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Record collection ongoing maintenance

I need to do this. We had a brief visit from the in-laws today so flat tidying required quickly shoving about 3ft of LPs from the living room floor to the floor in the spare room - next to the existing piles on the floor. I'm basically out of space..

Oh I know that feeling...

Around 8 years ago, I finally created my music 'man cave' and for the first time, got all my albums, CDs, tapes, etc. in the one room, within decent storage units. I left 'slack', knowing that it would take years to fill, and there might be an element of 'one in, one out'.

I really haven't tried hard enough and must have another clear out soon, as the next step is to go 'higher' with the storage units, which I really don't want to do.
 
Does anyone have recommendations for a carbon fibre brush please. Project? Audio Technica? Any old thing off ebay?
 
I’m a long-term fan of the Hunt EDA Mk6 carbon brush, I’ve had one pretty much forever so it may be familiarity as much as anything, but once you master the technique they do actually remove dust rather than just aligning it neatly in a straight line. Disappointingly the currently available Chinese made ones sold under a variety of brands are not as good as the UK originals (they are different in several ways), but still pretty decent and I’d recommend them at the price. A Spincare-branded one on Amazon here. It will be a very nice brush for the cash.
 
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I’m a long-term fan of the Hunt EDA Mk6 carbon brush, I’ve had one pretty much forever so it may be familiarity as much as anything, but once you master the technique they do actually remove dust rather than just aligning it neatly in a straight line. Disappointingly the currently available Chinese made ones sold under a variety of brands are not as good as the UK originals (they are different in several ways), but still pretty decent and I’d recommend them at the price. A Spincare-branded one on Amazon here. It will be a very nice brush for the cash.

Would you buy a used Hunt brush Tony or do they start to wear out?
 
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Would you buy a used Hunt brush Tony or do they start to wear out?

Depends how they’ve been cared for, but yes, and I have done! I bought an allegedly NOS one a few years ago to replace my rather tired ‘80s one after being rather disappointed with a current Chinese one. As long as an old one is clear, in good condition and has never been used damp it should be fine. They are well made things.

Geek mode: here are the differences (from another thread somewhere):

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The 1980s UK made one is the larger one on the left. The key thing to note is how the carbon bristles are longer and raise the felt pad upwards. This is critical as to how the thing is intended to work. Basically the felt pad should never touch the record, only the carbon brushes. The technique is once you have the dust collected kind of flick the brush and it lifts and sticks to the pad, I assume making use of static charge. The pad is purely a dust collector. It takes a bit of practice, but it does work. The Chinese made one will still do this to some degree, but it is way less effective.
 
Those Hunt brushes look great. I've been using one of the generic carbon fibre brushes for yonks (labelled 'Excel Sound') that looks like the current Pro-ject 'Brush It'. It does the job but the metal edges are alarmingly sharp and an accident waiting to happen - it would be quite easy to drag the sharp edge against the spinning vinyl!
 
The HUnt brushes probably vary quite a bit. I had one amd it did not last long before being binned.

Current brush - Dynavox CARBON-ANTISTATIK-B RSTE: Amazon.co.uk: Electronics (a lot more ££ than when I bought the one here), and it is OK after 18 months use. The very first one that I bought, lasted over 10 years, maybe nearer 20. It is a lottery - I have binned a couple after weeks rather than months.

Those Hunt brushes look great. I've been using one of the generic carbon fibre brushes for yonks (labelled 'Excel Sound') that looks like the current Pro-ject 'Brush It'. It does the job but the metal edges are alarmingly sharp and an accident waiting to happen - it would be quite easy to drag the sharp edge against the spinning vinyl!

That sounds like my first one - Excel Sound - I wrapped the ends of the aluminium profile with thin strips of gaffer tape....
 
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....Basically the felt pad should never touch the record, only the carbon brushes. The technique is once you have the dust collected kind of flick the brush and it lifts and sticks to the pad, I assume making use of static charge. The pad is purely a dust collector. It takes a bit of practice, but it does work. The Chinese made one will still do this to some degree, but it is way less effective.

This is interesting to me. I've owned two made in UK ones (one is a Hunt EDA and the other a Hunt Mk6 with Ixos co-branding) for over 20 years. I always thought the way you use them is to rotate the brush along the axis of the handle such that the 1st set of brushes contacts the record, then the felt surface and finally the 2nd set of brushes to pick up the remaining dust.
 
Unless the felt is PVC (unlikely), touching it onto the record, will generate static.
Carbon bristles/fibres are essentially conductors, so disipate static to ground via the user - be careful to hold the aluminium bit and try to avoid rubber-soled slippers.... :)
 
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Another brush that isn’t terrible and I’d likely use more if I wasn’t so used to the Hunt EDA Mk 6 is the 1970s Discwasher with the big heavy wooden handle. Theoretically it’s just a felt pad, but it is a little more clever than that in that the bristles of the felt are angled in one direction so it does scoop dust up fairly effectively. I’ve only tried it dry, though amazingly it does still have a full bottle of its fluid in the handle.

PS Do bare in mind any brush recommendation from me is purely for the lightest surface dust on an already clean record. I’d not actually try cleaning a dirty record with any of these, you need a proper wet vac RCM for that. No substitutes IMHO.
 
I’d not actually try cleaning a dirty record with any of these, you need a proper wet vac RCM for that. No substitutes IMHO.

Yes absolutely understood, that was where I was coming from. I have a Project RCM here. Back in the 80s I used to have one of those yellow Nagaoka yellow 'rubber' rollers - I liked that. Are they still a thing?

Beautiful deck btw!
 
PS Do bare in mind any brush recommendation from me is purely for the lightest surface dust on an already clean record. I’d not actually try cleaning a dirty record with any of these, you need a proper wet vac RCM for that. No substitutes IMHO.

More than absolutely so - a carbon brush absolutely cannot clean or compensate for a record that isn't actually clean. Carbon brushes just help to keep records clean, along with record sleeves and whatever works for you to keep the stylus clean.
 
Yes absolutely understood, that was where I was coming from. I have a Project RCM here. Back in the 80s I used to have one of those yellow Nagaoka yellow 'rubber' rollers - I liked that. Are they still a thing?

They are indeed. Though surprisingly pricey now! I bought one in Japan years ago for £15 or something but never really got on with it and sold it on.
 
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I sorted all my vinyl when I catalogued it on Discogs a couple of years ago. A mammoth task but worth doing and now ongoing maintenance is a doddle.
Did this too, in lockdown ... 500 and counting, mega task but can't stop checking collection value at £7k mid but 95% are mint minus.
 
The Spincare ones I have (Amazon) are nearer to MoFi style, they seem very good and appear identical to the ones used on the Acoustic Sounds Impulse reissues amongst other titles. I’d assume their Nag clones were fine, likely identical to the ones supplied with most Japanese pressings. I’ll likely land a pack at some point.
 
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