[Dixielandjazz] Thoughts on LP Needles>>WD40

[Robert Pulliam]

From: <BudTuba at aol.com>
To: <starwaterlogo at mpinet.net>; <dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>
Sent: Tuesday, November 15, 2005 8:21 PM

> I know this will wrackle the neck hairs of record collecting purists, but
I
> find cleaning the record with WD-40 loosens a lot of dirt that soap and
water
> misses and it provides a lubrication which glides the stylus over many
> inclusionsm etc that will make objectionable noise.

I'm curious how you "find" this, have you examined the grooves with a
microscope or powerful magnifier and done so on multiple records after doing
comparitive cleanings?

At any rate, "soap and water" is a somewhat ambiguous term. If you mean any
kind of household soap, they're not ideal for the task to begin with. They
contain coloring, perfumes, and other items that can potentially be left
behind on the record surface, and the surfactant in them might not be
particularly effective for cleaning a record to begin with.

> I have also convinced myself that the WD-40 does not harm vinyl records,
or
> acetate, and composite material 78 RPM records even if left on the surface
wet
>  and allowed to dry for several days.  The added lubrication film helps
the
> playback even months later without further application and does not  harm
the
> record.

Well,  a lot of people have "convinced themselves" that Elvis works at
K-Mart and that crop circles are real. This doesn't make it true. Putting
something like WD-40 on a record sounds like a superbly bad idea for several
reasons. Yes, it may in perform some degree of cleaning but the idea is to
leave behind nothing but the cleaned vinyl surface without damaging the
vinyl.

I assume you spray on the WD-40 while protecting the label somehow. Okay, so
how are you removing it along with any loosened dirt? Simply wiping it with
a cloth? If so, you're already in trouble on several fronts.

1) Using a petroleum product on plastic -  really bad idea.
2) Un-uniform cleaning/removal of debris and dubious effectiveness of
cleaning effect in the first place.
3) Introducing contaminants within the WD-40 onto the surface. Further this
"coating" is going to catch more dirt.
4) Introducing contaminants onto the surface with the cloth you may be using
to wipe up.
5) Potentially causing damage by pushing around dirt on the surface of the
record.

You may find that they're "quieter" due not to actually being cleaner, but a
false masking of the noise by the deposits left by the spray.

Personally, I urge you to discontinue this practice and use something that's
purpose made for the task but hey, they're your records.