Cleaning Records With Glue, Vinyl Gong, Groove Burn, Wet Play and More!
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- Опубліковано 30 вер 2024
- - Music by Fran Blanche -
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We need more Frans in the world, and more appreciation for them.
Fransworld
And less trolls
My thoughts exactly!
And in this case we also need more glue.
We sure do!!!!
The glue method works well. You have to use yellow WOOD glue. It’s PVC based, identical to vinyl. Also, use a thicker amount, which is easier to pull away when it dries (obviously takes longer to do so). The nice thing about wood glue, is if you mess up and leave pieces on it from not being fully dried, just do the process again, because it will dry out with the new application. You can see lots of dirt in the negative imprint. Be prepared to run the anti static brush on it again.
Hi Fran,
Peeling off the glue should take about 5 - 10 seconds if you do these three things:
1. be extra generous with the glue at the outer edges (creates a nice, fat lip)
2. at the outer edge of the record, place a small piece (1cm x 1cm) of stiff cardboard onto the wet glue so you have a "pull tab" to start the glue removal process. Cardboard should overshoot the record surface so that you can easily grip it without actually touching the vinyl
3. be generous with the glue on the rest of the LP (looks like you've done this in your video... although I'm not sure it was evenly spread... ) - this will ensure that you don't have any thin glue spots that stick to the record
Long story long: a nice, thick, consistent layer of glue is what to aim for. I realize that your glue expenses are going to go through the roof, but life ain't always easy.
PS, I use my finger to spread and push the glue in the groves and don't perform this process on a turntable - any clean surface will do. Using your fingers also helps in obtaining that even layer of glue.
Best,
Robert
What's your opinion about the effectiveness of this glue method?
@@gravit0nable On a scale of 1 to 10, I'd rate it a solid 8.5... even 9.0 when you consider that the method leaves zero glue residue on the vinyl... cleaning methods that leave behind any residue whatsoever are completely worthless, IMHO.
@@gravit0nable It is hit or miss; about 50-50 for me. Also, use an old credit card or business card stock to spread the glue, instead of using a brush of some sort. You'll probably need to do multiple applications of glue to totally clean a side.
I usually don't use this method to clean records. Instead, I use a mixture of isopropyl alcohol, distillted water and a drop or two of dish soap for the washing solution and store it in a spray bottle. I thoroughly saturate and brush in the solution, scrubbing lightly to work it in the deep grooves. It'll dry out eventually. I also play my records wet and saturate the side I'm playing. I use a sponge brush to collect the excess that is worked towards the outer edge due to centrifugal force and squeeze the excess closest to the inside center grooves. It kind of recycles the liquid coating as you play the side you're cleaning.
The theory behind playing a record wet is that the majority of clicks and pops are static electricity, since vinyl is known to be prone to static build-up. By wetting the surface, you're displacing the dry climate, which prevents static from being created.
I gotta be honest. There is something about the sound of a little dust crackle on vinyl records that is soothing and makes me happy. Brings me back to when I was a wee lad sitting around and listening to albums and 45’s with my older sister in the early to mid 70’s. It’s quite soothing to me.
Hello Fran!
One of my favourite bands, Ultravox, had a reputation for releasing records on clear vinyl throughout the 80s. Turns out this was no gimmick - they had asked for their records to be released on virgin (i.e. unrecycled) vinyl, and were told it was reserved for classical music only. It then dawned on them that clear vinyl by its nature can't be made from recycled returned stock, so they asked for it as a "gimmick" and the record company fell for it!
Saw Midge Ure's acoustic set recently, sheer class.
Keep up the good work!
Hey Fran, just wanted to let you know that I really like your videos! Nowadays, so many people call themselves "Nerd" or "Geek", but you madam are the greatest of them all. Kudos!
Totally, totally agreed.
Nothing sexier than a hot chick that knows what she's talking about.
Fran, Try a wood glue next time as they tend to be a little more cohesive and flexible. Theres a specific type that's recommended for this exact process. Also try using more so you don't get those thin spots where the glue stuck behind.
Yes. Lay it on a little thicker, and make sure there are no blank/thin spots. Have done this for years on used records. Wood glue might be OK too, but plain old Elmer's white glue works for me.
If you have thin spots of glue that won't come up put more thicker glue over the area and let it dry then it will pick up the thinner older glue.
No.
Yes, more glue, different glue, and thick at the edges
Sounds like you need to practice a few time to get it down.
You have a very nice voice.
I agree. A very pleasant speaker.
Peter Kroll If she read a book for me id hear it
I play her videos at 1.5 speed to keep awake.
College professor voice.
Nice hands, too.
Funny, she doesn't look gluish!
Oh great. That's all we needed. A gluish princess.
I wonder if she like raspberry jam
El Kabong
Happy Glom Kippur.
...Youse guys...!
You need to use one of the yellow glues, like Titebond, and put way more, like twice as much, on so you get a thicker coat that will come off in one piece.
If you use TiteBond II and spread with a business card, you can get it thin and it will dry quicker. Bring glue to edge and pull off with packing tape.
@@spencerm5913 Tightbond II is my glue of choice. I’ve done literally thousands of records over the past 10 or so years. It doesn’t dry more like a rubber but rather, peels like a rubber. It then dries quickly into a more brittle kind of material but by then, it’s already done it’s magic.
@@crosscatch Yes, exactly. And the more records I do on any given occasion, the better I am getting the glue thin and even. It’s kind of fun.
@@spencerm5913 Tightbond glue - label with red - dries very brittlely. When you try to pull it off, it is almost impossible to get simple few pieces. It’s a mess. I think I took it off by soaking it and a few tough pieces. Tightbond “II“ is the only way I’ve done it with successful results.
try to play the negative :)
That's what I was thinking the whole time!
you can actually get a stylus that has a 'v' groove for playing the stampers
Don't, that's how you summon the devil!
What these layers and artists don't get is that exposing music can lead to more sales.
There even are labels which put complete albums on youtube for this very reason, it bumps the sales when listeners can decide whether they like the album enough to justify buying them.
Or people just listen to uploaded tracks for free...both sides of the story.
@@AttilaTheHun333333 yes, but there are some people who knows that musicians and producers and even the execs at these companies should be paid for the work they do, and will purchase albums they enjoy for this purpose. Im like this. i listen to stuff online, if i like what i hear, i buy it to support the artist and the company that brought their music to the world. If the music is not out there for me to hear, i will not buy it. Pretty simple math for myself and im sure many others out there.
The better aurgumnt is for the listener actually owning a “hard copy” of the music. In most cases it is also providing better sound quality, i dont have to pay internet usage fees everytime I want to listen to it, and I get some professional printed liner notes. I am more likely to “re-discover” the music a few years later...and again- I can own a material source in my hand to be played on various system without a bunch of codec BS.
Because it is uploaded by the record label. The record label and artist gets the ad revenue. It may not be as much as a record sale, but it adds up quickly with a lot of plays.
being subbed to techmoan put Fran in my recommendations... its about time the youtube algorithm works for once
The "cheaper vinyl" records were actually made of polystyrene and injection moulded.
I remember those. Sort of brittle.
i admit ... I was drawn to this video because of the 'wet-play' teaser ...
LOL.
Wet Play with Fran would have really got the numbers!
"We're hardly making 90% profit on that." LOL Hats off to you for that one.
you should View/Film a microscopic View of a dirty Spot in the record before and after glue clreaning. including a Close Up View of the glue Film surface. if This works anything good, there should be something visible. like dirt on the glue or deeper Grooves.
@fran - I found this in a discogs forum from 7 years ago...from a user named brunorepublic (not my words)
Styrene is...
- lighter than vinyl
- labels are glued on, not pressed into the record (styrene records are injection-moulded, not pressed like vinyl)
- has a flat outer edge, instead of the sharp one you usually see with vinyl
- doesn't warp like vinyl, but breaks much easier, feels more brittle
- if you tap the edge, it makes a different sound, rings a bit unlike with vinyl which gives a dull thud (this is hard to describe)
- often takes on a "matte" look
In practice, the main difference is that styrene wears out *very* quickly! A styrene record played many times will develop a steady "shhhhhh" noise throughout. Slip-cueing will give "cue-burn" much faster than with vinyl. Elliptical and micro-line styluses, which give the best sound on vinyl, are particularly harsh on styrene and wear them down even faster.
Most US Columbia 7" singles are styrene, lots of A&M ones too.
It took me a while before I could easily spot the difference. There are no Canadian styrene 45s to the best of my knowledge, and I didn't start seeing them until I had a few US 45s in my collection.
www.discogs.com/forum/thread/335362
If you go back over that same record with TiteBond II you'll get all the glue you left behind out
Hi Fran,
I just subscribed to your very interesting channel. You've passed on a lot of excellent information. By chance. have you done a video on how to treat a warped record?
I'm sure someone will think I'm ruining my records, but I used some lukewarm water and Ivory Liquid dish washing soap to clean my records. I would only use my fingers to clean the grooves, then rinse and dry with a soft, cotton towel. For some of the really dirty records from Goodwill, I used an old "soft" toothbrush to scrub the grooves. It worked like a charm! I used this method on a bunch of 45's I recently got at the thrift store. It didn't scratch the record and got rid of the dirt, dust and nicotine/cigarette smoke. Try it on a record you don't care about and see if this works for you.
Regards, Tom
Hey Tom, your cleaning method sounds pretty good actually, other than the fingers.
For warped records, this is a real crapshoot but what you can *try* is get yourself two CLEAN panes of glass 12" square, put the record in between as a sandwich, heat an ELECTRIC* oven to a minimal heat (say 150-180 degrees), let it settle and distribute evenly, then put the sandwich in there and let it cool all the way. Might need to do it multiple times. It might work, it might not (I'd say my success rate is 30-40% at best), and you'll have a disc that's been weakened by re-flexing, but hey you started with a disc that was unplayable anyway.
*can't use a gas oven, it will get too hot. The electric rheostat makes the electric more controllable.
The "cheap" vinyl" 45s were made of Styrene plastic. Yes, it was terrible material fidelity wise, and for DJs that back-cued records on broadcast equipment the nasty lead-in noise on these round pieces of crap ruined your show whenever they came up. Columbia/Epic/CBS, Chrysalis/A&M, Casablanca/RSO, Warner/Asylum were some of the labels that went cheap with Styrene. I remember Columbia was the most notorious. A lot of reissue labels used it as well. The only way around cue-burn was to put those titles fresh on carts or get the DJs to needle drop them at the right instant and then bring up the level. I can't get that issue out of my head and it's been over 35 years ago. I programed music for my H.S.'s radio station.
I don't think you can copyright a 100 year old recording as it would be public domain at that point. So therefore, you should be able to use Classical music.
I think I recognized the group that did that song at 4:45. Sounds like the Ink Spots.
dri50 it was certainly the them, I’ve an original ep
You can measure if a cleaning technique is working: Make a .WAV recording of the unclean record, clean it, and then do another .WAV recording (with the exact same settings). Now align the second recording perfectly with the first, reverse the polarity of the second recording and add it to the first. The result is a playable .WAV that only contains the difference between the uncleaned and the cleaned record.
Thanks for this video Fran -- I never knew about the different types of vinyl. I have a bunch of 45s that I am going to check to see if there are any of the cheap kind.
I also was surprised to see that you have to limit samples of only 10 sec to avoid copyright infringement. My understanding was that Fair Use allows excepts long enough to make a point when used in another work. With text, this could be whole paragraphs. I would think with audio it would be quite a bit more than 10 seconds, but that's just a guess. Does this 10 second restriction come from Google just protecting it's own butt or did some court case get litigated and the precident was set at 10 seconds? I know years ago ebay wouldn't allow sales of 35mm trailers to be sold and claimed it was a copyright issue, which was a totally false claim, but their lawyers just didn't want the possibility of a studio coming after a seller and tangentially involving ebay. Point is, it was a bogus issue from start to finish and later they quietly dropped the restriction. Fair Use would protect you from any claim by some copyright owner somewhere coming out of the woodwork. But I understand how no one wants to have to deal with that kind of hassle even if you are in the right.
I take it you didn't need to follow the 10 second rule for the Airman!! album because it didn't have a copyright notice? Probably too old to have a phonocopyright notice ℗ ?
What about spraying something like Plastidip on it? Easy to remove, should pick up the dirk/mold?
Every time I hear someone talk about vinyl records, it reminds me of my dad telling me how my grandmother smashed his copy of Bloodrock's "D.O.A." with a hammer.
Kelly02895 "we were flying low and hit something in the air...". -DOA Bloodrock
instead of glue, but much more expensive, you could use silicone. Peter Brown on youtube did something similar by cleaning a surface with it, but I guess the glue still works. Maybe works better with a thicker layer of glue that isn't so fragile
Fascinating stuff there on the different manufacturing methods, and ways to test the density of the vinyl!
I have just made a video with several before and after sound clips from cleaning with wood glue and record skin/disco film (the official product), and I also show how much glue I use. I can't post links here, so please search for "SOUND CLIPS: Record cleaning with wood glue and Disco Film"
Okay, I'll try then: www youtube com/watch?v=gE9tRGEYFMY
Watch this video on 2X speed. You're welcome.
You can bet that some lawyer is using a stop watch to check if you exceeded the fair use length of playing the record.. crazy world
Decades ago there used to be a large public domain for music and film - now there is almost none.
How do these people make homemade Star Trek episodes and Star Wars movies and put them on UA-cam with the music from, the films and shows and sound effects and all that without getting flagged for Copyright Violation???
I was thinking the same. Loads of my vids got flagged and muted, yet loads of other channels have exact same music and they have had it running for years. I don't understand.
I think snippet's of music actually promotes and develops revenue. it's all a bit sad this 'fair use' thing.
"fair use" is fine. It's the overzealous copyright claims causing all the sadness.
It looks like you used elmers white glue, you want to use elmers wood glue for best results.
Sticky rollers are most likely just a very soft durometer silicone rubber. New or clean silicone rubber is very tacky without any special process or conditioning.
I heard it was raw vinyl
You needed more glue. It comes off quite easy with a thicker layer.
If it wasn't mentioned before but best to use tight bond #2 glues the yellow stuff.
Yes, and remove the glue with packing tape instead of using the fingernail.
Hello Fran :-) Enjoyed your video and have tried many methods of cleaning vinyl over the years. Was that a PVA glue that you used 'neat' ? PVA is actually quite brittle, dried thin 'flakes' and 'peaks' break off in the grooves as the whole PVA mass shrinks during setting. these can be removed by using smaller dabs of glue or a 'stripe' of glue across the affected area, not the whole disc.. But.. You will get much better 'single pass' results using 'Copydex' glue. It remains flexible when set, stays together as 'one lump' with enough compliance to cleanly 'let go' of the grooves easing removal without any flakes left behind. I have used it for many things from sealing & waterproofing to potting circuits & making vibration damping /shock mounts. Cleans fine detail on laser cut & half etched components real nice & does a good job on most vinyl too :-) All the best fae Scotland. 73
I have been under the impression that the 'ribbed ring' was to lock into the ribbed ring of the 45 beneath, when playing a stack of records. Cutting down the likelihood of the disc slipping on the one below.
David Marks Yes that's what I found. When I played a stack and a 'non ribbed' one was in the mix it just wowed and skated over the records below.
thats exactly what its for, so they dont slip when playing a stack of records on an autochanger deck..
A relative of mine used to put her records in the toilet, and flushed to clean them.
would casting silicone work better, or maybe resin? It would guarantee that it would come off in one piece at least.
casting silicone is actually extremely effective at preserving small detail, down to the micron level even. Resin I'm not so sure.
Well, silicone doesn't stick to anything, so i doubt it will be as efficient as PVA glue. You could use more PVA, you could use some kind of thin cloth that would help it hold together, and i think D1/D2 PVA is more flexible and less brittle than D3/D4, but i could be mistaken.
I think maybe Modge Podge might work better. Just a thought.
I find her incredibly attractive....and I'm 20 years old lol
Holy shit I just found out she's trans!!! Hey no sweat off my back...she looks so hot
GREAT TO KNOW! THANKS! Still have the Records when I was Kid. - looong time - Now to work on Turntable. oh yes, Clean Needle?
8:50 That's why you always keep your old turntable when you upgrade it with a new one.
Also useful for things like vacuuming the records.
lol, smoke breaks in basic! Those must have been the times. I'm glad I went through before they switched to this safe lovey training. Should have stayed in :\ I'd actually like to hear that through :)
Three things: A thiker layer may help . Never play that " negative" of the record, it has diabollical messages for shure . And last, but not least, nice to see your legs ! (Lol)
I Know a Lot about Groove Burn . and those were the Dayz :) QC
Is it just me? I have watched this video numerous times just because I find her voice so damn soothing!
She's like Debbie Harry without the make up.
I suppose... One way or another she's gonna get'cha, get'cha, ect... !!!
No, it's not just you. I subscribed to her right away. This lady has a charm...I just came across her today. Very informative stuff. She clearly loves the vinyl...
That was a very nice presentation! Took me two years to find it... Does anyone remember the LENCO cleaning system - it was a separate small tubic tone arm filled with diluted alcool and a wet soft brush. It was used simultaneously with the other tone arm - the soud was fantastic but... when the liquid dried up, playsing the record by itself was terrible - crackle and pops all over... you had to use the LENCO tone arm again to get good sound. It took me years to recover all the LPs I had subjected to this system by cleaning them with detergent and lukewarm water... Never used the system again.
Well you've done it Fran. Taken me down memory lane to the bad old days of vinyl and the commercial shortcuts and business decisions regarding that form of media. I was big into "hi-Fi" and had only a few 45's in my collection. I did get a stack of Demo records from a Radio station DJ(the only kind back then)most of which you would have no copyright problems with as even the DJ wouldn't play them on air, so no lawyer/copyright collector for profit would have bothered to file it with UA-cam.
I note that you were handling the record surfaces with bare hands. We used to use cotton photographic gloves to prevent finger oils which would attract dust into the grooves. You did not mention that so many records had their audio so highly compressed that groove noise was below the minimum sound level. Indeed the "wall of sound " idea made much of popular music disc noise of no concern whatsoever.
It is the clean, crackle free background of digital that even gives typical listeners an idea of why records became obsolete. In the early days of digital CD's (very expensive), there was a competing method of record making that promised cheaper(but still expensive) LP records. It was "direct to disc" recording which omitted the many steps from studio multi-track, each track adding a layer of microphone, plus pre-amp noise and the editing tape with its cuts poorly masked, as well as the multiple sub-master pressing copies used to make most other vinyl records. It was the 'limited edition' form of record. The dynamic range was much greater, and the grooves cleaner by far with so-called virgin vinyl used.
Re-grind of old unsold records was a common practice for those cheaper records whether LP or 45. That was the reason they tried so hard to get the cost per disc so low. DJ's would not play records that were not pressed in sufficient numbers to sell, and some just did not sell. So they were ground up and recycled into becoming the 'next great hit' . I used to marvel at the people I knew who could actually hear the lyrics of popular songs on 45's that were so noisy I could hardly bear to listen, they had been played so many times with the same, by then chisel shaped needle.
I love my direct to disc records. The dynamic range on some of them is stunning. More than any CD I've ever heard.
Try Flamenco Fever on M&K records. I used to sell a lot of stereo equipment with that record. Unfortunately the price of that record has shot up on Ebay from about $17 when it was new in 1979 to close to $1000 today.
There was also direct metal mastering for vinyl, these sound very good.
Paul Gracey ,
Can't help but wonder sometimes...
dbx recording should've become mainstream...
Pre-requisites vs add-ons sounded great : just a switched / bypassed inline pre-amp style device that would have enabled as good as and better qualities than CD playback using an existing turntable-needle-cartridge combination. No need for a 2nd, dedicated turntable-cartridge-needle in lieu of the dbx pre-amp bypass switch when one wanted to play non-dbx recordings straight through to the power amp input or external RIAA pre-amp.
An industry manufacturer really should consider bringing dbx back at the front end of the recording-manufacturing process as I'd have to think there are many listener markets that would do backflips for it especially when competing in most homes for equipment space in a streamlined listening area by playing both existing vinyl libraries as well as obtaining new recordings with dbx benefits yielding attributes of both vinyl and early CD playback... before the loudness + lower dynamic range CD recording wars.
For example, I know there are enthusiasts worldwide in the video game vein of interest buying up video game OSTs on vinyl over CDs if they can afford it because of the included character art and notes.
... Comin' back around to wanting to own something too as opposed to renting access to the music but with the added benefit of having something to look at and flip through, maybe read alongside the related storytelling within the music.
I have 19 DBX records with a 21 decoder. They were exciting and a revelation when they were new but a good direct to disc record doesn't have the strange pumping that DBX has. Some DBX records sound pretty distorted also. I played several DBX records recently. To make DBX work the encoder and decoder must be much higher quality which may make it too expensive for most people.
When I worked in broadcast the engineers used to use wood glue to clean dirty records. They used a thin cardboard rolodex card to smooth it out.
As to copyright I have played records when doing demonstrations, and yes content ID does kick in, but all they have ever done is claim half the revenue generated. They could order a take down, but in the few examples I have used they just monetized the video, and share revenue with me.
I have even been hit with "royalty free" content that I have licensed. I dispute these ones and win every time.
Lenny & the Sqiggtones is possibly my favorite album of all time.
Squigaphone
What if you play us the 'quiet' section between tracks, as a 'before' and 'after,' this way they cannot say you are breaking copyright. Then we get to hear how much of the crackle is gone once the record is cleaned.
"Thuddy" is the word of the day.
Elmers glue is water soluable, so you can wash it off if it gets stuck in places. You could probably get it off easier if you stuck it a backer on the glue like paper.
I loved this video. FYI, the song that you played was the opening song in Shawshank Redemption. As a kid, I had Radio Shack record cleaning fluid that I played the vinyl wet with, and dirt was actually coming off and clogging the needle. It was interesting that you you pointed out the difference between cue burn, groove burn and the cheap and better vinyl. RCA had the Dynaflex records and you pointed out that they probably copied the cheap vinyl from. The other interesting thing is now they make DJing cartridges that have a conical tip instead of an eliptical tip. You need a little more pressure on the conical tip, but the shape of the stylus actually wears the grooves out a lot less than the eliptical stylus. The eliptical styli have better frequency response than the conical, but I think that Ortofon DJing cartridges sound fantastic and won't break the bank. I tried the wood glue method of cleaning on a record that was really beat up. I think that it was just so bad and scratched that the glue separated and it took me a long time to dig the pieces out. As far as your military record goes, I thought it sounded better. I think if you wood glue cleaned it again and maybe put a couple thick layers and pulled it off again, I will bet that all of the remnants come out and your record will be as good as new. Even though it was still pretty scratched up, I thought it sounded considerably better. Thank you for sharing.
Salut ce faci frumoaso place 🐼🐼🐼😘💖💖🙏
Fran, I can't sleep, and I love listening to you talk, and I especially enjoy that you talk about things I know nothing about. Thank you for making videos :)
"....the welcome smoke breaks and mail from home."
"....the stirring march music of the Friday afternoon review."
Makes me very glad I didn't get drafted and sent to Nam.
Love the video, @fran, but oh goodness I'm happy to not use vinyl anymore! ;-)
I bet if you try going back to vinyl you'll be hooked very quickly.
Nahh. Just use CDs that don't have LOUDNESS WAR on them! That's really what the problem is/was; not because... "uh, vinyl is better."
Why would you call a 78 a 10 inch ?
Fran, you are _so_ cute! Do you like girls ? :-)
Love that you even asked. I'm here to see what a queenager can do with his original Suzi Q 45s.
The cheap vinyl was styrene and not as durable as real vinyl.
Greetings from the UK! The PVA glue method can work quite well, but a couple of tips... dilute the glue 50/50 with distilled water to make it flow better, add a few drop of dishwasher rinse aid - this helps brake surface tension. With finger, rub the glue mix into the grove with a circular motion of the finger to drive the glue mix into the root of the grove, then spread the glue mix - as you did - with an object to even it out so it holds together when peeled off.
Would the cheap vinyl fare better if your using a low tracking-weight cartridge?
My first look see. Excellent presentation. In the process of cleaning, cataloging & storing several hundred inherited LP record collections. My personal collection has managed to survive in pristine condition. You know ya gotta be passionate about something. Why not Vinyl records, right? Your dedication & passion for Vinyl is very obvious. been a vinyl junkie myself for a long time. I don't know all the ins & outs on the legal Schmegel stuff. copyright, DRM yada, yada, yada. maybe I should brush up, huh? Why I didn't shed a tear when all the record labels went belly up after Napster unloaded. Guess just like any social media one must be careful what one says, right? What, where do you get this sticky roller? In theory, it sounds workable as long as no residue is left behind after treatment.
+David J. Galliard Nagoaka used to make a "sticky" roller cleaner in the 1980s. I did see another make similar online in about 2016 but I forget where!
Nagaoka also made a thing called "Recopack" which used a system similar to the glue method, but with a "dispenser" and 'stands.' You poured the pale blue gunk into the dispenser (which extended out from the stand spindle to the edge of the record), then spun it around a few times to allow the gunk to slowly 'leak' out of the slot at the base of the dispenser and form a (hopefully!) even layer. You then put a little slip of blotting paper at the edge which became a "tab" you used to pull off the layer in (again hopefully!) one piece. Like the lovely Fran, I found the cleaning results form this method underwhelming.
So my Top Tip for those wanting to try the glue method for themselves is: ADD ONE OR MORE PAPER "TABS" TO THE EDGE OF THE GLUE! This avoids the problems of needing to take a fingernail Lordy!) to try to get the glue off afterwards.
The reason why some 45s were produced on both styrene and vinyl (as seen at 15:33 in this video) is because record labels often utilized different pressing plants, sometimes using one plant for east coast distribution and using a different plant for west coast distribution. For example, I have copies of The Box Tops "The Letter" 45 on the Mala label (a subsidiary of Bell Records) that was produced at no less than three different plants. One pressing is a traditional vinyl pressing (with the labels pressed into the vinyl), another is a styrene record with the glued-on labels, and a third copy is a styrene record with painted-on labels.
Also, with a song like "The Hustle" the demand for pressing 45s likely increased dramatically once the song became a hit, so the small record label that released it probably contracted more pressing plants to help keep up with the demand. The result was a styrene copy from one plant and a vinyl copy from another plant.
Funnily enough, the cheaper styrene records often play much more quietly if you have an unworn copy. Also, one can help prevent cue burn and groove wear on styrene records by playing them with a conical stylus. The conical tip is more gentle on the grooves than an elliptical tip. (Line contact styli should never be used with styrene records. They can strip the groove in a single play.) Also important is making sure one's styli are not worn...and are tracking at the right weight. A worn stylus will quickly chew up the groove.
The thinking man's Gwyneth Paltrow. 😉
PS: Don't ENCOURAGE the companies to cut costs, Fran! They never need it!
When in doubt use more glue. The thicker the glue coat the easier it is to remove.
Seems to me that besides being a PITA this would not be very cost effective, use 1/4 bottle of glue for one LP? when lite dish soap and sponge under the kitchen faucet works probably better, and easier...it was the way to do it back in the 60's->80's..and IMO is a waste of good glue that can be used to "glue" things together... but then I am kind of biased being a Carpenter ;)
BTW; Great Channel Fran! keep up the good work *Nerds united!
First, cleaning records with glue? That is crazy. Second, most all copyrighted music is allowed, unless you monetize your channel. I have hundreds. Of music files on my channel, with permission by the owners.
11:34 - so … if a 45rpm was $0.5 in 1970, that is equivalent to $4.16 in 2024, or $2.08 per song.
Songs are still $0.99 on iTunes and they have nearly no overhead. I wonder whose money vanished? 🤬
Glue needed to be thicker (twice to three folds) so it could all lift as one solid rubber cake, living no flakes behind.
After watching this I have to break out some records to listen to! I love the old school jukebox! Do you have any videos showing the inner workings of it? I guess I'll have to go through your archives! Love what you do, and who you are!
I haven't looked for a while, but look up Rowe R-86. There used to be a operational video on the internet for that. I was a technician for about 18 years operating Rowe jukeboxes. I would do one on my R-93, but unfortunately years ago I scarfed a part from it to fix one on the route and I never got a replacement and I can't get one now.
I think wood glue is recommended specifically.
Thank you! Complete, concise and informative. PS - As I always told my son, if you want to be happy, find an intelligent woman.
Major kudos for having a copy of Lenny and the Squigtones on vinyl!
Thank-you. You just explained why some of my records sound distorted, and some don't. I have records I've owned since the 1950's that still sound pretty good, and some from the 80's that are all distorted. I checked them out, and sure enough, i can feel the label on top of the vinyl! Who knew?
I think the copyrights are good for 75 years..let me check,,I have a LOT of vinyl,like between 50-10k pieces.I use Isopropyl alcohol,about 85-91%,and distilled,filtered water,a brush,etc...Stay away from brushing in the grooves,except on an angle..There's a label out of Chicago that actually pressed great house music records from older,junk records,probably melted down.I just collected as many copies as I could or got reissues from the master tapes.I also have some acetates,which are studio test pressings,with grooves on one side,the other flat.Then you have the 180 Gram and other types of heavy,good vinyl,that is collectible,not played often or at all.I do spin records,and if you're good at cueing and learn about cartridges,your records will be fine.It's just better to keep them clean,store them properly,use only great needles, and learning how to cue,backcue,scratch,juggle,and hold them properly.>>
www.copyright.gov/circs/circ15a.pdf
50 to 10000? u reckon you be a wee bit more accurate ? :D lol
Fran is an audiophile! Who knew? I am glad to learn this as there are very few of us in the world.
I was a record mechanic at Capitol records (many presses and many thousands of stampers and many more albums from each one), and also one of the oldest living vinyl collectors. I think Fran is doing a great service with her experiments with the vinyl. Plus, she has a nice voice and she's just cute and nice, and smart! I agree with one of the commentators that wood glue works better, but watch that you get it off correctly, or your record will be toast.
At 9:45 - Legend has it that the drummer on the back album cover is Peter Criss when he was a member of Kiss during the band's heyday.
In the UK the "Biscuit" is called a "Puck", The information scratched into the run-out is "Matrix" (long before the Movie), I believe the "rumble strip" was for the old changers such as found in Dancettes to stop the records slipping, If my records are really filthy I wash them with a mix of cool water and dishsoap, Rinse them well in cold running water then blot them dry with a lint free cloth (also do the same with CD / DVD's), Keep doing the great videos Fran! x
Hi Fran, I think I'll skip the glue and keep using my DiscWasher from the mid 1970's. BTW, I listen to your Videos on my Marantz 1200 Integrated Amplifier pair with my Pioneer HPM100 speakers. Even with the UA-cam compression and all, you always sound good. - Christopher
Thanks for this, I heard about cleaning with wood glue but never got around to trying it. One of my old coworkers years ago mentioned it to me, along with adjusting the skating weight using an old laser disk movie. So much random information out there in the audiophile world that you never know what to believe ^^;;
ha! i recognize BELL from my partridge family days as a kid...!! thanks much for this... i actually had no idea about the 'cheaper' quality vinyl in the 7" 45s ...
Same!!!
Discofilm, anybody? I remember that product from the 70s or 80s. I think it was from Empire, but I can't recall, now (too much beer under the bridge, you know.) I see it's still available from a German company? But you squeezed this clear gel onto the record from the bottle, and the bottle had a foam pad that you'd use to force the gel into the grooves. After it dried (15 minutes or so), you'd pick at an edge and peel the whole shebang off in one go. If you got impatient, some would be left behind and you'd have to start over.
You could do a podcast type show and play whatever you want right? Also, I think I've seen a slightly thicker application of wood glue work better (more pliable for removal). Great vid!
I'd like to share my method of playing noisy records. Playing a wet record does the trick. But, in my opinion, use distilled water, as distilled has no sediments. But once you play it wet, you always have to play it wet. As far as styrene records go, they ruined my childhood. I had a stereo portable phonograph, but could afford diamond styli. I saved up my money and bought Born To Be Wild / Magic Carpet Ride by Steppenwolf on Dunhill Golden Oldies. It was styrene. Even with a brand new sapphire stylus, the needle dug into the grooves, hissed worse than the noisiest 8 track I had. The worse part, on the load passages, it skipped, and Magic Carpet Ride had a lot of bass, and skipped through most of the song. Just curious have you tried to play the glue negative. It should play, just not very well
My mother has very old vinyl records of classical music and opera, done in the 60s if not earlier. The plastic used to make those is harder and perhaps more brittle than the vinyl I saw on records made in the 1980s
I have a Styx 45 with the low quality vinyl. All of my others are high quality, so I did a comparison and it's very obvious if you know what to look for. The tapping sound and the label were both as you described. In fact, the label even appears to be low quality because it's off-center and a bit loose around the hole. All the others are perfectly centered and (aside from some peeling from excessive wear) aren't loose at all.
Once again a fantastic Video with excellent advice. Subscribed!
The S-7 is actually S-1, indicating it's the first 45 master. US pressings that hand wrote the numbers used the European way of writing a 7, with a line across the 7.
Seems you're too sensitive about the copyright stuff...Ofcouse you might get a warning now & then, but milions of people (me included ) post music for years without trouble.....You at least should be able to play a small snipet ...
Mike from toronto
Hi Fran,the glue thing did work OK but not puite ive always washed my albums with pure liquide dish detergent avoiding the label
and rince completly then dry with soft cloth or tissue then play and listen to the difference, ps love the show
The "cheap vinyl" 45s you're referring to were actually made out of styrene, not vinyl. The use of styrene to manufacture 45s goes way back (Columbia 45s from the early 1950s were styrene). You can tell they're styrene because airplane glue melts 'em! However, some record companies in the early 1970s (RCA for instance) did begin making albums (not 45s) out of crappy recycled vinyl (regrind) instead of virgin vinyl, and they also sounded shitty but for a different reason. They didn't wear poorly; rather, the surface noise was off the charts. And those were LPs, not 45s. Some of the recycled vinyl LPs on RCA actually had a brownish tint to them because the vinyl was so impure and cruddy. When RCA moved to making super thin albums (Dynaflex) in the mid 1970s they began using better vinyl again, and those could sound pretty good.
Not Gorilla glue. It causes hiss. Titebond II (Titebond 2) is by far the best. I've used it on many hundreds of 45 and LPs. It's the easiest to remove. Also, if you put too little glue in a certain spot and it sticks to the vinyl, apply another layer and the first layer will come off with the second layer. You can spot-clean but always have the QA edge of the glue touching the outer edge (lead-in wax) for easy (peeling off) removal. Also, when first applying the glue, you don't have to apply a lot of glue but a decent amount will help you remove the dried glue easier, especially on the dead wax and the lead in wax, (No grooves areas) I carefully use a credit card to apply. I have saved many valuable records with glue, sometimes after numerous applications.
Hi Fran, I'm interested in your record cleaning technique. What kind of glue did you use? I think it is a waterbased glue used for woodworking. Am I right? In Germany it's called 'Holzleim' (trademark PONAL). Some other glues made of chemical stuff maybe would destroy vinyl. I have an amount of LPs from the 70-80ths. The most of my LPs Ive been listened to, were used many times and should be cleaned very carefully.
Saw Squiggy in the thumbnail.....
Lenny and the Squigtones is a fictional musical group headed by Michael McKean and David Lander, the two actors who played the characters Lenny and Squiggy on the television series Laverne & Shirley. The group's eponymous debut album, Lenny & Squiggy Present Lenny and the Squigtones, was released on the Casablanca label in 1979. The album is now a collector's item because of credited guitar work by future Spinal Tap member Nigel Tufnel (Christopher Guest). A photo on the inside cover also includes two band members who look a lot like Derek Smalls and David St. Hubbins of Spinal Tap. Also includes "Murph", the keyboard player from The Blues Brothers, and "Ming the Merciless," purported to be Kiss drummer Peter Criss without his famous "cat" costume and make-up, though Criss denies it was him.
To me, it is better off to buy a new one, if available. QUESTION! They say that using a "toothpick" can fix scraches. () Aha, what is your feedback regarding this clame?
There's a 10 second safe zone??? Just got pinged playing Abbey Road. Love your work.