How to use Hunt carbon fiber brush?


I am going to show my lack of ingenuity by asking this question, but I'm going to do so anyway. How do I use the Hunt carbon fiber brush? I can't seem to pick up all the dust; the brush seems to just collect the dust at one point on the record and I can't pick it up off the record. Also, do I use the brush when the record is turning? I tried that, but the force of the brush stops the platter from spinning. How much force should be applied?

Thanks in advance for answering such a basic question. I'm new to analog and LOVE the sound. Can't believe I spent $5000+ on digital...
wcheng
A light touch is the key and use a spinning record. My Rega is weak but I can use this technnique even with it's limitations. Begin with the brush tilted down with the leading edge lower and the brush across all the grooves As you make initial contact gently flatten the brush until it is just making contact over the whole surface. (I've had disagreements with some fellow users about this next part) Gently shift the pressure toward the back of the brush and sweep the whole thing off the record to the righ with a slight 45-degree rotation. Then, using a dedicated brush, remove the debris from the Hunt; using your fingers will eventually oil up the works.

For extra points, while you are doing this, with the free hand zap the record a couple of times with a Zerostat.
1. You put the record on the platter.
2. You turn the the table on so that your platter turns and wait for it to reach maximum speed.
3. Place the Hunt brush evenly on the record straight across the record like a linear tracking arm and hold the brush tight only let the weight of the brush do the cleaning.
4. Let record go around 3 times and then with a little pressure push down and at the same time flick your wrist towards you.
5. After you clean the brushes with the metal holder it came with, clean the bristle outwards from each other.
6. Repeat the process 3 times after that you should have all of the dust off the record.

Steve...
Hi,
I agree with Steve!

I own the Newer Decca 2+2 brush, and use exactly as Steve!

Happy listening

Alex..., from israel!
I've found that the best way to use this brush (and similar ones) is not to use it at all. The will pick up some of the dust, etc, but they do indeed leave a lot behind.

Get a record cleaning machine (and perhaps a zerostat gun) and be done with it. Clean the stylus regularly with extremephono's gel and you will rarely need a brush.

Believe it or not, but I have found that the static wipes made by Pledge (the ones in the BLUE packet) work a hell of a lot better than a brush. Make sure it's the BLUE packet, not any other color, as these are simply cotton wipes (about the size of a sheet of kleenex) and have nothing added to them. I confirmed and reconfirmed and re-reconfirmed this before trying them even on a crappy LP. They work! A light touch as the LP spins a couple of revolutions.