De-Oxit to Clean Circuit Boards & Components??

Stevesmullen

Stevesmullen

Well-Known Member
Is is okay to spray down the whole Circuit board with DE-Oxit??
What is the best way to clean up a Circuit Board?
I have a SA-608 that has a oily film on it possibly from excessive pot lube.
 
deoxit is alittle expensive Sm, I like to blow some air on the boards first, then use some dry paintbrushes to get the dry stuff off, then air again. Then a wet paintrush with either warm soapy water or windex to genty scrub the boards, then clean water to rinse, followed by q-tips and rags, I even like to polish the transformers and whatever else I can with Lemon scent pledge.

I've read here where some guys like to use alittle WD-40 brushed onto the clean boards to give it a wet-look, I prefer to keep them dry. :thmbsp:
 
NO, deoxit leaves the deoxit behind, and any wandering dust particle STICKS...

The final cleaning should be with a circuit board cleaner or anhydrous isopoperol alcohol (probably the same thing). Rubbing alcohol has 30% water, and you would have to dry THAT away...

There are also other "electronic" cleaners that are "plastic safe".... also called zero residue cleaners.

Deoxit is used in switches and posts, where the motion scrubs the path clean. It's ONLY purpose is to loosen the chemical bonds between the metal and the metral sulphate corrosion that is causing the contact to be defective. The friction of the contacts sweeps the loosened stuff out of the way.

The best indicator is what industry does, which is clean dry boards... the results at the VERY least will be mnore noise on your phono circuits or other high impedance inputs. (It's called LEAKAGE)

In fact in industry, to keep the smutz OUT of the area in between traces, coats the board with a mask (green usually) that has holes in it where soldering is to be done.
 
Thanks for the Info.
I will look for the zero residue cleaners.
I have been using a product from Radio Shack called Control/Contact Cleaner and lubricant on my switches and knob contacts and it seems to work very well at cleaning and lubricating,but you do have to go easy or you will get the lube all over everything else.
Is there any reason that I should not be using the cleaner and Lube out of one can?
 
Stevesmullen said:
Thanks for the Info.
I will look for the zero residue cleaners.
I have been using a product from Radio Shack called Control/Contact Cleaner and lubricant on my switches and knob contacts and it seems to work very well at cleaning and lubricating,but you do have to go easy or you will get the lube all over everything else.
Is there any reason that I should not be using the cleaner and Lube out of one can?
Click to expand...

Contact cleaner cleans, lube lubricates, but neither attack the corrosion on old switch contacts....

I had GIVEN UP on vintage hi-fi a long while back, due to finding more and more totally BLACK contacts that NOTHING but abrasives would clean to a good contact surface. I had tried a wide range of chemicals (I have several years of college chemistry behind me) including that CLR stuff (phosphoric acid)... I wanted the "silver cleaning effect: seen when dipping silver in salt water with a sheet of aluminum foil in the salt water.... presto... shiny...

I became an advocate of "remote switching" where the actual signal was carried by reed relay contacts that were sealed in an inert atmosphere in a glass capsule.

Then I found and tried deoxit, and was shocked out of my skin when I saw that clean bright streak cut through the black oxidation after about 50 full actuations. Yes I have done teardown analysis on junk, BADLY corroded junk, and have resurrected it...
 
I am a newb, and don't know s#*&t compared to Bolly & others. I just wanted to throw out there that CRC makes a new product called Mass Air Flow sensor cleaner. It is plastic safe with zero residue, made for cleaning very expensive MAFs. I have used it a few times now with impressive results. Previously, you weren't supposed to clean the delicate sensor wire in these MAF's (also know as AMM- Air Mass Meter). It is also not expensive. It says on the can that it is ok for a electrical contact cleaner anywhere a zero residue, plastic safe cleaner is needed.

Dave

Edit: In case you don't know, MAF's are car parts. You can purchase this stuff in auto parts stores.
 
so youve used it on your receiver? Could you list the ingredients for it so they can compare to deoxit?
 
saltwater said:
so youve used it on your receiver? Could you list the ingredients for it so they can compare to deoxit?
Click to expand...

There is no comparison, the stuff leaves nothing behind, while deoxit is DESIGNED to leave the actual deoxit ingredient behind to EAT AWAY at the sulphate corrosion and nothing else.

How many different ways are there to say it? :sigh:

edit: the actual deoxit ingredient(s) are proprietary and are secret, so they're not talking....
 
fastertoyz said:
I am a newb, and don't know s#*&t compared to Bolly & others. I just wanted to throw out there that CRC makes a new product called Mass Air Flow sensor cleaner. It is plastic safe with zero residue, made for cleaning very expensive MAFs. I have used it a few times now with impressive results. Previously, you weren't supposed to clean the delicate sensor wire in these MAF's (also know as AMM- Air Mass Meter). It is also not expensive. It says on the can that it is ok for a electrical contact cleaner anywhere a zero residue, plastic safe cleaner is needed.

Dave

Edit: In case you don't know, MAF's are car parts. You can purchase this stuff in auto parts stores.
Click to expand...


They also make a product, QD Electronic Cleaner, about half the price(4.99) of the MAF stuff

From the label-Limpiador de Secado Rapido
OOPs-
-Quick drying formula(hence the QD I guess)
-Cleans and protects Sensitive electronic equipment
-Help prevent contact failure
-PLASTIC safe
-Leaves no residue

Just an FYI
 
Something to remember is that plastics of yesteryear are different than those used today. Modern cleaners that claim to be plastic safe usually only test with newer plastics. I bet the MAF cleaner was tested on the grade of plastic used in cars that can handle under hood heat, stress and such and not decades old plastic. In addition, many sprays come out in a very cold spray that can take micro fractures in a circuit board and expand it or make pastic components brittle. This can lead to broken circuits where one didn't exist.

For me, if I have something I can't replace, I manually clean it with mild cleaners and deoxit. If it's modern and replaceable, I use a can of circuit wash on it after blowing it off with air.
 
I think most of the concern about damage to plastics came from the change from CFC to HCFC for a less ozone destructive product. Pure CFC was great. Evaporated quickly, non-conductive, amazing degreaser, harmless to plastics. It was the propellant in aerosol cans for years. You may still be able to buy it for some specific industrial applications, but the government's charge is ridiculous.

Alcohol based degreasers should not effect plastics. But, it is slower drying and flammable. Should not damage a circuit board.

For the specific task of cleaning controls in audio equipment, nothing beats deoxit.
 
but this cleaner should work perfect for cleaning the little brass stuff in the tuner section, right? and then some fader lube
 
Don't spray the air variable capacitor in your tuner with anything except canned air.
 
Windwalker said:
no just the little brass rod\fittings as the go through\into the sections

oh yea and has noted above\everywhere-it"s deoxit for me on all pots
Click to expand...

You need to milk a drop or two out of the can AWAY from the capacitor, and then drop it into the center bearing area.

If you spray it accidentially, you will HATE yourself for a LONG LONG time....
 
markthefixer said:
You need to milk a drop or two out of the can AWAY from the capacitor, and then drop it into the center bearing area.

If you spray it accidentially, you will HATE yourself for a LONG LONG time....
Click to expand...

Yea I've got a little plastic bottle with, for like of better terms, a hypodermic needle lid on it. Spray some cleaner in that and then use to apply to tight spots
 
chameloman72 said:
Is deoxit GOLD just as good as Faderlube? Or is one significantlly better?
Click to expand...

not just comparing apples and oranges, but apples and peanuts....

deoxit Gold is a protector, it won't loosen corrosion like deoxit, but it will protect against corrosion. it isn't a lubricant


faderlube doesn't protect against corrosion, but it is a lubricant.

regular deoxit breaks bonds between metal and corroded metal
gold prevents the corrosion
faderlube just lubricates.
 
markthefixer said:
not just comparing apples and oranges, but apples and peanuts....

deoxit Gold is a protector, it won't loosen corrosion like deoxit, but it will protect against corrosion. it isn't a lubricant


faderlube doesn't protect against corrosion, but it is a lubricant.

regular deoxit breaks bonds between metal and corroded metal
gold prevents the corrosion
faderlube just lubricates.
Click to expand...

Thanks Mark!!:thmbsp:
 
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