Sonofjim : I did view the Walker Wand . The "O" rings do concern me .
Some unanswered questions come to mind: What if a record already has a slight warp ? Will the wand scrape against the raised surfaces ? Do the "O" rings cause the LP to be unstable when revolving ? Will steaming w/ the "O" rings cause the LP to heat-up to the extent that warping is possible? The old addage "buyer-be-awaire" seems to apply at least to the "O" rings. As for this tweak , please advise me of your success or challenges , should you purchase.
Perhaps, an email to Mr. Walker might resolve the matter. Perhaps he has already thought this thru as far as steaming is concerned. I know he is awaire of steam cleaning because I personally informed him in a phone call several years ago.
As for the lead business , I prefer to follow the recommendations put out by Researchers @ Johns Hopkins regarding lead exposure, keeping that as matter of choice rather than discussion. See an old dog can learn new tricks. All the best.