1. Home
  2. analog
  3. 129112-2238

Contact Line stylus - gathering dust on stylus. Help!

Hi everyone,

I recently purchased a moving iron cartridge with a "high profile contact line" stylus.  I bought it because of the reviews that I had read, not because of the stylus profile.  I've had it for over a month now, and while I like the sound there is one VERY significant problem.  The stylus gathers so much dust on it that I can't get through one side of a record without having to get up multiple times to clean the stylus.  I've tried 5 or 6 other cartridges on my set up over the last few years without any difficulties.  I always clean the stylus before every side, usually by dipping it in Moon Gel.  With the other cartridges there is seldom any dust visible in the gel.  With the contact line stylus, there are large deposits of dust every time I dip it in the gel (sometimes even two or three times during the same track).

In over a month I have yet to get through one side of an album without having to clean it.  Often, I have to clean it 4-5 times per side.  This happens on every record, even newly cleaned ones.  It happens whether I've just cleaned the apartment and dusted or whether it's been a while.  I just dropped in two of my old cartridges to compare, and they sailed though record after record without any difficulty.  I guess I could have it re-tipped with a different stylus profile, but I hate to pay to have a brand new cart re-tipped.  

Any thoughts?  (and please, no jokes about my poor housekeeping :))

Thanks, Scott
smrex13
thom_mackris's avatar
thom_mackris
680 posts
 
As far as stylus cleaning is concerned, has this forum's collective memory about the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser been ... erased?

I doubt his gel cleaner is making his stylus sticky, but it wouldn’t hurt to verify this by cleaning the stylus with a liquid cleaner. I’m not a fan of liquid cleaners, but we’re trying to eliminate a variable from consideration (the effect of the gel cleaner).

Be very watchful of liquid cleaners most of them do more harm than good (attracting further dirt and migrating up the cantilever). One time use is not so bad.

If I had to choose a liquid cleaner, it would unquestionably be Lyra’s.

Thom @ Galibier Design
czarivey
4,494 posts
 
Thom,

I thought that it's quite obvious and self-evident that silicone tends to leave sticky layer after contact. For experiment, take piece of glass and apply moongel pad against glass and than remove... The concept is very similar to fabric silicon roller, but fabric cares less indeed than stylus.

Silicon isn't product to clean cartridge stylus by any means. It's either adhesive SEALANT or lubricating material or fake body parts! 

Sticky means adhesive
Lubricant means oily

That's where simple math kills all the science behind.
smrex13 OP
423 posts
 
Well, I've used the moon gel on multiple carts with no problem at all.  Perhaps the combo of the stylus shape and any residue left from the gel is making the dust problem worse than with other stylus types..  My guess is that I need a better record cleaning fluid, brush, machine and/or routine.  The cart sounds great if I can get the dust issue under control.   

Thanks, Scott
Post removed 
czarivey
4,494 posts
 
The sticky and oily silicon trace builds up within time of usage and the time has come... The more the thicker, the longer you used the same pad the faster trace will build up. Shape of stylus tip especially may matter. Please note ones not using it have no problems -- simple math is enough to judge complex science behind

Life is indeed function of time.
More to discover