How do you clean your stylus?

[ack]

OK I bought the Magic Eraser, and it's basically a sponge, equally dangerous for me.

 

[marty]

Sorry guys, you're all way off the mark. The definitive way to clean a stylus is here:
https://www.whatsbestforum.com/threads/rcms-are-dead-hire-this-guy-instead.27308/#post-553131

check out the video at 5:01

 

[ack]

LOL

 

[NorthStar]

What are the telltale signs that a cart is in need of a retip? I've never done one. And I figure that tip wear is sooo gradual that it may be difficult to know when "it's time".

I found a good article:
? http://www.shure.com/americas/support/find-an-answer/stylus-wear-and-record-wear

A very short one:
• https://baybloorradio.com/replace-turntable-stylus

* I'm trying to get a pdf link, a very cool one, if I cannot I'll post the attached files...I need few more minutes ...

 

[NorthStar]

 

[Folsom]

OK I bought the Magic Eraser, and it's basically a sponge, equally dangerous for me.

Do you got a wife or kid that can handle it? It’s not particularly hard to just dip dip if your hands are steady.

 

[dminches]

Whek you lower you stylus (or raise it) to make contact with the Oznow or magic eraser how much is the cantilever bending? None at all, a little or a decent amount?

 

[Folsom]

No more than it does if it’s on a record.

 

[DaveyF]

Whek you lower you stylus (or raise it) to make contact with the Oznow or magic eraser how much is the cantilever bending? None at all, a little or a decent amount?

Actually the cantilever shouldn't be bending at all, but it does deflect upwards about as much as Folsom stated above. This makes perfect sense since the VTF is still applicable.

Anyone else try BluTac for this purpose, some folks on other forums swear by it for cartridge cleaning. Again, not something I personally would utilize.

 

[Folsom]

BluTac is sticky, ME is not. But my SolidState cleaner works kinda like BluTac would. IMO pretty ineffective compared to ME. You just can't use something sticky enough to pull every thing off that you can effectively gently scrape off like with ME.

 

[tima]

Actually the cantilever shouldn't be bending at all, but it does deflect upwards about as much as Folsom stated above. This makes perfect sense since the VTF is still applicable.

Anyone else try BluTac for this purpose, some folks on other forums swear by it for cartridge cleaning. Again, not something I personally would utilize.

Although there is some relationship with cartridge compliance, normally if the cantileveri is bending you're applying too much force or weight. This is why use of ME or Onzow variants should be controlled by hand. Imo, you should not just release the arm lift and allow the stylus go into either substance, particularly the Onzow. ==>Only let the stylus itself enter the substance. The gel cleaners are sticky and will stick to, or at least envelop, whatever contacts them. To gain release you must overcome whatever is the sticky envelopment - the more compliant the cantilever/suspension, the greater potential for harm.

 

[Folsom]

I have no fear of letting my stylus go into the ME. With the other stuff you're only suppose to let it touch and then lift off so it doesn't suck the stylus in so far that you ruin it getting it out. With the ME it'll just sit on top of it. The stylus just so happens to be just small enough at the tip that it'll puncture into it and stop on the cantilever holding the tip. In fact "dropping" works better than setting it in too slowly.

Personally my lift lever is much more steady than me. I actually recommend keeping error prone fingers away from the arm in general. I always use the lift lever.

 

[tima]

From one of the links you sent: "Rather than just lowering the stylus onto the Onzow, and lifting the cartridge right up, I left the stylus rest on it for a minute or so. After a minute or so I raised the cartridge and the whole cantilever fell off."

I cannot imagine a more appropriate use of it, yet, the cantilever still snapped off.

Actually that's not an appropriate use. Letting the stlus rest allows it and the cantilever to sink into the Onzow, or at least allows the cantilever to touch the sticky surface. Think about permeable jello - a pin pulls out easier than a horizontal rod, if that makes sense.

 

[tima]

I have no fear of letting my stylus go into the ME. With the other stuff you're only suppose to let it touch and then lift off so it doesn't suck the stylus in so far that you ruin it getting it out. With the ME it'll just sit on top of it. The stylus just so happens to be just small enough at the tip that it'll puncture into it and stop on the cantilever holding the tip. In fact "dropping" works better than setting it in too slowly.

Personally my lift lever is much more steady than me. I actually recommend keeping error prone fingers away from the arm in general. I always use the lift lever.

If you can control the arm lift, I'll recommend doing that, rather than letting VTF control "the drop."

 

[DaveyF]

I cannot understand people referring to the cantilever bending. It will deflect on the suspension once it hits the surface of the Onzow. I would also think that it is far more likely that one could do damage to the cantilever and suspension by raising the Onzow ( or for that matter any substance, the ME, Blue Tac or whatever) to the stylus. Any deflecting force on the cantilever while it is in the polymer/ME fibre could act as a shearing motion...and with disastrous results!

 

[Folsom]

The problem would be letting it sit too long in any of the gel type stuff, and then lifting it out but the cantilever being stuck down into it. This isn’t an ME problem unless you tear holes in it. It really only will happen if the top of the cantilever where the tip is makes it under the gel/jelly/goo/bubble whatever it is.

No idea why that was underlined, the setting wouldn’t turn it off on my phone.

 

[tima]

I cannot understand people referring to the cantilever bending. It will deflect on the suspension once it hits the surface of the Onzow. I would also think that it is far more likely that one could do damage to the cantilever and suspension by raising the Onzow ( or for that matter any substance, the ME, Blue Tac or whatever) to the stylus. Any deflecting force on the cantilever while it is in the polymer/ME fibre could act as a shearing motion...and with disastrous results!

I doubt we would see a, for example, bent boron cantilever, that is, one with a kink or curve in the metal. I can imagine a lateral 'bend' where the cantilever is shifted left or right, no longer pointing straight as a result of pushing on the stylus/cantilever or pulling it out of a gel other than straight up and down. Iow, bending at the juncture of cantilever and suspension.

While holding a magnifying glass (not a loupe) I lift a cube of ME-on-a-stick up to the stylus, just touching it. (cf. middle photo) Yes, you need to careful and hold your hand steady. Yes, there are many ways to screw up. Train yourself to be patient and go slow anywhere around a cartridge - we all know that, but vigilance!

 

[PeterA]

Thank you Bazelio. I am going to be very interested to see what you think after you have had a chance to look at the stylus under your USB microscope. Also, what your impressions are after trying ME. I'm still very skeptical about ME, has anyone had long term ( more than seven years continuous) experience with this stuff on their best cartridges?

I've used the ME for as long as I can remember, perhaps more than seven years on a combination of four cartridges: One AirTight PC-1, two AirTight Supremes and my MSL Sonic Gold.

 

[bazelio]

Actually the cantilever shouldn't be bending at all, but it does deflect upwards about as much as Folsom stated above. This makes perfect sense since the VTF is still applicable.

Anyone else try BluTac for this purpose, some folks on other forums swear by it for cartridge cleaning. Again, not something I personally would utilize.

BlueTac - no way, no how. I recently sold a pair of bookshelf speakers from a second system. I'd used BlueTac between the speakers and the stands. It took me about 10 minutes to remove them from those stands as they simply would not pry off. It required carful razorblading of the BlueTac. And it's a damn good thing the BlueTac was close enough to the perimeter edges so the blade could reach, otherwise I'm pretty sure those speakers would have never come free from those stands.

 

[bazelio]

Well, here's a picture of my two year old Kiseki Purpleheart cantilever and stylus. I have used Onzow - and nothing else - to keep it "clean". I have used Onzow before and after each record consistently.

Not a good showing. I've just now tried ME dips to see if the gunk build up around the base of the stylus would come off, but no dice. It looks like I'm going to need to get some cleaning solution and a brush, as well as then find a better consistent cleaning method.

Interestingly, in my other system, my Transfiguration Proteus looks squeaky clean. It seems to have some cantilever discoloration down towards the stylus, but doesn't have the gunk build up.