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Phonograph Stylus Wear Experiment

restorer-john said:
Maybe put it in the refrigerator next time. Stops it getting quite so 'icky'.
Click to expand...

Perhaps, but the inconvenience of doing that and the risk of it not making a difference are both non-starters for me, particularly since there are alternate methods that don‘t involve that hassle and the potentially continued negative outcome.
 
Balle Clorin said:
No, mine is made of barefoot virgin albinos in straw huts at the hillsides of Fuji. n it is clear and transparent. Proven by 500 dips showing no residue on stylus using professional microscope.
Click to expand...
Ha, well...I think I saw one or two of these used but there was no diamond tip left after use... :)
 
someones closes ( many) to me or myself have been using this technique for like 15 years.... without ever having encountered this... see cartdriges worth several thousand euros etc
(but not cells over 30 years old like we can come across here ;-).. )
what s cartdriges lost diamant in your case?
(but losses of cantilevers etc due to poor handling "which only happens to others" a certain number... :-o )
 
JP said:
Careful the gel sticking to the stylus. My last took about 45 minutes to clean it off.
Click to expand...

I stopped using that stuff for the same exact reason. Bad combo with my old Denon DL-103R. Isopropyl alcohol, a little distilled water, and stylus brush does the job well.

S20211116_0008.jpg
S20211116_0012.jpg
 
morillon said:
someones closes ( many) to me or myself have been using this technique for like 15 years.... without ever having encountered this... see cells worth several thousand euros etc
(but not cells over 30 years old like we can come across here ;-).. )
what s cartdriges lost diamant in your case?
Click to expand...
I think were are on the joking side. Never heard of a stylus cleaner made by barefoot virgin albinos in straw huts at the hillsides of Fuji. :)
 
morillon said:
someones closes ( many) to me or myself have been using this technique for like 15 years.... without ever having encountered this... see cartdriges worth several thousand euros etc
(but not cells over 30 years old like we can come across here ;-).. )
what s cartdriges lost diamant in your case?
Click to expand...

I've seen many reports over the years, though it's most likely the stylus bond was compromised in a different way, or it was dragged through the gel. I'd used it for about 10 years without any such issues.

USER said:
I stopped using that stuff for the same exact reason. Bad combo with my old Denon DL-103R. Isopropyl alcohol, a little distilled water, and stylus brush does the job well.

View attachment 334715View attachment 334716
Click to expand...

I'm rather confident that's what was on this P100CMK4 stylus, as it sealed NOS when I got it, used very little by me, and only on pristine records. In general I've never had the large debris like your picture shows, and it never presented under the microscope using the "Shure" method to evaluate wear, but it sure did with a different view (this might have been "dipped" ~30 times):

fin2-SharpenAI-Focus.jpeg
fin6-SharpenAI-Focus.jpeg
 
JP said:
I've seen many reports over the years, though it's most likely the stylus bond was compromised in a different way, or it was dragged through the gel. I'd used it for about 10 years without any such issues.



I'm rather confident that's what was on this P100CMK4 stylus, as it sealed NOS when I got it, used very little by me, and only on pristine records. In general I've never had the large debris like your picture shows, and it never presented under the microscope using the "Shure" method to evaluate wear, but it sure did with a different view (this might have been "dipped" ~30 times):

View attachment 334717View attachment 334718
Click to expand...
I was talking about the magic eraser.. (but I really can't imagine possible detachment due to the gel itself, it's really not aggressive...unless you move it while the diamond is placed on it,rather poor handling, clumsiness, when doing things “placed” on the board that can move..it’s “dangerous” etc)
 
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morillon said:
I was talking about the magic eraser.. (but I really can't imagine possible detachment due to the gel itself, it's really not aggressive...unless you move it while the diamond is placed on it)
Click to expand...

For the gel, not with just dipping. ME I've actually gently dragged styli through a time or two for really dirty acquisitions, though I do it carefully under my inspection scope.
 
JP said:
For the gel, not with just dipping. ME I've actually gently dragged styli through a time or two for really dirty acquisitions, though I do it carefully under my inspection scope.
Click to expand...
It seems to me that the story of the gel was precisely intended to reassure and avoid this... just drop the cartdrige on top and raise it with the arm lift... without risk of clumsiness etc..
(but "eraser" can also be used like this and is more effective)
 
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morillon said:
It seems to me that the story of the gel was precisely intended to reassure and avoid this... just drop the cell on top and raise it with the arm lift... without risk of clumsiness etc..
(but "eraser" can also be used like this and is more effective)
Click to expand...

Ya, I can't see how just dipping in the gel would pull the diamond off, unless it was going to come off anyway. Bummer the sticky issue, as it was a convenient method.
 
(for this we must recognize that if the plate is well fixed...the idea is not so bad... vision problem or tremors...gel or magic eraser it's quite a good idea.
pieces of gel were torn off during your traction manipulation? )
 
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