Dirty stylus

Posted by: Andy Moore on 14 April 2002

The tiny stylus/cantilever on my DV17D2 collects an atrocious amount of crud, especially from poorly cleaned records. I've removed most of it with the brush supplied but there is still a bit that I can't seem to get rid of.
I'm paranoid about damaging the cantilever so I don't want to brush too hard and I'm also wary of using solvents (although I have had success using DM record cleaning fluid on cotton buds with Ortofon MM cartidges).
Any suggestions??
Andy
Posted on: 14 April 2002 by Arye_Gur
I use the green paper from 3m - I guess you can get it from a Naim dealer.
If not, you can use the part of a matchbox, the same dark strip you use to lite a match by the friction.

I'm not too gentle while cleaning the stylus as I think it is more important to keep the record.

Arye

Posted on: 14 April 2002 by garyi
Arye.

Tell me more, do I just rub the stylus on this?

Won't that kind of rub it out?

Posted on: 14 April 2002 by Arye_Gur
I remember now that we had this argue in the past and I don't know if the matchboxes in Israel are the same as in your countries.

Beside the green paper I have a very dense brush.
This brush is so dense, that when you are looking at the top of it, you see a flat surface - you can't see the hairs that constructs the brush.

While cleaning, I use quite a high volume (my friends don't like the noise). When the arm is resting on its rod (with the upper lock free) I drug the brush/green paper from rare of the stylus to its front - and examine the pressure by the noise that comes from the speakers.

I press the paper/brush against the stylus in a way that causes a loud noise out of the speakers.

Arye

Posted on: 14 April 2002 by Craig B
quote:
I press the paper/brush against the stylus in a way that causes a loud noise out of the speakers

You may want to lower your volume level a bit there Arye, as one false move may thrash your IBL drivers.

Craig
who leaves his volume level on very low while gently diddling his stylus from back to front with a sleek black Japanese vibrator...[click]...hmmmmmmmmmm...

Posted on: 14 April 2002 by J.N.
A vibrating type cleaner with a drop of stylus cleaning fluid ought to do the job in about 30 seconds.

How much use has it had?

As stylii age and wear, they drop further into the groove and pick up more crud. Increased cleaning is normally a sign that a stylus is on its last legs.

Posted on: 14 April 2002 by Arye_Gur
Using fluid makes the dirt beeing like a mud and
makes the cleaning job tougher.

Arye

Posted on: 15 April 2002 by Steve B
I was advised not to use the fluid with this device as it might flow (by capillary action) up the cantilever and damage the cart's suspension.

I'm not sure if this would apply to the 17D2 with its solid cantilever.

Steve B

Posted on: 15 April 2002 by Simon Jenkins
I use the Audio Techninca vibrating cleaner on my 17d2 and it works fine. I use it dry, ran out of fluid years ago and found that as long as used regularily it seems to work just as well dry.

Simon

Posted on: 15 April 2002 by dave simpson
I'm with Arye and others on ditching the fluid. It wicks up the hollow aluminum cantilevers (used on most cartridges) and can gum up the "works". Several minutes every few days with a dry vibrating cleaner should shake off any crud on the cantilever improving it's responsiveness to groove modulations while daily use of The Green Stuff will clean the diamond. I've always heard not to use the vibrating cleaners with gemstone cantilevers. Experts claim these cantilevers are so brittle the vibrating cleaners may shatter them. For me it wouldn't be worth the risk.

regards,

dave

Posted on: 15 April 2002 by Craig B
Dave,

I wonder what the 'experts' would say about actually dragging a gemstone cantilever around a modulated record groove?

Outside of placing any untoward force during cleaning, record replay must surely impart much greater resonant force into the cantilever than any single AAA cell powered vibrating device.

I sold a few DV Carats when they frist came out in the early '80's. ISTR that the early cantilevers were prone to breaking off at the point of attachment to the cartridge body, possibly due in part to their inability to flex along their length and therefore absorb a portion of any untoward impact. I recall that DV quickly rectified this by improving the suspension and/or method of attachment.

It may be a moot point in Andy's case as the AT-637 hasn't been available for ages. Are there any others currently on the market?

I have found that the manual Discwasher SC-2 brush works very well if used dry prior to each record side. Has a handy convex mirror on the flip side for checking that your stylus is still present and accounted for after use during parties.

I strongly agree with you about not using the cleaning fluids. IME some of the adhesives used to bond styli to cantilevers can be rapidly broken down with repeated use leading to inexplicable styli loss during normal play. The capillary action affecting the rubber suspension of hollow tubed models makes sense too. Why bother with fluid when regular dry scrubbing does the job?

Craig
Satiated AT-637 user for over 15 years

[This message was edited by Craig Best on MONDAY 15 April 2002 at 18:46.]

Posted on: 15 April 2002 by Ken Lyon
quote:
Originally posted by Andy Moore:
The tiny stylus/cantilever on my DV17D2 collects an atrocious amount of crud, especially from poorly cleaned records. Andy

Hi Andy,

Double check your VTA setting.The abnormally high amount of dustbunny collecting sounds like your SRA is a bit on the steep side.Your Dyna Karat 17D2 should be set with the armtube in a slight taildragging posture.

Posted on: 16 April 2002 by dave simpson
"I wonder what the 'experts' would say about actually dragging a gemstone cantilever around a modulated record groove?"

Doesn't make sense does it. The experts in this case were Linn itself. Maybe they had a secret agenda involving Audio-Technica ;-)

More head-scratching to me is Glasgow's recommendation to use diamond polishing paper to clean the stylus. Though 'scoping various Asaks,Ts,K9s,Karma,Troikas, etc. never showed a problem with unusual wear ... I still wondered about the logic.

go figure....

dave

Posted on: 16 April 2002 by Dev B
That means no green paper, no AT electronic vibbro massage, etc.

The key issues are whether the tip has been glued or pressure fit into the cantilever, the material and type of cantilever (hollow, aluminium, boron), and the length of the cantilever.

I use a fine squirrel hair brush to get rid of excessive fluff and then occasionally a slight dab of isopropanyl alcohol to get rid of the gunk around the tip. I have a ancient university microscope to check condition.

Remember the shape of the tip affects the sound so sanding it down ain't always a briliant move.

regards

Dev

Posted on: 16 April 2002 by dave simpson
Dev,

Agreed with all you've said except how do you get rid of the crap "welded" on to the tip at high temperatures (if you believe Linn's claim of course)?

regards,

dave

Posted on: 16 April 2002 by jcc
I remember being told initially, by my trusty dealer, to use a short piece and apply enough pressure to deflect the cantilever. (3-4 times per album)

Fortunately I learned better fairlysoon after. After the Trak went away, that is.

No wonder said dealer sold so many Linn carts.;)

cheers
jim

Posted on: 16 April 2002 by dave simpson
"Fortunately I learned better fairlysoon after. After the Trak went away, that is."

Just wait 'til that cat of yours discovers how to open a CDX!!!

(ducking)

dave

Posted on: 16 April 2002 by jcc
quote:
Just wait 'til that cat of yours discovers how to open a CDX!!!

LOL!!

yea old cdx is on the bottom shelf of the BASE.
the cat thinks that since i'm kneeling down, its 'petting time'. she got the hint, finally.;)

still chucklin'
jim

Posted on: 16 April 2002 by dave simpson
she got the hint, finally.;)


Alright! (I was going to tell you about a fantastic BBQ sauce from a local outfit. The stuff's called "Carolina Bone Suckin' Sauce". Good on everything we've smothered though I've not tried it on cat wink


dave

Posted on: 16 April 2002 by jcc
I'll be sure to get some. cause if she.......

Is it available in the local grocery?

cheers
jim

Posted on: 16 April 2002 by dave simpson
Is it available in the local grocery?

Yep. Think we first found it at Fresh Market and our local Harris-Teeter (not one of the superstores) just started stocking it. I might have gotten some at the Dean and Delucas in Char. one time several years ago.

I'm probably the only guy born in dixie that ain't keen on BBQ to begin with (it's those Kraft-type BBQ sauces everybody uses)... this stuff is different yet still Lexington-style.

Posted on: 16 April 2002 by jcc
quote:
this stuff is different yet still Lexington-style.

that's all i needed to hear.

'Lexington-style cat'.... I wonder how that would go over on ol' I85?

thanks
jim

Posted on: 16 April 2002 by dave simpson
'Lexington-style cat'.... I wonder how that would go over on ol' I85?

Mis-read that. gotcha now. *Still enough body in CBSS to hide the cat!

*hey...I'll catch on...lemme get my calculator wink

[This message was edited by dave simpson on WEDNESDAY 17 April 2002 at 04:25.]

Posted on: 16 April 2002 by jcc
I'm afraid to ask....?
Posted on: 17 April 2002 by Dev B
quote:
how do you get rid of the crap "welded" on to the tip at high temperatures

High performance compound, not unlike Blu-tack.

regards

Dev

ps. how are the Fraims?

Posted on: 17 April 2002 by garyi
As usual a hundred different opinions and no satisfactory conclusion.

How does one clean a stylus safely?

Where can I get one of those stylus brushes, I am sure I used to have one but its gone.

Are they resonably priced or are they like 30 quid or something stupid.

What are these vibrators you speak of, and are they expensive too?