Stylus cleaning . . .

[floyd droid]

Hello !, double bubble.

Twonk or what. Tried to edit the above post to type ' made' your millions.

Ended up quoting myself,lol.

 

[Anonymous]

Totally agree with you. I have a small brush put a couple of drops on the brush. How on earth it can get further up than the diamond is puzzling ?

 

[MajorFubar]

YOU HAVE BEEN DOING WHAT !!!.

Did you know that the chemicals in blu-tak leach up the cantilever then up the arm tube and finaly will seize your bearings up, stupid boy,lol.

Good on yer Major, yip you should have stuck it in a tub and your millions.

:rofl:

 

[iceman16]

CJ. I'm aware of all of this but as i said, how much fluid do folks use. The stylus is microns in size so you only need a teeny amount of fluid. Also the vast majority of stylus cleaning fluids contain isoprope which evapourates in seconds. Oh i dunno maybe its me.

The process we are talking about with respect to cartridges take a long time, and according to Dominic the amount of cleaning fluid used by some people! But the flicking action of the bush bristles . . . remember when we were kids, old tooth brush, paint and run the finger across the top of the bristles, a mist of paint drops on the paper, and every where else if I recall? So, over-generous with the fluid, the draging action, dust and debry on the cartridge where you cant get at, over time, it can have its affects, Best not to use cleaning fluid regularly, preferably not at all.

My retip cost £250, a full rebuild because of corosion could be another £160, or worse, the bin!

CJSF

I think thats the reason why cartridges from Lyra have a "sticky tape" on the underside on the cartridge?

 

[MajorFubar]

Tbh I think the risk of destroying your cartridge by using a bit* of cleaning fluid now and again is being just a touch over-stated. No matter how well you clean your records, the stylus picks up tiny hairs, crud and airborne contaminants which are either on the record to start with or land there during replay. Sometimes it just won't shift off the stylus with a dry brush, or any form of sticky-tac. Often it's bonded there by heat, generated by friction between the stylus and the vinyl, which of course increases if the stylus is not absolutely clean. You need something which will help to dissolve it.

*and by bit I mean 'bit'. I don't mean sending you cart for a swimming-lesson in isopropyl alcohol.

 

[floyd droid]

I think thats the reason why cartridges from Lyra have a "sticky tape" on the underside on the cartridge?

Thats the 'washi' paper. Its there to help prevent dust getting into the mech. It isnt sticky because you can gently brush any dust off it.

 

[floyd droid]

Often it's bonded there by heat, generated by friction between the stylus and the vinyl, which of course increases if the stylus is not absolutely clean. You need something which will help to dissolve it.

Aye good post Major. That l'il ol lump of coal is banging around sideways and up n down like a little jack hammer, compressing all manner of junk onto its tiny but well formed profile.

 

[CJSF]

and according to Dominic the amount of cleaning fluid used by some people!

Amazing how people can get so wound up over a simple and logical 'action and reaction'? Its the 'amount and frequancy' that I recon does the damage. Use a dry brush and/or gum as a normal cleaning regime, then once or twice a month sparingly and carfuly use a good cleaning fluid if you must

. . . simples!

The obvious answer, 'to much, to often' . . . you might go blind I was told :rofl:

Seems so obvious to me . . . :? CJSF

8) . . . I'm going to listen to some vinyl . . . :dance:

 

[floyd droid]

Whoa there CJ. I dont read anyone getting wound up in this thread. However, due to the fact your post contains a quote from an earlier post by yourself , of which i touched on, perhaps we should tidy a couple of things up here. If you look at post 7 (page 1) you will see that I made a remark about ' how much fluid do people actualy use '. The quote containing Doms thoughts which i used in post 12 had Ahem ! underneath it , erm ,which you have left out. Perhaps i should have put ,' Ahem ! see post 12', then maybe you would have twigged what i was getting at.

 

[CJSF]

Whoa there CJ. I dont read anyone getting wound up in this thread. However, due to the fact your post contains a quote from an earlier post by yourself , of which i touched on, perhaps we should tidy a couple of things up here. If you look at post 7 (page 1) you will see that I made a remark about ' how much fluid do people actualy use '. The quote containing Doms thoughts which i used in post 12 had Ahem ! underneath it , erm ,which you have left out. Perhaps i should have put ,' Ahem ! see post 12', then maybe you would have twigged what i was getting at.

Oops, sorry Floyd, that was not ment as a poke at you mate, far from it, I have great respect for your views, it was, as you say the 'amount of fluid used' I was trying to get over, appologies.

. . . There does seem to be a little bit of 'going to do it my way' in other posts which I was aluding to. Sadly this seems the case so often, people can't accept there is more than one way to skin a cat, sometimes that way is better, and sometimes its simply a help?

All one was doing was to give a wider view of 'what is happening' . . . I'm only passing on the thoughts of 'them that know', 'dont shoot the mesenger' and 'non so deaf as those that wont hear' come to mind.

???? foot in mouth . . . why bother:? . . . CJSF

 

[floyd droid]

Anyways off topic but so what i say. Hows that little Pearwood starting to sound since its had a few hrs under its belt. Did Doms work have a great deal of effect on your vtf setting compared to the old boy. What i mean is , are you tracking it at what you did before the re-tip or have you had to fiddle around a bit ( im guessing that you did). Just interested mate.

 

[CJSF]

Anyways off topic but so what i say. Hows that little Pearwood starting to sound since its had a few hrs under its belt. Did Doms work have a great deal of effect on your vtf setting compared to the old boy. What i mean is , are you tracking it at what you did before the re-tip or have you had to fiddle around a bit ( im guessing that you did). Just interested mate.

The Sumi sounds something else, 'throw the speakers away':cheer: We set the tracking at 1.9gs at Dom's, it needs backing of very, very slightly I think???, thats for tonight may be? . . . in other words its doing just what it did when I first aquired it, making no majour demands one way or the other. The Sumiko was originaly concieved as a simple, signatureless cartridge, to some boaring? to me, the ideal, presenting what is on the record. I tweak my system the way I want, not the way the items within it demand . . . if that makes sence Floyd?

Strangly, I had a very long conversation with Jeff at Audio Mods this morning . . . the conversation revealed this so called 'signture' was probably why the Benz did not suit, it has needs andits own voice? I did not apreciate this well enough, hense it fell short for me. Time over again I might have don things differantly?

Water under the bridge, the Benz is on fleBay now if anyone wants a bargin.

I have a preliminary order in with Jeff for the new Mk5 Audio Mod tonearm, complete with 'gold bling' but no VTA micromiter, the standard screw type clamp will do fine 8) Jeff has re designated the arms to 'Classic', 'Series 5' and 'Series 5 with VTA micromiter', all have verious options as the bespoke items that they are. The Classic is at a very competitive £455.00!!! Series 5 is re designed with subtle changes, new arm tube and new bearings aimed at the Koetsu type market, the Classic is a bargin IMHO.

I'm in no hurry to reset the Sumiko tracking force any further, give it time . . . but I have ordered a digital tracing force guage, a proper one, not the cheap 100gs scales they sell as TFG's. When that arives, I can realy go to town on the cartridge and its highly sesative nature towards down force. It will also come into play for the set up of the new arm as well.

Sorry, epistle again:? . . . CJSF

 

[floyd droid]

Yip nice sermon Reverend CJ . Follow you all the way mate. Carts are personal little blighters and the sum of all parts plays into it big time. My set up with the Benz will sound like a different cart if you ever got to hear it, you get my drift no doubt.

I was actualy going to ask if you had a digital guage as .1 or.2 increments of a gram can be quite audible. Tight wad, go for the mic then you can fiddle around with .01mm vta adjustments .

 

[CJSF]

Yip nice sermon Reverend CJ . Follow you all the way mate. Carts are personal little blighters and the sum of all parts plays into it big time. My set up with the Benz will sound like a different cart if you ever got to hear it, you get my drift no doubt.

I was actualy going to ask if you had a digital guage as .1 or.2 increments of a gram can be quite audible. Tight wad, go for the mic then you can fiddle around with .01mm vta adjustments .

Hi Floyd, we have had 4 hours so far this evening and its getting better!!!! The way it produces classical music is amazing, just listend to Elgars' Enigma Variations, London Philharmonic, Adrian Boult conducting, 1962 recording on Classics for Pleasure, simply awinspiring, befor that some Bach on original instruments, Kenny Rogers, John Williams, Marty Robbins and now Swingle Singers, eclectic or what?

More time I would have sorted the Glanz, but Dominic only took a week.

Tight . . . Dominic and Jeff both tell me the non micromiter version sounds better . . . Jeff says 9 times out of ten, the micromiter version is bought to 'impress mates' and hardly used after a week of 'being a plaything':doh: So his recomendation was inview of the quality of the Sumiko; the Mk5 without micromiter will be best . . . and in any case, the P5 dust lid wont close! I will opt for the Cardas copper direct wiring, generaly, I dont like silver wire! . . . and its cheaper . . .

Peace be with you my son . . . CJSF

PS, sugested to Jeff some sort of removable slip guage set or wedge might be an answer to accurate VTA setting . . . "food for thought" he said?

 

[CnoEvil]

I will opt for the Cardas copper direct wiring, generaly, I dont like silver wire! . . . and its cheaper . . .

Good choice.

 

[floyd droid]

Peace be with you my son . . . CJSF

Ha ha ha , nice sign off Rev.

I was avin a larf regs the mic, I wouldnt bother either tbh. Good luck with the auction byraway.

Edit. Just noticed the addition to your post . Guess what i use , clue 'I'm a Toolmaker'.

 

[CJSF]

Peace be with you my son . . . CJSF

Ha ha ha , nice sign off Rev.

I was avin a larf regs the mic, I wouldnt bother either tbh. Good luck with the auction byraway.

Edit. Just noticed the addition to your post . Guess what i use , clue 'I'm a Toolmaker'.

Nice one Floyd, your middle name will be 'slip guage' then I will make something up to do the basic thickness job, single mm, then use some sort of feeler for incraments, will be crude by your standards . . . ? by any ones standards??? but should work?

Accours to me, Dom wants a simple cartridge coil winding tool made, he has done the design work, he cant find anyone to do it???? Just a passing thought for some beer money if you have the facilities?

CJSF

 

[CJSF]

I will opt for the Cardas copper direct wiring, generaly, I dont like silver wire! . . . and its cheaper . . .

Good choice.

Trouble is CnoEvil, my mind is now going to how I can best mak a TT plinth . . . thats if Dominic does not come up with a workable 'slate job' . . . getting the old inventive mind out of hibernation . . . ?

CJSF

 

[floyd droid]

Nice one Floyd, your middle name will be 'slip guage' then

Joey Block actually, blimey that takes me back I aint used that name for slips in aeons.

Because I flit between a few different carts I've got a list of height settings. Bolt on the cart , slide arm down onto slip build up, set vtf, job done. I know then that its also sitting nice and square because as good as the SME IV is in build quaility it is still possible to lock the carriage with the arm pillar slightly squint, which narks me.

Maybe you should give Dom a call just to make sure that you are not talking out of school in regs to the winder. If alls good then let me know and i will drop him an emither.

 

[CJSF]

Maybe you should give Dom a call just to make sure that you are not talking out of school in regs to the winder. If alls good then let me know and i will drop him an emither.

Morning Floyd, been talking to Dominic this morning, he would be very pleased to hear from you.

CJSF

 

[floyd droid]

And good morning to you Sir. Okey Doke i will drop him a line later on.