[Dixielandjazz] Restoring 78s, Round 3

[Dick Baker]

Robert Pulliam wrote:
>Dick - you mention using a dishsoap wash, and I assume you're also using tap
>water? This makes me cringe. The whole idea is to remove debris from the
>grooves - dirt, dust, mold & mildew, factory mold-release agents. Dishsoap
>and tap water, while it may loosen some of the crud - but may also not be
>that effective for some things -  also introduces whatever is in the soap -
>surfactants, perfumes, and whatever chemicals. Even worse, tap water
>contains minerals - i.e. little tiny pieces of rock. Further, simply rinsing
>under the tap isn't the best method to remove debris, besides the fact that
>you're introducing the aforementioned minerals to the surface of the record.
>
>I'd really suggest using something that's concocted specifically for the
>purpose of cleaning records - so that besides cleaning the record it also
>won't damage the surface - in combination with a vacuum-irrigation device
>like a Nitty Gritty, readily available online, or building something similar
>if you're mechanically inclined and have a lot of time on your hands. IMO,
>vacuum irrigation is the only way to really clean a record.

Robert,
Technically, you're right; practically, overkill for my (and most people's, 
I suspect) purposes.  Those vacuum-assisted special record-cleaning gadgets 
are insanely expensive (roughly $500-$1200 for the popular Nitty Gritty 
brand machines--see nittygrittyinc.com) and are a pain to work with.

If you're dealing with intrinsically valuable rare discs that you want to 
be able to keep pristine for playing into the future, yes, spare no 
expense.  As my online notes explain, however, I'm dealing with rotten old 
mistreated 78s that are riddled with scratches under all the dirt.  A 
four-molecule cluster of minerals left behind by a tap-water rinse really 
isn't going make any difference.  And I'm just trying to get one play off 
the disc for the dub to digital (and yes, I use a 78 stylus).

I do keep a Discwasher brush and cleaning fluid on hand and use it on 
relatively clean records like the LPs in my own collection that I've 
handled and stored properly.


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      Dick Baker
  djml at dickbaker.org