So here's something I heard about and am getting ready to try: "Glue Cleaning." Apparently if you put a thin film of glue on a record and let it dry for a few hours, the glue bonds to every tiny particle deep in the grooves and you can then peel off the entire glue sheet to remove everything it picked up.
It was recommended to use wood glue or Elmer's glue, spreading it with a foam applicator to keep it evenly distributed. I will of course be trying this only with records marked for "experimentation" (a.k.a. records I hate).
Has anyone heard of this technique? Does anyone have any first-hand experience with it?
I would only try this with an lp you can trash and not care. I personally would stay clear of this technic, and go with the old fashioned lp clearners from vpi.
Correct. I will only be using things that I am ok with wrecking permanently.
Results so far: there has been some initial success. The real trick is leaving a a little trail of glue off of the record so that when it dries you have a "tag" to pull up off of the record and release the dried glue sheet. It looks like it's really cleaning the records nicely. The surface noise is reduced dramatically. The main issue is making the edges of the glue very solid and even so that it peels off easily.
Didn't I just see a commercial product that works in a similar in fashion? I would stay away from wood glue, and I would advise you to leave the glue for 8-10 hours, to make sure that it was fully dry. You might want to leave some distilled water on the record after removing your glue disc to see [by touch or even taste] if there was any glue residue left behind. Also, if the glue doesn't come off easily, and in one big "glue LP", I wouldn't feel too good abut the process.
Yep, this is a method I advoacted a while back and since then it seems to have got around.
I treat all my LPs to this little trick and it works incredibly well, please note however and this seems to have got lost in translation I wash the LPs after the glue is removed, in distilled water/detergent, just warm using a very good quality 1 1/2 inch paint brush. I then rinse in warm distilled water with a very small amount of washaid to stop any drying marks.
I have tried pretty much everything else and this is the best in terms of the final result-period! IMHO
As yet I have had no disasters or problems and I have done well over a 100LPs to date, probably 150.
Even LPs that were well cleaned by other methods end up being way better after this treatment. I use Sellys Aquadhere (internal strenght).
Nope I asked about Cleaning the Table platter with silly putty to remove debris, not an LP.. However its probably better to clean an lp with Silly putty over drying elmers glue on it and probably just as effective as what is being talked about here.
OTOH, while you're waiting 8-10 hours for the glue to dry, I've wet cleaned my copy (15-20 minutes), played it (1 hour), filed it (1 minute), lost it (instantaneous), looked for it (8 hours) and bought another copy on ebay!
It sounds like this is a method that some people actually use, and no one has any horror stories or negative experiences of any kind!
For those of you who have tried this, what is your method for getting the peel started? I've used a pin to get under the dried skin in the dead wax at the end, but I probably won't want to risk making scratches when I finally decide to try the glue method on a record I actually listen to.
Also, on what kind of surface do you set your records as they dry?
I use sticky pad (http://www.handstands.com/retail/automotive-accessories/sticky-pad.php). It is washable, doesn't leave residue, cheap, and effective.
Sidssp -- As far as a sticky pad goes, I use a Nagoaka roller that employs the same principle as what you posted, but it doesn't do nearly the same kind of job that glue does. The glue actually creates a bond with the particles within the grooves, and easily pulls away from the smooth vinyl. It's really kind of amazing.
Has anyone tried this glue process with the older style 45 RPM records (the harder styrene kind?) I have stacks of rather dirty but potentially very valuable r'and b' 45's . . .
Without having tried this myself yet (but I will), it should be totally safe for a couple of reasons:
1. Elmer's style white glue is water-based and water-soluble. If some of the glue sticks and is left behind, you don't have to chisel it out; you can dissolve it. DON'T use the yellow carpenter's glue, which is made to withstand water.
2. It is not easy to glue vinyl to other things. It generally requires a specially formulated vinyl cement (as for the patch kits for vinyl inflatables), and white glue certainly ain't that!
Probably 95% of my LP collection was purchased used, much of it from thrift stores and some from eBay. Mostly I've been pretty lucky, but there are some that definitely need some sort of deep cleaning. If this is effective enough, it may compel me to pick up some thrift shop LPs I've passed on because they were visibly dirty.
I can just see myself getting a big-ass roll of wax paper and a gallon jug of Elmer's.
It sure sounds like an interesting idea and yes I heard of it before.But one thing that comes to mind is that if you read the instructions on ANY glue product and Elmer's ,it says"make sure that surfaces to be glued are gree of dust,oil,contaminants and are dry e.t.c" so how do we know that all the dirt is glued on the Elmer's and NOT left behind or portion of it?Just because the glue peels off in one round sheet doesn't necessarily mean it takes particles of dust with it. Just a thought guys! Regards George
I believe they want the dust and grease to be removed so that the glue will stick to the surface and not to the particles. Since that's our goal with records, then we're in the clear. That's how I interpret it anyway.
Interesting discussion. An NOS Empire cartridge I purchased on EBay had a brochure leaflet included which showed a product Empire marketed called "Disco Film", which was a gel that was applied to the record with a supplied brush. After drying, it was peeled off the record. Seems like a great product. Whatever happened to it? Lying in some warehouse next to the facial peels or the platform shoes?
08-22-07: Heyitsmedusty Would anyone recommend mixing in a little alcohol with the glue to reduce the viscosity and surface tension to get it down deeper into the grooves?
Elmer's is water soluble, so alcohol might not particularly help. I presume you could thin the glue with water. The question then becomes, if you thin it too much, would it make it too thin and therefore difficult to peel off when it dries?
How about using artists masking fluid. This is latex fluid, you paint it on as a "mask" and then it just peels off. Might be worth a try and its cheap!
No substitute for a good cleaning fluid, mechanical action to get the cleaning fluid between the dirt and vinyl, and a removal system to remove the fluid/dirt. Lots of commercial and home remedies but all have these three basic keys. Save yourself some time and invest in a proven system.
I'd rather try a detergent that has minimal residue...running warm water on the LP, then applying the detergent by putting it on my bare wet hand, and rubbing in circular movements onto both sides, wash your hands before you start if you want. Maybe a detergent that is non allergenic, because they would probably leave less residue. then rinse using the same technique with warm water and just the inside of your hand. The pressure of your hand should get the soap into the grooves. Just stick it on the dishrack. Maybe try a stabilizer wash, like used in photography, which eliminates streaking on negatives. Or learn to humm.
Please just pick up some LAST products and thrill to the improvement. Clear as a brass bell. No danger. I have over 10,000 records-the stuff is reliable. I cringed when I heard the glue thing. Scary
Thedre, I found I improved my effort significantly by using a couple of those big wood handled Discwasher brushes(1 wash, 1 rinse) and a low residue soap/detergent. I've used it on dirty used 'treasure' records w/o a problem. I used tepid filtered water out of my taps in the kitchen sink. Takes only seconds with the running water. Dry quickly with a fluffy cotton towel.I followed up with LAST cleaning & treatment.
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