Can You Repair Scratch Record

It'due south the almost commonly asked question amid vinyl enthusiasts and lovers: can a vinyl tape exist fixed completely? Well, there's been quite the arguments on online forums about this topic, claims and counter claims.

If we're truthful though, the short reply is: no. Y'all can't e'er really restore a securely scratched vinyl tape back to its pristine form no thing what every other person says. In truth, every record gets scratched eventually. But with proper care and maintenance, you tin make your record last for quite a while.

Some scratches might non have a major bear upon on overall audio quality though, and these are the kinds that can be ameliorated.

Showtime, let's take a expect at what goes on when a record gets scratched.

Typically, when you identify a vinyl record in the groove of a tape player, the needle grazes the surface of the record along a pre-fix path to play the audio. When your tape scratches, this pre-gear up route is interrupted, and the needle either jumps over the gap in the vinyl or cuts through it to produce either the skipping effect or a horribly distorted audio, depending on the extent of the scratching.

If it'southward really bad, you have to throw the damaged record away and become a new one. If it'south not, there are a few tricks you can try out in fixing them; that's what this commodity is about.

Offset, though, y'all need to practise a few preliminary checks.

Rinse your record with water. Utilize hand wash or whatsoever other mild washing soap for unyielding clay. Don't use alcohol (except isopropyl alcohol—that's fine) or hard water to avoid ruining the integrity of your record or accumulating minerals in the grooves.

Have intendance to not wet the label so that it doesn't crack or skin off. Then You take to detect exactly where the scratch is coming from. To do this, replay the tape a couple of times. Note exactly the point the record keeps skipping the utilise a magnifying glass to locate the scratch point.

The forest glue method

This is ane of the more popular ways to repair vinyl record scratches (source). To prep your vinyl for cleaning, you take to first of all clean it with a soft lint-free brush and not-alcoholic cleaning liquid or h2o. Some people use toothpicks to remove persistent gunk, if you use this method, be very careful.

When you lot're ready, simply place your record on a table and clasp the glue onto it. Alternatively, y'all tin can apply the gum on the record while it's playing so that the rotating motion helps spread the glue evenly beyond your record.

The wood, glue and cardboard method

This is more or less a more than practical variant of the showtime forest mucilage method. The difference is that you are using paper-thin to spread the mucilage so that y'all can spread the wood glue more evenly. Cut paper-thin into a small foursquare (2 x two inches should do) and apply the glue onto it. Clean the tape as described in the first technique, then affect the gum smeared cardboard to the border of the vinyl record while it'south nonetheless spinning. Don't worry about moving your manus; the glue will spread itself. This method is normally more effective than the first method because the surface of the vinyl will be smooth and will cover every cranny.

The needle method

This technique is as sensitive every bit it is risky. I skid and your record could be rendered totally useless forever (source).

First, adhere a cone to a sewing machine. The importance of this step is to examine the site of the scratch on the record. Use the needle to gently follow the groove—you could do this by angling the needle either towards or away from the record or forth depending on the direction of the scratch.

The principle of this method is based on changing the depth of the original groove so that the scratch has less of an effect on the overall listening experience, even so, as earlier mentioned, it is extremely sensitive and could ruin everything in a moment if you slip. There's no margin for mistake, and you need extremely steady hands. Any slip and at best you'd make your record noisier fifty-fifty though you successful remove the skip. Worse, you could create a loop past mistake.

The sandpaper method

This method uses wet relatively fine sandpaper to clear out scratches. You lot know the way a sandpaper'due south rough surface is used to smoothen wood for article of furniture? That'south sort of what goes on here too.

Offset by wetting the sandpaper to reduce the friction. You can add a chip if hand wash to further lubricate information technology. Wet the record also (exist careful of the record label—don't allow water touch on it, whatsoever yous do). Using curved strokes and following the path of the grooves, sand each side of the record with as piffling pressure level as possible, or you'll only end up roughening up the vinyl. It'south better to sand the entire surface of the record and non just the areas around the scratches so that you get an even event and a uniform look.

This method is non the neatest (as yous'll definitely take quite some shine away from the record), and it might likewise bear on the overall audio experience, simply information technology'll do the job and make it playable again, at least.

The ice cube method

This is uncomplicated and straightforward. Use an ice cube to rub over the scratch in gentle movements parallel to the vinyl grooves. How this works is nevertheless sort of a mystery, and it has a pretty low success rate from information available. Just people hypothesize that the ice melts and assumes the shape of the grooves, therefore minimizing the effect of the scratch on the record.

Go on in heed besides, that water's density is likewise high to get to the bottom of the grooves, then this is basically a temporary solution, and you're at best only altering the tops of the grooves. Sometimes, it doesn't fifty-fifty piece of work, but you could become lucky. There's a reason this method comes terminal hither.

Just don't worry, Ice Cube won't be pissed you melted him on a tape.