PHONOPHILE DEEP-CLEANING SYSTEM: Cleans LPs better than any vacuum machine

ricmon · « **on:** 19 Oct 2007, 02:19 pm »

I got the new Mapleshade catalog yesterday and they profess that there steam cleaner will beat any vacuum machine. Take a look and let the AC community know what you vinyl-philes think of this device and there claims.

http://www.mapleshaderecords.com/audioproducts/deepcleaningsystem.php

randytsuch · « **Reply #1 on:** 19 Oct 2007, 02:56 pm »

Problem I would see is that you wipe it dry with a cloth. The cloth could transfer contamination from one record to another. Maybe this used with a vacuum?

Randy

Toka · « **Reply #2 on:** 19 Oct 2007, 03:05 pm »

I'm not going anywhere near that...can't imagine what that would do to the labels.

TheChairGuy · « **Reply #3 on:** 19 Oct 2007, 03:59 pm »

Quote from: Toka on 19 Oct 2007, 03:05 pm

I'm not going anywhere near that...can't imagine what that would do to the labels.

Yup - the label - first thing I thought of, too. The second thing I thought of was how much my skin would scald if hit by a 300 degree F stream of steam

I got the (print) catalog last week, and noticed all the vinyl products they now have. Quite pricey, some/many of them

Isn't it interesting that a CD maker offers vinyl products...doesn't that say just a wee bit about the format they've been offering up?

I've got about 6-8 Mapleshade CD discs...not a one of them stimulates me much

Among larger Indies, I think the Putamayo discs have better performances and recordings, too, overall.

ricmon · « **Reply #4 on:** 19 Oct 2007, 05:10 pm »

What about the "Static Draining Record Brush"? It seems like a good idea.

http://www.mapleshaderecords.com/audioproducts/recordbrush.php

ricmon · « **Reply #5 on:** 19 Oct 2007, 05:11 pm »

Also aside from the label issue. Do you guys think steam cleaning works?

TheChairGuy · « **Reply #6 on:** 19 Oct 2007, 06:22 pm »

Of everything they offer now, this might be the only thing I'd be interested in: http://www.mapleshaderecords.com/audioproducts/nanomountsystem.php

You can buy TT platforms (which work great for me), in solid (finished) maple from Dawns Little Corner on ebay for 1/3 of Mapleshade's costs. http://stores.ebay.com/Dawns-Little-Corner_W0QQssPageNameZstrkQ3amefsQ3amesstQQtZkm

circinus · « **Reply #7 on:** 19 Oct 2007, 06:27 pm »

Michael Fremer reviewed a steam cleaner back in 2002.

ricmon · « **Reply #8 on:** 19 Oct 2007, 06:28 pm »

Quote from: TheChairGuy on 19 Oct 2007, 06:22 pm

Of everything they offer now, this might be the only thing I'd be interested in: http://www.mapleshaderecords.com/audioproducts/nanomountsystem.php

You can buy TT platforms (which work great for me), in solid (finished) maple from Dawns Little Corner on ebay for 1/3 of Mapleshade's costs. http://stores.ebay.com/Dawns-Little-Corner_W0QQssPageNameZstrkQ3amefsQ3amesstQQtZkm

I already got a killer home grown platform/stand. What I'm looking for is a silmple and effective way to
1. get rid of or reduce static charge
2. keeping the platters clean

I've followed most of the post concerning cleaning but always looking for a better methods sans vacuum machine.

Ric

ohenry · « **Reply #9 on:** 19 Oct 2007, 08:04 pm »

Quote from: TheChairGuy on 19 Oct 2007, 06:22 pm

Of everything they offer now, this might be the only thing I'd be interested in: http://www.mapleshaderecords.com/audioproducts/nanomountsystem.php

I'd like to check this out as well. I wonder what would happen if someone adhered three tiny metal shotblast media balls to the top of their Grado and mounted it to the headshell. Of course, it would take someone that is well-versed in turntable and cartridge tweaks, someone that has developed a analog sonic reference through tons of listening experience, and someone that has the objectivity and writing skills to report back to the group. Maybe someone named John?

I suppose that wouldn't be quite the same as a triple point cone, but I would imagine it may somewhat mimic the cones since the ball would tend to become slightly embedded into the softer cartridge body material (plastic or wood) while the opposing headshell interface would remain point-like.

Hmm, I wonder if small shot, such as No. 9 or 11, would be small enough to play with???

lcrim · « **Reply #10 on:** 19 Oct 2007, 08:21 pm »

It is totally amazing to me that John has acquired this reputation for credibility. Un-freaking-believable.

nature boy · « **Reply #11 on:** 19 Oct 2007, 08:23 pm »

I have used steam cleaning in combination with disc doctor products to good effect with my collection. I use a dish drainer to dry the records overnight.

If you are careful with the steam cleaning nozzle, following the record grooves from inside to edge of the vinyl, very little water or condensation gets on the label. I have a couple of water stained record labels from my practice runs, but generally this isn't a problem.

I don't know if I would use a steam cleaner on a very expensive collectible album, but it certainly has clean up a lot of old records and made them very listenable.

Cheers.

NB

flatmap · « **Reply #12 on:** 19 Oct 2007, 08:29 pm »

Natureboy, did you rinse before air drying? I guess the steaming also acts to rinse off the dirt? Do you feel the need for distilled water for the steaming?

There is a product I've heard discussed (but do not own) that would help protect the label during both the steam and rinse: Groovmaster Label Saver sold by William Sergent (wmsar@cox.net).

I have no affiliation with him, but his product is often referenced in various vinyl forums.

royphil345 · « **Reply #13 on:** 19 Oct 2007, 08:50 pm »

When you turn water into steam and collect it again on a cold surface... you have distilled water. None of the minerals and impurities in the water are present in the steam. Using distilled water in any appliance that heats water is a good idea to prevent mineral buildup in the appliance though.

nature boy · « **Reply #14 on:** 19 Oct 2007, 10:27 pm »

Quote

Natureboy, did you rinse before air drying? I guess the steaming also acts to rinse off the dirt?

Here is my treatment sequence:

1) Steam cleaned albums (using triple distilled water), from label outward to album. While album was "moist" then:

2) Applied disc doctor "miracle record cleaner" (diluted per recommendations with triple distilled water) on the albums with disc doctor record brush per instructions.

3) Rinsed album with triple distilled water, using a saturate disc doctor record brush.

4) Steam cleaned albums (using triple distilled water), from label outward to album edge.

5) Air dried albums overnight in a dish drainer.

After thoroughly dried, I placed the albums in poly-lined paper inner record sleeves ordered from Sleeve City. I really like these.

NB

TheChairGuy · « **Reply #15 on:** 20 Oct 2007, 02:00 am »

Henry - A looong time ago someone made an interface with teeny pointy things to put in between cartridge and headshell...I think it might have been The Mod Squad. I think I looked at one, but never bought it, tho. Can't remember, it was a long time ago...so I don't know if it would be beneficial or to bother offhand. But, I'm sorta' game to try

Quote from: lcrim

It is totally amazing to me that John has acquired this reputation for credibility. Un-freaking-believable.

Larry/lcrim - Puh-lease tell me you forgot to put a smiley at the end of those two reasonably offensive sentences about your fellow co-facilitator...who has spent countless hours listening and tinkering to his vinyl rig for decades now

Sorry for taking topic slightly askew

John

blakep · « **Reply #16 on:** 20 Oct 2007, 02:26 am »

My opinion (and I do use steam cleaning if you want to call it that) is that any serious vinyl phile's first priority should be a vacuum system. I use a KAB EV-1, so I am not so snobbish as to recommend that you have to spend zillions on a vac to achieve very good, if not superb quality results, and I have had records cleaned on a Monks.

That being said, steaming can be an auxilliary or additional step in the cleaning process, and vac process which I consider essential, and it does not necessarily have to be expensive either. I use a Sunbeam "Steam Valet", purchased at Walmart for about $30 Cnd. and it allows superb targeting of steam so there is never any risk of label damage. I also use ultrapure water in the steamer (although a high quality distilled is probably fine).

I use steam in the first cleaning process with Mobile Fidelity Super Deep. I brush the Super Deep on (on a cheapie dedicated turntable rotating at 45 rpm) and then proceed to steam, brush again (with a carbon fibre brush) and with really dirty records, I may steam again and brush again before vacuuming.

I then do two rinse cycles, brushing with ultrapure water and vacuuming and that's it. I feel the results are top notch and the steaming definitely works, particularly with really, really dirty records. Rarely do I have to clean a record twice, and if I have to go to a third time I don't; I simply toss the record at that stage as I feel it's groove damaged.

But I wouldn't spend big bucks on an Audiophile steamer. That's just me. I'm a cheapskate.

Jampot · « **Reply #17 on:** 20 Oct 2007, 06:37 am »

Quote

Larry/lcrim - Puh-lease tell me you forgot to put a smiley at the end

Ohhh -c'mon John, it wouldn't have been nearly so funny if he had

Jim

Listens2tubes · « **Reply #18 on:** 20 Oct 2007, 12:42 pm »

Quote from: circinus on 19 Oct 2007, 06:27 pm

Michael Fremer reviewed a steam cleaner back in 2002.

I too remember a writeup where Fremer used a steam device to clean records. Seems to me it was a clothes steamer he had picked up for traveling, maybe a Presto steamer.

bacobits1 · « **Reply #19 on:** 21 Oct 2007, 12:16 am »

What we should do is, chip in $ and a few of us buy one to test out?
How about a piece of Herbie's "grung buster" material?
I forgot I have this stuff here when I mounted my DL103.
Maybe I'll try that.

Den