My version of an Ultrasonic Record Cleaner

How about compressed air (but don't forget to include a drying section, otherwise the air output will get very wet indeed)?

actually I remember a guy that say compressed air is the best way to clean CD's (again without touch the cd with a towel or anything),

when you say compressed air, you mean this: https://www.amazon.com/Dust-Off-Com...qid=1466915351&sr=8-3&keywords=compressed+air
???

sorry but my native language is not english so, some terms confuse me.

and you say "include a drying section", which drying section?

thanks again!
 
diyAudio Member RIP
Joined 2005
actually I remember a guy that say compressed air is the best way to clean CD's (again without touch the cd with a towel or anything),

when you say compressed air, you mean this: https://www.amazon.com/Dust-Off-Com...qid=1466915351&sr=8-3&keywords=compressed+air
???

sorry but my native language is not english so, some terms confuse me.

and you say "include a drying section", which drying section?

thanks again!
I meant a real air compressor. Because of various effects like Joule-Thomson expansion cooling, such compressors tend to output a good deal of moisture, so heavy users wind up putting some traps in the line to get rid of it. Otherwise you are spewing out water with your air, which is obviously not what one wants!
 
I would strongly recommend investing in a vacuum-based RCM. You don't need to break the bank with it, but a good rinse is wise, especially if you're using anything in the ultrasonic fluid other than just plain distilled water. I've tried a number of mixtures in the tank, and always seem to get better results if I follow up with a distilled water rinse and vac afterward.

This seems to be a decent option, if you can't quite manage the cost of a KAB EV-1 or Record Doctor (the vac-from-bottom approach might actually be better if you're just rinsing): Home I have not used the SqueakyClean, but a number of people have reported good results.

FWIW, I've recently switched my tank fluid to TergiKleen (pre-mixed Tergitol), with a 10-drop-per-gallon dilution with distilled water. Since the Tergitol is basically two forms of vinyl-safe surficant, it seemed a good match for ultrasonic, and my results have been quite good, removing further veil that records cleaned multiple times with other solutions still had. The TergiKleen was a decent buy for me, since Tergitol has a limited shelf life, and a little goes a LONG way. $25 for the TergiKleen was also easier to stomach for an experiment, and I certainly don't clean records often enough to warrant a larger stock. But as I said before, a rinse afterward is strongly recommended. If distilled water isn't beading up and rolling off of the record, it probably needs another rinse to get rid of any further chemical contaminants.
 
This may be my first substantive contribution to the forum. I joined largely to learn more about DIY ultrasonics, since I'm thinking of a build, having owned the Audio Desk and KL (the latter still in operation, in combination with a point nozzle vacuum machine). I have found that the best cleaning results come from a combination of ultrasonic and vac drying (I prefer point nozzle to wand style vac for several reasons, and those aren't as easy to DIY). The forced air drying on the commercial US machines does get the record dry, but using the vacuum adds a slight bit more, in my estimation- you are sucking off (and hopefully removing) whatever remaining contaminants may remain in the grooves. Without digressing into a whole thing on my methods, I pre-wash records before they go into the US, and prefer to vac dry rather than blow-dry them when they come out of the US machine.
FWIW, re compressed air, I was always hesitant to use "canned air" to dust records because of the potential contamination of the accelerant (which, as I recall, is a form of refrigerant). An air compressor needs multiple filter stages, for water and oil, to avoid contamination as well. (I use a substantial compressor for my tonearm).
There have been instances where using a point nozzle vac after US has removed faint, wispy but audible "tracing distortion" on some records. It is certainly not necessary for all records, and sometimes, after pre-cleaning, I will let the forced air dryer do its thing as part of the US cleaning and drying cycle.
Hope this is helpful to some....
bill hart
 
I would strongly recommend investing in a vacuum-based RCM. You don't need to break the bank with it, but a good rinse is wise, especially if you're using anything in the ultrasonic fluid other than just plain distilled water. I've tried a number of mixtures in the tank, and always seem to get better results if I follow up with a distilled water rinse and vac afterward.

This seems to be a decent option, if you can't quite manage the cost of a KAB EV-1 or Record Doctor (the vac-from-bottom approach might actually be better if you're just rinsing): Home I have not used the SqueakyClean, but a number of people have reported good results.

FWIW, I've recently switched my tank fluid to TergiKleen (pre-mixed Tergitol), with a 10-drop-per-gallon dilution with distilled water. Since the Tergitol is basically two forms of vinyl-safe surficant, it seemed a good match for ultrasonic, and my results have been quite good, removing further veil that records cleaned multiple times with other solutions still had. The TergiKleen was a decent buy for me, since Tergitol has a limited shelf life, and a little goes a LONG way. $25 for the TergiKleen was also easier to stomach for an experiment, and I certainly don't clean records often enough to warrant a larger stock. But as I said before, a rinse afterward is strongly recommended. If distilled water isn't beading up and rolling off of the record, it probably needs another rinse to get rid of any further chemical contaminants.

first I don't have anything to clean my records, no ultrasonics, no vacuum machine, so! yes I thinking first buy the KAV EV-1 (I think prefer this over the record doctor, a little less money, less weight AND!!! vacuum NEVER BREAKS! :) so yes I buy soon a KAV and later put more money to get an ultrasonic DIY, maybe a vibrato or well a cheap chinese 40KHz.

fast question: the 40KHz ultrasonics machines are a total WASTE of money? don't clean too much?

I have a small record collection so maybe a 40KHz + KAV EV-1 is enough...
 
first I don't have anything to clean my records, no ultrasonics, no vacuum machine, so! yes I thinking first buy the KAV EV-1 (I think prefer this over the record doctor, a little less money, less weight AND!!! vacuum NEVER BREAKS! :) so yes I buy soon a KAV and later put more money to get an ultrasonic DIY, maybe a vibrato or well a cheap chinese 40KHz.

fast question: the 40KHz ultrasonics machines are a total WASTE of money? don't clean too much?

I have a small record collection so maybe a 40KHz + KAV EV-1 is enough...
I believe that the consensus is that the 40kHz cleaners work just fine (assuming you get one that isn't junk), but are more obnoxiously noisy, you can't clean as many records at once due to needing greater space between records, it may not clean as deeply into the grooves (though I've seen no real world testing of this yet), and it may be too aggressive without steady rotation of the record.

I do wish that the Vibrato had been available when I got my Sonix IV, as it really does seem like a nicer machine at a very reasonable price. I do think that a decent unit like that, a rotisserie setup for the records, and a cheap vacuum-based RCM for rinsing is a great way to go.
 
I've had a VPI HW-17 record cleaner for some time, but have always wondered if there was a way that could deliver better cleaning results along with less contact with the vinyl . So, after reading threads here and elsewhere about using ultrasonic cleaners to get the dirt off of vinyl, I thought I'd rig up my own unit.

I started with an ultrasonic cleaner that uses 60 KHz transducers. It was a little harder to find and a little more expensive than the typical 40KHz Chinese-made units, but the higher frequencies theoretically do a better job at cleaning the very small grooves of a record and there is less risk of damaging the vinyl from the cavitation. Those two points are a big advantage of 60khz units over 40khz units.

To rotate the records, I wanted to minimize motion in the cleaning solution. My target was a 4 minute cleaning time for the vinyl surface. Given that about 1/3 of the record is submerged in the solution at any moment, the math told me to find a 5 revolution per HOUR synchronous motor. Synchron makes such motors in almost any rph or rpm you could want. The 5rph motor yields a 12 minute rotation time. My plan is 1 rotation = 1 cleaning cycle.

I fashioned a spindle out of 9/32 W1 drill rod. It was was easy to machine a 1/8" diameter hole in one end of the spindle on my lathe to fit over the motor shaft (1/8" diameter).
The motor and shaft are mounted in place using an electrical connector box and conduit. The arm is mounted to the ultrasonic unit using L-brackets and pipe straps. The setup allows the motor and spindle assembly to be rotated up to load records, and then rotated down into the bath.
My spacers are 4" diameter, 1/2" thick cork rounds. [Oct 2012 note: I have since found different spacers, which are much better: I've ordered these from the UK: 110mm by 105mm tapered cork stoppers - they cover the record label completely and very little of the lead out groove. They are just a touch over 1" thick, which is optimal spacing.
No.37 Natural Cork Stopper 110mm from Just Cork No. 37 Large]

[Dec 2012 Note: I added a sintered bronze bearing and a bearing housing to support the weight of the spindle, records and spacers, and eliminate the bending moment on the motor shaft.]

I'll report back after I clean and play some vinyl. My first batches will use distilled water and isopropyl alcohol at about 7 to 1 [Sep 2012 note: I've since gone to a much lower concentration of isopropyl, about 50 to 1] , with a few drops of Kodak PhotoFlo. This solution, combined with the very slow rotation, will allow the liquid to drain off the vinyl surface very easily.
The cleaner can still be used for any items you'd normally put in an ultrasonic unit. It does a great job on some fairly intricate gold jewelry I've cleaned.
Photos below. Questions and comments welcome.

[Feb 2013 Note: I have built a second, sturdier design using a metal frame and hinge assembly that fits over the top of the Ultrasonic cleaner. Here is a direct link to the description later in this thread:
Version 2 of BB's URC
And here's a direct link to the post with the parts list for Version 2:
BB's URC Version 2 Parts List ]

Feb 2015 Note: I've built a 3rd version, designed to be assembled with fewer tools and be more adaptable to different cleaners. Description, pics, and parts list for Version 3 start here:
BB's Version 3 URC

Happy building.
Cheers,
BB
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Bearing-Arm-Up-DSC_8207.jpeg

Bearing-and-QC-Spindle-DSC_8203.jpeg

What an amazing piece of kit!
 
I was wondering, what brands and type of ultrasonic cleaners a favoured by the europeans on this thread? (ordering from us seems like a bit to expensive). I have seen some German and English manufacturers but these are 40-45khz and 'look' like the cheap Chinese models but are more expensive. 60khz i have not found yet.

To the Europeans, which one did you buy? (or US version import?)

Is there someone who actually tested a cheap chinese one with a average 45khz machine but from a more reliable manufacturer?

grts,
pop
 
Correct me if i am wrong but this company only ships to usa and canada :(

Pop,
Did you contact them directly or just look at their website? eMail them at allcorp@allcorp.com and they can quote you international rates for a small order.
If they don't want to bother, then you can use a forwarding service like shopusa.com to have AllElectronics ship to their US address and then ShopUSA forwards the merchandise to you. They get good reviews.

Best
B B
 
Pop,
Did you contact them directly or just look at their website? eMail them at allcorp@allcorp.com and they can quote you international rates for a small order.
If they don't want to bother, then you can use a forwarding service like shopusa.com to have AllElectronics ship to their US address and then ShopUSA forwards the merchandise to you. They get good reviews.

Best
B B

Thanks BB, working on that!
 
Speedquestion: Why is it so important to have a slow running motor? And would 2 - 3 rounds per minute be considered slow or not (much more option there, think at discolampmotor or grillmotor)? I can remember reading this somewhere in the tread....

The 10 minute rotation allows the US cleaner to do its magic with the cavitation process. Any part on the record will only be in the solution for around 5 minutes during the rotation.

BTW. All Electrnics will ship internationally. The motor BB linked to is counter clockwise they also have clockwise motors.
 
The 10 minute rotation allows the US cleaner to do its magic with the cavitation process. Any part on the record will only be in the solution for around 5 minutes during the rotation.

BTW. All Electrnics will ship internationally. The motor BB linked to is counter clockwise they also have clockwise motors.

Thanks, not that good a math, but a 1 or 2 round per minute unit makes cleaning a lot longer (if compared to the 1 round per min. type)....
 
Thanks BB, working on that!

I might work this way, but payment for shipping through shopuse would be atleast 38 dollar (!). For a unit that costs 5 bucks this is too much.
To get it to shopusa will cost me some shipping aswell... so no option.

Is there any easy (i am not that much of a diy-er) solution to spin the records at a slow speed? 1rpm unit (discolamp-motor) connected to a dimmer?