cleaning swabs and brushes ? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / repair

author: coppercone2
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 27, 2021, 11:14:31 am
content: So given the amount of time I put into restorations lately, I began to wonder if I am valuing my time correctly by only using cheap bamboo skewer q-tips for cleaning. They work most of the time but I see on digikey in the cleanroom supplies section, there is ALOT of crap that can be used to apply grease or scrub dirt.On one hand its expensive on the other hand I can see it getting into some really tight stuff and making back its cost or at least reducing frustration greatly.At random I bought some chamois stick wipes to try them out (a cleanroom product), in a expensive gamble. My confidence is not high (I think it might be a little too posh for me), but when I was sitting cleaning old electronics from 5pm to midnight after work I thought maybe I should do myself a favor.Does anyone have personal favorites, recommendations, etc?I only ever used to use normal Q tips, but I got the kind recently (still for hygiene, not a electronics product) that have a 'spear' tip on one side. They are still really big but I do think they made my job a little bit easier... so that started to make me wonder what I am missing out on.I am also interested in little brushes and other kinds of weird stuff like that. I have one little brush that was meant as some kind of ESD thing (maybe record) and it is kinda useful, so I thought that maybe some kind of brush kit is not a bad idea, if its high quality. This one I have, no idea where it came from, is pretty robust.I see chamois, foam, cotton and probobly many other proprietary materials.

author: SilverSolder
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 27, 2021, 04:23:42 pm
content: For cleaning PCBs with IPA, I like acid brushes... cheap'n'cheerful, and you can give them a "haircut" to make the bristles the right length / angle for what you are doing.KimWipes are very useful too, for the final go-over, or removing flux residue (use hair-cut acid brush to work the KimWipe).

author: coppercone2
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 27, 2021, 06:38:47 pm
content: I bought the chamoile wipes (chemtronix) and needle point q tips (deoxit brand)I will try those 2 first before buying more stuff, but I am looking at buying a antistatic nylon brush set, connector cleaning brushes.Do you know of a solid acid brush? I HATE how cheap they are made, I need one that is not hollow, or maybe I can fill them with epoxy. I know they don't last long and stuff but that stamped open metal pipe look hurts meIf I got acid brushes I would literarly make up epoxy and pour it into them to seal em up.Forgot about kim wipes, but I wanna test the two things I got now before I keep buying cleaning supplies..Maybe I can get the acid brushes, cut them and fit them on a solid shaft of some kind.

author: SilverSolder
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 27, 2021, 10:16:18 pm
content: Yeah, the tube is cheap, but they work well enough in real world use - I've never had a problem with it.A pack like in the picture is less than $3, so the upside is that you don't feel bad about throwing one out after using it on some particularly disgusting goo!

author: Zeyneb
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: March 27, 2021, 10:23:55 pm
content: Foam swabs from an Aliexpress seller is fine for me.

author: narkeleptk
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: March 28, 2021, 12:09:11 am
content: Quote from: coppercone2 on March 27, 2021, 06:38:47 pmthey are great. you can stamp the back of that tube down to make it a nice scraper.