Compressed Air and Lp Dust Removal....

Grooves

Well-Known Member
Feb 29, 2012
152
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323
Pacific Northwest
A while back after loosing a TT motor to probable static build during Lp dust removal, I switched to cans of compressed air. While not perfect they work far better than any other method I've tried. Treatment before and after playing has kept my Lp's much cleaner and I don't worry about static increasing dust attraction or taking out my motor or PSU.
So, to take it a step farther I'd like to either fill my own "spare tank" using my shop compressor or rent/refill a big cylinder of compressed air. I realize the need to filter out any oil/water vapor if I use a refillable "shop tank" or would go with "medical" grade compressed air (which contains no water/oil vapors) from a nearby supplier. I haven't priced a "supplier" cylinder as yet but I'm sure a larger cylinder would have a cheaper cost. If I use a refillable small tank using my compressor I could keep it in close to my TT area. I would also need a regulator valve so I could find a good PSI setting for a "just right" air pressure delivery.
Has anyone tried this before or gone this route? What am I leaving out or not considering?
 

Johnny Vinyl

Member Sponsor & WBF Founding Member
May 16, 2010
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Calgary, AB
A while back after loosing a TT motor to probable static build during Lp dust removal, I switched to cans of compressed air. While not perfect they work far better than any other method I've tried. Treatment before and after playing has kept my Lp's much cleaner and I don't worry about static increasing dust attraction or taking out my motor or PSU.
So, to take it a step farther I'd like to either fill my own "spare tank" using my shop compressor or rent/refill a big cylinder of compressed air. I realize the need to filter out any oil/water vapor if I use a refillable "shop tank" or would go with "medical" grade compressed air (which contains no water/oil vapors) from a nearby supplier. I haven't priced a "supplier" cylinder as yet but I'm sure a larger cylinder would have a cheaper cost. If I use a refillable small tank using my compressor I could keep it in close to my TT area. I would also need a regulator valve so I could find a good PSI setting for a "just right" air pressure delivery.
Has anyone tried this before or gone this route? What am I leaving out or not considering?
Is your system setup in a house or a factory? Seems like an extreme measure of consideration to me.
 

Grooves

Well-Known Member
Feb 29, 2012
152
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323
Pacific Northwest
No more extreme than using a Vibraplane, or a Ultrasonic record cleaner, etc., etc. It's just that I found compressed air to be a great method to keep vinyl clean of dust. And it saves me from having to replace my German made TT motor which aint cheap either.
 

rockitman

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Sep 20, 2011
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I use a photo blower sqeeze ball to blow dust off records before they spin. Brushes of any kind are inferior and I no longer use them.
 

Johnny Vinyl

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May 16, 2010
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No more extreme than using a Vibraplane, or a Ultrasonic record cleaner, etc., etc. It's just that I found compressed air to be a great method to keep vinyl clean of dust. And it saves me from having to replace my German made TT motor which aint cheap either.

I don't always use it, but I like compressed air for getting rid of dust underneath of my TT and other components I don't want or can't move.

I'm sorry if I came off a little forward at first, but if you are getting that much dust and are afraid of damaging your TT motor, perhaps you should be looking at improving something in your ventilation system. I lived on the 4th floor on a major thoroughfare and dust was a constant problem, but never such that I felt it would damage anything.
 

JackD201

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Apr 20, 2010
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I use a photo blower sqeeze ball to blow dust off records before they spin. Brushes of any kind are inferior and I no longer use them.

I use one on my platter but still use a carbon brush for the LP itself. I do not press down hard with the carbon brush.
 

rockitman

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Sep 20, 2011
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I use one on my platter but still use a carbon brush for the LP itself. I do not press down hard with the carbon brush.

I always felt brushes introduced dust to the groove. For me, after first clean with KL Audio, the record has no static...any subsequent play any dust does not stick. Using a nice puff of air blows it away. It is impossible to keep a brush dust free, imho.
 

JackD201

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Apr 20, 2010
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My problem with just a blower is dust sometimes ends up landing on a record anyway. In any case, after a good RCM cleaning we're talking about very light particles. Particles easily pushed aside by a stylus and quite inaudible even during frisky music playing.

I'm not sold on aerosol air sprays. Too much pressure I think. They also spurt vapor and even droplets.
 

rockitman

Member Sponsor
Sep 20, 2011
7,097
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Northern NY
My problem with just a blower is dust sometimes ends up landing on a record anyway. In any case, after a good RCM cleaning we're talking about very light particles. Particles easily pushed aside by a stylus and quite inaudible even during frisky music playing.

I'm not sold on aerosol air sprays. Too much pressure I think. They also spurt vapor and even droplets.

I won't you aerosol either. The propelent could have solvent properties that may affect the vinyl over time...
I use this by Hakuba. Not sure if it's available any more.
 

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rockitman

Member Sponsor
Sep 20, 2011
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Sounds like a good way to propel and impel dust particles etc. into the grooves... I prefer vacuum instead of air blasting most anything delicate.

Actually Yip from Mint LP recommends the method I described. I tried it a few years ago and have never looked back. Keep in mind, my records are dust free. Even so, some dust can get into the record sleeve. If I had a truly dusty record, it would go back into the ultrasonic cleaner.
 

JackD201

WBF Founding Member
Apr 20, 2010
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I guess that's the difference. We get a lot of airborne particulates in this city. Certainly a lot more than New York state. Much more.
 

amirm

Banned
Apr 2, 2010
15,813
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Seattle, WA
Would be interesting to look under a microscope what happens after each cleaning method. Has this been done?

I have a blower that I use to dry our dugs and get dirt out of their hair. It has high pressure and high volume. Anyone try that?
 
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Fitzcaraldo215

New Member
Nov 3, 2014
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I think the real culprit in many cases is static electricity, which attracts and holds the dust and smaller particles. That may be climate dependent. Here in the NE, winter was especially a problem, because the ambient humidity was low, especially in a heated home.

My vinyl days are long over, partly because of ticks and pops, but also because I have found better sound. I experimented with a number of techniques. Actually, one of my favorites was a LencoClean wet playing system. An arm filled with their fluid deposited a thin film on the disc ahead of the stylus via a fine brush. The fluid neutralized static electricity and floated the particles to the surface with help from the brush on the Lenco arm. The sylus traced through, also benefitting from the cooling and lubrication by the fluid. The only negative was that you had to let the record dry for a few minutes before putting it back in the jacket. But, the results were awesome. Only actual blemishes and scratches in the vinyl caused any noise. But, I was unable to find fluid refills after awhile and I was unsuccessful in synthesizing a workable fluid from alcohol/water. It never flowed properly. They must have also used some surfactant in theirs.

I shifted gears to a VPI machine and LAST preservative, which has an anti static property. A carbon brush just before playing easily removed surface dust with the LAST in place. My LP's previously LencoCleaned had no discernible problems under this system.

I do not hold out much hope for compressed air unless you also have a way of neutralizing the static electricity.
 

slowGEEZR

Member Sponsor
Sep 20, 2010
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I agree that any brush will add static and push fine surface dust into the grooves. Before any play, I use a Milty to remove static and, if the record was not just washed, will use air to blow any dust away. If I use a brush of any type, I will follow with the air and the Milty.
 

sombunya

Well-Known Member
Oct 18, 2012
133
8
325
While not directly addressing the OP, a person elsewhere claimed to have a dust allergy and set up a box fan with a furnace filter on both sides and reported it did a great job at removing dust from the air.

FWIW.
 

Billy Shears

Well-Known Member
Jul 27, 2015
255
1
150
A while back after loosing a TT motor to probable static build during Lp dust removal, I switched to cans of compressed air. While not perfect they work far better than any other method I've tried. Treatment before and after playing has kept my Lp's much cleaner and I don't worry about static increasing dust attraction or taking out my motor or PSU.
So, to take it a step farther I'd like to either fill my own "spare tank" using my shop compressor or rent/refill a big cylinder of compressed air. I realize the need to filter out any oil/water vapor if I use a refillable "shop tank" or would go with "medical" grade compressed air (which contains no water/oil vapors) from a nearby supplier. I haven't priced a "supplier" cylinder as yet but I'm sure a larger cylinder would have a cheaper cost. If I use a refillable small tank using my compressor I could keep it in close to my TT area. I would also need a regulator valve so I could find a good PSI setting for a "just right" air pressure delivery.
Has anyone tried this before or gone this route? What am I leaving out or not considering?


How did you manage to loose a Motor due to static?
 

zztop7

Member Sponsor
Dec 12, 2012
750
3
0
Edmonds, WA
ARGON - just a lazy gas

ARGON - the lazy gas, NOT oxidizing, NOT reducing, NOT corrosive. Just a lazy gas.

Get a nice 3 foot tall aluminum bottle [steel bottles are heavy] from a welding supply & an expensive/quality regulator.

Best to all,
zz.
 

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