Record cleaning machines

In addition to the excellent results of cleaning vinyl, one doesn’t need to wear ear defenders while using a Keith Monks machine.

I’m quite happily to listen along to music while i clean :laughing: :notes:

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Reasonably straight forward to get to the internals. The MKIIs are the easiest as the top just lifts up, and a stick holds it open.
The illustrated Parts Guide available at http://keith-monks.com/spare-parts/ helped, as I was able to match up the bits.

Then to replace tubing, just do one section at a time.

There is a Spare ‘refurb’ pack they do, plus the ‘BreaktheMold’ cleaner fro the deep soak clean (& very dirty records from the Vinyl Fairs, which become popular again).

I have the instructions & service manual if you wish.
And happy to support your clean/refurb project.

(this is the 2nd Keith Monks machine I have done, the former being when I was in the UK before I relocated 20 years ago)

Same here… :grinning:

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You make a good point as a wet vac RCM is not that quiet! I do tend to listen to vinyl when in the midst of a cleaning session and often raise the tonearm when at the vacuum stage, then drop the cart back down after hoovering :crazy_face: :musical_note:

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Thanks Simon :slight_smile:

Assuming the results are comparative to the vacuum machines?

Yes, assuming you use a fresh pair of ‘velvet lips’ for each side! :stuck_out_tongue_closed_eyes:

Always!

The Keith Monks RCM is also a vacuum machine :+1:

In ‘DRY’ mode the tread is simitainiously pulled though the nozzle as it hoovers up the liquid, so there is never a dirty bit of thread in contact with the record.

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I have never seen one of those KM machines in action :upside_down_face:

Interesting that the long ‘splatter droplets’ look like they are all of even size / distance from the platter!

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Thanks Simon.

I may call on your advice if I ever pluck up the courage to have a go at servicing the beast.

Sure, it’s all relatively straight forward, and just 3 sets of tubing.
Cleaning fluid to the brush assembly
Vaccum’ed fluid to the waste jar, which go onto the vacuum pump, but this last stage shouldn’t get wet, as they just establish the vacuum between the waste jar and the nozzle.
As long as the liquid in the waste jar never getting up up to the top, the vacuum pump is just sucking air, and the waste fluid stays this jar.

Worst case, it continues not to vacuum the fluid from the surface and you have to send to Keith Monks for a service.

Hi @YetiZone

I haven’t graduated to RCM’s but use spin clean which is basic and serves me well.

I clean about 35 to 40 records in 1 sitting and each record takes 3 to 4 mins from removing the record from cover to spin clean to placing it back.

So I cannot answer on the RCM part of it…

Best wishes

I use an Okki Nokki. I considered the central clamp vs fill width platter issue before buying and went with the latter.

The Okki Nokki gives excellent cleaning results, any worries about dirt on the platter having an impact on an already cleaned side don’t seem to bite for me.

However, my Okki Nokki is noisy and enjoying music while cleaning records is not really possible. Maybe more recent models have fixed this problem, I’m not sure. I’m sure that more expensive cleaners from other manufacturers would be quieter. It depends how much you are prepared to spend a how many records you will be cleaning. I’m happy with my choice. If I had to buy another record cleaner then I’d be happy with another Okki Nokki.

I do actually have an Okki Nokki and think its very good indeed, but am intrigued by the Spin Clean system I must admit, as from what I’ve read it looks like an effective solution.

There was new Okki Nokki announced, but understandably, no more news has broken since the covid-19 outbreak. From the images online, it looks like they now have a full label size label clamp to help prevent liquid splashes, and also has a heavier duty vacuum arm too. Looks promising. Fingers crossed they are ok as a company and are able to go ahead with the launch.

Thanks. I think that my machine is two versions old. The current Okki Nokki machine has plastic vacuum tubes* whereas mine has aluminium vacuum tubes. Their website also boasts of the current machine “Added soundproofing - the quietest of all comparable machines in its class”, which does not quite match my own experience. Great little machine regardless of how much noise it makes.

  • That’s what they call the tube that sucks the cleaning fluid off the record. A tad confusing in Hi-Fi circles.

It’s not effective. Your Okki Nokki (or any vacuum-based machine) will do the job way better than the Spin Clean.

It’s also the reason I prefer vacuum-based machines to ultrasonic ones, until someone comes up with one that actually removes the dirty water from the record at the end (vs. drying it on the record).

I have not used mine yet, just got it unboxed, but it should do the job I think.

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I also made my own vacuum system for drying the records, I cut a piece of plastic pipe, added a slot to it, but still need to glue the felt on it. The open end will attach to my vacuum cleaner.

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I still use this, but not as conscientiously as I should

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