Vinyl cleaning chemicals

[Brian C.]

I have a big box of used vinyl awaiting cleaning and some NOS vinyl on the way. I would like to use the Williamson "facepack" available from AudioXpress/Old Colony. Does anyone know of a UK source for small quantities of lab-grade isopropyl alcohol and naptha (for removing the releasing agent)? One possibilty I have found on a search is Joseph Mills(Denaturants) Ltd. Anybody had dealings?

Also there seems to be some controversy over surfactants. I was wondering about the suitability of Tetenal Mirasol 2000 Anti-Static Wetting Agent available from http://www.firstcall-photographic.co.uk.
Any Grade I Listed vinyl restorers like to chime in with their experiences/advice?
Thanks

Brian (who only made the decision to return to the fold less than 1 month ago!)

[mosin]

I use this concoction.

1 part regency grade isoprophyl alcohol
4 parts triple distilled water
3 drops Triton X114 surfacant
1 tablespoon Brillianze

Regency grade alcohol is available special order from a pharmacist that I know. My wife works in the medical field and has connections. The stuff is expensive at $28US for one US gallon. It is 99% pure. Lab grade would work fine, although it is slightly less pure, but the pharmacist cannot get that from his supplier.

Triple distilled water is available at any grocer in the US for a very cheap price. I don't know about its availability in the UK or Europe.

Triton X114 is extremely expensive, but I acquired a small amount which will last forever. A guy on eBay sells it.

Brillianze is commonly used in the copier industry. A copier service department should be willing to sell you a bottle. It is reasonably priced. I use it to control static. There has been some controversy about this product. I think that is because I thought of the application first.


I would avoid the use of naptha.

[Brian C.]

Thanks mosin but I am rather hoping to flush out a UK source
What's wrong with naptha for getting rid of the release agent from new vinyl? From what I've heard reported it is very effective and does not harm vinyl at all.

Any UK vinylites remember Eric Stubbes' articles in the long-defunct Audio Conversions magazine?

Brian.

[mosin]

My experience is that naptha leaves yet another residue. If not, then it simply isn't as effective as I had hoped.

[Brian C.]

Can you remember the eBay ID of the bloke who sells the Triton?
Thanks

Brian.

[Ambient Housewife]

Hi Brian

Distilled water is a b****r to find here in the UK. I have opted for purified water after trying a couple of pharmacies, photographics places etc. I thought that naptha was one of the main parts of lighter fuel (like for those flip top ones, not the gas type) but I could be wrong

Cheers

David

[Brian C.]

Hi David. My son said he will try and get me some Zippo lighter fluid while up in London today, apparently that is almost 100% naptha.
I'm surprised to hear about the elusiveness of distilled water, assuming that would be least of the procurement problems
I'll have a serious go at sourcing now that the silly season is coming to an end.

No wonder proprietary disc cleaning solutions are so profitable.....

Brian.

[Guest]

hullo -

i use naptha to clean my very dirty records, and a cloth dampened with water to remove the residue. this does do weird things with static, though. the naptha i use is the same stuff i use to fill my zippo, it's nearly pure. Ronsonol is the brand name, though i'm sure it doesn't matter very much.

anyone have any suggestions as to better cleaning methods? i don't do it very often, and as now i am starting to seriously collect, i'd like to keep my records as pristine as possible.

[Ambient Housewife]

Hi confusion

The basic principles of record cleaning are:

Apply the cleaning solution to the record I use brushes that are like the short pile clothes brushes that KTel used to flog on the telly, but I have heard of others using paintbrushes etc. It should not need to stay on the record long.

Remove the solution. This is the important bit as you want to get rid of the dirt and solution together rather than letting it dry back into the record. Vacuum record cleaning machines suck it off but you can get away with soaking it up with a good cloth. like one of the microfibre window clothes. Rinsing with distilled water before drying might help as well.


I have a tutorial on the web that show the equipment and technique, have a look at
http://www.analog2cd.co.uk/tutorial/index.htm and choose the cleaning link in the left hand menu.

Cheers

D

[Guest]

wow, that site's pretty helpful. thanks a lot.

i sometimes get 45s at goodwill and other thrift stores, and they can be filthy so i soak them in warm soapy water and then rinse them. is there any reason i shouldn't be doing this?

[Ambient Housewife]

Thanks for the comment on the site, glad it is helpful

The labels will get wet and might start to rub off if the paper is soaked. As long as you rinse them and the water is not too hot it is OK. Tap water is too hard here (too much calcium) and leaves crusty white deposits. If yours is ok it is fine, but final rinse in distilled might be good. Clean records should have a shine to them as well.

Cheers

D

[Brian C.]

David, where do you source your "purified water"?
Do you know what the difference is between purified and distilled?

Brian.

[Ambient Housewife]

Hi Brian

Purified water is just filtered to remove most of the chemicals and impurities whereas distilled should be evaporated and condensed to leave all the insolubles behind. Distilled is better but purified Seems to work OK. I got it from a non-chain local pharmacy. Boots is unlikely to be interested. You should be able to get them to order distilled water and isopropyl alcohol if they are obliging. I think I have been into all the pharmacies in the local area, none of them stocked the distilled water, although all were bemused as to why they didn't sell it anymore. In Austrlia and the US you can buy it for irons in the supermarket. You would think it would be more necessary here! Halfords used to do it (for car batteries) but I dont think they stock it anymore as batteries dont seem to need topping up like they used to. In fact, I can remember bottles of distilled water in the garages when I was a kid, we used to check the oil, water and battery level from time to time.

You should be able to find Zippo or Ronsol lighter fuel at the ciggy counter of Asda etc, I think that is where my last bottle came from, although I dont use it on the records!

Cheers

D

[Brian C.]

We have two chemists here, Co-Op and Lloyds. I'll go down tomorrow and see if either will order some distilled for me. Wish me luck

Brian.