Our DIY Ultrasonic Record Cleaner

[Owen Y 731]

A bit of overtime in the engineering shop  & the injection moulding is done - drive couplers moulded in ABS plastic (below).

 

The trial rivnuts in the metalwork were a bit tight fit on the tank, so the remainder will be installed a touch shorter.

 

Everything is to hand now, we'll be ready to ship next week.

 

Cheers, Owen

http://darklanternforowen.wordpress.com/

[PixelPlay 102]

Looking good Owen!

[Citroen 5,648]

I've been watching the various DIY Ultrasonic cleaners for the past few years or so with great interest.

 

Almost got one bought over from USA, but even with free transport cost (via a US visiting relative) the lp holder/spinner still seemed too expensive.

 

Owen's version is much more affordable!

 

It is designed for one model of US cleaner, and one model of lp rotater only. However, these two are very commonly available worldwide.

 

It also packs up to a small footprint when you've finished cleaning.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Citroen 5,648]

@Owen Y Just an after thought, with 4 lps its a bit of a tight fit getting them in, as you do need to angle the spindle (and hence the stack of lps) to get the drive coupler in position.

 

If it was a vertical drop in place, it would be much easier with 4 lps and possibly even with 5, given the spacer widths.

 

Cleaning should be uniform as the gap between the records is the same, just more lps being cleaned at once, cf narrower spacers, which could possibly reduce cleaning ability.

 

If the support had a cut out, then vertically dropping the stack of lps in place would be easier. Not sure about the structural integrity but should be oK given the bottom is still in tact. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[andyr 3,938]

On 31/03/2017 at 8:36 PM, ABG said:

 

My experience is that all of them are improved by cleaning in an US cleaner.  The results are significantly improved (and often drastically improved) by running the still wet records fresh out of an US cleaner through a vacuum type RCM.  I tried letting records air dry when I first got my US cleaner - let's face it, it's less work - but now I run them all through my Record Doctor V after a bath.  I reckon the US cleaner loosens the crud, the RCM sucks it away from the grooves.  See if you can borrow one to try for yourself.  I reckon you'll be pleasantly surprised.

 

 

Hi Andrew,

 

Re. vacuum dry vs. air dry ... and the (good) effect of using a 1-micron filter:

• this long weekend, I finally got my 1 micron filter working (with a 12v DC pump), with my Sonix IV US tank.
• first, I listened to an LP which had been cleaned using the (previous) aquarium filter ... but not vacuumed dry.
• then I re-cleaned it with the 1-micron filter in circuit ... then blow-dried it.
• result - quieter! 
• I then re-washed it in the US tank for a couple of minutes - and then used my NG to vacuum it dry.
• result - no quieter! 

So AFAIAC, using the 1-micron filter takes out all the crap which was in suspension in the water - which was previously resting in the bottom of the grooves with the liquid ... so was still there when the liquid dried (unless I vacuumed it out) and which caused the LP to be noisy.

 

Removing this crap in suspension results in a quiet record - so the 1-micron filter is doing a much better job than the aquarium filter.  So I no longer need to vacuum dry each side. 

 

So my US cleaning setup consists of the following:

• 10l Sonix IV tank (60Khz) - this is wide enough to take 6x LPs at a time, with 25mm spacers in between each LP.  This has a heater and a drain spigot.
• 5" high filter housing:  https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01CFOFW4C/ref=od_aui_detailpages00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
• this uses these filter cartridges:  https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00D049XFQ/ref=od_aui_detailpages01?ie=UTF8&psc=1
• and driven by this pump (for which you need to buy a 12v plug-pack from Jaycar or similar):  https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01DWCPFUC/ref=od_aui_detailpages01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

Unfortunately, I sourced these from Amazon - which I hate with a passion, as they don't offer any way of getting in touch with them to ask questions - but I know you can search eBay for the same pump.

 

Plus the following items from www.ultrasonic records.com:

• 2 spindles with spacers (to take 6 LPs) and a gear wheel.  One spacer for the LPs in the US tank, the 2nd for LPs which are being blow-dried.
• a frame with a slow-rotation motor, to hold the spindle at just the right height above the US tank.
• a "Blower Cube" - a box with a powerful fan (and a lid) to blow-dry the LPs.  Unfortunately, this is not 100% effective, as supplied - I had to fit a slow-rev motor to turn the LPs in the airstream ... and I think it would be good to rig up some ceramic resistors in the base of the Cube, to provide a warming effect on the airstream.

 

So it's not a budget setup - but I believe it cleans just as well - if not better than - the commercial "all-in-one" units and I get to clean 6 LPs at a time. 

 

And my liquid mixture is: 7.8l of distilled water / 400ml of 99% IPA / 8ml of Ilfotrol.

 

Andy

 

Edited April 25, 2017 by andyr

[Owen Y 731]

2 hours ago, Citroen said:

@Owen Y Just an after thought, with 4 lps its a bit of a tight fit getting them in, as you do need to angle the spindle (and hence the stack of lps) to get the drive coupler in position.

 

If it was a vertical drop in place, it would be much easier with 4 lps and possibly even with 5, given the spacer widths.

 

Cleaning should be uniform as the gap between the records is the same, just more lps being cleaned at once, cf narrower spacers, which could possibly reduce cleaning ability.

 

If the support had a cut out, then vertically dropping the stack of lps in place would be easier. Not sure about the structural integrity but should be oK given the bottom is still in tact. 

 

Thanks @Citroen - good feedback, will think on that one.

 

My initial thoughts:

- the square drive spigot is around 13mm long, inserted inside the mtr drive hole.

- plus the stainless plate is around 9mm clear outside the motor drive.

- so you need to slide the shaft horizontally out of the motor drive at least 22mm before it clears the plate & can be lifted vertically out.

 

Thus, as long as the outer record is at least 22mm inside the outer tank wall, a 4-record stack should be able to be placed & removable as above.

Does that sound workable?

 

Cheers, Owen

http://darklanternforowen.wordpress.com/

[Owen Y 731]

On further consideration:

- a 4-record stack with 3 spacers, should be no more than around 83mm wide.

- the tank down at record depth, should be around 130 - 135mm wide.

- so there should be around 24mm clearance each side (this can of course also be varied ea side using the clamp knobs).

 

So, there should be adequate clearance to slide & lift vertically out without problems.

 

The other strategy, as mentioned, is to mount the motor hard against the plate without the plastic spacers (the spacers can go on the plate outer & the tank lid should just fit under) - this way, horiz clearance needed is reduced from 22mm to 13mm.

(Or use shorter screws, omit the spacers.)

 

Cheers, Owen

http://darklanternforowen.wordpress.com/

Edited April 25, 2017 by Owen Y

[Citroen 5,648]

The tank is curved at the corners, so the outer lps need to be a few centimeters in from either long edge.

Otherwise they hit the tank.

 

I'll try omitting or moving the spacers. Or just do three at a time 

[Citroen 5,648]

4 hours ago, andyr said:

 

Hi Andrew,

 

Re. vacuum dry vs. air dry ... and the (good) effect of using a 1-micron filter:

• this long weekend, I finally got my 1 micron filter working (with a 12v DC pump), with my Sonix IV US tank.
• first, I listened to an LP which had been cleaned using the (previous) aquarium filter ... but not vacuumed dry.
• then I re-cleaned it with the 1-micron filter in circuit ... then blow-dried it.
• result - quieter! 
• I then re-washed it in the US tank for a couple of minutes - and then used my NG to vacuum it dry.
• result - no quieter! 

So AFAIAC, using the 1-micron filter takes out all the crap which was in suspension in the water - which was previously resting in the bottom of the grooves with the liquid ... so was still there when the liquid dried (unless I vacuumed it out) and which caused the LP to be noisy.

 

 

Andy,

Your conclusion may well be correct.

 

Or the second reclean may just have removed all the remaining dirt from the grooves, so if you had done a second aquarium filter clean you also could have gotten it to sound quieter.

A rewash (3rd time cleaning) may also have resulted in no quieter with aquarium filter, as its already as clean as its going to get. 

Edited April 25, 2017 by Citroen

[Owen Y 731]

8 hours ago, Citroen said:

The tank is curved at the corners, so the outer lps need to be a few centimeters in from either long edge.

Otherwise they hit the tank.

 

Hi @Citroen - yes the tank has curved  bott corners & also tapered sides, however, I have taken these into account.

A 4-record stack should work fine - just slide shaft sideways first out of the motor & then lift vertically - see below.

 

Additionally, you can simply offset the records on the shaft slightly towards the motor, by adjusting the clamp knobs.

 

Cheers, Owen

http://darklanternforowen.wordpress.com/

 

Edited April 25, 2017 by Owen Y