Cleaning tube pins/sockets

[yrly]

Anyone out there do this besides me? What do you use and how do you do it? I generally clean the sockets on really old amplifiers, tubes usually only if they are used and look like they need it. I popped a few used RCA 12AX7s into the Electrohome VA-100mk2 tonight and cleaned the sockets and tube pins, sounded better but it could have just been the different tubes.

[arfz28]

I clean the tube pins with 400 grit sandpaper really shines them up. After wiping the tube pins off with a clean rag I then put on some Caig progold on them and then put them in the tube sockets. Cleaning tube sockets is a pain, here is how I do it. I take one of those small model paint bushes and put some Caig dexoit on it and then work it into each tube pin socket, it takes a while to do a whole amp put it will get them sockets clean. Also you dont have a mess trying to spray the stuff into the tube sockets and getting it all over the place and inside the amp were it doesnt belong. After I get the tube sockets nice and clean with the Caig dexoit I then aply some Caig progold to the brush and work it into the tube sockets again. Progold can take the heat of the tubes better than the dexoit and seems to last a long time. If your tube sockets really look clean you can skip the dexoit step and just use the progold. This seams to work for me and really makes no mess at all too your tube amp but does take a little time. Just me 2 cents worth.

[Jack G]

Originally posted by arfz28
I clean the tube pins with 400 grit sandpaper really shines them up. After wiping the tube pins off with a clean rag I then put on some Caig progold on them and then put them in the tube sockets. Cleaning tube sockets is a pain, here is how I do it. I take one of those small model paint bushes and put some Caig dexoit on it and then work it into each tube pin socket, it takes a while to do a whole amp put it will get them sockets clean. Also you dont have a mess trying to spray the stuff into the tube sockets and getting it all over the place and inside the amp were it doesnt belong. After I get the tube sockets nice and clean with the Caig dexoit I then aply some Caig progold to the brush and work it into the tube sockets again. Progold can take the heat of the tubes better than the dexoit and seems to last a long time. If your tube sockets really look clean you can skip the dexoit step and just use the progold. This seams to work for me and really makes no mess at all too your tube amp but does take a little time. Just me 2 cents worth.

Bad move. I used to use Pro-gold on tube pins/sockets, but it gets nasty after a while-even the high temp version. Then its a MAJOR mess to clean up.
Deoxit works well on really nasty tubes, but it must be washed off before the tube is used.
Now, the only cleaner I use is isopropanol.
Jack

[Chad Hauris]

Based only on personal experience I have had success with cleaning away any dust from the socket and then just spraying the deoxit in, and also spraying deoxit on the tube pins. Have not had any problems with unusual build-up even when leaving the deoxit on the tube pins. I only spray the deoxit when moving the tube in the socket creates noise or other intermittant problems.

[Jack G]

Maybe its just me.
I did use very small amounts progold, but its till got cruddy.

Side note: progold seems to be a better cleaner than ehnancer.
put it on, take it off, and your pins are clean.

That said, I have used deoxit on some really cruddy tube pins with good success, but I wash it off before using the tube.
For really nasty pins, I use silver polish and an electric tooth brush.
Jack

[Thatch_Ear]

For mini 7 and 9 pin tubes;
I never have made an effort to clean sockets but for tube pins I use a cap off a water bottle, put Tarnex in it deep enough to go half way up the tube pins and leave the tube standing in it about 2 minutes. Then you have to carefully rinse with hot water and dry off. Make sure you get ALL the Tarnex off because it is an acid solution.
Tube sockets with bad connections are often caused from the metal sleeve being loose. A very gentle squeeze with some precision pliers can help get a good connection. The act of pushing the tube pins into the socket scrapes the metal and makes a good connection.
Anytime I use DeOxit on gear I get after it with a hair dryer on high heat and fan. That tends to blow excess liquid away before it dries taking the crud you were cleaning with it.
Caig Lube any carbon pots you cleaned. I have found little use for the Pro Gold.

[arfz28]

Originally posted by arfz28
I clean the tube pins with 400 grit sandpaper really shines them up. After wiping the tube pins off with a clean rag I then put on some Caig progold on them and then put them in the tube sockets. Cleaning tube sockets is a pain, here is how I do it. I take one of those small model paint bushes and put some Caig dexoit on it and then work it into each tube pin socket, it takes a while to do a whole amp put it will get them sockets clean. Also you dont have a mess trying to spray the stuff into the tube sockets and getting it all over the place and inside the amp were it doesnt belong. After I get the tube sockets nice and clean with the Caig dexoit I then aply some Caig progold to the brush and work it into the tube sockets again. Progold can take the heat of the tubes better than the dexoit and seems to last a long time. If your tube sockets really look clean you can skip the dexoit step and just use the progold. This seams to work for me and really makes no mess at all too your tube amp but does take a little time. Just me 2 cents worth.
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Bad move. I used to use Pro-gold on tube pins/sockets, but it gets nasty after a while-even the high temp version. Then its a MAJOR mess to clean up.
Deoxit works well on really nasty tubes, but it must be washed off before the tube is used.
Now, the only cleaner I use is isopropanol.
Jack

Jack I just went down and pulled every tube out of my scott 299a and checked the tube sockets and pins everything is nice and shinny.Its been about 9 months since I did this treatment and am very happy with it. In fact I probably will do it on a yearly basis. I guess do what works for you, so far so good for me I like the progold.

[yrly]

I had socket contact problems in the Electrohome that were not related to the socket being loose but rather it was appently stored quite some time without a 12AX7 in the second socket. I was quite surprised, I got that preamp very cheaply on ebay because it was in lousy cosmetic condition (which does not bother me) and despite the fact it was apparently stored some time I bought it up on the variac and it is dead silent, quite good for such an old preamp, has to date to the 60s. I have heard modern equipment louder than that. Also had to clean the rectifier socket because there was no 6X4 in it either. May have had too much gain for someone's amp because they replaced the other 12AX7s with 12AU7s instead. Which I tested and found that aside from lower gain it sounded just fine. Right now it has 12AX7s from RCA and I have a TungSol 6X4WA, been the setup for over a year. I switched to different RCAs last night, an earlier date code, that tested similar so I think the socket/tube cleaning had more to do with the sound difference than anything. Nice little preamp for $25. Use it with one of my two Fisher RS-1060s and a Peavey 120 watt tube power amp (just got done substituting NOS tubes into that one, granted it may be for guitar use but sounds good once you get the proper tubes in it, and it only cost me $100 on a BIN auction in like new condition), lot of power but the room I have it in has a 10 foot ceiling and needs quite a bit to get the sound going. Lets me match the volume of the two units and control it with one knob. Very warm and smooth sounding preamp. Reminds me of another brand that I had auditioned somewhere along the way (but I forget this by now). Someone should make a little brush like used for battery posts to use on the pins. Now that would be a good idea.

[Jack G]

Originally posted by arfz28

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Jack I just went down and pulled every tube out of my scott 299a and checked the tube sockets and pins everything is nice and shinny.Its been about 9 months since I did this treatment and am very happy with it. In fact I probably will do it on a yearly basis. I guess do what works for you, so far so good for me I like the progold.

I'm glad you don't have a problem. Mine turned gunky. I spent a whole day cleaning all my tubes and sockets. All had gunk.
Everything sounded better after it was cleaned up.
Good luck.
Jack

[Robert Hutton]

I have found that Caig is terrible on tube pins, on small 9 pins it can migrate into the pin seal and cause cracks to form and loss of vacuum, at best, it gunks up the pins. I've lost a few good tubes this way.

A far better approach is to use Flitz, very sparingly and lightly only to the top 2/3 of the pins. Easy, much better - cleaner - polish achieved, and no deterioration of the seal.

Then I've recently been topping it off with a bit of Walker SST on the pins - again, careful to only lightly coat the top two-thirds of the pins. Absolutely spectacular sonically.

[Thatch_Ear]

Yes, I am very carefull about how much of the pin gets put into the Tarnex and use a paper towel with hot water to get the Tarnex off, then a dry one to get any damp off. A good tooled aluminum pin straightener always helps a bit too.
Every once in a while I happen upon old consoles or organs on the curb and some of the tubes that get rained on after years of dust can get pretty nasty. Too make sure I don't get tubes confused if the label gets removed with the dirt I keep a Sharpy handy to write on the tubes. I mark the readings on the tubes when testing as well.
Some people want that Telefunken or Mullard label to show, so they can show off. I just want to know what it is and to listen so labels sometimes get cleaned off with dirt.
As far as dealing with really nasty sockets a very fine bristled brass brush is very good for getting at least part way down the pin hole. Buy plastic handled ones in the Everythings a Buck Store and cut or break off most of it leaving a small amount of brush on the handle. Brass won't damage anything unless you try to and you need to have brass or stainless brushes for cleaning solder anyway.
Drastic measures is using a piece of copper wire the same guage as the pins and using it to ream out the pin hole.
I never have tried any chemicals for cleaning sockets but would think an alcohol spray would work best since it will evaporate completely. Bottled isopropal has too much water, so don't try that.
Some forms of alcohol can be quite solvent, so if you are driven to use it have some canned air or a hair dryer to evaporate the stuff off quickly.

[Jack G]

>>>Bottled isopropal has too much water, so don't try that.
<<<
Its not hard to get 99+% isopropanol.
Jack

[Chad Hauris]

When on a trip through Indiana, I found 99% isopropyl alcohol in the health and beauty section at Meijer, this is the only consumer store I have seen it in. 99% is the same strength as the stuff you can buy from the electronics distributor specially for electronics cleaning. However as Thatch Ear said a lot of the IPA you find is 70 or 50 percent which is too much water content...but even if 99% is not available, I have found that 91% works well for general cleaning such as tape heads, have not had any problems with rust formation. 91% is usually available where the more diluted versions can be found, such as the grocery or drugstore.

[Jack G]

You can get 99% isopropyl in auto parts stores.
A small bottle will last years.
Jack

[Thatch_Ear]

Starting Fluid spray?

[Jack G]

Supposedly to remove water from the gastank and lines.
NOT THE PRETROLIUM DISTILATES!
Isopropyl isn't very good for that, but that's not what I use it for.
I think its called HEET(?).
Jack

[Thatch_Ear]

Yellow bottle, less than a buck. I keep some around for bad gas. I'll use that next time I need it. As a matter of fact sooner. I can use it on the glue when I refoam these 4 15" woofs. The drug store crap leaves a lot to be desired.
Thanks Jack!!

[meggy]

A great non-chem alternative.

Just tried it. Works great. Razor-blade slice a #2 pencil eraser to make a custom fit edge. Gets the full pin and no chance of a chem breaking the vacum.

Left over idea from my pre-teen H.O. (slot) car days. We used to use an eraser to clean the contacts and points in the armature.

[Bluelobster]

Caig deoxit in the sockets to clean them. Take an old tube and put deoxit on the pins insert and remove a few times to wipe the socket.
Lemon juice with a distilled water rinse after for the pins. Lemon juice is a mild citric acid solution, just enough for a couple minuet dip.
I use Isopropyl to clean the resin off after soldering

[pocketchange]

If it's good enough for NASA, it'll work for me.
Grain Alcohol and pipe cleaners for sockets along wth a very fine guage round instrument file and the preservative of your choice.
Tarnex for pins. Clean off the Tarnex with distilled water and
grain alcohol. A small Dremel brass rotary brush works well to dress the pins if you have a light touch.