Care of Vinyl

[anniemouse]

Not sure if this is on the correct section but here goes. I have purchased a couple of vinyl LP's and wonder if you could advise me on the following

As I already have CD versions I will continue to play those as my record player is incredibly basic and I gather you can easily damage the vinyl so what constitutes a good record deck.

Also does leaving the record in its cellophane wrapping cause any potential problems to the vinyl/cover.

Any other tips would be gratefully received.

[Stryder1978]

Care, Handling, and Storage of Audio Visual Materials

Proper Care and Handling of Audio Visual Materials

Taking care when handling any collection item is one of the more effective, cost-efficient, and easily achieved preservation measures.

General

• Wash and thoroughly dry hands before handling A/V materials
• Store and handle materials in a clean environment
• Keep food and drink away
• Do not touch playing surface(s)
• Keep playback equipment clean and well maintained
• Allow materials from cool storage to acclimate to room temperature before playing back

Discs

• Handle grooved discs (78s, 45s, LPs, lacquer discs) by the edge and label areas only
• Handle optical discs (CDs, DVDs) by the edge and center hole only

Magnetic tape (Reel-to-Reel or Open Reel)

• Handle by the edge of the plastic or metal reel (the flanges) and center hub only
• Do not squeeze the flanges together, which will crush the tape pack in between

Magnetic tape (Cassettes, Audio and Video)

• Handle by the outer shell only
• Do not touch the spools

Cylinders

• Hold with middle and index fingers, open to a V shape, in the cylinder
• Do not touch the outer, grooved surface (the playing surface) of the cylinder
• Allow wax cylinders from cool storage to acclimate to room temperature before touching to avoid thermal shock

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Proper Storage of Audio Visual Materials

Grooved discs and cylinders, optical discs, and magnetic tape are made of modern materials that may have inherent chemical instabilities. Good storage is especially critical to the preservation of these materials.

General

• Store all formats upright: discs and reels on edge; cassettes on long edge; cylinders standing on end
• Ensure shelving is sturdy enough to support the heft and weight concentration of these materials (e.g., grooved discs average 35+ pounds per shelf-foot; all formats concentrate weight on the centerline of a shelf, which can cause some shelving to collapse)
• Store grooved discs on shelves with sturdy, immovable dividers every 4-6 inches that support the entire face of the disc in its sleeve
• Do not store grooved discs of different diameters together
• Store 10" reels in boxes with supports for the hub so that the entire weight of the reel is not on the reel edge
• Store played tapes without rewinding; rewind just before playing

Environment

• For home collections, a cool (room temperature or below), relatively dry (about 35-40% relative humidity or RH), clean, and stable environment (avoid attics, basements, and other locations with high risk of leaks and environmental extremes)
• Minimal exposure to all kinds of light; no exposure to direct or intense light
• Minimal exposure to strong magnetic fields*
• Distance from radiators and vents
• Distance from sources of vibration
• For institutional collections with materials to be preserved for a minimum of 10 years (ANSI IT9.13, 1996): 65-70° F and 45-50% RH
• For institutional collections with materials having permanent value: 46-50° F and 30-40% RH; do not store magnetic tape below 46° F

*Demagnetization is unlikely to occur in most situations, but keep magnetic tape away from the magentic fields created by motors, transformers, loudspeakers, vacuum cleaners, and television sets.

Packaging and Storage Containers

• Grooved Discs: When possible, replace record sleeves with a high density polyethylene sleeve (e.g., DiscWasher V.R.P., Mobile Fidelity Original Master Sleeve, Nagaoka No. 102 Anti-Static Record Sleeve); the Nagaoka sleeves can fit inside paper sleeves when an original paper sleeve needs to be retained
• Open Reel Tape: Store tape on reels with unslotted hubs; reels with slotted hubs may be used as take-up reels
• Optical Discs: Jewel cases are acceptable; replacement cases should also secure the disc by the center hub
• Storage boxes should be made of acid- and lignin-free paper stock; avoid storage containers that retain static charge

The Northeast Document Conservation Center  has put together very useful technical leaflets on storage enclosures for collection materials as well as a list for Conservation/Preservation Supplies and Equipment — Archival Supplies. See additional lists of preservation suppliers.

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Maintaining Playback Equipment and Cleaning Audio Visual Materials

Cleaning Playback Machines

Follow the manufacturer's instructions for keeping playback machines clean and well maintained. Professionals knowledgable about audio visual playback machines and with the proper equipment should perform more thorough maintenance and cleaning.

Cleaning Audio Visual Materials

Sound cleaning procedures for audio visual materials is different for each format. Cleaning of magnetic tape and of cylinders is a delicate undertaking and should be carried out only by a preservation specialist in these activities and is not covered here.

For cleaning grooved and optical discs (i.e., acetate, lacquer, shellac, and vinyl records; CDs; DVDs), use canned air to blow away dust. If it is necessary to use a cleaning solution, the Library of Congress may use the following Record Cleaning Solution:

1. Pour 2 mL of Tergitol™ 15-S-7 Surfactant into a 4 L container (glass, stainless steel type 304 or 316, fiberglass-reinforced polyester, polyethylene, or polypropylene) and fill with deionized water, which results in a 0.05% solution.

2. Store the solution in a non-food refrigerator.

3. Store the pure Tergitol™ in its original container (preferably under nitrogen) in a non-food refrigerator.

4. Transfer only the amount of solution immediately needed to a spray bottle for manual cleaning or to the indicated container for mechanized cleaning.

5. To clean discs by hand: Spray the solution onto the surface of the grooved or optical disc; wipe off solution and surface contaminants with a non-abrasive, lint-free lens cloth; thoroughly rinse with deionized water; dry the disc with a dry, clean, nonabrasive, lint-free lens cloth.

5. To use the solution in a mechanized cleaner: Put just enough solution into the cleaner reservoir so that fresh solution is used each day or remove the solution every day and store in a non-food refrigerator; thoroughly rinse disc with deionized water (do not allow any cleaner solution to remain on disc); dry the disc with a dry, clean, nonabrasive, lint-free lens cloth.

Caution: Only persons trained in the safe handling and disposal of chemicals and hazardous wastes should prepare and use the Record Cleaning Solution. Personal protective equipment (PPE) should be worn during the preparation and use of the cleaning solution.

Safety Data Sheets (Material Safety Data Sheets) for Tergitol™ and for the Record Cleaning Solution. Because the Record Cleaning Solution contains less than 1% of Tergitol™, it does not have to be listed on the data sheet.

[reswati]

Nothing much to add to Stryder1978's post except for two golden rules I learned the hard way:

1. Never let someone borrow one of your albums

2. Never let somene touch them (unless you know, they know how to handle them)

Great you went vinyl, enjoy the experiece!

[anniemouse]

Thank you both for your advice and insight. For as long as I can recall I never let anyone near my old vinyl even as a kid. Used to get into trouble from my mother for being selfish with stuff but even as a 7 8 year old I bought my own discs and looked after them.

I am going to see if I can get any original LZ vinyl or Plant solo stuff but that might be tricky.

[reswati]

1 hour ago, anniemouse said:

Thank you both for your advice and insight. For as long as I can recall I never let anyone near my old vinyl even as a kid. Used to get into trouble from my mother for being selfish with stuff but even as a 7 8 year old I bought my own discs and looked after them.

I am going to see if I can get any original LZ vinyl or Plant solo stuff but that might be tricky.

If you ever need one lp badly, fel free to contact me.

[Kiwi_Zep_Fan87]

I have nothing much to add to this thread (apart from what has already been said), but I think you might find this product to be pretty useful, to clean your vinyl records. 

The name of the product is Spin Clean and here is a good video from YT, where a user reviews it. Have a look:

 

 

Good luck!  

[chillumpuffer]

16 hours ago, anniemouse said:

Not sure if this is on the correct section but here goes. I have purchased a couple of vinyl LP's and wonder if you could advise me on the following

As I already have CD versions I will continue to play those as my record player is incredibly basic and I gather you can easily damage the vinyl so what constitutes a good record deck.

Also does leaving the record in its cellophane wrapping cause any potential problems to the vinyl/cover.

Any other tips would be gratefully received.

Can't go wrong with a Technics deck. There is no coincidence that DJ's use Technics.

[anniemouse]

Thank you all for the advice. Very kind of you all and much appreciated.  

[The Rover 75]

I would say humidity is the big killer for albums. If you live in a humid climate, make sure they are stored in an air-conditioned room. I had a room in the basement that was always cooler, so that worked the best for me. I've seen what happens to albums, that are stored in heat or humidity, it ain't pretty.

[kirchzep27]

I would say just play the records, hold them from the edges, wouldnt worry about dust and cleaning them.

[anniemouse]

Humidity is not going to be an issue. Always kept my vinyl away from any heating in my home. Considering the age of some of my vinyl the records are in good to great condition. The sleeves (especially the 45's) look rough after years of handling and due to both parents smoking a lot of the paper covers look discoloured. Considering they were the property of a kid I did look after them as best I could.

[Eddiel]

On 2016-03-17 at 1:33 PM, anniemouse said:

Not sure if this is on the correct section but here goes. I have purchased a couple of vinyl LP's and wonder if you could advise me on the following

As I already have CD versions I will continue to play those as my record player is incredibly basic and I gather you can easily damage the vinyl so what constitutes a good record deck.

Also does leaving the record in its cellophane wrapping cause any potential problems to the vinyl/cover.

Any other tips would be gratefully received.

The definition of a good record deck really depends on your budget.  There is a starting point e.g. don't buy Crosley's, but most basic players should be ok in terms of not damaging your lps.  It's probably best to set a budget as it'll be easier to respond with recommendations, etc.  What do you have now?

As for the shrink...yes there is a chance that over time it may result in a warped cover but it depends.  If the shrink is loose you'll probably be ok but if it's that common tight shrink wrap style it has the potential to cause problems with warping.  I'd crack open one side at the very least and you should be ok.  I'd also get a some outer sleeves to put the lp in as that will help protect the lp as well.