Fixing scratched records

There are a whole bunch of tips for fixing scratched records online. Anyone here actually tried any DIY record repairs and how did it work out?

I have quite a lot of scratched records :(

I think actually fixing scratched records would require a microscope, tiny specialized tools, and luck.

you can't remove actual scratches or damage as far as I know, but the wood glue trick might help for surface noise

I tried wood glue to clean a dirty record once. It was messier than I expected and didn't work that well. However, I am an enormous klutz. I'm willing to try it again with a steadier hand though.

Also, I tried the trick of fixing a warped record by putting it between two sheets of glass in the oven on low temp. I ended up warping it even worse. Never trying that shit again.

google “joe bussard cleaning records” for the simplest and most economical method of handling old vinyl.

i have a lot of dollar bin scuffed records and i usually use my old wooden discwasher brush and do what i can to get dust and debris out of the grooves. i suppose i am sentimental about the sound of pops and crackles though…

joe bussard collects 78s. if you treat your vinyl like that you'll be deeply disappointed.

yeah I don't think there's anything you can do about a scratch. luckily they aren't deep enough to cause noise - I have a lot of junked up records that looked bad but actually played okay after a cleaning.

the wood glue trick does work, but it's such a hassle that I can't recommend it. you need to create a solid layer of glue otherwise you'll be left with a bunch of little pieces to pick off. and if you use a tool to do it you can scratch it and then things become really unsalvageable. it's rescued some of my records, but now I have an ultrasonic cleaner (which are fairly cheap now, at least compared to what they used to be) and that's much better anyway.

Adjusting the tone arm on your record player, or adding a weight (like a penny) to it, might help playing through a skip. I have notes on some of my LPs about how what adjustments to make to play though sides 1 or 2.

you need to create a solid layer of glue otherwise you'll be left with a bunch of little pieces to pick off

Yeah, this was exactly my problem. Also ended up dripping glue onto the label. It was just a matter of experimenting with a thoroughly-trashed copy of a widely-available record.

xp: oh yeah! A while back I was having problems with skipping, but then I thought to check my counterweight and sure enough, it needed to be recalibrated.

I've tried a bunch of the methods I read about online:
- rub an ice cube back and forth over the spot. never had any success with this.
- wood glue. this does definitely work for gunked up records, but doesn't repair scratches. it's oddly satisfying to peel the glue off, so i'd recommend trying it once just for that experience.
- use fine grit sandpaper to remove the top part of the grooves -- the theory here is that the grooves are deep enough that you can sand off a scratch but still end up with a playable record. My only attempt at this rendered the record unplayable, but I probably didn't use a fine enough grit.

So basically, i've never successfully fixed a skip.

gahhhh @ sandpaper

that may be a misunderstanding of the fact that mono records have the same info on both sides of the cutting groove and are therefore not as affected by scratches (which is true), it does not apply to stereo pressings

please, nobody else itt use sandpaper on yr records

please, nobody else itt use sandpaper on yr records

― bad milk blood robot (sleeve), Friday, February 25, 2022 5:22 PM

this can't be life. that link is horrifying. i can see resorting to sandpaper if the record is otherwise unplayable, but it seems like a bad idea unless you really know what you're doing.

i've had limited success in the past repairing unplayable scratches with two methods:

1. run a dull fingernail back and forth along the length of the scratch.

and/or

2. play the damaged part backwards a few times. do NOT go wicky wack on the scratch. pick the needle up and move it with each pass. not recommended unless you know your cartridge can handle it.

Full disclosure:I have tried the dull fingernail method, but only for skips

I guess yeah what kind of scratches are we talking about?

I have tried the ice cube method, didn't think it was much cop

I had a copy of Bert Jansch's Avocet that had a nasty skipping scratch at the beginning of side 1 - I managed to fix this by gently running a toothpick through the grooves where the scratch was and now it plays through, this is my greatest achievement in this area

I'm also a massive fan of Record Revirginiser - which is like a fancy version of wood glue - a lot of stuff I had figured for scratches was just dust and grime - RR has definitely made a lot of records playable

The fingernail thing and backwards playing works if there’s a little vinyl booger caught in the groove. The nail/needle dislodges it. That’s not going to fix a scratch. A scratch is damaged information. To fix this would require an immense amount of tiny fussy work more akin to what an art conservator does. It would take a lot of money with no guarantee that it would work well.

I would definitely try the warm glass trick to fix a warp but I would practice on a lotta junk records first. It would take thick glass though. What about a couple of pizza stones? Are those rough or smooth? Needs to be smooth, heavy, and conducts heat well. Like me.

this reminds me that, in practice, the way I would fix a scratch is to import a vinyl rip into Amadeus and use the Interpolate function on each individual pop

I have done this more times than I would care to admit on some rips

I always wondered if some AI algorithm could do that on the fly and be used as a little attachment on your stereo receiver

but I guess the sound wouldn't really be analog then would it

https://m.facebook.com/supremeechoshop/videos/how-to-fix-a-skipping-record-this-video-will-show-how-to-repair-most-skips-that-/1110824293062420

xp I read about this device that is sort of what you're talking about (I think)

https://www.whathifi.com/news/sugarcube-sc-1-vinyl-noise-remover-hits-uk

Designed for people with older or second-hand record collections, the all-in-one noise removal device uses proprietary ‘click & pop’ removal technology by Silicon Valley-based start-up SweetVinyl to eliminate vinyl noise in real-time.

The technology supposedly uses an algorithm to detect, isolate and remove unwanted noise while keeping the music signal unharmed. All owners have to do is hook the SC-1 up to a phono stage, press a button to initiate the clean-up process, and turn a dial to adjust the strength of the process.

Also, I tried the trick of fixing a warped record by putting it between two sheets of glass in the oven on low temp. I ended up warping it even worse. Never trying that shit again.

My copy of a certain Nick Lowe record got warped because of the strong sunlight coming into my dorm room. I managed to unwarp it by putting it back on the turntable during the next sunny afternoon and letting it spin for a while without trying to play it.

if yr vinyls are dirty clean them like you'd clean glasses or anything else that's nice - dishwashing soap, hot water (not boiling hot lest you warp the record), scrub gently, clean with clean, dry cloth

scratches are permanent

FWIW, a few mastering engineers have gone on record saying whenever they transferred old glass and acetate discs (i.e. discs from the '40s), they splattered or sprayed the discs with Wesson oil during playback. Sometimes previous engineers wouldn't bother to wash the oil off the discs, but ideally for archival purposes, you really should wash them with dishwashing soap like Liquid Joy afterwards. Then pat them try (do NOT rub). If you use paper towels, at least use good quality (i.e. non-shedding) paper towels.

Should have explained, the oil removes a lot of the surface noise during playback.