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DIY: How to make The LAST Stand yourself

The Last Stand - how to make your own vinyl record platform for cleaning

DIY – How to Make The LAST Stand Yourself

We sell The Last Stand as a handy way to clean vinyl records while keeping the dust off of the back side. But you can also make it yourself.  All you need is a trip to the home improvement store for about $10.00 worth of parts, and you’ll have the parts to drill and assemble the stand. Watch how to use The Last Stand to clean records at this link.

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Using LAST Record Cleaning Machine fluid on a vacuum-type record cleaning machine

Using RCM fluid on vacuum-style record cleaning machine

LAST RCM fluid can be used in many styles of record cleaners. The small squirt bottle we include is convenient with vacuum-style cleaners.  This video demonstrates how to use RCM fluid with a vacuum style record cleaning machine.

Watch other demonstrations on using Last products on our YouTube Channel.

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Applying Last Tape Preservative to Reel-to-Reel Tape

How to apply Last Tape Preservative to Reel-to-Reel Tape

Watch this video on how to apply Last Tape Preservative to reel-to-reel tape. If you have older tape, you probably should dehydrate it first. See advice on how to do that here: (How and why should I dehydrate my tapes?). In this video, Jeff shows how to use the tape deck to apply Tape Preservative evenly over the entire tape. Your bottle should last about 60 applications.

Moisture and oxidation are the top causes of tape degradation. They damage the binder of the tape, which is made of acetate or polyester. LAST Tape Preservative stops that deterioration and stabilizes the binder. It also dramatically reduces the friction at the tape/head interface.

LAST Tape Preservative has many benefits. It significantly reduces data loss from magnetic tape, and protects the tape binder from deterioration by humidity. The smoother tape action extends the life of the heads and guides. Last Tape Preservative reduces tape wear and distortion, as well as tape abrasiveness and scrape flutter.

After treatment, you will notice improved playback performance and high frequency response. The S:N ratio will increase, resulting in clearer music. With the protective properties of Tape Preservative, your tape will last up to 10 times longer.

Buy Last Tape Preservative, 2 oz.

Buy Last Tape Preservative, 16 oz.

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The LAST Stand – A Platform for Cleaning Records

The Last Stand - how to make your own vinyl record platform for cleaning

Pro-Tip: keep your records safe and dust-free by elevating it during cleaning

This video shows how to clean vinyl records on the LAST Stand. One of the problems of cleaning a record is that after you clean one side, you must flip the record and set it down on a surface to clean the other side. Meanwhile, that annoying stray speck of dirt or dust on your record jacket or towel will get stuck to the “clean” side of your record. A good solution is to use The LAST Stand. This device elevates your record so that nothing will touch the grooves after you’ve cleaned them.

Using The Last Stand to Clean Vinyl Records

DIY – Make The LAST Stand Yourself

You can make the stand for your own use. All you need is a trip to the home improvement store for about $10.00 worth of parts, and you’ll have what you need to drill and assemble the stand. A drill press makes it much easier, and while most steps are straightforward, pressing the pin in place may require some fiddling. We now use an arbor press (not shown in the video). You may see some other refinements (please, let us know!) and if you have questions shoot us an email.  Watch the video tutorial here.

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Made in the USA for Over 40 Years

The Last Factory makes all its products in Livermore, California

At The LAST Factory we append the “Made in the USA” slogan to all of our products, because we make everything by hand in Livermore California. Our boutique operation allows us to closely control the quality of our products. We are proud that the company has managed to remain a domestic manufacturer.