Recomend please:

[citroenxm]

The best sort of Contact cleaner that I can use to clean up relay contacts etc, which you can just spray on...


Best sugestions please??

Thanks.

[myglaren]

This.

I go mine from eBay.

Also have some decent stuff from RS, can't remember the name or where it is, which is why I bought the Servisol.

[citroenxm]

Does that physically clean corrosion and crap off the terminals steve?

Ps was really great to see you the other weekend! Your looking well steve!

[myglaren]

Does that physically clean corrosion and crap off the terminals steve?

Ps was really great to see you the other weekend! Your looking well steve!

Thanks Paul, too brief as usual.
I haven't used it on corroded contacts yet Paul, just use it as a mater of course when fiddling around with switched and plugs. Chicken soup for electrics

[dnsey]

Don't just spray it on, though.
Take a bit of card (the roughish grey sort), wet it with contact cleaner, and use it to polish the oxidation from the contacts. Don't use abrasive paper, which will damage them.

[Hell Razor5543]

Neat Servisol is very expensive, and is used by NASA on their equipment, so it gives you an idea how good it should be (but is also very expensive for it neat!).

[CitroJim]

Maplin do a very acceptable one...

[Northern_Mike]

Perhaps NASA should use that instead Jim, given their reliability record on human spaceflight.

I bet the Russians don't use it on the reliable old Soyuz. ..

Sent from my SM-N9005 using Tapatalk

[Mandrake]

Hard to beat LPS1 for this sort of application:

http://www.lpslabs.com/product-details/560" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

My Dad used it professionally for decades in both electronics and mechanical work...(I've used it too for about 20 years)

It's a rust penetrant and greaseless lubricant that can dissolve and dislodge corrosion among other things.

As well as the typical car related uses like un-seizing rusty nuts and bolts, lubricating door locks etc it is perfect for switch contacts, relay contacts, potentiometers, any kind of connector including spade terminals and so on.

It's not the same as an alcohol based "contact cleaner" because it deliberately leaves behind a thin dry non-conductive (very high breakdown voltage) liquid film that protects the surfaces from further oxidation...

A normal contact cleaner leaves no residue so the corrosion happens again quickly for example in a potentiometer or the contacts in a plug - the thin film this stuff leaves behind prevents surface oxidation. Spray it in a scratchy potentiometer and the fix lasts for years not months...

On a connector you would spray some into the female contacts then connect and unplug the connector about 3-4 times in a row which will scrape the corrosion off the mating surfaces, when you're finished a protective film stays on the contacts to prevent re-oxidation...

I even used to routinely use it in the ISA and PCI slots in PC's when repairing them - its amazing how many had intermittent hardware related crashes that were simply corrosion on the edge connectors! This stuff was almost a miracle cure for that particular problem...pull the card out, spray some along inside the slot, push the card in and out 3-4 times, job done, no more intermittent connection and it lasted for years.

Easy to buy in NZ. (and the US) Hard to buy in the UK though, I've only found one online retailer who has it.

[myglaren]

Useful to know Simon, I'll try and get hold of some of that.
The volume pot on my stereo can be a bit spluttery sometimes. It is a replacement, about five years ago and was difficult to obtain and eye-wateringly expensive so avoiding replacement again would be desirable.

I see RS and Cromwell Tools both have it and both a hop, skip and a jump from here.

[Mandrake]

I was just about to say, I'm pretty sure that I ordered mine from Cromwell:

https://www.cromwell.co.uk/LPS7271150P" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

It's not too expensive for the spray can size. I noticed that RS lists it online too, but on their website it says it's a "discontinued product" ! It said that more than a year ago too when I bought a can from Cromwell...

[Richard_C]

I recently picked up a can of "WD40 specialist contact cleaner" which seems to do the job. Nicely packaged as well, you don't lose the spray tube. I got mine by chance in a Lidl or Aldi but a search will find it at Maplin and Screwfix among others. I had a little can of cleaner which lasted me about 20 years so this bigger can may well see me out .... need to consult actuarial tables.

[CitroJim]

I had a little can of cleaner which lasted me about 20 years so this bigger can may well see me out .... need to consult actuarial tables.

That made me giggle Richard...

I must admit a can of it seems to last me a good while but also being into vintage wireless, not that long...

This thread reminds me that I'm currently out and must get some more. I like the captive spray tube idea. I'm always loosing spray tubes and it seems every can has a differently sized one...

[Mandrake]

This thread reminds me that I'm currently out and must get some more. I like the captive spray tube idea. I'm always loosing spray tubes and it seems every can has a differently sized one...

I've now taken to storing the spray tubes from spray cans (including my LPS can) in the clear plastic flip open container on the top of my toolbox!! I got sick of loosing them...

[myglaren]

I recently picked up a can of "WD40 specialist contact cleaner" which seems to do the job. Nicely packaged as well, you don't lose the spray tube. I got mine by chance in a Lidl or Aldi but a search will find it at Maplin and Screwfix among others. I had a little can of cleaner which lasted me about 20 years so this bigger can may well see me out .... need to consult actuarial tables.

I have some here from 1992. Can never find it when I want it and end up substituting (meths, generally) or buying something else and losing that.
Always find the one I wanted once the job is done or I have bought a replacement - that subsequently disappears too.