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Green Sandpaper Stylus Cleaner - Where in US?
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Member |
I have been looking for that green sandpaper like stylus cleaner paper here in the US - I can't find it anywhere. Any ideas?
I thought Linn made the stuff - does anyone know who makes it? Is it readily available in the UK - if so, can I order it from somewhere? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks! Steven |
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Member |
Hi,
The green sand paper is Lapping Film used for polishing fibre optic connectors if you search the internet you should find some, but I thought it went out of favour, it seems strange that a cartridge manufacture would recommend sanding your stylus although it might let them sell more cartridges to replace the ones worn down to the cantilever. ;-). pete |
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Member |
This information was very useful - I did some additional research.
There are many grades of lapping film - do you know or can you find out exactly what grade the green film is? Steven |
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Member |
Hi,
I did a Fibre Optic termination course years ago and from what I can remember (I haven't done any since) they all are different colours to denote the grade, so you might be able to ask for green and they should know what grade that is.
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Senior Member |
I don't remember the model number but it is made by 3M. When I tried to order it from my local hardware store I found it was over one-hundred dollars for a 4X8-foot sheet. If you (and others) want to go in on a sheet, let me know.
Ron The Mon |
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Senior Member |
Jeb ,
You can use the part that you fire a match on a matches box. Cut out the strip of the box and it does exectly the same work as the green paper (only it is brown or black ....) . Arie |
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Senior Member |
Arie,
Please edit your above message to read match-"books" and not match-"boxes". You can rip a stylus out of its cantilever with the coarser "sandpaper" on boxes. Thanks, |
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Senior Member |
Ron,
Why "book" ? you cut out of a "matchbox" the strip that used to fire the match, and you have a narrow 4 c"m long paper that does the same as the green one. Arie |
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Senior Member |
It's 600 grit diamond lapping paper sourced from 3M.
Ron is also correct about matchbook sandpaper vs. matchbox sandpaper. Much to coarse. Matchbook sandpaper is safe provided it's clean (never used to "strike" a match) and the cover's staple has been removed. FWIW, many years ago Linn released (as a promo item) books of matches done up with the company logo and corporate colors (orange and white) with the phrase "Linn Stylus Cleaner" on the cover. Contact your Linn dealer/distributer for the "green stuff". regards, dave |
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Senior Member |
Maybe the matchboxes are different in Israel
David |
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Senior Member |
Maybe the matchboxes are different in Israel.
David |
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Senior Member |
quote: I don't know what is a "matchbook" and I looked at the dictionary and the two words, matchbox and matchbook have the same translation, so i guess Ron is right with his correction to my post. Anyway, using the strip of a matchbook is cheap and available and does a great job. Years ago there was a mechanical rotating needle Arie |
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Senior Member |
Do a search on me, I've written about this recently. Others incl John Watson of Mana also share tis opinion.
Just use a fine squirrel hair brush to remove the dust and keep your records clean. |
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Senior Member |
Arie,
+ quote: Unfortunately Audio Technica stopped manufacturing the AT637 vibrating stylus cleaner years ago (it was a vibrating cleaner, with a densely packed, short 'brush'). I'm fortunate enough to still have one, but if anyone found small supply of these I'm sure they would sell like hot cakes on the forum! Goldring also made a similar unit, but I found it to be far less effective, as the brush bristles were too soft. Andrew L. Weekes |
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Senior Member |
Dev,
I did read your post concerning cleaning styli. Unfortunately I disagree with you. Before I tell you why, I notice on this forum that no matter what, it seems impossible to convince record washers not to clean records and even harder to change peoples preferred needle cleaning method. With that in mind I don't expect you to agree with me, but here are some facts: Check with your Linn dealer and ask if he'll warranty your Arkiv (or other Linn cartridge) for failing prematurly because of fluid being wicked up the cantelever and gumming the insides of the generator assembly. Mine won't!! Check the current thread on the raves of extended lifespan on the Troika. Your Troika didn't last because of not using green stuff but because it is(was) a kick-ass robust cartridge! I used a Troika for FOUR YEARS cleaning it daily with the green stuff!! The only reason I traded it in was Linn were about to change their re-tip credit policy and it was a good deal and the right time. When my dealer inspected it under the 'scope it looked great and it still sounded great. I have yet to ruin a single record or cartridge and I've been using the green stuff for almost twenty years. I use the green stuff once per listening session and use a Discwasher brush after each side of a record as well as a Goldring Electronic Stylus Cleaner once or twice a month. And, like you I do the occasional vacuuming. I've let my son use my LP-12 since he was two years old and he's yet to destroy a cartridge either (though he has scratched many records) so I think not dropping the tone-arm is also overrated. Years back Roy Gandy did actual long-term research on record and stylus cleaning. If I (or anyone else) find it, I'll post it. BTW, I've been to many hi-fi seminars over the years and found the way Linn personnel (and Roy Gandy) clean styli is with their fingertips!!! Ron The Mon |
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Senior Member |
Ron,
some records I've had sound dreadful before they're washed and pretty good after I've washed them. Simply playing them and brushing the needle makes no difference to this kind of dirt at all. So I'd like to see the Ron Gandy article if you can find it. All the best |
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Senior Member |
Ron,
quote: There are many ways to skin a cat, but there is no denying the cat must be skinned. For years, decades even, despite the most fastidious record handling routines I had to put up with the odd pops and clicks with LP replay. The notion that tracking a stylus through LP microgrooves actually cleans it doesn't add up in my experience. As a result, I have hundreds of LPs that I subconsciously don't play because of the surface noise, preferring the quietness of new vinyl or CDs. Then I heard about vacuum cleaners and after much deliberation, took the plunge and bought one sight unseen. It turned out to be the best USD450 I'd ever spent. The difference between a (microscopically) contaminated record and a clean one is positively staggering. It's not just the reduction of surface noise either. Everything sounds cleaner and more articulate. I'm now going through the process of cleaning ALL my records, and listening to them again with renewed interest. It's almost as if I've doubled the size of my collection in one fell swoop. If there are any doubters of vacuum record cleaning practices, try one for yourself and see if you can continue dry brushing and letting your stylus do the cleaning for long. James Resistance is Futile |
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Senior Member |
David and James,
It is obvious that a stylus cleans a record. How else can you explain the dustball on the end of a diamond after playing a disc? And the higher quality of diamond and cartridge, the more dust it picks-up. Compare what a Stanton picks-up to an Arkiv. Now to the test: Do not take my word for it, do this A-B comparison yourself or you won't sleep at night. First find a woman to listen with you. They tend to listen with their ears and not their eyes or engineering degree. Second, check the humidity of your listening room as record cleaners reduce static in records in dry environments. Most homes nowadays, especially fuel efficient ones, have too low a level of humidity. Use a gauge to check this as it is the only accurate way. If your humidity is off, you will skew the demo. Third, buy several copies of the EXACT SAME record. Fourth, play records in a blind A-B until you are sure you have two that sound identical. Fifth, have the person doing the A-B go to another room to clean one record. This is important as the loud noise of some cleaners causes the listeners "noise floor" to be effected. Get the demoer to do this as quickly as possible so your memory of the music is intact. Sixth, have both records again blindly A-Bed. I have done this demo for friends (and customers while a hi-fi salesman) and not once did anyone find a record cleaner improved the quality of music. Also have your dealer periodically inspect your stylus. People who brought their tables into my shop and had diamonds that looked like Mount Kilimanjaro under the microscope always were ones who applied fluid to their needles or records. And BTW the only way to get this grunge off the stylus tip is guess what? Yep, use the green stuff under the microscope to polish it off! Ron The Mon |
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Senior Member |
Ron,
quote: Are you talking about wussy Discwashers and other similar record brushes or a heman's record cleaner like the VPI? Joe |
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Senior Member |
Thought I would throw in my two cents regarding the green paper. I used it for 16 years on a Karma, 2 Troika's and 2 Klydes. Each cartridge was cleaned after each side with the green paper and each cartridge lasted 3+ years with over 3,000 hours of use.
My last go round I had my Klyde re-built by Expert Stylus. They clean up the cartridge and replaced the diamond with a new one. I believe they use glue to attach the new diamond and recommend not using the green paper. They believe it loosens up the bond of the glue, causes premature wear to the diamond and suspension of the cartridge. Instead they supplied me with a compound about the size of a eraser to clean the diamond. What you do is allow the diamond to penetrate the compound for a few seconds about every three sides of play. I agree with Ron that the Linn cartridges are robust. I've never used a cueing device and they have held up well even after a few bad miscues.. :-O Cheers, |
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Green Sandpaper Stylus Cleaner - Where in US?
