Yet another vinyl disease

[bosshoss]

While photographing my 45 collection, I have noticed a rare type of vinyl disease that I haven't been aware of before. A very few discs have little white spots on the black vinyl. Often the spots are an off-white, cream color. They are usually only about the size of a pinhead or smaller. I have been trying to work out what they are, and I think I have the answer.

Some recycled vinyl in the '60s included pulped records complete with their crushed up labels. This horrid mix was used to press a new 45, and you can see the lumps and bumps in the new disc, especially in the deadwax area. Usually the tiny paper lumps are beneath the surface so they are covered in a thin layer of black vinyl. However, after many years, and especially if you clean your 45s with a VPI cleaning machine and brush, the thin layer of black vinyl can flake off in places and leave some white/cream paper specks exposed. Something to be aware of! Luckily it does not seem to affect the music, but in some cases it can look ugly. It's worse if the record has never been cleaned, and mold has developed in the greasy fingerprints on the record. That seems to exacerbate the problem.

So my advice is to clean dirty records as soon as you get them. If the vinyl is recycled or lumpy, be especially careful and don't clean too often. And make sure mold is never allowed to develop.

 

[bosshoss]

Another mysterious vinyl 45 diagnosis. This one is really weird!

After photographing and closely inspecting both sides of many thousands of 45s over the last few weeks, I have made this discovery. It is absolutely a certain fact, even though it sounds impossible :

45s with solid red labels with black lettering are more likely to develop traces of mold on the vinyl surface. Far more likely, by a factor of at least 10 times the average of all other colors. Don't ask me why or how, but it's a fact. Luckily the mold traces can be removed with a VPI record cleaning machine.

It's not just me either - today I received 15 records from ebay sellers. The 3 solid red/black labels all had visible mold on them. None of the others had any mold. Records with glossy red labels, or red/silver labels, or red/white labels are not affected so much. It has to be solid pure red/black on matte paper stock. Like the Bojax, Merlynn Tree, Zakary Thaks on J-Beck etc.

 

[bosshoss]

A little bit of web searching yielded this obscure article :

http://csef.usc.edu/History/2006/Projects/J1314.pdf

The author of the linked article was surprised by the results, but it does not surprise me one bit. It also turns out that the opposite end of the light spectrum, ultra-violet light, kills mold. So violet label 45s should theoretically be mold-free...? And other colors in between, such as yellow, green and blue should in theory be half-way affected.

https://homeinspectorsecrets.com/hvac-uv-lights/does-uv-light-kill-mold/

 

[Jim]

I experienced sort of a similar strange thing with Dutch orange labels such as Dylan & Byrds being housed in the much dreaded pvc sleeves. Eventhough they had picture sleeves on them after a while an orange hazy shade formed on the pvc cover. No damage or discoloration showed up on the vinyl and picture sleeves. It looked as if the pvc had absorbed some of the ink. Orange labels only.

 

[bosshoss]

I received 6 records today from different eBay sellers. Of the six, only one had a red/black label. Only one had mould on it. Guess which one?

 

[Jim]

Mold is found everywhere and can grow on almost any substance when moisture is present. They reproduce by spores, which are carried by air currents. When spores land on a moist surface suitable for life, they begin to grow. Mold is normally found indoors at levels which do not affect most healthy individuals.
Because common building materials are capable of sustaining mold growth and mold spores are ubiquitous, mold growth in an indoor environment is typically related to water or moisture exposure and may be caused by incomplete drying of flooring materials (such as concrete). Flooding, leaky roofs, building-maintenance or indoor-plumbing problems can lead to interior mold growth. Water vapor commonly condenses on surfaces cooler than the moisture-laden air, enabling mold to flourish.[8] This moisture vapor passes through walls and ceilings, typically condensing during the winter in climates with a long heating season. Floors over crawl spaces and basements, without vapor barriers or with dirt floors, are mold-prone. The "doormat test" detects moisture from concrete slabs without a sub-slab vapor barrier.[9] Some materials, such as polished concrete, do not support mold growth.
Significant mold growth requires moisture and food sources and a substrate capable of sustaining growth. Common cellulose-based building materials, such as plywood, drywall, furring strips, finish carpentry, cabinetry, wood framing, composite wood flooring, carpets, and carpet padding provide food for mold. In carpet, organic load such as invisible dust and cellulose are food sources. After water damage to a building, mold grows in walls and then becomes dormant until subsequent high humidity; suitable conditions reactivate mold. Mycotoxin levels are higher in buildings which have had a water incident.[10]

 

[Sebastian]

As far as vinyl diseases goes, this one is one of the most damaging... As far as I know only to be found on EPs pressed in Scandinavia by Phonogram/Polydor/Philips/Fontana/Karusell during the late 50's and early 60's. I personally think that it is the thick lamination used on the sleeves that causes the reaction/dimples/bubbles to appear in the vinyl. The records get worse over time so if you have any swedish EPs that's starting to look like this: separate them from their sleeves!

 

[captain bronstain]

As far as vinyl diseases goes, this one is one of the most damaging... As far as I know only to be found on EPs pressed in Scandinavia by Phonogram/Polydor/Philips/Fontana/Karusell during the late 50's and early 60's. I personally think that it is the thick lamination used on the sleeves that causes the reaction/dimples/bubbles to appear in the vinyl. The records get worse over time so if you have any swedish EPs that's starting to look like this: separate them from their sleeves!

View attachment 3970View attachment 3971View attachment 3972

Aaaaaa! Vinyl psoriasis!

 

[Jim]

OMG! What a disaster. I sure hope you don’t have too many of those in your collection.

 

[bosshoss]

OMG x 2 !! That is the worst vinyl disease I have ever seen! And I've seen some bad ones. It's even diseased under the label.

 

[bosshoss]

For your viewing pleasure and mirth...

Today workmen installed a new AirMaster total air purifier in the Rose Bay record bunker. After my project photographing 10,000 45 labels, I was concerned to find traces of mold on a hundred or more, even though I already had a domestic quality portable dehumidifier installed in the bunker. Probably they already had mold when they arrived, but I don't want to take any chances. There are no windows in the bunker, and it's excavated into solid rock, so air circulation is an issue. The new unit not only circulates and dehumidifies at an industrial level, it also uses ultra-violet light to completely destroy mold spores, purifies via filters and emits negative ions as well which eliminates static. Visually, it's a bit overpowering, but I don't care as long as the air quality is perfect for vinyl storage!

The water removed from the air drains automatically via a hole in the wall, down the elevator shaft and into huge recycled water storage tanks in the garage. Humidity and purification levels are set via the wall mounted controller.

 

[Sebastian]

OMG x 2 !! That is the worst vinyl disease I have ever seen! And I've seen some bad ones. It's even diseased under the label.

It's horrible. There are hundreds, perhaps thousands of "swedish EP only" collectors here in Sweden (plus ofcourse EP collectors worldwide) and massive parts of their collections have turned to look like this over time. If you only want the item for the sleeve it's fine I guess, but the vinyl is basically unplayble.

 

[Jim]

It's horrible. There are hundreds, perhaps thousands of "swedish EP only" collectors here in Sweden (plus ofcourse EP collectors worldwide) and massive parts of their collections have turned to look like this over time. If you only want the item for the sleeve it's fine I guess, but the vinyl is basically unplayble.

Were there alot of Swedish ep's issued?

 

[Outside_Lookin_in]

I received 6 records today from different eBay sellers. Of the six, only one had a red/black label. Only one had mould on it. Guess which one?

The idiot from whom I got the label info had it down as "Ben Mark". Can't imagine what drugs he must have been taking! Nice to see it at last.

 

[Outside_Lookin_in]

Mold is found everywhere and can grow on almost any substance when moisture is present. They reproduce by spores, which are carried by air currents. When spores land on a moist surface suitable for life, they begin to grow. Mold is normally found indoors at levels which do not affect most healthy individuals.
Because common building materials are capable of sustaining mold growth and mold spores are ubiquitous, mold growth in an indoor environment is typically related to water or moisture exposure and may be caused by incomplete drying of flooring materials (such as concrete). Flooding, leaky roofs, building-maintenance or indoor-plumbing problems can lead to interior mold growth. Water vapor commonly condenses on surfaces cooler than the moisture-laden air, enabling mold to flourish.[8] This moisture vapor passes through walls and ceilings, typically condensing during the winter in climates with a long heating season. Floors over crawl spaces and basements, without vapor barriers or with dirt floors, are mold-prone. The "doormat test" detects moisture from concrete slabs without a sub-slab vapor barrier.[9] Some materials, such as polished concrete, do not support mold growth.
Significant mold growth requires moisture and food sources and a substrate capable of sustaining growth. Common cellulose-based building materials, such as plywood, drywall, furring strips, finish carpentry, cabinetry, wood framing, composite wood flooring, carpets, and carpet padding provide food for mold. In carpet, organic load such as invisible dust and cellulose are food sources. After water damage to a building, mold grows in walls and then becomes dormant until subsequent high humidity; suitable conditions reactivate mold. Mycotoxin levels are higher in buildings which have had a water incident.[10]

That's why a high altitude, cold climate desert like Canberra is perfect for record collections.

 

[Sebastian]

Were there alot of Swedish ep's issued?

Between 1954-1969 about 1000 EPs were released in Sweden by international artists with some kind of rock'n'roll/r&b connection.

Another 600 or so by swedish artists that mined similar music territory.

Then a couple of thousand more EP releases by swedish and international artists not working within those genres.

Check out this comprehensive book on the subject:
https://www.premiumpublishing.com/en/art/ep-book-swedish-rock-pop-pressings-volume-2.php

 

[Jim]

Thank you so much for the info, that's an awful lot of EP's! Great book I'll order a copy this weekend.