Corey Bailey

Audio Engineering

USEFUL INFORMATION

Repairing a broken record I have glued (vary carefully) broken 78's and then used a crayon to smooth out the repair. It may take some practice so, it's best to practice on a disc that doesn't matter. Here's what I do; Access the situation and prepare everything ahead of time. Including brush trimming, pieces of adhesive tape that you may use, crayon sharpening, etc., saving the need for a third hand which, you may need anyhow. Clean the disc if at all possible and save all of the pieces, even the chips. Your work surface should be completely flat and the disc should be placed on a material that is impervious to the glue (if you are using it). Use as little glue as possible. I usually use a toothpick as an applicator. If the glue oozes into the grooves, you've used too much and it's best to start over. You don't have to apply glue the entire broken piece(s). Just enough to hold the disc together so, that it can be played. Cellophane tape can help hold the pieces in place while the glue sets. The type of glue is your choice. Super Glue sets fast which, can be a bonus, but it sticks to everything. I prefer something more viscous that provides a little more setting time because I use a microscope to make sure that the grooves are realigned. Epoxy has a set time that you need to be aware of. Different types of epoxy have different set and cure times. Most adhesives take 24 hours to be fully cured. Make sure that the glue is going to work with the material that the record is made of. If the record is broken but hasn't separated or just cracked, glue on the outer edge before the grooves start and see if it will play. I like to use Super Glue for this type of repair. Then, I use a crayon to fill any gaps. The color of the crayon doesn't matter however, the lighter colors are easier to see what you're doing but they tend to show the repair effort. Sometimes, I will melt the crayon and work with a liquid. It all depends on the repair and what will work the best. When satisfied with the crayon application, I will use a hair dryer or heat gun and a fine bristled paint brush to smooth out the crayon, following the direction of the grooves. Chip brushes work well for this. Plus, they are cheap and disposable. I usually have to trim the brush. Play the disc a couple of times with a cheap stylus that's correct for the disc to smooth things out. You may have to use some extra weight on the stylus for the smoothing passes. If the disc is to be digitized, record everything, even the smoothing passes. Today's restoration software can do an amazing job so, use it if you have it on a copy of the file. If you have any questions or suggestions, please contact me. Return to TOP of page © Corey Bailey Audio Engineering

DO IT YOURSELF? ANALOG TAPE BAKING AUDIO TAPE LUBRICATING AUDIO TAPE MOISTURIZING ACETATE TAPE RECORDS (DISCS)

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