There has been talk on the Talking Machine Forum about using WD-40 on worn 78 rpm discs. Some users say that it is terrible for shellac and will ruin the record. Others say that it makes unusually worn records play more smoothly, shines the record up, and cleans it as well. We all have severely worn records that we've picked up here or there and I'm no exception to that.

So I picked up this Duke Ellington record at a radio swap in New Hampshire for $1. It was the perfect candidate for the experiment as it was SO worn, it had obviously been played by the same needle over and over again. I gave it a once over with WD-40 and a paper towel.

I should have recorded the 'before' on this one. Upset that I didn't. After the first play I noticed that the WD-40 actually caused the needle to capture the gunk that was down in the grooves of this record (this was before my ultrasonic cleaner came into the house) but it was also playing SO much better. Those worn grooves just needed a little bit of lubrication to help the needle through the groove!

I did this 7 months ago, gave it a second play tonight. It pulled up less grunge but still got a bit. I've noticed that after WD-40 treatments it takes at least 3 plays before there is no more gunk build up on the needle. I put some of the 'gunk' under a very power microscope, most the grunge is needle shavings, fuzz, and bits of what I imagine to be damaged shellac from the days when this was being played over and over by the same needle. After 4 plays this record no longer shows buildup on the needle.