Stylus stuck in groove

Comon' ....
Clean your f..ing records

saliva

So you bought a very expensive Clear Audio modern MM cartridge earlier this year, now you’re saying that it does't sound good in the first 45 minutes each time you’re playing your vinyl, and even its stylus tip stuck in a groove???

@rvpiano,

’How does it even happen?’

I’ve never experienced a stylus to get stuck in a groove but there were a few (no more than 4/5) occasions when it would skip badly. Usually on records that were borrowed from a public library.

Strangely enough, upon closer inspection I found on a couple of occasions that the offending groove was clogged up with a speck of what looked like a dried up and and hardened white correction fluid (Tippex?).

It was easy enough to remove by scraping it off carefully with my fingernail so that it came off in one piece. The remaining residue could then simply be blown off afterwards.

How it got there I don’t know. Quality control would have to be pretty bad for it to have left the factory like that, but who knows?

It’s possible but unlikely that a previous borrower caused it. It’s more likely that a previous borrower didn’t even care to find out what the blemish was.

Only we audiophiles tend to obsess over such ’trivial’ details.

In your particular case I’d get someone to check your stylus because other than a contaminant somehow falling onto the disc (or getting into the sleeve) it’s difficult to say why this is happening.

It must be really frustrating, especially when your eyes can’t make out the fine details.

I'm assuming you meant a "skip", not that the stylus was actually "stuck" to the record.  As mentioned before, it's usually a piece of hard junk stuck in the groove, which it sounds like you're familiar with.  Rather than use a toothpick, you can usually knock it loose with your fingernail.  You might try putting a thin piece of lint free microfiber cloth between your finger and the vinyl to keep oil off the record and avoid scratching it.

Chackster,

I appreciate someone of your stature following my progress.

Slaw,

I’ll pour you a drink.
But, maybe you’ve had enough already

You owe it to yourself -

https://www.audiogon.com/listings/lisa5cfa-audio-desk-systeme-vinyl-cleaner-pro-cleaning-systems
https://www.audiogon.com/listings/lisa6551-audiodesksysteme-glass-cleaning-systems

I gonna have to parrot whats being said....

Time for a US machine. I have a couple of LP's that refuse to let go of whatever is in the groove, regardless of scrubbing. 
With the recent uptick in US cleaning in threads, it's got my "buy now" finger twitching.

It also could be a rare instance of something in there that even US cleaning won't get rid of.

OP,

Thanks for your thoughtless response.

You need a diamond cutters pair of spectacles.. I had a pair from WAY back... They had small heads back in the 1800, I guess. I had to modify them to work for my head... I looked like a BORG....

Sure can see the problem though, and if your gentle handed enough, fix it..... slaw hit the nail on the head, it’s a chunk of shi$. CLEAN IT..

The eye wear is just for fun... But you would be amazed how dirty and clean you can get your vinyl. I use simple dishwashing solution a detergent, like joy, ajax (no abrasive material) warm water, and a bubbler.
Fish tank pump, some soaker 1/4" line, and a plastic container. Fill it, keep it warm with a heating pad, and bubble away for as long as it takes...  Different PH will loosen different materials too. a little PH up (vinegar) or down, powdered baking powder.  Distilled water for the final, 3 bath clean up...
I can do 30 records in 2 days.. You have to rotated the records, and wipe what you’ve done... BUT, I’ve brought back over 300 lps from a total go under water in the basement episode, 20 years ago... That's baked in buddy... Still have 400 or more to go...

CLEAN it......Clean it good..... Whip it , Whip it good.... "Just came over me", NO I WON’T apologize... :-)

Regards

Slaw,

Thanks for your helpful post,

!= cd318 If you watch where it is skipping you can usually find the culprit and scrape it off with a fingernail. Something falls on the record and you put it back in the cover, then into the collection where it sits under slight pressure for years until you play it again. Stuck good. 
If you let it skip too long the stylus will wear a door into the last groove and the skip will be permanent. I do have very strong loops but I never seem to need them for this. 

@mijostyn,

I wondered whether the OP might have some loose plaster or paint directly above his turntable. Not always easy to see on a high ceiling.

Assuming that he’s using it without any lid.

The bit about the vinyl being ok one day and not the next is indeed strange.

Could the sleeves be responsible in some way? Vinyl inner sleeves always did seem to vary quite a bit in quality.

I’ve even seen some bad plastic ones for CD audiobooks, where it’s almost impossible to remove and return discs without a fair bit of unnecessary friction.

The only guess I have is it might be the sleeves.
Unless it’s audio gremlins.
Not the ceiling.

It would be debris in the sleeves. Very possible. I have had it happen with new records.

I don't see what's so unusual I have had records where the stylus gets stuck and keeps repeating the same line.
 On examination it's usually a small brown or black speck sometimes removable with a cleaner or finger nail, other times it seems permanently lodged. At times I think it maybe actually in the vinyl itself.

I felt my initial post was very appropriate for this strange thread.

What's next? Why is there dust on my stylus after playing an album side?

slaw you said it.. it's dirty.  Now on to a tough one..
Why do bumble bees fly, the big ones.... How do they, do that? :-)

Just wondering... No, I don't need to know the reason why or how...
Just wondering.

Regards

I fail to see what’s so “strange” about seeking help with a common problem in playing records. The question is (which some have answered) how do you deal with stuck or skipping records that have been ALREADY cleaned?
Thank you to those who took the question seriously.

I'm sort of hesitant to post this, but having mostly 'pre-loved or -hated' LPs, the only way to get them listenable is by the "cold glue method" (can Google it too), this followed by the quite primitive 'Spin Clean' and using their fluid, just to take care of the static charge that follows the peeling off of the dried cold glue film. 
It is the the best and most effective method I found out to date, and having by now used it hundreds of times. 
I have tried a Nitty Gritty, a very beautiful, almost 'sexy' German made 'Hannel' with roller brushes and powerful suction. 
Nothing works as well as the 'cold glue method' - and it is *quite* to boot!

The trick is, to get the best cold glue for the job, definately none of that hyper-aggressive stuff for professional bonding of high resin contend exotic timber! This will etch the vinyl and be VERY hard to peel off once set!!! 

Also, no messing by spreading with your fingers as once shown on some Michael Fremmer video!!! 

One needs to learn the use of a softish silicone food spatula to evenly spread the cold glue on a 45rpm spinning tt (for all 33 rpm LPs), and learn to dose the glue application by best, a tiny nossle using the least workable amount, on a sufficiently torquey turntable. This with a record centre clamp to prevent the record's slipping on the turn table platter. 

This may sound lengthy but after a short learning time it's a pretty swift and NON-MESSY! process. 
Lastly, this process can be repeated many times with NO damage to the vinyl, and usually brings additional improvements for extremely difficult cases of age old baked in dirt particles. 
Nothing else I ever tried worked at all as well. 
Seriously! 👍 
M. 🇿🇦 

1+ Justmetoo You learn something everyday. Plain Tightbond (not Tightbond 3!) will not stick to vinyl. It will peel right off taking everything with it. I'm going to try it on an old record, but I only have Tightbond 3 in the shop which polymerizes and might stick so I will have to go out and get some plain Tightbond. I think Elmer's will work also. Brilliant!

You guys must have really good eyes. On my LPs that have such glitches, I cannot recall ever having been able to see the problem with my naked eye. Nor did I bother to pursue the issue much further. It only affects a few of my favorite LPs, is usually resistant to any sort of cleaning, and I merely learn to avoid that particular band in the LP or to expect the momentary annoyance when it occurs. In the course of amassing my collection, I’ve purchased a lot of used LPs, but my criteria for purchase are very very stringent. IF close examination under a very bright light with glasses reveals any sort of defect, I don’t buy. But I think an occasional needle skip is to be expected when playing a used LP, where you do not know the history. In one case I cleaned the offending LP twice, once with my VPIHW 17 RCM, and then again with an ultrasonic cleaner. Neither treatment had any effect on the problem, and I concluded that it is a defect in the vinyl, not a piece of dirt or dust that I could dislodge by cleaning. One tip to the OP, after you clean your LPs with a good record cleaning machine it is wise then to replace the envelope that the LP sets in. As you probably know you can buy them by the stack and there are any number of good quality options from several trusted sources. Otherwise, you are sticking a clean LP into a potentially dirty envelope, and that can negate the effects of cleaning.

@lewm The offending particles can be hard to spot. Turn off your motor and spin the platter manually until you hear the pop from whatever is gunking up the record. That's how I usually find it. It's usually something hard and crystalline that you can pry out of the groove if you're careful. Cleaning typically won't get it out.

Good idea.  Now if and when I can bring myself to care, I will try your method.  I have no LPs that "repeat" due to LP dirt or damage.  Any time that happens, the LP goes into the garbage unless cleaning it repairs the problem.  When it's only a loud tick, I am usually too engrossed in the music to launch a careful investigation, beyond cleaning.  A very few of my favorite LPs (could count them on one hand) have a loud tick on one band; I still listen to those.  I am thinking in particular of a Johnny Hartman recording that I have played a lot over the last ~30 years.

Big_greg,

Sounds like a great idea.
Very clever.

Mount it, align it, cue it up, enjoy, simple. Why do people make more of it than there is. 

@rvpiano,

Being a bit a more pragmatic - a UV light can sometimes indicate debris that you will not be able to see with ’white’ light. and assist those aging eyes. This unit has good power for the inspection - only expose the record to the UV light for a few seconds for the inspection to prevent any damage and do not view the light with your eyes directly - https://www.amazon.com/Alonefire-Flashlight-Blacklight-Rechargeable-Protective/dp/B08FX7SQ3D/ref=pd_.... You may find that the offending item is nothing more than a strand of hair.

Some debris/particle can prove very difficult to remove - using your VPI vacuum RCM - you may require some aggressive brushing to dislodge. Its not about putting a lot of pressure on the brush, its about moving the brush back & forth quickly to get the cleaning fluid to develop enough agitation to free the debris and float it so that the vacuum can remove.

Hopes this helps,

Thank you everyone for your suggestions.