Cleaning Records With Glue, Vinyl Gong, Groove Burn, Wet Play and More!

Music by Fran Blanche -
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[@chrisnorman9712]

We need more Frans in the world, and more appreciation for them.

[@joycetyner7643]

Fransworld

[@MARTIN201199]

And less trolls

[@Johnathan_Waters]

My thoughts exactly!

[@futu1983]

And in this case we also need more glue.

[@Beatgeneration2010]

We sure do!!!!

[@TheAxe4Ever]

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.

[@philorkill]

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!

[@coreym162]

Totally, totally agreed.

[@enginesllc9877]

Nothing sexier than a hot chick that knows what she's talking about.

[@robertmorselli4358]

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

[@gravit0nable]

What's your opinion about the effectiveness of this glue method?

[@robertmorselli4358]

@@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.

[@minty_Joe]

@@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.

[@videoplusdvd]

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.

[@lordmuntague]

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!

[@draggonhedd]

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.

[@josephcote6120]

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.

[@DevilsHandyman]

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.

[@geebee123]

No.

[@theoccidilian4896]

Yes, more glue, different glue, and thick at the edges

[@leighfoulkes7297]

Sounds like you need to practice a few time to get it down.

[@seanmangan2769]

Fran is an audiophile! Who knew? I am glad to learn this as there are very few of us in the world.

[@GadgetUK164]

Fascinating stuff there on the different manufacturing methods, and ways to test the density of the vinyl!

[@Mickey58D]

I have using the glue method for more than 30 years. Using more glue is helpful when it's time to peel it off. Using more glue leaves no residue. And the dried glue comes off in one piece. Secondly, give it more time dry; in my room, I give it about 36 hours. This guarantees an easy peel-off. The majority of my records are virtually silent. I have countless records which are 50 or more years old, and which play extremely well. Wet playing also I have been doing for about 40 years. I use De-ionised water. This leaves no residue as tap water does. I dry the records with ordinary paper tissues. Once again, nothing to report. Keep up the good work - it's always good to hear what you have to say on this subject. Blessings, Daz x

[@dustyspins]

Is it just me? I have watched this video numerous times just because I find her voice so damn soothing!

[@banjopink4409]

She's like Debbie Harry without the make up.

[@_Heinous-Anus]

I suppose... One way or another she's gonna get'cha, get'cha, ect... !!!

[@msingh1932]

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...

[@banjohead66]

Major kudos for having a copy of Lenny and the Squigtones on vinyl!

[@geoffstockton]

"We're hardly making 90% profit on that." LOL Hats off to you for that one.

[@99RiverSt]

Fran rules! I'm from Philly, born in '51. Live in Boston, working in Used Record Store. LOVE the Lenny & Squiggy you were holding. Saw them as a band (early Tap players) and saw them in early 70s as Anthony & Leonard as a comedy duo. While in the store, ocassionaly folks would mention cleaning with glue. We didn't dare attempt it in the store, but do know of some who claim to have tried it. I remained curious, so this post helps my trust issue. Your expanations of those early 70s 45s, was great. I have no idea why it took so long to come across your posets, but I'm sure glad I did!

[@jnnyg65]

Cool story bro

[@katelikesrectangles]

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 :)

[@simonreeves2017]

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.

You have a very nice voice.

[@krollpeter]

I agree. A very pleasant speaker.

[@bryanotero123]

Peter Kroll If she read a book for me id hear it

[@jamesvandamme7786]

I play her videos at 1.5 speed to keep awake.

[@TomTobin67]

College professor voice.

[@leonhardtart7163]

Nice hands, too.

[@alexanderprovan7059]

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?

[@davidbell2967]

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.

[@johnmcbarron7282]

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.

[@crosscatch]

@@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.

[@johnmcbarron7282]

@@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.

[@johnmcbarron7282]

@@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.

[@georgeheiner134]

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.

[@38ddkelly]

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.

[@AugustusOakstar]

Kelly02895 "we were flying low and hit something in the air...". -DOA Bloodrock

[@jeremyclayton-travis1991]

It was fantastic to hear someone talking common sense on You Tube. I made the comment to some who did a post talking about the quality of music and asking people to hear the difference and I made the comment about all the processing and equipment involved and me then hearing it through a computer. I worked in the Hi Fi industry selling Hi Fi equipment in central London for about 25 years. The idea of using PVA glue is not new and although I have not tried it I preferred to use a sticky roller. Fortunately Hi Fi reps can be pretty generous and I was given a clock from the Dual rep which I immediately mounted on a pice of worktop with a hole drilled in it then I had no issues of applying weight to the record whist trying to clean it. The PVA idea sounded good and one advantage of having a platter would be that you can not only apply pressure but you can also apply large amounts of glue without worrying about getting it all over your working turntable. You can remove the platter and wash it along with the rubber mat. I packed most of my LP's away many years ago and have played CD's since. I hope I will be able to get one of my many turntables out one day and listen to analogue vinyl again. It does sound better. Then all I have to consider is do I build myself an ultrasonic cleaner to clean LP's. Thanks for a very informative video.

[@paulgracey4697]

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 KZbin. 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.

[@andershammer9307]

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.

[@birdscds47]

There was also direct metal mastering for vinyl, these sound very good.

[@That_Handle]

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.

[@andershammer9307]

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.

[@JimmyLem]

@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

[@blorglord]

being subbed to techmoan put Fran in my recommendations... its about time the youtube algorithm works for once

[@lopsan457]

Fran, you're the best, the real deal. What a joy to watch! I learned so much this half an hour. Thank you! I think more glue will do..

[@nzoomed]

The "cheaper vinyl" records were actually made of polystyrene and injection moulded.

[@briansmith8967]

I remember those. Sort of brittle.

[@BariumCobaltNitrog3n]

This is my latest sub, Fran you're the best. Get that record wet first. Not soaking wet, a fine mist and add a couple drops of dish soap to the mist water to lower surface tension. Use a new fresh bottle of glue, Tite Bond ll has a longer set-up time which means it has a little more water in it, that's good. The glue will form water bonds with the wet record and get deeper into the grooves, also tap the bottom while it's wet. Thicker layer than you used is ok, but two thinner layers is best. Let each layer dry a couple hours, perhaps adding a layer of damp coffee filter strips laid around the perimeter for structure and something to grab. Let sit for a day in a well ventilated area and Bob's your uncle. Poly(Vinyl Acetate) is also used as a paint primer on drywall because it provides a quick-drying vapor barrier, so that a very thin layer of PVAc will keep the next layer of paint from soaking into the sponge-like drywall. It also helps differentiate between the never-dry joint compound and the always-dry drywall. The sticky roller is very cool and sticks to stuff due to very low surface tension when clean. It's being used now in neonatal and burn care wards because it sticks on a very intimate level with no adhesive, is hydrophobic (repels water) and comes off without trauma to the skin. It picks crap up and rinses clean and sterile. The wet record does a couple good things, it creates an atmosphere that slows two things, the physical and electrical separation between needle and record. I'm guessing here and would love to know more from you guys but as the needle bounces out of the groove due to dirt and Aunt Betty's mascara the signal is suddenly lost and a pop is heard, or crackle as the needle rides out the rough terrain. Ideally the liquid would be thicker, more electrically conductive and it turns out, conductive colloids are ideal, but not advisable. I try to stick to what I know and that's what I like about Fran. Good job, liked and subbed. Also check out Creative Commons and Content ID vs Copyright in KZbin HELP. I don't think you'll ever qualify for fair use, because the music, specifically, is irrelevant to your purpose: cleaning records. Maybe play it backwards at a different speed.

[@QoraxAudio]

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.

[@Hauntbots]

wow! can't believe "Last" is still around. I remember using that back in the 80's. I still have some LP's and 45's that have the little round "Last" stickers I put on them to indicate they had been treated.

[@GreenAppelPie]

What these layers and artists don't get is that exposing music can lead to more sales.

[@stehlik]

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.

[@AttilaTheHun333333]

Or people just listen to uploaded tracks for free...both sides of the story.

[@fakiirification]

@@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.

[@rrider993]

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.

[@horseshoe_nc]

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.

[@frankg.7675]

Fran, I've been experimenting with record cleaning the past few months and just on a lark, I decided to try a cleaning solution from one of my previous projects (working with glass). I found that Baby Wash (Hair and Body) by Western Family works far better than any other record wash. I clean the records in the sink with warm water -- squirt the baby wash on a paint pad to clean the groves.. when finished --flush with clean warm tap water.. then pat dry in towel - finishing with compressed air and a wipe with a micro fiber cloth. The baby wash was the secret to a perfectly clean record with no residue to foul the stylus!! Frank

[@LWAnim8r]

Back in the 70s, I used to clean records in the sink under warm, running water along with dish washing soap (like Dawn or Palmolive, for instance). Then rinse thoroughly. Did a great job; the discs sounded at least 75-80% better!

[@kevinolesik1500]

i admit ... I was drawn to this video because of the 'wet-play' teaser ...

[@rb032682]

LOL.

[@georgeclueless6092]

Wet Play with Fran would have really got the numbers!

[@mjproebstle]

wood glue ABSOLUTELY works wonders!!!tightbond II premium wood glue is what i have used on 100's of LP's as much as 50+ years old. it won't take out deep scratches, back and forth with moderate finger pressure with a sewing needle at a 45 degree angle will help that, but the wood glue removes every other crackle, pop and imperfection! the key is application technique and to lay it on thick enough. pour about a 1/2" wide band of glue in a ring around the middle of the grooves. spread with fingers to the center (not to touch the label), and all the way to the edge. 8 hours cure with a fan on low to help dry, and peel from the edge. you won't be disappointed!!

[@EnygmaRecords]

If you go back over that same record with TiteBond II you'll get all the glue you left behind out

[@jameswkirk]

Years ago The Audio Amateur magazine published a formula using hydrolyzed poly vinyl alcohol, distilled water, some glycerine, a little denatured alcohol, and a few drops of PhotoFlo 200 surfactant. I still have a jar of it. The claim was that it's far better for the vinyl surface than glue. Worked pretty well. With a thick enough coat you could put a strip of adhesive tape across the surface to help pull it off.

[@CookingWithCows]

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

[@smokencoffee]

I have a nice copy of the Airman. This was a send home gift you could send home to your family, along with the photo of yourself, to let them know have an idea of what basic training was like. (It was a very edited and clean version of basic training). Nice little collectable there.

[@dri50]

I think I recognized the group that did that song at 4:45. Sounds like the Ink Spots.

[@ianskeggs5294]

dri50 it was certainly the them, I’ve an original ep

[@mjanovec]

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.

[@AxelWerner]

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.

[@flyingsodwai1382]

blaawwhh. That sent shivers down my spine, dragging the brush across the grain.

[@junkyardvinyl4811]

If it wasn't mentioned before but best to use tight bond #2 glues the yellow stuff.

[@johnmcbarron7282]

Yes, and remove the glue with packing tape instead of using the fingernail.

[@deemarr9151]

Wow I'm enjoying your vids ..reminds me when a kid and just taking apart anything electronic..wires speakers old radios..I miss those old tube anything the smell..bit of hiss..miss those days..thank you fran..truly ..made remember my young curious mind.and still am!

[@tecnogof]

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.

[@VintageLynx]

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.

[@andygozzo72]

thats exactly what its for, so they dont slip when playing a stack of records on an autochanger deck..

[@jamesallen5591]

Great video! I learned that if I need to use glue to clean records, I will never get back into vinyl! This makes washing records in the sink seem easy, and I never did that back when I had vinyl.

[@mcnyregrus]

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"

[@mcnyregrus]

Okay, I'll try then: www youtube com/watch?v=gE9tRGEYFMY

[@RumbleFish69]

I could listen to you all day! 💖😍💖😍💖😍💖😍💖😍

[@pcallas66]

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.

[@UkSkin]

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

[@THOMMGB]

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

[@notvalidcharacters]

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.

[@digitalwerker]

We used to spray the album down w a mixture of alcohol and water, and let the needle ride in that bubble. And PRAY it didn’t skip on air 🤘🤘

[@marcogrothe3712]

try to play the negative :)

[@BeaserHendrix]

That's what I was thinking the whole time!

[@laughlan22]

you can actually get a stylus that has a 'v' groove for playing the stampers

[@martinkarlsson1456]

Don't, that's how you summon the devil!

[@Helderhugo]

Very good explanation about the quality of the vinyl. I was unaware that there was such a difference in vinyl quality. This video was one of the most useful I have seen so far on Vinyl Records. Now I understand why certain Vinyl Records sound so badly right from the time they were manufactured. I ended up being more attentive to this than the initial theme on record cleanup. Thank you for passing on knowledge.

[@Keith_Ward]

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.

[@tfish0]

I heard it was raw vinyl

[@pipatp1288]

Hello from Thailand, in 1995 I did applied Wood glue on some noisy (pop corn noise) LPs, absolutely there is not perfect for cleaning the Lp, noticeable unwanted noise still there. Compared with old fashion cleaning method , Wet cleaning (with dish washing liquid) gain much better out come. Rinse with tap water running gentenly on its grove soft tooth brush also help if necessary, I blown out the residual /water from the grove with compreesed air, hope this will help. Caution; hold your Lp firmly beware of unwanted flying Lp. arround your room, Good luck to you. Opps!

[@elkabong6429]

Funny, she doesn't look gluish!

[@fountaincap]

Oh great. That's all we needed. A gluish princess.

[@lepot23]

I wonder if she like raspberry jam

[@RaymondHng]

El Kabong Happy Glom Kippur.

[@palladinwebb6135]

...Youse guys...!

[@rogerNKWYNNVIDS]

My dad collected vinyl. He always wanted to be a dj, but Vietnam happened and he was drafted, he did, however, amass about 175k vinyl records, our basement was a library, and I miss the pops and hiss of the neele.

[@herberar]

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)

[@JOSEEYW]

I was in shock when I watched this video and noticed how little research you did regarding cleaning records with glue. First of all, it has to be WOOD GLUE and just a multipurpose one. I believe someone recommended that I use Elmer's Glue but I used "Titebond II". This glue seems to be more "flexible" and does not get brittlely. Instead, I was able to remove the "negative" (as you cleverly called the dried glue disc). In fact, I even attempted to play it and got some sound out of it I hope no one ruined any records, either ending with particles of dry glue stuck in the grooves or scratching the surface trying to remove chunks that broke from the glue disc. It is indeed time consuming but it was a nice experiment. One more tip: make sure the edge of the record is fully covered and use a thicker layer. Don't spread it too thin.

[@RollyHobbs]

I used a solution called clutecloxium cleaned better than anything

[@CookingWithCows]

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

[@FranLab]

Decades ago there used to be a large public domain for music and film - now there is almost none.

[@USWaterRockets]

How do these people make homemade Star Trek episodes and Star Wars movies and put them on KZbin with the music from, the films and shows and sound effects and all that without getting flagged for Copyright Violation???

[@PeteCswampy]

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.

[@NeilVanceNeilVance]

I think snippet's of music actually promotes and develops revenue. it's all a bit sad this 'fair use' thing.

[@JeremyMcMillan]

"fair use" is fine. It's the overzealous copyright claims causing all the sadness.

[@mikeshaw4951]

I always heard that during the 70's the pressers used returned LP's instead of 100% virgin vinyl. They didn't bother to remove labels - just toss it in to a grinder and melt 'em down. That's where the crackles came from - tiny bits of paper mixed in with the vinyl

[@captaincinema5066]

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 ℗ ?

[@TrillKump]

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.

[@Strange_Phenomena]

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.

[@acidphaze]

That's why DJ'S use slip mats, to prevent cue burn on the opposite side of the record. You would usually remove the rubber mat from the turntable and put a slip mat in its place. It helps to protect your records.

[@radiorob7543]

Lenny & the Sqiggtones is possibly my favorite album of all time.

[@Mr.Peetersen]

Squigaphone

[@TomTobin67]

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.

[@danielwgk]

"Thuddy" is the word of the day.

[@rocoroco15]

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.

[@spectrHz]

would casting silicone work better, or maybe resin? It would guarantee that it would come off in one piece at least.

[@spectrHz]

casting silicone is actually extremely effective at preserving small detail, down to the micron level even. Resin I'm not so sure.

[@SianaGearz]

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.

[@tkelly411]

DISCWASHER was a great product,particles of hardened food,even paint,caked dirt, a couple passes with the moistened DW wooden brush, use pointy toothpicks to run along the groove path to pry the tiny chunks loose,natch you have to follow the groove path in the spinning direction

[@MrT9822]

I find her incredibly attractive....and I'm 20 years old lol

[@MrT9822]

Holy shit I just found out she's trans!!! Hey no sweat off my back...she looks so hot

[@andboh]

Glad I watched this. I've been gently lifting my brush and getting all that static cracle, but now I'm armed with superior brush flicking technique! :D

[@MARTIN201199]

I’ve found that tip useful also.

[@PovlKvols]

Love the video, @fran, but oh goodness I'm happy to not use vinyl anymore! ;-)

[@weswemyssonbass]

I bet if you try going back to vinyl you'll be hooked very quickly.

[@HelloKittyFanMan.]

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."

[@Vinylsearch]

I have a different method of cleaning records other than the using glue but very much related. For all my thrift store records purchases I give them a deep sink cleaning which I will not go into. Once they all have been cleaned, as I play them I apply strips of packing tape to each section of the record. Like glue this pulls all the dust off and does not leave residue. After the tape has been apply I give the record a quick surface cleaning with a home made formula. The record comes out clean as a whistle. Then I take the inner sleeve of the record, turn it upside down to shake out any dust or particles then apply a light spraying of static guard inside. Take a few moments for it to dry but this prevents static inside the sleeve. If it is an inner plastic sleeve then it take long to dry. Enjoyed the video.

[@asrose7979]

Fran, you are _so_ cute! Do you like girls ? :-)

[@philthy903]

Love that you even asked. I'm here to see what a queenager can do with his original Suzi Q 45s.

[@NeilVanceNeilVance]

I wash my 12"'s in the kitchen sink running warm water over them with a very dilute washing up liquid and lint free cloth. It really works and gets all the old crap out of the grooves ... don't worry, this wont damage the labels. Thank you again Fran! U Smart Cookie!

[@victorvodka]

i was able to capture a full mp3 of your record as it rotated just by capturing images of the grooves as they spun past! the copyright lawyers ain't gonna like that!

[@Turnbull50]

Hi Fran just watched an old video of yours from a few years ago when you had jet black hair. I have been watching your videos for a few months and I am slowly going through your old video's I really enjoy your down to earth video's that we can all enjoy.

[@zepfred77]

I use a piece of painters tape to remove any left over pieces of glue and it works very well to remove any little pieces of glue that are stuck to the record.

[@steviebboy69]

The wood glue seems like a fair bit of messing around. It looks like that stuff we used in Primary School and called it PVA Glue. We would put it on our hand let it dry a bit and pull it off. Nice lot of info you have here, thanks.

[@Noactualdirection]

Great video. I think I love you. On a serious note, I too collect old vinyl and after seeing countless youtube videos on the virtues of glue decided to give it a go. It does work well, the trick to using glue is simply applying a ridiculously thick layer. To remove any small patches that will not shift (where the glue was not thick enough) simply put a very good sized 'gloop' allow to dry and hey presto. Keep up the good work, thanks.

[@deemarr9151]

Wow I have so many 45's..well bought it when I got a house with gf..I appreciate this video..yes a dj since 86..I have thousands of albums 12's that I can't part with..love your vids just came across them..and looking now 🙂

[@johnparker7784]

Watts Dustbug. They have been around since the late 1960s. Maybe before. At approx 11:55 you touched the surface of the record and broke my heart. I was raised by a man that taught me never to touch the surface of a record ( only the edges) by the age of 5. All my brothers were taught the same. Today we all still flinch unvoluntarily when we see somebody violate that rule.

[@peteb2]

With such a resurgence into vinyl and this 'fashion' of cleaning a record using this specific glue (Polyvinyl acetate (PVA)), i wonder if the makers of the stuff have noticed increased sales of it. Must be a really neat thing that as a manufacturer and you've just been cranking out the same old unchanged product for many decades then suddenly along comes a new use for it and your sales go gangbusters!

[@antigen4]

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 ...

[@ejude83]

Same!!!

[@TheTuubster]

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.

[@retro440]

Another great vid, Fran. FWIW, I don't use a 'playing' turntable for cleaning. I have a dedicated 're-purposed' low-end turntable to spin for cleaning. That eliminates the unnecessary wear and tear on the more spendy and collectible turntables.

[@Crispy_Bee]

Regarding the ribbed ring: The labels of the 45 rpm 7" records are usually raised to prevent the playing surface from touching each other. However if a record company wanted to protect the labels from the resulting wear they would produce records with that raised ribbed ring. So it's "just" a spacer.

[@Fireship1]

I've used an old school discwasher cleaner for years. It doesn't eliminate all the pops and clicks, but hey it's all part of the warm sound that records are known for.

[@mikemadden2729]

So someone else noticed the 2 different qualities of 45s! I found the brittle plastic appears to be molded (like Columbia) & the better softer vinyl appears to be stamped (like RCA). I think the brittle plastic is styrene, like cheap toys. You even demonstrated the different ring of the 2, HAHAHA!!! I noticed this when I was 10 years old in 1959!

[@treknology1068]

That "ribbing' on the edge of the label at 18:00 mins is for domestic stackers. As each disc is dropped, the ridges engage with the previous disc for rotational integrity instead of relying purely on friction.

[@RobertSmith-rp3xk]

When I had a record player when I was young and had old family records from the sixties and more current ones I had bought. I would clean them with glass cleaner and a soft cotton on cloth. And use a record brush for maintenance in between. It seemed to work really well.

[@USWaterRockets]

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.

[@sadiqmohamed681]

That was fun. Back in the day, I had a static gun, a couple of different brushes, and a sticky roller. The roller surface was on a paper backing and as it got dirty you just peeled it off to reveal a clean surface. I've not seen the type you have. That seems a much better idea. The worst problem I remember with vinyl was with various promotional ideas. I had a Curved Air LP on transparent vinyl that was unplayable because of static. The black vinyl had some carbon in it which made it slightly conducting so the static could be drawn off. The transparent vinyl had no carbon and just built up static like crazy. The same thing happened with a King Crimson LP on pink vinyl! I remember a couple of specialist record shops that had special wet cleaners. You could take your records in and pay to have them cleaned. Happy days! :)

[@craigpennington1251]

Haven't DJ'd in a long time but yes, my stuff has the Qburn noises. Also, if you have the brittle type "cheap vinyl", they'll crack apart in your car's trunk when traveling in the winter. (20 to 0 degrees F). Even when packe right. I always couldn't figure it out but now I know. Thanks Fran. The ones that weren't pressed right were the ones that broke.

[@muddysledge]

Fascinating. I never knew that annoying noise was called groove burn. So how many other people crawled right out of their skin when she raked her fingernail the negative glue grooves. haha!

[@anthonyvee]

you're a sport kid. I like that you experiment with things even though you're not sure of the outcome... of course you use things that if you damage, it's not the end of the world, which is smart...stay well.

[@Dave30867]

Wooden toothpicks work well , lightly to remove stubborn spots and if careful can remove scratch jumping . I have had success doing this with record that jumped for years and got it jump free just using the toothpick .