[Hallicrafters] Re: Cleaning up old equipment

[Phil Barnes-Roberts [WA6DZS]]

vintage-audio-request at mailman.qth.net wrote:
> From: LeeHazen at aol.com
> I use Ronsonal Lighter fluid for cleaning the tape path.  It is good for getting old
> built up oxide off guides and pinch rollers.  {Sparingly, yes; IPA in a pinch, likewise...}

> Cut a thin strip of 3M green scrubber and lay it in the area between the 
> finger contacts and exercise the switch.  The blades will clean up like new.  I then
> spray them with the contact cleaner to preserve them.
> 
> The 3M scrubber also cleans up the brushed metal sides of a Wollensak very
> nicely.  
> ------------------------------
> From: "Duane Fischer, W8DBF" <dfischer at usol.com>

> I generally use either a clean piece of high grade white cloth or a two inch 
> gauze pad on tape decks.
... the one dollar bill has been used for decades to
> clean dirty relay contacts in just the manner you detailed. It also works 
> very good. Both your method and the old dollar bill one reflect a similar 
> process, but what?
> 
> Why does that dollar bill work guys? Even better, does the new bill work as 
> well as the old bills? 
> ------------------------------
> From: LeeHazen at aol.com
> An interesting way to clean video heads is to take a business card,
> put head cleaner on it, and hold it against the video drum and then rock the
> drum back and forth to remove oxide buildup.  I've found this to work well on
> a seriously clogged video head.  Do not move the card vertically or the 
> fragile
> head can be broken.
> 
> The irregular surface of a dollar bill and a business card may help remove
> contaminants from switch contacts.  The cotton content may assist the
> cleaning process.  I've not tried a Dollar bill for cleaning - first time 
> I've heard this.  The 3M scrubber material definitely will scratch metal and polish it.
> It is wonderful for restoring stainless steel surfaces by rubbing with the 
> grain.
> 
> It will also remove surface rust and help prepare painted surfaces for 
> re-painting.
> ------------------------------
> From: "Duane Fischer, W8DBF" <dfischer at usol.com>
> I do not know about tape or video heads, but I have used the one dollar bill 
> method on relay contact points for many years. Perhaps the U.S. Mint is 
> including 'something' in the bill to foil counterfitters that helps radio 
> buffs! Just as either the ink on that business card, or the actual texture 
> of the card, work with a video head, perhaps the silk fibers and ? in the 
> ink work for the greenback.
'---O=o=O---'
Good thread, guys, thanks; I'm in the midst of trying to remove some 
ugly gray spots on the (Cad-plated?) chassis of an SX-88, and Flitz 
isn't getting it at all.  Makes the rest look nice, though.  Windex is 
sure worth a try.  Any ideas for getting into tight corners between IF 
cans?  I'll be trying orange sticks to push rags around in there.

I've used ScotchBrite pads for making 'brushed' Aluminum chassis on 
projects at JPL; usually in the deep-sink with some soap or detergent 
and warm water.  Removes factory and skin oils, dry with paper towels, 
leaves it ready for a spritz of Clear Krylon.  Does a nice job, since no 
longer having access to a bead-blaster that I used at Hughes Hybrids 
back when.  That left a nice satin finish, that we then washed, 
lettered with a Koh-I-Noor pen, and Kryloned.

Dollar bills and business cards (yeah, probably the cotton rag content) 
reminds me of cleaning relay contacts in the S-line (32S-3) transmitter. 
  Every few weeks in RVN (NavMC MARS RTTY and phone patching at N0EFB, 
N0EFC, N0EFD), even in air-conditioning, output/plate current would fall 
off in transmit, and the cure was (obviously, power-OFF and THEN) open 
the PA cage, reach in with a strip of yellow teletype tape (stiffened by 
folding in one edge) and gently pulling it through the NC contacts a few 
times, then holding the armature in, pulling it again through the NO 
contacts.  The trace of oil in the tape (which helped keep punches and 
TDs lubed) helped deter oxide buildup as well, without using cleaner. 
But with the lack of tape around here these days, I'll have to remember 
the dollar trick.  Thanks again!
--
73, Phil Barnes-Roberts WA6DZS  DM04we | Mailto:wa6dzs at arrl dot net
Bio and address at http://www.qrz.com/callsign/WA6DZS  626-791-0851h
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