DIY record cleaning machine (RCM) consolidation and resource thread

[Son-of-Vere]

Just about got the base wrapped up. Waste water chamber has been coated with FlexSeal, now let's see if it lives up to the hype. Will be very easy to drain. Platter is done. I got some rubber shelf mat material for the platter mat.
I'm really anxious to get this thing going, I've got a Styx Pieces of Eight yellow vinyl that I had to stop within a minute, due to the fact there was more noise than music. I cleaned the stylus right after that and removed a dust bunny the size of an actual bunny.
It must have been on display at one point as there's not a scratch on it.

 

[Son-of-Vere]

Starting to look like an RCM now. I'm working on the wand. Since this will be a brushless design (for now), I have to get the vacuum slot as close to the record as possible. The thin ring you see in the center of the wand will ride on the hump at the lead in. The cap will ride in the dead wax. I'll get a crappy Christmas album from GW for testing this to make sure I'm not building a record destroyer.
Should be ready by this weekend.



The wand is high because I haven't found the ideal height yet.

 

[Son-of-Vere]

Almost there, been working with the test record and found a brush is an absolute necessity. Really stomped on my low budget, I used my carbon fiber brush. I still have to make a collar that will control the height of the wand. I'm going to angle it so it'll raise when turned away from the record.
The rub collar works well, the test record has about 3 years worth of revolutions on it and it didn't phase the lead-in groove. Should be cleaning records Sunday.

 

[Son-of-Vere]

Rek-O-Suk is cleaning records!

Well, I gotta give it a 7 out of 10. Probably got to work on the technique a bit. One thing is for sure, ya gotta get in there and scrub. I'll be recleaning some of todays attempts.
Waste chamber works better than expected, no moisture makes it to the main chamber. I have a sponge in there just to make sure it stays dry.
No problems with overheating, which has occurred with some commercial units. I gotta wonder if guys are leaving the vacuum on all the time when they're cleaning.

I still have some things to iron out on the ward, and I may have to start from scratch on it.

 

[NJNeal]

Finished my DIY RCM. Free vacuum motor from Craigslist. $5 turntable, also from CL. 3/4" plywood. Hardware was all stuff in the aisles of Home Depot. VPI upgrade kit supplied the wand. Construction is basically similar to that one made from plexiglass that's around on the 'net.

Things I'd do differently next time: 3/4" ply is probably overkill for most of it. You could build a 'frame' of 1x2 pine and cover it with 1/8" plywood. Big cost savings, lighter weight. Also, I'd probably plan on making the 'last panel' that gets screwed down the bottom, and not glue it....just screw it. That way, for future repair you can just unscrew the bottom panel. As it is, if the motor fails, I'm probably starting over, as this thing is glued and screwed and caulked shut.

It does work very well. Records are 50% quieter, and my records are mostly garage sale finds so in fairly rough shape, as a rule.

 

[fowlerclone]

Great resources in this thread. I'll probably be creating my own RCM sometime this week.

One question tho- I will be using a shop vac and the VPI upgrade kit on my RCM and I would like to know if there is such thing as too much hp. There is a 5 gallon, 4.5 hp shop vac on sale at Menards for $29.99. Would this be overkill?

Dan

 

[DC]

Great resources in this thread. I'll probably be creating my own RCM sometime this week.

One question tho- I will be using a shop vac and the VPI upgrade kit on my RCM and I would like to know if there is such thing as too much hp. There is a 5 gallon, 4.5 hp shop vac on sale at Menards for $29.99. Would this be overkill?

Dan

Hi Dan - sorry I missed ths earlier.

I don't know for sure if that might be overkill, but I'll venture a guess and say yes. I use the smallest Craftsman shop vac (2.5 gal. @ 1.75HP) with what I think are good results. It's small enough to fit in the lower compartment of the floor cabinet that houses my RCM, so it's quieter. (FYI, K-Mart online has it half off at the moment, $15 with free in-store pickup.)

Another thought that I have considered: Home Depot (and probably others) have a "bucket top" wet/dry vacuum. It is meant to snap on the top of a standard five-gallon bucket, or a short 2.5 gallon one. If you've got an unusued bucket laying around, or one from which you've broken the handle off (like me!), it might be a cheap way to go and repurpose an otherwise useless bucket, too.

 

[FunkDoctor]

Does anyone have any information on creating a RCM. I bought my geared motor but I am completely confused on how people are mounting their motors to the platter. I have seen some flush against the platter, and some that have a screw with a wing nut to hold records down. Can someone please help me out!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[LoStrings]

Does anyone have any information on creating a RCM. I bought my geared motor but I am completely confused on how people are mounting their motors to the platter. I have seen some flush against the platter, and some that have a screw with a wing nut to hold records down. Can someone please help me out!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Post a pic of the motor you are using so we can get an idea what your working with.

 

[DC]

Does anyone have any information on creating a RCM. I bought my geared motor but I am completely confused on how people are mounting their motors to the platter. I have seen some flush against the platter, and some that have a screw with a wing nut to hold records down. Can someone please help me out!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Forgive me if I seem like a total scrooge here, but the first post in this thread has links to 58 other threads with information and hundreds of photos on creating a RCM. Certainly something there can help you?

 

[FunkDoctor]

I have enclosed the geared motor below.

 

[FunkDoctor]

Forgive me if I seem like a total scrooge here, but the first post in this thread has links to 58 other threads with information and hundreds of photos on creating a RCM. Certainly something there can help you?

Nobody and I mean nobody explicitly breaks it down how you mount these at all. Trust me if they did I wouldn't be here.

 

[ODYOFAEL]

I have enclosed the geared motor below.

If the shaft is 5/16, you can buy the hub from VPI.


http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=527500

 

[FunkDoctor]

If the shaft is 5/16, you can buy the hub from VPI.


http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=527500

Is the hub the silver part that you sit the record and platter.

 

[ODYOFAEL]

Is the hub the silver part that you sit the record and platter.

Yes. The threaded aluminum piece.

 

[FunkDoctor]

Yes. The threaded aluminum piece.

Do you remember the part number the guy on their customer service line is acting like he has no clue that they sell that part in particular.

 

[guystp]

this is my rcm I built a couple years ago. Still working strong. The shelves are sized for lp's, but it's being used for my headphone system right now. I used an old turntables (AGS I think it was) and a small wet vac. The face comes off with 4 screws if it ever need service. The top deck is stainless steel so clean up is easy.

 

[Andyman]

Does anyone have any information on creating a RCM. I bought my geared motor but I am completely confused on how people are mounting their motors to the platter. I have seen some flush against the platter, and some that have a screw with a wing nut to hold records down. Can someone please help me out!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My ice cream machine motor had meshing male and female parts where I was able to simple cut apart the bucket and screw the female fitting onto my melamine base. You could do something if you can find a 5/16" bore collar with a wide flange. I'm not sure if that's the proper name, but it's basically what will do the trick.

If there's an old school hardware store around with guys who are used to being creative, maybe you could go over there and tell them what you want to do and they could help you cobble up a connection??

 

[Fukinagashi]

DIY Ultrasonic Cleaner

This one?

 

[darksolstice]

My DIY VPI clone

I have always wanted a RCM but they cost too much, I kept looking at what people had built here and marveled at their ingenuity, and didn't think I could build one.
I finally thought, well, nothing ventured, nothing gained and went on Ebay and bought a Hurst 10rpm reversible motor, $25 I had a platter from a turntable that had died, bought a Hoover from Goodwill $15, a very powerful one!! Made a box out of spare MDF, the clamp is a piece of 2 x4 cut with a hole saw, a T-nut is screwed in the bottom and has a round piece of felt glued on to prevent scratching the label $4 , I figured out how to couple it together, added switches $15 and Then purchased the VPI upgrade kit $70 and I was on my way!!
My wife suggested I paint it and I didn't really care as it was more of a prototype but I did as she ask and bought a paint called Rust-Oleum hammered paint $7 a can and used 2, I liked the way it looked and found out it even hid defects so this is my finished RCM so far, I say this because I intend to also buy the VPI fluid dispensing brush and and buy a windshield washer tank with pump to dispense the fluid , hence the push button in the middle, I have used it on several records and I am blown away !

I had about 100 records I had taken care of with a discwasher brush and on those the sound after using my RCM they are dead quiet . I have bought around 75 used records lately and on those it varies from dead quiet to very little surface noise. the over all effect is like a blanket being removed from my speakers, it's almost jaw dropping, I would advise every one who has records to buy or build a RCM, the difference in sound is astonishing and in my case when it's all said and done I will have little more than $200 invested.
build one, you won't regret it!!