial and evaporates in the process. If you are doing a lot of records at once, I would change the bag so it doesn't get moldy. Or buy a shop vac and it can do double duty helping you clean the garage (Try doing that with a VPI!)
