[net.audio] Eliminating static from records

cbf@allegra.UUCP (09/26/83)

As long as we're on the subject of record care.  Does anyone have any
suggestions as to the best method or tool which should be used in
reducing (or eliminating) static electricity from records?  I have been
using the Discwasher Zerostat gun which only works variably.  On
several of my records, it's useless.  What about record cleaning.  Is
the Discwasher D-4 indeed a good choice?

I'm ashamed to admit that, until recently, I was doing horrible things
to my records without thinking too much of it.  Shudder!

--Charles (decvax!allegra!cbf)

dmmartindale@watcgl.UUCP (Dave Martindale) (09/29/83)

I find that a conductive carbon-fibre brush (the Decca Record Brush is
one example) seems to do a good job of discharging static from records.

For routine cleaning, I use a Nagaoka Rolling cleaner.  It has a cylinder
coated with a permanently soft and slightly sticky compound which you
roll across the record.  Apparently it sort of "flows" down into the
grooves and sticks to the really fine dust in the bottom of the groove.
Looking at a record under a strong, contrasty light before and after use
confirms this.  It isn't so good at getting rid of large fluffy stuff
like hairs, but a brush (see above) handles them.  The rolling cleaner
does seem to generate static.  It will only pick up dry dirt.  If you
get a fingerprint or like gunk on your record (shame!) you'll have to
resort to something like Discwasher to get rid of it.