[Milsurplus] Contact Cleaner WD-40

[Bruce Gentry]

The only time WD-40 should be used is for a first step in a switch or 
pot that  is mechanically stiff or  full of really obvious crud. 
However, use it only as a preliminary cleaner. If it's left for more 
than a few hours, the solvent evaporates and the remaining residue is 
worse than the dirt was in the first place. Mineral spirits or Stoddard 
solvent are even better for that kind of cleaning. None of these attack 
oxide or tarnish on the contact surfaces, however, and must be used only 
as a first step.They need to be flushed out with a solvent type contact 
cleaner before applying a cleaner with some sort of lubricant and/or 
de-oxidizer. Good contact cleaners such as DeOxit use oliec acid, it 
attacks tarnish and oxidation. I deal with dozens of cruddy pots and 
switches every day, once a solvent has gotten the dirt out, and a 
contact cleaner that lubes and de-oxidizes is applied, I use a tiny drop 
of Mobil 1  0W-15 synthetic engine oil on the shaft bearing and detent 
balls.  For wafer switches in RF circuits and low level audio, don't use 
a cleaner that leaves any kind of residue. WD-40 can alter the 
dielectric character of a wafer switch and make proper alignment 
difficult or impossible.

      Bruce Gentry, KA2IVY

On 11/12/13 9:23 PM, B. Smith wrote:
> Has anyone tried using WD-40 as a contact cleaner on wafer switches 
> ?   -   -   -  perhaps just use a very small amount and a Q tip or 
> perhaps a toothpick as a applicator . Some have suggested on other 
> sites that you can spray it into the older toggle switches  to restore 
> the switching action and even use it on  older variable potentiometers.
>
> 73
> breck k4che
>
>
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