Despite the advent of digital technology, vinyl records remain popular. Kids everywhere are dusting off their parents’ old records and giving vinyl a try. For some members of older generations, vinyl records remain the standard in high-quality audio.
Unfortunately, vinyl records can be all too easy to break. If you are dedicated and don’t mind losing a little bit of sound quality, it may be possible to fix your broken vinyl records.
Is it Worth it to Fix a Broken Vinyl Record?
Before you endeavor to fix a broken record, it’s worth considering whether it’s worth it. Vinyl records are generally very affordable. A replacement will last a very long time.
Even if you can repair your broken vinyl record, the chances are that sound quality won’t be anywhere near the same as it was. It may be best to shop vinyl records and choose some new great albums for your record player.
However, if you are committed to repairing a broken vinyl record. Here is how you can try.
Technique One: Epoxy
- Stabilize. Working on a flat surface, push the record together as tightly as it will go and use a piece of electrical tape where the break is to stabilize the record while you work.
- Apply epoxy. Mix epoxy and then apply a very fine line to the broken area using a toothpick. Move slowly, giving the epoxy time to seep into every element of the crack.
- Smooth epoxy. Use a second tootphick to smooth out the epoxy before it dries. You will surely get some on the surface of the album, but don’t worry because it is relatively easy to remove once dried.
- Let epoxy dry. Let the epoxy dry for around 10 minutes or whatever is recommended by the package. When it’s dry, turn the record over and repeat the previous steps for the other side.
- Play the record. This may seem unintuitive, but it’s a great way to get any excess epoxy off and find out whether you were able to make an accurate repair.
- Remove excess epoxy. Remove excess epoxy from the surface of the record with a toothpick. Play the record through the needle again as needed to loosen it up. A straight razor may also be useful for loosening some tough pieces.
Technique Two: Super Glue
This technique is a little bit scarier but also easier. If glue gets into the grooves of the record it will be worthless. However, if done properly, it is difficult for glue to be improperly applied. This can be a quick way to easily fix a crack.
- Put a drop of super glue on a clean piece of paper.
- Gently roll the part of the vinyl that it’s cracked on to the super glue at a vertical angle. Do this for several seconds.
- The super glue shows up the crack in a capillary effect, avoiding the grooves but strengthening the crack.
Vinyl vs Styrene
Vinyl copies are often made of styrene, which is a fairly brittle material that breaks easily. It is probably not worth replacing a styrene copy. On the other hand, original vinyls are much less easy to break. If they do get broken, is more worth repairing a vinyl record.
Consider Fixing your Vinyl Before Throwing it Out
If you have cracked vinyl that you are crying over, take some serious consideration into repairing it before you throw it out. You may be surprised by how able you are to repair records. Remember that a repaired record will never sound as good as it did when it was new. That said, it may be worth it to save your favorite record, especially if it’s hard to find a replacement.
