[acidaho]

 
 

 

 dry off with micro fiber towellettes and into the rack......less than $10 (thanx Harbor Freight)!

[analognut]

That's pretty slick. I want one. What do I google in order to find that thing on the internet? 

[orthobiz]

I got mine at AutoZone. There's a long thread on this on stevehoffman.tv.
They are suction dent pullers, 4.5 " I believe.
The rubber is really smelly!

Paul

[acidaho]

 Harbor Freight for $2.99 and they smell nice

[Ericus Rex]

You  might also find them called windshield grippers/installers.

[Sonny]

I am confused...you use this on to hold the record while cleaning?
Is this why you call it a "label saver"?

how are you cleaning the records with this contraption on ?
T

[acidaho]

 it is clamped over the label, sealing it, allowing a thorugh washing/ rinsing of the beast without getting the label wet. Like all little treasures, appearance is part of the mystique , LP's without labels quickly become worthless, even if the grooves are perfect.......kind of like a a Mac withot the faceplate (he he).

[neobop]

Harbor Freight for $2.99 and they smell nice

I remember seeing this thread. What are these things called at Harbour Freight? I didn't see any dent pullers listed.
Thanks,
neo

[Wayner]

The joke is on all of you. I have been washing records for 40 years and have never had a label damaged by having it submerged in soapy water. Save your money.

Wayner

[lonewolfny42]

I remember seeing this thread. What are these things called at Harbour Freight? I didn't see any dent pullers listed.
Thanks,
neo

http://www.harborfreight.com/4-1-2-half-inch-diameter-suction-cup-40993.html

[Stephen L]

Wayner, what do you use to clean the record with?

Steve

[neobop]

The joke is on all of you. I have been washing records for 40 years and have never had a label damaged by having it submerged in soapy water. Save your money.

Wayner

LOL, thanks Wayner. I always used an RCM but I don't have it any more. I was using a DIY contraption with an old broken TT, a clamp, and a vacuum with a DIY nozzle. I was reading about George Merrill's cleaning method and thought I might give that approach a try. The suction clamps look like they might be good for handling/holding the record. My car got smashed recently and they might actually be good for what they're intended for.
neo

[Wayner]

Wayner, what do you use to clean the record with?

Steve

I buy lots of used records and wash them the first time in the laundry sink with dishwashing detergent and warm water. I don't throw them in there like a bunch of dishes, but I get them all wet and sudsy, then swish around the grooves with an old horse hair paint brush, rinsing them, and finally toweling them off with old nice and fuzzy bath towels.

Wayner

[bside123]

I've been using two suction "dent pullers" from Auto Zone. $7.00 a piece. They work like a champ. Yes, the rubber is smelly. Clamp one on each side of a dirty record, do the first "grime wash" in the sink with warm water and mild dish soap (I use Mapleshade's Scuzzbuster), rinse EXTREMELY thoroughly, stack in a dish rack while you wash more LPs. I also use a little scrubby sponge. Then I clean the record one more time on a vacuum machine with a little bit of Nitty Gritty Pure 2 to make sure that I've got all the soap and oil off the record. I like to do this while the LP is still wet from the bath. Voila... almost perfectly quiet records, even on some really grunging LPs that I thought there might not be any hope.

On another note, I'm not so picky as some about the type of water used. I don't know if I could hear the "signature" of different types of water on records after they're dry. 

[Stephen L]

I buy lots of used records and wash them the first time in the laundry sink with dishwashing detergent and warm water. I don't throw them in there like a bunch of dishes, but I get them all wet and sudsy, then swish around the grooves with an old horse hair paint brush, rinsing them, and finally toweling them off with old nice and fuzzy bath towels.

Wayner

I am going to give that a try.

Steve

[Photon46]

I'd just like to add that it's good to be careful about what you use to clean records. I've cleaned vinyl in soapy water and then used the record vac for years and it does work great. I've experimented with various detergents with mixed results. Dawn ( and other brands) of dish detergent work fine. I've also thought that the enzymes added to laundry detergents might be of help in removing the worst offenders on filthy records. Seventh Generation organic laundry detergent worked great, but I've ruined a record with Purex. It left a noisy hazy film that bonded to the vinyl. I make sure to use a record I don't care about when trying out a new cleaning routine.

[Stephen L]

Thanks for the tips

Steve

[el34]

Yeah, mostly you don't need a label saver.... until you do.
I cleaned a 50s Blue Note, that's now pale blue 
Plays great though!
Older and smaller label stuff is more prone to ink running.

[mp]

I know this is an old topic, but it is fitting for the question that I would like to ask.

I am considering getting getting of these suction dent pullers. I've found a set of 2 for $7.00 that measure 4.2 inches. The measurement mentioned here is 4.5 inches. Has anyone used this size (4.2 inches)? Does the .3 inches loss of width impact coverage of the label? The label is 4 inches and I'm thinking it should pretty safely cover the whole label.

Comments/suggestions appreciated.

Thank you very much in advance.

 

[neobop]

I think you might have to position it carefully.  0.2" isn't a lot of leeway.

I saw a post in another forum - someone was having trouble getting the pullers to grab on.  The solution was to cover the center hole.

neo