Steam cleaning records 2

hi crem,

have been following this and the original thread for a while. and it seems like a really sound brilliant idea! i'm from way over here in india :) and there seems to be one steam cleaner available on a local shopping site. could you check the link i've posted and let me know if it would do the trick as well as the perfection steamer which i have no access to? just want to make sure before i start steaming!

much thanks for the trouble!!!

regards

http://shopping.rediff.com/shop/productdisplay.jsp?Palson-Nilo-steam-cleaner-30483-(-1000-W-)-3-BAR&prrfnbr=10253486&source=browse&frompg=Electronix%20Mall

http://shopping.rediff.com/shop/productdisplay.jsp?Palson-Nilo-steam-cleaner-30483-(-1000-W-)-3-BAR&prrfnbr=10253486&source=browse&frompg=Electronix%20Mall

hi crem,

my fault i did not use markup tags trying again with them so a link appears. the steamers you're referring to i think are available in the US? i wouldn't be able to get one from there. would rather buy local. am looking forward to starting and then sharing the knowledge on a local indian forum to get people here also to check out the steamway!

thanks and regards

crem,

thanks a ton for taking the trouble to check things out for me!!! really appreciate it. next week a steam cleaner is in the order line and a homemade vacuum set up. cant wait to hear what all the guys here are hearing from their lps.

halcro,
thanks for that experiment of only steaming and a rinse. sure don't make sense spending unnecessarily!!! will try it out first before moving (if necessary!) to a cleaner.

regards

crem,

distilled or 'super water' as you've mentioned is a search i have to do now where i live. there are a few manufacturers i have found online through business directories. going around might take a while depending on work load. am aiming to get triple distilled or the purest i can source from my city or another one.

crem you're full of surprises! have noted that in case i cant get some distilled water. thanks once again!

ordered a steamer finally. meantime cleaning with distilled water/isopropyl. finish with a modified home vacuum cleaner. noticed a drop in highs. cleaned stylus, still same. then added couple drops liquid dishwashing soap to the mix. little better but still missing 'energy' and a little highs. disc doctor site mentions several plays needed cos stylus is tracking a newly exposed groove. anybody else has same problem?

solved the problem. turned out to be a dirty stylus after all! i had only dry brushed the stylus in the excitement of the moment. when i wet brushed it, was clean and clear. whew! still a few pops and crackles so waiting to see how many of these steam cleaning does away with!

hi crem

i've solved the cleaning fluid issue too! found isopropyl lab grade 99% and distilled water from a supplier who sells to labs so when the steam cleaner reaches me in bout a week i'm all set!!! :) GRIN thanks for all the encouragement will update on steam cleaning when i do it in a week or two.

with regard to cleaning i'm using the method recommended by the disc doctor, scrubbing with homemade flat brushes lined with velvet for time being till i get the disc doc brushes and fluid. and microfiber cloths to mop up and modified home vacuum velvet lined slot after final rinse. have an old dual idler drive 1219 to clean on.

with regard to the record conditions yup you're right. some improve dramatically some you can see the damage is stylus inflicted and buying another copy is required.

regards

i started steam cleaning then came across this article on positive feedback. should it be of concern? reproducing the relevant para, note the last line.

Record Chemistry

So while the choice of record inner sleeve profoundly affects the record surface, cleanliness and playback quality, the biggest barrier to maintaining a clean album and extending its useful pop and tick-free lifetime is the record chemistry itself. A primary static charge is created the moment the record surface separates from mold surface. Briefly, records are a complex chemical mixture including 85% polyvinyl chloride (PVC), 15% polyvinyl acetate (PVA), antistatic agents, dyes, stabilizers (heavy metals such as lead stearate), modifiers and lubricants. PVA, the exact chemistry of which varies among companies, both aids in the flow of vinyl during record pressing and as a plasticizer. Plasticizers play a critical role in softening the plastic/resin. Under normal conditions, stabilizers, of which there are enough to last for decades, act to consume HCl. (One fact that many those who want to steam clean their LPs seems to ignore, is that heat and UV degrade PVC; heat causes the release of HCl.)

crem,

i've tried steam cleaning a few lps, found no appreciable audible difference so was pretty disappointed. will devote the next two weeks to cleaning one batch normal and another batch steam and see if i can find a difference. need to get up a decent test sample otherwise no proper conclusion is possible. i'd simply be jumping to confusions! will do three batches of bout 3 lps each and see. whether i finally use steam cleaning or not i'd like to thank you though for all the help and encouragement extended throughout my searching process :)

regards