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Contact cleaner recipe?

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studio45 View Drop Down
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    Posted: 28 January 2020 at 3:12pm
Been Googling about trying to work out what is in Deoxit in an attempt to not have to pay £25 per small can of the damned stuff. Got as far as working out that it must contain oleic acid as the de-oxidising agent and that the main solvent is naptha, aka Coleman stove fuel. 

Anyone got an idea of what else might be in there? A light oil like 3-in-1 perhaps, to remain as a lubricant after the naptha evaporates? 

I'm worried the oleic is going to hang around after doing its work, and maybe cause corrosion, or just get sticky and attract dust. Maybe Deoxit solved that issue and that's why it is so expensive? Or is it just a case of not putting too much it? A 5% by volume solution certainly cleans up copper pennies a treat, and that's really not very much...
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote ceharden Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28 January 2020 at 8:21pm
Electrolube EML200 is cheaper and I find it quite effective in many situations.  However just squirting contact cleaner/lubricant into potentiometers is only ever a temporary fix/partial solution.  If you can disassemble them and clean the tracks/contacts with some EML200 on a cotton bud then you get very good results.  Works especially well on more expensive crossfaders etc.  Alongside a little light oil on the mechanical slides.

Don't use ordinary oil on electrical contacts, it's an insulator!

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote mk2_ginger_biscuit69 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28 January 2020 at 9:31pm
Originally posted by ceharden ceharden wrote:


Don't use ordinary oil on electrical contacts, it's an insulator!




i can confirm that used engine oil is also a superb insulator. After a split hose covered the van engine, nearly every electric contact needed removing and cleaning, just need a steam cleaner to sort out the rest!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Meat Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28 January 2020 at 9:50pm
You sure about the oleic acid? That should just stick to metal oxides. It's a very standard stabiliser for oxides in nanotechnology (many ferrofluids use this). I don't think that's gonna work.

Looking at the MSDS I see Pentafluoropropane and isobutanol with a proprietry deoxidising agent. Both of these are very good penetrating solvents with not too low boiling points which should be a nice carrier to do the bit with the magic stuff.

That's the key; low surface tension carrier with highish boiling point and good ability to solubilise whatever crud gets made. Good luck and try not to blow yourself up trying reverse egg-gin-earing. ;)
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Wikl109 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28 January 2020 at 10:42pm
I use Electrolube now. It is one of the products that will work on both pots & faders. I recently had to gut an ex-install A&H Xone mixer that had been filled with Coca-Cola. The owner said the X-fader was beyond help, but after several hours dismantling, Fairy-Liquid flushing, then treating with Electrolube, it now works perfectly.

Edited by Wikl109 - 28 January 2020 at 10:45pm
Cheers, Chris.
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studio45 View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote studio45 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29 January 2020 at 10:58am
Originally posted by Meat Meat wrote:

You sure about the oleic acid? That should just stick to metal oxides. It's a very standard stabiliser for oxides in nanotechnology (many ferrofluids use this). I don't think that's gonna work.

Looking at the MSDS I see Pentafluoropropane and isobutanol with a proprietry deoxidising agent. Both of these are very good penetrating solvents with not too low boiling points which should be a nice carrier to do the bit with the magic stuff.

That's the key; low surface tension carrier with highish boiling point and good ability to solubilise whatever crud gets made. Good luck and try not to blow yourself up trying reverse egg-gin-earing. ;)
I'm guessing the oleic attacks the metal and dissolves the surface so the oxide falls off? Which is a bit scary but we're only talking a few atoms I hope! Only tried it on copper coins so far, but it certainly gets them bright and shiny quite quickly. Lifts the oxide right off, which forms a green scum layer over the oleic solution. 
Perhaps it'd be a case of applying my dreadful nostrum, waiting a day and then flushing out with pure solvent, followed by a light oiling. I will give it a try and report back....

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