Found This Article About Cleaning Old 78's

[Guest soul_hull]

thought it might be of interest to some as it contain's non-acetone methods of cleaning those grooves...

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The following cleaning procedure comes from The Gramophone Handbook by Percy Wilson (1957).- Make a mixture of 2 parts white vinegar and 1 part light machine oil such as 3-in-1.

- Shake mixture to an emulsion.

- Pour about 10 ml in a ring around the playing surface and work it into the grooves until no liquid remains on the surface. Use a piece of lint free cloth for this.

- Leave for one hour at least.

- Using washing up liquid, make a firm lather and wash the disc thoroughly with it.

- Rinse thoroughly with clean tepid water. Try not to soak the label.

- If necessary, wash and rinse again until all traces of residue are removed.

- Blot dry with clean cloth or kitchen towel.

- Put into record rack or prop vertically for at least 24 hours before playing. It takes this time for the shellac to harden again after being wet.

- Record may need playing with an old stylus, brushing off the muck collected from the grooves, before completely clean.

This method may be prevent the formation of oily deposits in the grooves.

- Half fill a sink with tepid water

- Have ready a new 1" paint brush

- Hold the 78 in one hand, thumb on top

- Take your kitchen dishwashing liquid detergent (Fairy, Dawn whatever)

- Squirt a circle around the record grooves (avoid the label)

- Dip the paint brush in the water, then 'paint' round and around in the direction of the grooves with the detergent, work up a lather. This should clean up the grooves.

- Run cool water from the tap over the grooves and use the paint brush to rinse the lather off. Try to avoid the label unless it is dirty. Don't use hot water.

- Repeat on the other side

- Dab with a soft tissue to get drops of water off

- The 78 should be leaned up against a wall or in a rack to dry before putting back in a sleeve (check the sleeve is clean inside).

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more at link....

[Guest soul_hull]

also had this technique for de-warping discs...

This process applies to vinyl as well as shellac discs.

- Get two sheets of plate glass slightly larger than the record.

- Clean and dry them and then polish with french chalk.

- Hold the warped disc by its edge between the fingers of each hand with the record surface perpendicular to the palms of the hands.

- Place it half a metre from a radiant gas or electric fire and rotate it slowly until it becomes just warm.

- Reverse the record and warm the other side. This process releases internal strain.

- Place the record between the two sheets of plate glass, also slightly warmed.

- Add a few large books or other weights on top and allow to cool.

- Leave for 24 hours and if necessary, repeat the process.

The record may alternatively be heated in a very cool oven set at about 50 to 70 degrees C.; this is not recommended for valuable or irreplaceable discs.

Many experts prefer not to warm the records. Sometimes good results are produced by the application of pressure for some considerable time without heat.

link

[soulsalmon]

also had this technique for de-warping discs...

This process applies to vinyl as well as shellac discs.

- Get two sheets of plate glass slightly larger than the record.

- Clean and dry them and then polish with french chalk.

- Hold the warped disc by its edge between the fingers of each hand with the record surface perpendicular to the palms of the hands.

- Place it half a metre from a radiant gas or electric fire and rotate it slowly until it becomes just warm.

- Reverse the record and warm the other side. This process releases internal strain.

- Place the record between the two sheets of plate glass, also slightly warmed.

- Add a few large books or other weights on top and allow to cool.

- Leave for 24 hours and if necessary, repeat the process.

The record may alternatively be heated in a very cool oven set at about 50 to 70 degrees C.; this is not recommended for valuable or irreplaceable discs.

Many experts prefer not to warm the records. Sometimes good results are produced by the application of pressure for some considerable time without heat.

link

then throw record away and collect stamps