CED VideoDisc and Player Discussion

[rebeltaz]

WHat is the best way to clean a CED disc? What is the consensus on using a record cleaner like the Ronco vacuum system versus hand washing?

I did a search here, but didn't find any definitive answers.. Thanks.
_________________
Derek Tombrello
www.RobotsAndComputers.com

[7jlong]

Definitive answers are difficult to come by, as people have had different success with different methods, but a good place to start is Tom's page on a CED patent that includes discussion of his preferred cleaning methods. I can report that the playback-as-cleaning-cycle works wonders.

[dombay]

Many CED discs that are now approaching 30 years old need to be cleaned. Even in the sleeves, dust gets in and lodges between the grooves. Discs stored in closets, basements, garages, etc. have collected dust that needs to be removed to improve the picture quality.

The best way is to use a vacuum-type record cleaning machine. But you must be very light on the touch. Never put any pressure on the disc grooves. Allow the vacuum to clean the grooves. Practice first with a couple of discs that are expendable, until you get the feel of it.

Many CED collectors can not afford a vacuum disc cleaning machine, even a KAB-1, especially in these recessionary times. Hand cleaning is another option. The keys to hand cleaning are 1. a very, very, very light touch, 2. a very, very, very, very soft cleaning rag, and 3. the cleaning solution.

Never touch the grooves! The picture WILL be distorted anywhere and everywhere you touch a groove. Hold the disc with your thumb in the center hole, and your middle finger touching ONLY the outside rim. Very, very lightly and gently, pass a carbon fiber record cleaning brush over the top of both sides of the disc. This removes any lint-type dust.

Make your own solution. Buy a gollon of DISTILLED WATER. Remove 2 cups of water. Add 1 tablespoon of rubbing alcohol to the 2 cups of water. This improves the evaporation rate on the disc. This is your solution. Use only distilled water. NOTE: The disc surface has a silicon coating which should not be removed. Adding more alcohol to the solution risks removing the silicon coating.

Wet your very, very, very, very soft cloth with your solution. In a circular motion, following the disc grooves, run the wet cloth over the grooves. EXERT ONLY THE LIGHTEST PRESSURE! The grooves are very fragile, and you can smash them down with surprisingly little pressure. Two or three, perhaps four, turns around each side of the disc is enough. Do not even get close to scrubbing. You WILL ruin the disc.

Dry the disc in the same way with a dry very, very, very, very soft cloth.
Then hold the disc in front of a fan for 15 or 20 seconds each side to dry inside the grooves.

Carefully replace the disc into the caddy and sleeve. Side one of the disc has the bar code impressions around the center hole. Side two does not. Hand clean a few expendable discs first. It is not uncommon to ruin the first two or three discs while you're getting the hang of it.

Neither of these methods were recommended by RCA. The only method RCA recommended was to play the disc, and allow the stylus to clean the disc. But that was when all the discs were rather new, and none had built up 25 years worth of dust. Many of todays discs need to be cleaned. Each of us deceides how to clean our own discs. Just be very, very, very careful!

[RT9342]

Don't use acetone! I sort of learned that the hard way, though it was on an already destroyed (cracked) disc (I just tried it out of curiosity, since the disc was no good anyway). Unlike many plastics, I think regular vinyl/PVC is immune to acetone, but since these discs are carbon-doped, acetone will wipe the grooves right off onto the rag, leaving you with a nice, blank, groove-less disc.

[rebeltaz]

Aw man! That is cool. I'll have to try that on a disc I don't want
_________________
Derek Tombrello
www.RobotsAndComputers.com