[GreenKeys] Plug and jack maintenance?

[WA5CAB at cs.com]

I was going to recommend the same thing for the plugs.  But I'll caution that 
you can't today depend upon the pad color (even from Scotch) as being 
indicative of the equivalent grit.  I have here some green pads that are about 60 
grit.  They are about what you would want if you were starting out to clean a 
badly rusted steel plate.  You wouldn't be very happy with what they would do to 
a brass PL-55.

The generic name of these things is aluminum oxide impregnated fiberglass 
mesh pad.  Or something similar.  I think a few contractors may also do them in 
tungsten carbide.

For the jacks, you will need a brush, as even if you cut the fiberglass pads 
into strips, they don't work well there.  I would recomment a .280 or .30 
caliber brass bore brush.

Also, although I have never found anyone who admitted to making them 
deliberately, I once found a batch of Chinese made pads on which they had forgotten to 
put any grit (they are also green).  These are the cat's meow for polishing 
bakelite.  I've been using them for years on BC-611 microphone and earphone 
caps (the early bakelite ones).

In a message dated 9/27/2008 10:51:02 PM Central Daylight Time, 
Teletypeparts at aol.com writes: 
> I use Scotch Brite, the green pads that you clean pots and pans with.  We 
> used it in commercal work on some large transmitter tube 
> plate/screen/grid/filament etc. metal surfaces without damage.  See what the 
> other guys say before you 
> take my advice to work.  
> 

Robert Downs - Houston
wa5cab dot com (Web Store)
MVPA 9480   
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