Cleaning 78s with machine oil and vinegar.

[jtnfoley]

+1 on cleaning methods of yesteryear.

I count myself fortunate enough to have known an oldtiimer (I'm 37 now, and he was in his 90s when I was a teenager) who was a retired chemist and professional museum-quality furniture restorer (15th - 17th century European and Asian pieces were ever spread around his shop.)
Old Bob used all manner of wacky concoctions to clean and polish antiques, including mayonnaise and marble dust IIRC (as a mild abrasive) among only-God-and-Bob-knows-what-else.
I thought he was pulling my leg and, arrogant little pr!ck that I was, called him out on his mayo "joke." Boy howdie did I get an education on modern, harsh solvents and abrasives and what they would do the finish of a near-priceless this-or-that.

Sorry for the digression, threads like this one trigger fond, long-forgotten memories.
And now back to our regularly scheduled programming.

Has anyone investigated the methods used by professional conservators? I know the Library of Congress and Smithsonian both have active conservation efforts underway, I wonder what they are up to.

 

[mfrench]

I've mixed a dollop of vinegar into my general record cleaning solution for many years. I've always drawn some questions and blank looks in doing so. My logic was taken from home-brew window cleaning solutions. The vinegar goes along way to a streak free clear finish on windows. I've found that it also reduces the suds from the soap additive.
I've also used naptha/zippo fluid to clean really nasty stuff on records without any apparent ill effects, so, I'm not that surprised by the light oil additive.

 

[Mopic5]

Mike,
Just to be clear on this thread about cleaning 78 rpm shellacs... You're not suggesting using of lighter fluid on these, right?

 

[mfrench]

I meant record cleaning, in general, but the comment came out in the 78 cleaning thread. I probably should have suggested it as a sidebar comment.

I'll try it on a trasher, and see what happens. I can't imagine there would be much difference between naptha and 3-in-1 oil, as far as toxic effect to the record. I've got a pile of trashers that I don't mind testing on.

 

[mfrench]

FWIW,... I just took a broken 78, and soaked one side in pure VM&P Naptha, and the other side in Zippo lighter fluid, in two different testing applications (Zippo used to be labeled as Naptha as ingredient, now labeled as light petroleum distillate). Zippo still smells just like Naptha, so its presumably still Naptha.
In wiping up either side, I removed what appeared to have been nicotine, when I wiped up the residual solvent (78 discs came from an old radio station collection). When I reapplied, and coated the record for the second pass, it came up far cleaner; and in a third pass, came up clean.
So, my assumption is that I was cleaning nicotine residue in the first couple of passes, and by the third flooding with the solvent, I was coming up clean.
There was no softening of the grooves, as tested by dragging my fingernail across the grooves, no smudging, no clouding or discoloration - no detectable signs of the solvents application.
I now have a very clean, unplayable, broken 78 disc.

 

[gadget73]

I'd expect that. About all that really eats shellac is alcohol, so as long as you stay far away from that you're good.

 

[mfrench]

from the opposite end of the spectrum, the hot solvents, that feel cold to the touch:
acteone, denatured alcohol, m.e.k., brake cleaner,... etc.
these all were instant death to the same broken record, with immediate black pools of goo and smearing.

The oily solvents, naptha, paint thinner, zippo, were not an immediate issue like this unmistakable instant problem with the other solvents mentioned above.

I'm not suggesting bathing records in any of these solvents. But some are quite safe for cleaning problematic records - just make sure to properly clean them afterward.

thusly, I end my record torturing ways.

 

[steph_gaynor]

great illustration of the impact of a good cleaning

One thing to remember is that even though the shellac itself is not absorbent, the fillers mixed in with the shellac, wood pulp and other similar substances, is absorbent so exposure to liquid should be limited as much as possible.

I use Disc Doctor methods with their super miracle wash and brushes, but I will file the vinegar and machine oil method away. very interesting.

Stephanie

 

[woodj]

Shellac

Alcohol(s) are the solvent in which the lac is dissolved to make shellac so it will re-dissolve hardened shellac products.
Shellac is mildly hygroscopic i.e. it will absorb limited amounts of water.
Shellac is impervious to petroleum products.
Back when I refinished furniture, sometimes i needed black shellac, and so i would dissolve pieces of broken 78s in alcohol to make it.