1. Remove the machine and accessories from shipping carton. Be careful to avoid any damage to vacuum arm and the smaller parts.

 2. Place the machine on a level surface where you intend to operate the machine.

 3. Place the fluid jar on the machine base and secure the jar with the elastic "hooked" spring cord. See photo for placement.

4. Connect the large 6mm clear tubing to the inlet fitting on the side of the machine base. The other end of the tubing is already connected to jar lid. The 6mm tubing will fit only one of the nipple fittings on the top cover of the jar.

5. Connect the 3mm clear tubing to the smaller nipple on the jar lid. The other end is already attached to the arm. Rotate the jar until the 3mm tubing is to the rear of the base cabinet. The elastic cord jar retainer will hold the jar in place for easy removal in the future.

6. Switch on the vacuum pump and draw the nylon thread into the fluid evacuation jar. You should see a few inches of thread in the jar before starting to clean records.  As you use the thread the spent thread will be sucked into the used fluid jar.

7. Balance the arm as you would a phono pickup arm by adjusting the weight on the end of the arm. Use just enough weight to keep the arm from bouncing. The ideal weight is about 2.5 grams and can be set with the same stylus pressure gauge you use for your phono tonearm.

8. When the weight adjustment is correct, lock the weight with the Allen key that is supplied with the machine.

You are now ready to clean records!

OPERATION

Most of the popular record cleaning solutions that are designed for "wet machine" use will produce good results with the Loricraft Audio Cleaning System. Some solutions may work better than others and after experimenting you will likely settle on the formula that produces the best results.

A sample of the SMART "Regular Microgroove Cleaning Fluid" is supplied with each new PRC3 machine. This fluid should be used ONLY with Lp vinyl records because it contains a small mount of alcohol.. This solution may damage acetate, shellac or lacquer 78 RPM records and must be avoided.  For 78's we recommend our special "Mild" record cleaning solution that contains no alcohol.

1.        Place the record on the turntable and push the MOTOR switch to the ON position. While the record is rotating, squirt about 5 ml of fluid onto the record surface avoiding the paper label area. Hold the nylon brush perpendicular to the record and work the fluid into the grooves. No pressure is required as the brush is used only to spread the fluid. Avoid using too much fluid because the centrifugal force of the rotating turntable will "sling" the fluid off the record and onto the machine top cover. If this happens simply wipe up the surplus with a paper tissue (Kleenex). Make sure the grooves are thoroughly covered with cleaning fluid.

Place the vacuum arm on the "wrong" side of the record on the paper label. While the turntable is moving in a clockwise direction, the arm is positioned against the rotation. Turn the ARM switch and the PUMP switch to the ON position. The vacuum arm will traverse the record in approximately 60 seconds. When the arm reaches the outside rim of the record it will ride up the ridge and move off the record. Turn the ARM and PUMP switches OFF when cleaning is complete.

2.        Do not be concerned if the nylon thread has some slack, or a small loop, while moving across the record. The surplus thread will be sucked into the evacuation tube at the end of the cleaning cycle.  This will happen when the arm runs off the record. You will see the thread tighten.

 3.        Turn the record over to clean the other side. Rotate the nylon thread spool counter-clockwise a few millimeters to provide slack in the thread and to provide fresh thread for the next cleaning. Repeat the cleaning procedure for the second side of the record.

4.        Even brand new records that you just opened should be cleaned with the Loricraft Record Cleaning System before playing. Mold release compound is used in record pressing plants to allow the vinyl to separate from the metal stamper. Residue from this compound will produce some background noise if not removed. Cleaning the record will produce a quieter playback. An effective "mold release" pre-cleaner compound is offered by MicroCare products and is called "Premier"

Notice: The nylon bristle brush is for spreading the cleaning fluid evenly over the record. It is NOT for scrubbing the record. Several users have called to say when they apply pressure to the record with the brush, the turntable stalls. There is a misconception that forcing the brush into the grooves cleans the record. It does not! In fact, the stiff bristles can scratch the grooves if high pressure is applied. A microgroove record groove is about .002 inches in width and each bristle of the cleaning brush is .007 inches. Let the cleaning fluid do the work of cleaning, not the brush.

The highest quality industrial grade components are used in the construction of the Loricraft Audio Cleaning System. The machine will last many, many years and provide reliable service. In the unlikely event service is ever needed in North America contact SMART Devices, Inc. by phoning our toll free number (800) 45-SMART or FAXing (770) 449-6728.  Our email address is service@smartdev.com

Most vinyl records are supplied in a paper sleeve and paper record jacket. When you remove the record from the package you may notice small "flecks" of paper on the record. This is partly because the action of removing a record from the sleeve generates a small static electrical charge on the vinyl. This charge will attract small particles. With a strong work light over the Loricraft machine you will easily see these particles. Use a cleaning brush to sweep these particles off the record before applying the cleaning fluid. Special purpose record cleaning brushes are available from a number of manufacturers. Those with carbon fibers imbedded into the brush are the best because they disperse the electrical charge on the record. It is very common to find that once a record has been properly cleaned on the Loricraft Cleaner it never has to be cleaned again. We highly recommend you discard the paper sleeve in which the record was packaged and replace it with an anti-static type.

If you splash cleaning fluid on the top cover there may be some light residue when the fluid dries. Spray a household window cleaning solution on the top cover and wipe dry with a soft cloth or paper tissue (Kleenex). This will keep the top cover shiny and new looking. Rubber boots on the switches keep liquid from penetrating the switch mechanism.

A fast and effective way to clean the deposits from the rubber turntable mat is with a wide draftsman's brush while the turntable is rotating. Particles from the "dirty side" of the record will collect on the mat. A wide, clean paint brush is also suitable.

A tip that we learned from customers it to turn the fluid spreading brush sideways at the outside edge of the record to allow additional cleaning of the first cut of the record. This is where the most dirt and fingerprints are usually found. Lift the brush off the record before placing it sideways on the edge to avoid moving fluid off the record and onto the top cover.

The Spent fluid jar will slowly fill with nylon thread and used cleaning solution. When the jar is approximately half full, remove the jar and dispose of the fluid. Cut the nylon thread with scissors to a length of about 3 inches. Wash the bottle before reinstalling.

To open the jar grasp the metal top lid firmly and twist anti-clockwise. Do not use a tool to pry the jar open!

• Be sure to wash your fluid spreading brush periodically with warm water and mild detergent to remove pollutants that may reside in a dirty brush.
• Make sure the roll of nylon thread is free to turn. Slack in the roll will assure fresh thread is pulled into the vacuum tube.
• The nylon thread is 50 meters long. Using approximately ¼ inch per record cleaning will yield many thousands of cleanings from a spool. Replace the spool when the thread is about to run out. Tie a tight knot in the remaining thread to the new spool to avoid having to lace the new thread through the delivery and evacuation tubes. Cut off the end strands with a pair of scissors so the knot will easily pass through the tubes and vacuum nozzle.
• The thread used with the Loricraft Audio machine is #30 un-calendared nylon, and not cotton. Please use the recommended replacement thread for best results.
• When you clean a record on the machine do not let it sit on the machine for an extended time. Dust and dirt will collect again. It is best to place the record in a protective anti-static record sleeve until you wish to play the record.

If you use a "gooseneck" lamp positioned over the cleaning machine you will clearly see the dust, fingerprints, paper flecks, and dirt on the record. Often normal room lighting will not clearly reveal the contamination on the record.

If you lose the tread when changing to a new roll, do not fret! Here is a quick (about one minute) and easy way to re-thread the vacuum arm. This PDF file was contributed by Martina Schöner, the European representative for Loricraft from Germany.

The Loricraft Audio Record Cleaning System provides the very best cleaning results of any machine, even products costing more than twice as much. Once a record has been cleaned on the Loricraft it rarely has to be cleaned again. You may consider purchasing anti-static record sleeves to replace the paper sleeves furnished by the record companies. This will protect the investment you have in your record collection and provide clean musical enjoyment for years to come.

This manual in PDF format optimized for printing.

Back to Loricraft Audio main page.