[eric the red]

Stumbled upon this while researching stylus cleaners http://vinylfanatics.com/content/view/136/
The sticky hands the author refers to are available as 'Snapper Hands' on Ebay 4 for a buck plus postage. As the Zerodust sells for $69.00, maybe this really IS a real cheap vinyl tweak?

[blakep]

Do a search at Vinyl Asylum. A couple of dollars will give you stylus cleaning into the next century.

[lcrim]

I would not stick my stylus into a sticky pad.
I use a stylus brush occasionally with a small amount of fluid on it and brush back to front .  Very little danger of snapping off the cantilever.

[gooberdude]

Just buy a box of Magic Eraser, from Mr. Clean.   do not use goo or gum or anything.

If anyone wants my Extreme Phono gel, its yours.   a $4 box of Magic Eraser will last me about 40 years.

a few simple dips into it, then a quick brush.   there's nothing better, you just have to be careful.

lots of cool close up photos of sparkling clean diamonds on Vinyl Asylum.

[nathanm]

I have a Zerodust myself and although it works just fine I felt like a doofus after reflecting on its price.  Seventy bucks for a piece of soft rubber, what was I thinking!?  One nice thing is that the bubble design allows for a very soft cushion in which to dab one's stylus (that sounds suggestive)  I suspect the sticky hand may be a bit firmer, but essentially it's the same concept.  Basically you want to get the softest sorbothane-like material you can get because dust sticks to it.  But hey, just run it under the tap, let it dry and you're back off to the dust collecting.

[hifitommy]

its the best stylus cleaner i have ever used.  just make sure the tonearm isnt in the retaining grip, use it as if you were setting the stylus onto the record by hand.  follow with a brush like stylast or discwasher sc2.

i used my 50x 'scope and the results are stunning.

[eric the red]

Well I just tried the .20 cent slapper hand and it works for me. Cut the handle and cord off, laid the hand on the platter, lowered the stylus and gently pushed the stylus into the goo. Presto-clean undamaged stylus according to my magnifying glass. Seems like a reasonable deal to me as in 5 for a buck off of Ebay.

[gooberdude]

It'd be dope if that hand could be flung across the room to change the volume on my TVC!

[eric the red]

It'd be dope if that hand could be flung across the room to change the volume on my TVC!

Or slap the cat when he's clawing at the speakers as it has a 7 ft reach

[Wayner]

I use the small brush that comes with an electric shaver.

W

[djbnh]

I have a Zerodust myself and although it works just fine I felt like a doofus after reflecting on its price.  Seventy bucks for a piece of soft rubber, what was I thinking!?  One nice thing is that the bubble design allows for a very soft cushion in which to dab one's stylus (that sounds suggestive)  I suspect the sticky hand may be a bit firmer, but essentially it's the same concept.  Basically you want to get the softest sorbothane-like material you can get because dust sticks to it.  But hey, just run it under the tap, let it dry and you're back off to the dust collecting.

Mehran of AGon (I think the account name was Bibibi, it's Sorasound nowadays) was doing these for $30 shipped some time ago, which is what I got it for. Now they go for $44 + $2 shipping, so $70 does seem like a bit more than necessary. However, my Zerodust does what it's supposed to, and I can't say that for all advertised consumer items out there.

[Zero One]

My take on this is a little brass plugging fitting (used to cap copper piping in plumbing) which is filled with blutac, I just lower the stylus into it after sitting it under the rest position of the cart and then lift it back out, I use a different spot each time.  Works really well and I can't see anything left on the stylus using a magnifier.  From time to time I clean the stylus with an alcohol based cleaner (isocol) to remove any varnish. It was pretty expensive to set up, I think......um 95 cents for the brass cap and about 5 cents for the blutac, but I'm happy to make some and sell them through Snakeoil Audio Enterprises for just $49.99 with a free set of steak knives.
Zero One