Cleaning enbedded debris in vinyl?

boyo,

What took it so long for your first post? Hope you stick around and post more often.

 

I tried this Elmers glue cleaning tweak on an LZ II LP that Sung gave me for comparison of how bad some copies are. This LP was absolutely the noisiest LP I have ever heard. So I figured there was nothing to lose. Well, it took a little time to get down a technique to where I could peel off the glue with ease, but I have to say that the glue technique has pumped some new life into this piece of crap. It has taken away about 85% of the surface noise.

Conclusion, is this technique really worth it. Only on an LP that might other wise be good for the garbage. I still think I get better results with my method described in an earlier post in this thread.

 

The peeling is quite a pain but it sure does remove surface noise, anyone got an easy peeling suggestion

 

My god it works! You need to put it on thick tho', remember it dries much thinner and is hard to peel off. I'm using inert water-based PVA. DO NOT use anything with a 'spirit' smell or that is brown in colour. White wood glue is the stuff. Used a flat head painting brush (small) to work it into the grooves going counter clockwise. Ladle it on thick just up to the last groove of the record..don't go anywhere near the label!

Here's my trick for peeling. Once the layer is pretty much dry put a BIG blob of glue right on the outer of the 'glued' record. Now let that dry (transparent) and voila you have a 'tab' which you can get hold of to peel the face mask off. Done a couple of 45s and it really works, what a spiffing idea. Give that dude a medal

 

I used this on a pretty trashed 45 from my childhood - really only had it for sentimental reasons - and it DID improve things greatly.

Granted, this particular record is scratched to hell, but much of the clicking and popping is gone and it LOOKS very clean if still totally scratched.

I found peeling the glue off very easy and managed to get it off in one piece which my 6-year-old really gets a kick out of. She kept it.
-mk

 

The "tab"is a great idea! I got it started by gently inching an exact knife under the glue "skin". Yes, put on a good layer, can't say but looks like
1/32nd or 1/16th inch? In others words, enough so it doesn't tear. Maybe more since a bit thicker might be better. You can see the grooves in the glue film as it peels off, wonder if it could be flattened and played?! - it really gets into the grooves.

I tried it on a REALLY beat up Pat Boone (!) 45 my sister owned. The grooves were a dark grey color from grit. After the peel they are spanking
clean, and the disc is much quieter.

I agree, a medal is deserved!!! Thank you! Dying to try it on a disc in better shape.

 

Well, I clean my LPs with the Disc Doctor brush and fluid, and then vacuum the gunk off. Have you 'glue guys' used a vacuum before? How does it compare to the glue method? How much glue do have to use for each record? After a few records do you get kinda dizzy?

 

I'm glad i'm not the only lunatic in here...
I've done it on about 30 records now and the results are not always as obvious as they were on that first "Köln Concert" album...
I guess it depends on how dirty the record really is. The dirtier the better!

 

Has anybody tried the glue method on a 78 yet? I've got a few that look like the Pat Boone 45 as described above, and play accordingly, and I'm curious if anybody has tried it on shellac yet. Also, with Elmer's, how long did you wait to peel it off? Overnight?

 

I have some 78s that are prime candidates! I'll post my results shortly. Re: how long to wait until you peel off the glue? When it dries clear. Elmer's is waterbased (and, believe it or not, archival i.e. acid-free) so you have to wait until the H2O has evaporated, several hours from my experience. Overnight is probably good - I was so excited when I saw this post during the day I tried it right away, starting c. 10:30 am. By 4:30 it was dry (clear). Do try the tab suggested above for easier peeling.

 

Has anyone tried this with an LP that looks like new, but has a bunch of pops and clicks?

 

When you peel off the glue has anyone looked at the side that comes off of the lp, is there visible debris on the glue?

 

that is the stamper

that is what you use to make more copies

 

You pirate.

 

The glue method worked wonders on my Pink Floyd album "Animals." Almost all surface noise went. And yes, you can play the PVA glue if you peel it off carefully...............

EDIT: The peeled glue isn't worth playing though. Suppose you could in theory use it to make a copy!

 

You may discover subliminal messages playing the peeled glue.

 

I tried this glue trick on several records Andy, and in my opioion, it's not worth the hassle and the cost of glue one would have to use.

My method of 70% alcohol with a cotton swab or paper towel, cleans it up as nice as the glue, and in most cases, a lot better. Sometimes you have clean it two or three times, but in the end, it works like a charm. The glue is a novel idea, and it may work for some, but I'll stick with my method.

 

Lesson learned the hard way: don't let that glue dry overnight. Just ruined a record cuz I can't get that dry stuff off.

 

You may be able to soften the glue up by soaking the whole thing in water. Worth a try anyway.

 

Hi folks,

Empire had a similar idea years ago. They called it Discofilm. You sprayed this on your LP and then let it dry a bit and then peeled it. It worked well if carefully removed promptly after application.

 

I tried this last night on an otherwise worn out styrene 45 of Jerry Reed's "Hully Gully Guitar", and I've got to say it's quite an improvement. I'm a little concerned in that there was still a little undried glue under the membrane, and I washed it off with water, but it left a stain. I figured what the heck and cleaned it with my regular ritual, and it came right off. Any chance the glue residue didn't break down and will be a problem on my brushed and whatnot? Just curious...I'm not a chemist so I'm more curious about what might be left behind.

 

What is the procedure for doing this?

 

I can see it now. Elmers "Cryo'd" Glue applied with genuine Chinese Boar bristle bushes from hogs massaged with single malt soy sauce attached to Indian Rosewood handles manufactured from sustainable harvest planations, all sold under the MoFi brand name and available for $100 for a four ounce kit.

Remember, you heard it here first.

Eric

 

http://www.geocities.com/capitolhill/Lobby/7049/skips.htm

Here is a little tutorial.

 

There's actually a commercially available product like this called DiskApeel. It comes with a tube of a pasty chemical that's not wood glue, and a foam brush. It also comes with support for the record (a big plastic jar with a spindle on it). As with glue, you really have to make sure to use a generous amount or there's not enough to "grab" to peel it off and you end up with a big problem. This stuff works very well and is not a glue. They suggest affixing a piece of duct tape (or duck tape if you must) to the wet surface so that when it dries, you have something to grab and lift with. I'd be that works with glue too, but I'm not sure about the chemical reaction between glue and vinyl. This stuff made by Intercontinental Chemical, Corp. of Cincinnati (they make the chemical, they don't market the product), is said to be totally safe on vinyl. -Mikey