Keith Monks on Tuesday February 8th., in his 74th year.

the inventor, designer and manufacturer of
the world renowned Record Cleaning Machines that bear his name

dale

"dale" wrote in message
ups.com...
Keith Monks on Tuesday February 8th., in his 74th year.

the inventor, designer and manufacturer of
the world renowned Record Cleaning Machines that bear his name

dale

I remember these metal frames: rather like a Whimshurst machine, which
required a cleaning solution to be applied and then the grubby disc was
clamped and rotated tightly between and against the impregnated soft
cleaning pads.
Sparks did not fly, but the vinyl/shellac disc looked better afterwards...
and then - Sod's law - it often gathered dust again because of a residual
static charge, dependent on relative humidity and particles in some rooms.
Jim

"Jim Gregory" wrote in message
...

"dale" wrote in message
ups.com...
Keith Monks on Tuesday February 8th., in his 74th year.

the inventor, designer and manufacturer of
the world renowned Record Cleaning Machines that bear his name

dale

I remember these metal frames: rather like a Whimshurst machine, which
required a cleaning solution to be applied and then the grubby disc was
clamped and rotated tightly between and against the impregnated soft
cleaning pads.
Sparks did not fly, but the vinyl/shellac disc looked better afterwards...
and then - Sod's law - it often gathered dust again because of a residual
static charge, dependent on relative humidity and particles in some rooms.

Umm...are we thinking of the same machine? As I remember it, the Keith Monks
machines looked like a 1950s turntable with a vacuum hose attached to the
tonearm, and they trailed a thread through the groove to dislodge crud.

Or am I scrambled again?

Peace,
Paul

As I recall the Keith Monks machine operated horizontally, like a record
turntable and had a large "broom" pad that dispensed fluid which was then
sucked up by a vacuum wand tube, also had a string or thread component
attached to a gear wheel if I recall correctly ? Highly esteemed the world
over, most serious broadcast stations owned one ?
Also, don't forget the legendary Monks tonearms...reminiscent of the Decca
ones .

Ray Thomas
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Jim Gregory" wrote in message
...

"dale" wrote in message
ups.com...
Keith Monks on Tuesday February 8th., in his 74th year.

the inventor, designer and manufacturer of
the world renowned Record Cleaning Machines that bear his name

dale

I remember these metal frames: rather like a Whimshurst machine, which
required a cleaning solution to be applied and then the grubby disc was
clamped and rotated tightly between and against the impregnated soft
cleaning pads.
Sparks did not fly, but the vinyl/shellac disc looked better afterwards...
and then - Sod's law - it often gathered dust again because of a residual
static charge, dependent on relative humidity and particles in some rooms.
Jim

Ray Thomas wrote:
As I recall the Keith Monks machine operated horizontally, like a record
turntable and had a large "broom" pad that dispensed fluid which was then
sucked up by a vacuum wand tube, also had a string or thread component
attached to a gear wheel if I recall correctly ? Highly esteemed the world
over, most serious broadcast stations owned one ?

Yes.

Also, don't forget the legendary Monks tonearms...reminiscent of the Decca
ones .

I would like to forget them. I keep trying. The mercury leaks and the
weird magnetic antiskating system that was never quite balanced are still
haunting me. I did manage to sell my last one on Ebay recently for about
fifty times what it cost me new, though.

I still use the Monks record weight every day. Rest in peace, friend.
--scott

--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

On Mon, 14 Feb 2005 09:40:57 GMT, "Paul Stamler"
wrote:

Umm...are we thinking of the same machine? As I remember it, the Keith Monks
machines looked like a 1950s turntable with a vacuum hose attached to the
tonearm, and they trailed a thread through the groove to dislodge crud.

The record cleaning machines use a full-width brush that's
internally wetted by hand-pumped (by the kind of pump some
might remember windshield washers using, way back when)
alcohol and water mix.

Vacuuming is by an arm with nylon nozzle, held off the record
one thread's thickness. The spool of thread lives in the jar
of dirty water, and is continuously pulled very slowly to
keep a fresh bearing surface. Another motor pulls the arm
slowly from inside to outside.

Mine currently needs machine work to the platter motor pulley
to allow me to install a new motor. I destroyed the reducing
gears, but I swear I couldn't help it.

So, Mr. Monks, if you're watching, I promise to get this one
back to work. You can RIP.

Chris Hornbeck

I remember these metal frames: rather like a Whimshurst machine, which
required a cleaning solution to be applied and then the grubby disc was
clamped and rotated tightly between and against the impregnated soft
cleaning pads.
Sparks did not fly, but the vinyl/shellac disc looked better
afterwards...
and then - Sod's law - it often gathered dust again because of a
residual
static charge, dependent on relative humidity and particles in some
rooms.

Umm...are we thinking of the same machine? As I remember it, the Keith
Monks
machines looked like a 1950s turntable with a vacuum hose attached to the
tonearm, and they trailed a thread through the groove to dislodge crud.

Or am I scrambled again?

Peace,
Paul



No, you're right, Paul! I was probably thinking of some metal-framed,
table-top gismo called a Discleaner ?? not sure exactly, used by those radio
station disc libraries that could NOT splash out on buying the KM device.

Incidentally, the static charge was often generated by us wearing so much
acrilan, nylon, crimplene and man-made fibre clothing treading our crepe
soles on horrible nylon carpets, pulling an LP out of its protective inner
sleeve and when putting it away, a minus - unless you wore cotton or denim,
trod on cork floor tiles and used upmarket folding-leaf inners.
Jim

I have located an interesting photo of this KM device in action,
http://www.classicrecords.co.uk/aboutus.htm

Jim

"Jim Gregory" wrote in message
...
I have located an interesting photo of this KM device in action,
http://www.classicrecords.co.uk/aboutus.htm

Of course, everyone will want to know... Does the girl come with it?

Neil Henderson