Deoxit and Brake Cleaner - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / projects

author: 001
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 10, 2019, 03:39:53 pm
content: HiI hear about marvelous Deoxit sprayBut it is not common outside of USAWhat I can use to clean contacts in old scopes?Someone told me what brake cleaner is good for auto electronics tooAny ideas?

author: Benta
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 10, 2019, 04:48:41 pm
content: Kontakt Chemie 60.

author: Gyro
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 10, 2019, 05:21:07 pm
content: IPA (Isopropyl Alcohol).Brake cleaner can be very nasty in the presence of heat - Phosgene gas evolution irrc, but I can't remember the details.

author: MosherIV
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 10, 2019, 05:59:29 pm
content: In UK servisol contact cleaner is the one my electronics colleagues recommend.

author: Gyro
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 10, 2019, 06:09:18 pm
content: I also find Electrolube EML really good. It's a shame they don't do the little pen dispenser any more, but you can always spray a bit into the lid and apply it with a cocktail stick.https://cpc.farnell.com/search?ost=electrolube&searchref=searchlookahead&product-range=electrolube-eml-series

author: T3sl4co1l
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 11, 2019, 12:01:24 am
content: Brake cleaner is likely to dissolve out, or swell, all kinds of plastics used in electronics. Do not use it.Tim

author: splin
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 11, 2019, 12:26:25 am
content: Quote from: MosherIV on October 10, 2019, 05:59:29 pmJust don't use it on your Lambretta's switches - a few weeks later and the plastic on every switch snaps.How naive was I thinking that a mere chemical spray could improve on decades of highly finessed Italian vehicle electrics design! Even in the seventies they had bulb failure monitoring long before the advent of computerised management systems - when it eventually dawned on you that the headlight had become almost bright enough to see where you were going, you knew that your tail light had blown. 70mpb (miles per bulb) was a good metric

author: maginnovision
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 11, 2019, 01:21:03 am
content: Quote from: T3sl4co1l on October 11, 2019, 12:01:24 amUsually pretty bad around paints used on plastics as well.

author: amyk
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 11, 2019, 01:37:48 am
content: It depends on what exactly you mean by "brake cleaner"; some are chlorocarbons, and those definitely can dissolve plastic, while others (often known as the "highly flammable" type) are hydrocarbons.

author: xavier60
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 11, 2019, 03:43:31 am
content: I have been using mineral turpentine for years as a solvent without damaging anything so far.Some contact treatments are PAO based. Because I have PAO oil at hand for air-con work, I have been using it successfully in Pots and switches for many years also.

author: Zero999
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 11, 2019, 10:30:29 am
content: Quote from: amyk on October 11, 2019, 01:37:48 amI thought chlorocarbons were banned.Anyway, where I work we routinely use brake cleaner and have never had any problems with it attacking plastics. The stuff we use is not as harsh as acetone or IPA and has trouble cleaning some types of permanent marker.

author: tooki
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 11, 2019, 01:42:21 pm
content: Quote from: Benta on October 10, 2019, 04:48:41 pmBeware that Kontakt 60 is corrosive, and is not intended to be left on!The manufacturer instructsone to rinse away the Kontakt 60 with solvent (like their Kontakt WL) and then apply Kontakt 61 for protection.They do say that in “many cases” the Kontakt 60 can be left in place, but I’d never consider doing that on anything but large contacts (like in mains switches). The web is littered with stories of Kontakt 60 eating through PCB traces, etc.

author: tooki
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 11, 2019, 01:55:25 pm
content: Quote from: Zero999 on October 11, 2019, 10:30:29 amYou're thinking of CFCs (chlorofluorocarbons). Chlorocarbons (aka organochlorides) are a huge group of compounds with many widely used members, including PVC, dry cleaning solvents, etc.CFCs are still being widely manufactured as precursor materials for other products. They just can’t be sold for refrigerant and propellant applications any more.

author: bson
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: October 12, 2019, 04:41:34 am
content: Quote from: T3sl4co1l on October 11, 2019, 12:01:24 amYup, that's what taught me not to store used brake cleaner in old milk jugs while I procrastinate disposing of it properly...

author: Zero999
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 16, 2019, 07:55:48 am
content: Here's a link to the brake cleaner, I use where I work. I haven't had any problems with it attacking plastics, rubber or paintwork. It's fairly gentle, compared to what others here say about brake cleaner.https://www.screwfix.com/p/holts-aerosol-brake-cleaner-600ml/1396g

author: T3sl4co1l
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 16, 2019, 08:23:00 am
content: Looks to be basically pressurized canned paint thinner. Not as aggressive as chlorinated solvents or some ethers, but still not recommended for free use around electronics.Tim

author: m3vuv
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 18, 2019, 08:11:26 am
content: ive used petrol lighter fluid on wafer switches before,it seems to work well!

author: Zero999
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 18, 2019, 09:22:52 am
content: Quote from: T3sl4co1l on October 16, 2019, 08:23:00 amI've not had any problems with it. It doesn't even attack polystyrene foam, which is generally the first thing to dissolve.

author: T3sl4co1l
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 18, 2019, 09:45:05 am
content: Hm, that's interesting!Well, as they say for fabric products -- do a spot test. Be careful; if it works, it works.Tim

author: OldEE
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: October 18, 2019, 01:57:04 pm
content: Deoxit in addition to being an effective cleaner is also a good corrosion inhibitor. Check out the Applied Science video for more information.The video used the concentrated form of Deoxit Red so how effective the diluted spray version works is unknown.