Vinyl Care

I was rather hoping for a scientific approach to static on vinyl records - how it is caused, what its effects are, and how it is mitigated.

@lewm comes closest by attempting to use a static charge meter, and detecting no change.  But this a gross measurement tool bought to measure electrostatic panel speakers.  The charge of an electron is tiny, at 1.60217663 × 10^-19 coulombs.  Moreover in our universe, as far as we know, charge is always conserved. If the material donating an electron sticks to the vinyl, there would be no net change of charge on the vinyl for any meter to detect.

As the great US physicist Richard Feynman amusingly explains, science can never prove a theory right, but it can prove it wrong.

This video is a must see:  Feynman on Scientific Method.

Benjamin Franklin will be most surprised to discover that he was US president....

(Though he was President of Pennsylvania prior to the formation of the US).

@antinn   "Just to clarify, what neutralizes the static on the record is the ionized air that the device produces when it creates the blue-arc.  The same concept of ionizing the air is how the Milty Zerostat™ 3 Anti-static Gun works.  When air is ionized, there is a chance of producing ozone, but in this case very little ozone is generated."

Thanks for setting me straight, Neil. I knew the answer, but got the 2 parts of the equation jumbled.

@lewm Forgive my ignorance.  The result is the same, though.  I've used the Zerostat and have a Furustat deStat II.  The Ronxs lighter is far better than both of them, in my experience. And a lot less expensive.  Thank you for that suggestion, Neil.

@whart I also use the Tigercloth instead of a fiber brush,  also thanks to Neil's suggestion.    I tried washing them, but under UV light, there was still a bunch of detritus on the cloth. So I replace it every 4 months or so.I also have found that the bare foot approach works best to minimize static charge as I too have several rugs I must traverse from record rack to turntable.  

@dogberry 

Benjamin Franklin will be most surprised to discover that he was US president....

(Though he was President of Pennsylvania prior to the formation of the US).

My mistake!  I remembered from my schooldays that he was a US politician and a president, plus US ambassador to France.  And one of the five founding fathers, I believe?