Disc Record Repair - filling a crack

[Roaring20s]

With extra quarantine time, I took time to try this…

I have this cracked record and it’s to good to just be a wall hanger. The crack had spread to a gap and a thread easily slid in about 1.5 inches.

I decided to see if baking it in the sun would help close it. I watched Don Wilson’s youtube, and gave it a try. It didn’t budge enough and it did not stay.

With nothing to loose, I decided to give JB Weld a try.

As a test, I worked the unrecorded lead edge first. I carefully laid some ScotchTape along both sides of the crack. Then sandwiching the disc with just the edge poking out, and weighting it to keep it flat. Mixed the fast setting epoxy and used a flexible artist’s palette knife to fill the gap. A few passes of the knife, remove all excess epoxy flat to the tape, then one last pass with the rounded point of the knife along the crack, removed the tape and let it set.

As it was hardening, I gently rock my fingernail over the surface to press it in. It looked good and I flipped the record and did the other side.

With the edge stabilized, and my confidence at a high, it’s time to fill the crack in the recorded area in the same manner. I would only fill the parts that let light pass through. The rest is tight and is harder to attempt.

After about an hour it gave it a try on my Vic III with a cactus needle. There was some drag at first, but quickly passed for the rest of the side. A steel needle was used next with less drag. A little candle wax took care of that.

The JB Weld worked better than expected. I now have a playable record, but a record that plays with no, to minimal tick!

The photos show the crack and the thread. The key letter (A) shows the area that the thread easily slid, (B) was tighter and could see light, the rest of the crack is tight. (C) is the area that had needle drag. The crack was filled from the edge through (B).

Screen Shot 2020-05-02 at 7.35.39 PM.png (736.34 KiB) Viewed 757 times

This is the record that has been saved.

Listen to the sound files with a steel needle used…
http://www.ecommerceplayer.com/MediaPla ... 1eae5cfe92
http://www.ecommerceplayer.com/MediaPla ... 1c5213dd66

Unfortunately the sound file will not be permanent on this post, but I’m the comments will be enough to confirm.

James.

[audiophile102]

Outstanding results! I hate to think about all the cracked records I gave up on since I began collecting 78s. I have a problem with an Edison record, but it's a surface crack at the beginning of the record so I just start it passed the crack.

[Roaring20s]

It was worth a try since it's not a common disc.
I have no experience with Diamond Disc issues.

A normal edge gluing works fine for tight cracks.
I would only try this on open cracks that need filling.

Thanks,
James.