How to Repair Phonograph Records

Repairing Warped Records

• 1

  Purchase two glass plates. They need to be 15 inches by 15 inches or larger to cover an entire 12 inch record.

• 2

  Place the record between the two plates of glass firmly but carefully. If you are dealing with a record that is warped severely, it is possible to break the vinyl if you press down too hard.

• 3

  Place the record on a flat surface in the sun. Monitor the record closely so it does not get too hot. The idea is for the sun to heat up the glass which heats up the vinyl and will soften the vinyl and re-form the vinyl to its original shape. If the glass heats up too quickly, the record is likely to melt or suffer irreparable heat damage that will effect the grooves on the vinyl.

Repairing Record Scratches

• 4

  Purchase a record cleaning kit, preferably the Discwasher D4 kit. This kit comes with a brush and washing fluid. You can buy refills of the washing fluid for under $5. The Discwasher kit itself retails for about $25 at music and electronic retail outlets such as BestBuy or RadioShack.

• 5

  Lay the record on a flat surface and apply the washing fluid to the applicator brush. Never apply the liquid directly on the record. This will prevent the fluid from being applied unevenly and potentially damaging the record.

• 6

  Take the applicator brush and apply the washing fluid in a circular motion until you have covered the entire side of vinyl. Be careful not to apply too much pressure, you could risk scratching your record even further.