[neobop]

Here it is boys and girls, a high frequency ultrasonic cleaning machine specially designed for records, or whatever else needs cleaning:
https://www.tindie.com/products/VibratoLLC/6-quart-60khz-vibrato-ultrasonic-cleaner/

Ain't the resurgence grand?
neo

[S Clark]

Very tempting at a reasonable price.  Has any one tried one yet?

[Wayner]

In my early days of drafting, we used ultrasonic cleaners to clean ink pens. One day, I left the pen tip in over night. By the next day, the pen tip had vanished. It was vibrated into oblivion. So, I have concluded to myself that ultrasonic cleaners for records is fundamentally, a bad idea because I believe they will ultimately damage the record by removing some of the vinyl, and hence, some of the microscopic detail of the music.

Wayner

[kgturner]

Very tempting at a reasonable price.  Has any one tried one yet?

I bought one. Seems to work fine. I haven't assembled everything needed to make it a record cleaner just yet. I have the spindle rod, motor, and ultrasonic cleaner. I just need some other miscellaneous hardware before final assembly. The only issue I have is about the shipping fee. Shipping is a flat $55.00. When I received the unit, it was clearer marked that shipping was only $27.55. I understand about boxes and packing materials as I have shipped more than my fair share of equipment, but the box is a standard off the shelf cardboard box and the unit was wrapped in a couple layers of bubblewrap. Nothing to warrant doubling the shipping fee. When I asked about a partial credit for the shipping, he politely told me to focus on the great deal I had just received on an ultrasonic unit. Not a deal breaker for me, but just something that stuck in my craw.

Kevin T

[neobop]

Here's the link to DIY Audio thread:
http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/analogue-source/218276-my-version-ultrasonic-record-cleaner.html

The shipping charge seems high, but considering most units go for $3K and up.....

I read a post on Karma where one guy said he just fills it up to the lead out groove and turns it by hand.  I have a couple of auto body suction cups (for pulling out dents) that I could use to cover the label.  Like this:
http://www.harborfreight.com/4-1-2-half-inch-diameter-suction-cup-40993.html

Whatever works.

I don't see how an ultrasonic cleaner could make a metal pen tip disappear unless it was dissolved by the fluid.  Where would it go, shattered in tiny pieces by the ultrasonic action?
If you're using recommended cleaning fluid, you have nothing to worry about IMO.  Maybe it would be best not to let it go overnight?   
neo

[Wayner]

An ultrasonic cleaner works by friction, vibrating the water at a very high speed. There are water jet metal cutters that can cut thru very thick steel plate (like 2 inches thick), and that uses friction too.

In the case of my drafting pen tip, the water dissolved the metal into microscopic particles. The same thing can happen to soft vinyl if this machine is used on a record. I might even suspect damage from the first cleaning......certainly after multiple cleanings. The machine does not know the difference between dirt and vinyl ya know....

[Bob2]

"water jet metal cutters that can cut thru very thick steel plate (like 2 inches thick), and that uses friction too"
Kind of true.. but they add carborundum as an abrasive to do the actual cutting... Did that for more than 10 years.
Not sure using an ultrasonic machine for vinyl is really the best for vinyl. Works great for jewelry though...but then again  it's hard to argue with what works!

[neobop]

I must admit, water dissolving metal (steel?) is a new one on me.  A high pressure water cutter is a different animal. 
I have a Signet ultrasonic stylus cleaner.  It's basically a stylus brush pad that vibrates.  You put some cleaning fluid on it and then the stylus for a couple of seconds.  It gets the stylus clean as a whistle.  I imagine, if I left it on overnight it would damage the stylus.  Use only as directed.

AFAIK, ultrasonic record cleaning has been tested and found to be awesome.  Once I am satisfied a record is clean, I usually just dust it.  I now use high pressure vacuum both wet and dry, but I suspect ultrasonic is better or at least a valuable addition.
neo

[S Clark]

"...produces ultrasonic waves in the fluid by changing size in concert with an electrical signal oscillating at ultrasonic frequency. This creates compression waves in the liquid of the tank which ‘tear’ the liquid apart, leaving behind many millions of microscopic ‘voids’ or ‘partial vacuum bubbles’ (cavitation). These bubbles collapse with enormous energy; temperatures and pressures on the order of 5,000 K and 20,000 lbs per square inch are achieved;[6][7] however, they are so small that they do no more than clean and remove surface dirt and contaminants. The higher the frequency, the smaller the nodes between the cavitation points, which allows for cleaning of more intricate detail." If Wiki is correct...

Friction is not the cleaning mechanism.

[Wayner]

Yes it is. It's the friction between the water molecules thru the process you just described. Ultrasonic cleaners are non-discriminatory, subtractive cleaners. They eventually can destroy their own cleaning tank, and that is why most of the tanks are made from stainless steel. It will remove dirt from the vinyl grooves, but it will also remove the vinyl grooves. Water moving over a waterfall will eventually cause the waterfall to erode. Water has tremendous friction.

[S Clark]

 

[THROWBACK]

I believe the answer is to use an ultrasonic cleaner only once per record. Once you have done that, all it takes is the dry brush treatment to keep your records clean. Unless you smoke or are careless about handling your records, they should stay pretty clean.  Anyway, that's what I do and it works well for me.

[Wayner]

THROWBACK has hit the proverbial nail on the head. Use the ultrasonic cleaner once and the record should never need this kind of deep cleaning again. Unfortunately, I think there are lots of vinyl heads that have OCD and will use the rule, if a little is good, then lots is way better.

I'm sticking with my shop-vac method........

[ebag4]

Perry (PDR) is already using this, see his thread here:
http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=127810.0

[PDR]

Yep, I subscribed to the K.I.S.S. principle when I built mine.
Not as pretty as some, but its not meant as a show piece.

Remarkable how well it works, and no repeats needed as yet.

[ctsooner]

Yep, I subscribed to the K.I.S.S. principle when I built mine.
Not as pretty as some, but its not meant as a show piece.

Remarkable how well it works, and no repeats needed as yet.

I"m about to pull the trigger on this and also the record holder on ebay for this machine.  It's about 725 total I believe and it seems like it's much better than any of the vacuum systems out there.  I found a Clearaudio that is 4 years old for 800 from a dealer.  Which one would you guys go for?