Where 2 buy 3x distilled water and 100 alchohol?

05-10-02: Rushton
For many years I have used the following simple solution with very satisfactory results, and, most importantly, no harm across several thousand LPs:

20% Isopropyl Alcohol (91%), with no additives
80% Distilled water
12-20 drops of Kodak PhotoFlow per gallon (to reduce surface adhesion)

Mixing this up is simple: Buy a 1 gallon container of distilled water, pour off a little more than a quart into a separate clean container, then pour 1 quart of isopropyl alcohol into the gallon container, add the PhotoFlow, and top off the gallon container with some of the distilled water you poured off at the outset.

Some people contend that a surfactant should also be added as a "detergent" agent to be effective, but I've yet to find a recommendation with which I've felt comfortable so I've stayed with the formula above. There is also some contrary opinion about the use of the PhotoFlow, but I've not observed any problem in over 15 years. In my experience the PhotoFlow is necessary to get the fluid into the record grooves.

One can work multiple options on how pure should be the alcohol and distilled water. I've always used what I find in the local drug store.

Bill, as long as your records are vinyl, and not shellac, the small amounts of alcohol is fine. Never use alcohol on shellac. Mostly old stuff on 78 is more likely to be shellac. I'm not sure when the change-over occured, but I have had many albums from the early 50s and never encountered a shellac 33 1/3 record.

Dekay, I wouldn't worry about the iso-propanol extracting the plasiciser from the vinyl, not methanol nor ethanol. Just stay clear of denatured ethanol, because the denaturant is sometimes benzene, which would be harmful. The other alcohols do not contain denaturant, as they are not drinkable anyway, which is why the ethanol is denatured, to discourage people from drinking it.

As for mixing armagnac with water (any water), I frown upon that habit, just as adding water to good scotch!

Salut,

Bob P.

Hi Bob: It was just something that I read @ AA along with the possibility that my old 99.953% alcohal may contain (as a bi-product) a nasty chemical, albeit in small trace amounts. I believe that this info came from chemists @ the site.

As far as the brandy goes a drop of two of branch will open up the bouquet and sweeten the taste a bit (same with Scotch and Bourbon).

I was @ a "grip" shop in Hollywood and ran across some plasticising (is that a word?) products (sprays and liquids). Don't know much about this in general, so did not pick any up.

I may even start using filtered tap water (instead of distilled). We just picked up new/improved filters for a PUR that claim to remove everything. I hate lugging water home.

Dekay, The word is plasticiser. I used to run a plasticiser plant (there are several different types, but most are esters and are very effective in dissolving rubbers and plastics, vinyl included). The ester, btw, is made by reacting an alcohol with an organic acid, which explains why alcohols will dissolve the plasticiser somewhat.

I also ran a synthetic ethanol plant and one of the tests for purity of the alcohol was to dilute the ethanol to 15% with water and check the odour, the water driving off the odour causing chemicals so that you can smell them better. That would explain why adding water to scotch seems to open up the taste and odour, since pure ethanol is both odourless and tasteless. Its the impurities that give good spirits their taste and aroma, just like its the distortions that give audio components their identity and characteristics.

Enjoy,

Bob P.