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Possible Cure for Collapsed Stylus Suspension

revox-b77 said:
OK folks, It has been several weeks. How are the repairs holding up? What was the verdict on the rubber rejuvenator vs. WD40?
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You gonna make me put it back on? I'm enjoying the Acutex too much. :)

I used it for a good while and it was still holding up just fine when I put it away. I certainly wouldn't be afraid to try it again.

John
 
Going strictly by our descriptions, I'd say the WD-40 did just fine. I have the feeling the Techspray product, overpriced though it may be now, has at least the potential to last longer (because of its superior plasticizer/filler), but the cost differential is breathtaking. And, at least for ADC products, a cantilever transplant may be just as easy or even easier than either method, depending on what's in your junk box. Well, let's see what John says when he gets the Integra back out. I don't blame him for groovin' on the Acutex.
 
wualta said:
Going strictly by our descriptions, I'd say the WD-40 did just fine. I have the feeling the Techspray product, overpriced though it may be now, has at least the potential to last longer (because of its superior plasticizer/filler), but the cost differential is breathtaking. And, at least for ADC products, a cantilever transplant may be just as easy or even easier than either method, depending on what's in your junk box. Well, let's see what John says when he gets the Integra back out. I don't blame him for groovin' on the Acutex.
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I won't stop using the Acutex! I won't I won't I won't i won't I won't!

John
 
boreas said:
Good idea. Meanwhile, this is what's in WD-40. With the possible exception of the corrosion inhibitor, it really does resemble a rubber restorer as much as anything else. It's definitely "off-label" though.

solvent naphtha petroleum, medium aliphatic, > 60%
petroleum base oil as paraffinic distillate, heavy, solvent-dewaxed (severe), 15% to 25%
corrosion inhibitor unregulated, 1% to 10%
wetting agent unregulated, 1% to 10%
fragrance unregulated, 0% to 1%
carbon dioxide, 2% to 3%

John
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Thanks for the off-label details. Many of us who do mechanical work are aware that WD-40 and its competition is basically kerosene with additives.

A possible, better treatment is a silicone spray designed to preserve and regenerate automotive door mouldings and other seals in car bodies. It's been years, but I believe the last can I bought was sold under the 'Ford' label as a proprietary product. It worked!
 
I just dragged the ADC out and put it back on the turntable. It still sounds just as good and there is no indication that the suspension is beginning to fail again. I suppose I could use this cartridge exclusively until it eventually fails again but I have too many other cartridge I prefer. :)

John
 
Tsk. Oh, you..

Sudden thought: If you have another turntable, you could give it a torture test: Check your VTF, then simply place the stylus on the "dead wax". No need to put it in a groove or turn on the turntable. Just let it sit there and see how long it takes to collapse, if ever.
.
 
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boreas said:
Well, I am listening to an ADC, just not that ADC.
(harrumph!)

John
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[brightening] Oh! which ADC you got there? And don't forget to consider my torture test idea for the Integra I added to my previous post.
 
wualta said:
Tsk. Oh, you..

Sudden thought: If you have another turntable, you could give it a torture test: Check your VTF, then simply place the stylus on the "dead wax". No need to put it in a groove or turn on the turntable. Just let it sit there and see how long it takes to collapse, if ever.
.
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I should live so long! ;)

John
 
That test would be like playing a record continuously for however long you could stand to leave the stylus in there. I say if it lasts out the week, we can consider the WD-40 Fish Oil Repair a howling success, at least for ADC-made suspensions, as long as the treatment is applied to the front side only.

Fifteen seconds to curtain, Mr. boreas!
boreas said:
I should live so long!
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wualta said:
That test would be like playing a record continuously for however long you could stand to leave the stylus in there. I say if it lasts out the week, we can consider the WD-40 Fish Oil Repair a howling success, at least for ADC suspensions, which, as has been pointed out, are easily accessible from both front and back, which makes the repair more likely to succeed.

Fifteen seconds to curtain, Mr. boreas!
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Well, maybe. Maybe I'll put it on the PL-400 I just listed on CL and just let it eat for a couple of days.

John
I can't go out there. They all have..... Bill's face!
 
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I am seriously considering trying this on my skewed ADC cart. I need a little over and a bit down. Waulta, I have rubber rejuvenator from Caig. I don't remember it being pricey 3 or 4 bucks for a couple of ounces? Think I should use that?
 
revox-b77 said:
I am seriously considering trying this on my skewed ADC cart. I need a little over and a bit down. Waulta, I have rubber rejuvenator from Caig. I don't remember it being pricey 3 or 4 bucks for a couple of ounces? Think I should use that?
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Couldn't hurt. If it doesn't work, you could try WD-40 and if that doesn't work, you're no worse off than you are now.

John
 
Caig's RBR leaves a goo on the stylus I tested, which I feared would build up over repeated applications, making it difficult for those applications to soak in. But give it a try. Like the man said, it couldn't hoit.
 
Someone mentioned a sticky, and I agree there is a lot of info in this thread which could be applied to many brands, especially if the stylus is already on the edge.

Now I have an Ortofon M15E super which at 1.3 is pretty much giving up its capacity to stay in position, or get to close to the body, whichever term you prefer. I'm thinking WD-40, because nothing to lose right?

BUT, back in post 89 someone suggested trying a spray silicone auto molding product. Now, I'm thinking why not apply with either a trimmed artist brush or a toothpick some of the windshield silicone style molding adhesive?? I bought some a few weeks ago for woofer gaskets, and it seems to stay flexible. I'm wondering if a small amount in the Nose where the stylus enters the body could stiffen up the stylus VTF??

Any thoughts, please? I already have a Shure M95 backup with a new stylus, so if this M15e is shot, the experiment can continue? With either WD-40 or the 3M windshield molding adhesive.....
 
CT Jim said:
Someone mentioned a sticky, and I agree there is a lot of info in this thread which could be applied to many brands, especially if the stylus is already on the edge.

Now I have an Ortofon M15E super which at 1.3 is pretty much giving up its capacity to stay in position, or get to close to the body, whichever term you prefer. I'm thinking WD-40, because nothing to lose right?

BUT, back in post 89 someone suggested trying a spray silicone auto molding product. Now, I'm thinking why not apply with either a trimmed artist brush or a toothpick some of the windshield silicone style molding adhesive?? I bought some a few weeks ago for woofer gaskets, and it seems to stay flexible. I'm wondering if a small amount in the Nose where the stylus enters the body could stiffen up the stylus VTF??

Any thoughts, please? I already have a Shure M95 backup with a new stylus, so if this M15e is shot, the experiment can continue? With either WD-40 or the 3M windshield molding adhesive.....
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My only thought is that with silicone you're changing (decreasing) the compliance by, in effect, applying a second elastomer adjacent to the original one. The more silicone you apply the stiffer the suspension will get so how do you know how much is enough. Also, there's no guarantee that the cantilever will be at the correct angle when you're done.

With the rubber restorers or with WD-40, the hope is that you will return the suspension to its original condition and compliance. The restorer or WD-40 will be absorbed into the bushing. Any excess will stay on the surface of the bushing and can be wiped away or just allowed to evaporate. I don't know whether this really means anything. It just seems safer and more appropriate than creating a secondary elastomer with silicone.

John
 
applying a second elastomer adjacent to the original one.

Point made, however, can one assume the original elastomer is no longer correct? or even available for anything near it's original position? I agree that compliance will change, but, and a big but, will it restore something close to what it needs?

Because I'm assuming this stylus no longer has any definitive value I am willing to attempt a "corrective" repair, that way no one screws up one of their usable styli!
 
CT Jim said:
applying a second elastomer adjacent to the original one.

Point made, however, can one assume the original elastomer is no longer correct? or even available for anything near it's original position? I agree that compliance will change, but, and a big but, will it restore something close to what it needs?
Click to expand...

Another thing that will change is the fulcrum point and, therefore, the "tuning" of the cantilever.

Because I'm assuming this stylus no longer has any definitive value I am willing to attempt a "corrective" repair, that way no one screws up one of their usable styli!
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Nothing ventured nothing gained but it makes sense to use the approach that promises the best results.... or at least has the less significant down side.

John
 
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