[Milsurplus] Way OT: Is soot corrosive?

[Bruce Gentry]

  This is definately not OT.  With careless outdoor storage of surplus 
gear and efforts to de-mil stuff in recent times, it's a  part of many 
restorations. Smoke and soot damage is a serious and real problem, but 
can be overcome. It takes patience, because everything that can be 
washed must be. The hydrocarbons in the smoke don't usually cause that 
much problems, it's salts and oxides that are the big culprits. 
Fortunately, they are also for the most part water soluable. The 
restoration is much like cleaning off salt water residue, or 
decontaminating tobacco stench- cleaners, copious hot water rinses, and 
drying in hot air at reasonable temperature.  I have had great success 
over the years, both sea water dunked and  smoked up.  A cleaner that 
contains ammonia is also best for removing the smell, it worked 
perfectly with one piece of gear I couldn't bring into the house because 
of the stench. No question why the owner before me was SK.

      Bruce Gentry, KA2IVY


On 3/8/14 3:11 PM, Mark K3MSB wrote:
> A local ham had a small fire in his house and soot got over ( and in )
> everything.   He wrote me
>
> "I want to know if my ham gear is cleaned up will residue soot being
> corrosive eat the boards."
>
> He runs plastic Yaewoodcom type radios. I'd assume if soot is corrosive and
> the boards in the radios lack conformal coating the answer is probably yes,
> but that's a guess.
>
> Any ideas?
>
> Mark K3MSB
>
> Sent from my Android phone
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