I was able to track down Geoff recently, and I'm sharing this information he sent me with the list ... maybe helpful ... etc.
This was his reponse to my question if there was any other commercially available detergent solution that could be used to clean Wax cylinders. Clinto ------- Forwarded message follows ------- Date sent: Wed, 5 Nov 2003 17:28:58 -0700 (MST) Subject: Cleaning Edison Wax Cylinders From: [email protected] To: [email protected] Dear Clint: There is a good reason that I recommend Labtone (and only Labtone) for cleaning wax cylinders. I tested a number of lab detergents and consumer-type cleaning agents for cleaning wax cylinders in preparation for transcribing the 3000 cylinder collection at the University of California P.A. Hearst Museum (then called the Lowie Museum)at Berkeley. I was dealing with a mixed collection of commercially cut cylinders that had been shaved and reused (of many different wax compositions), Dictaphone cylinders of various types, Ediphone cylinders, etc. Among the things I wished to remove by cleaning were mold residue, all kinds of unidentified grunge, and compounds leeched/exuded out of the wax over time. The requirements were simple; the cleaning process had to be: low- tech (we had little equipment or money), simple to accomplish, without critical operations, thorough and effective so that all the contaminants were removed, and leave no chemical or physical residue. Labtone, being formulated to remove organic residues from glassware and rinse clean, did the job very well. Other lab detergents did not remove the contaminants as thoroughly, and/or left some sort of residue (usually a wetting-agent). Consumer-type detergents contain a whole host of chemical agents intended to be residual, such as wetting agents, bleaches or color enhancers, glycols, etc. Photo-Flo, a wetting agent used for photographic processing, did not clean very well and also is intended to remain on the surface. I used Labtone solutions (about 1%) to clean 3000+ cylinders at Berkeley, and the same process was used by the Library of Congress Folk Life Project to clean their 9000+ cylinders, and Indiana University Archives of Recorded Sound used it to clean 7000+ cylinders. Both these collections also borrowed and used the same transcription deck I had built and used to transcribe the collection at Berkeley. A similar project in Ireland specified the same cleaning process, although it would have used non-contact transcription technology; unfortunately, it was not funded. As far as I am aware, there has not been any cleaning agent suggested as a replacement for Labtone since I first used it in the 1970's. I and others have also used it for a wide variety of disks, including vinyl, aluminum, glass, Bakelite, and others (but not shellac, which can be sensitive to water). I still use it for CD's. The procedure is quite simple: 1. Mix up a tepid solution of Labtone in purified water. Add and dissolve the Labtone until the solution feels slippery. 2. Dip the cylinder into the solution to wet it (hold it with two fingers in the mandrel hole, but don't let it go). 3. Dip a piece of polyester velveteen (about 3x6") into the solution to become saturated. 4. Lift the cylinder above the solution and gently drag the velveteen around it so that the pile of the fabric gently "scrubs" the grooves. The idea is to let the weight of the saturated fabric do the physical cleaning -- do not press or rub the cylinder with the fabric. 5. Dip the cylinder and examine to see if it appears clean. You may repeat the cleaning with velveteen as may be necessary. 6. Rinse the cylinder thoroughly in clear tepid running tap water. 7. Final rinse in a container of purified water or pour purified water over the cylinder to remove any residue from the tap water. 8. Blot (not wipe) the exterior of the cylinder dry with a soft lint-free cloth (old handkerchiefs work well) or high-quality soft paper towel. The cylinder will not be wet after rinsing, but will have some water droplets on it. 9. Stand the cylinder on-end on several layers of paper towel to let the interior air-dry. You can obtain Labtone only from VWR, although it is possible that some independent lab suppliers can order from them for you. Their website URL is <www.VWR.com>. Search on "Labtone". The smallest size is 8 lbs, #21850-027, @ $36.15 plus shipping and handling. This will be relatively expensive, but it really is the best detergent for the use. As I indicated, Labtone is great for vinyl records and CD's, as well, and you can use it in your kitchen, perhaps for special glassware, also!!! I use it regularly for cleaning eyeglasses, as well, as it removes grease but leaves no streaks, halos, or smudges on coated lenses. Best of luck. Feel free to share this message with others who have common interests. Geoff Brown
