[Premium-Rx] Lubricants for electronics

ONL4234 ONL4234 at telenet.be
Fri Oct 24 14:22:15 EDT 2014 

A puff of pure graphite powder into a recalcitrant & irreplaceable old 
potentiometer will indeed work wonders.

Peter De Coninck ONL4234 aka AmpDoctor

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Gary Geissinger" <ggeissinger at digitalglobe.com>
To: <premium-rx at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Friday, October 24, 2014 8:13 PM
Subject: Re: [Premium-Rx] Lubricants for electronics


>I have been restoring aircraft radio gear from WW-2. Often these include 
>dynamotors that need to have the bearings cleaned and lubricated. After 
>considerable research tracking through old and new military specifications 
>I have settled on AeroShell 33 grease for bearings, gears, slide plates, 
>and bushings.  First the old lubricant must be removed using Stoddard 
>Solvent which in reality is little more than kerosene. Isopropanol also 
>removes many lubricants as well.
>
> I have been using AeroShell 33 on the appropriate locations in SP-600 and 
> R-390 receivers as well.  It doesn't take much and certainly reduces 
> friction and wear while it "stays put."  I haven't seen the migration that 
> silicone based lubricants exhibit.  It is synthetic Lithium grease and so 
> far hasn't damaged any non metallic items I have tested.  By military 
> specification it doesn't smell "rancid" like many common lubricants do.
>
> Aircraft Spruce sells AeroShell 33 in rational quantities (tube for grease 
> gun).  I bought a can of solvent from NAPA (big can).  I spoke with a 
> chemist with the company who formulates the solvent for NAPA.  He finally 
> admitted that is essentially Stoddard Solvent.
>
> Gary WA0SPM, member US Army MARS
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>
>> On Oct 24, 2014, at 11:52 AM, "Peter Gottlieb" <hpnpilot at gmail.com> 
>> wrote:
>>
>> Interesting, thank you.
>>
>> Peter
>>
>>
>>> On 10/24/2014 1:49 PM, watkins-johnson at terryo.org wrote:
>>> My two preferred lubricants for electronics are Mobil 1 for places
>>> requiring a thin lubricant that doesn't squeeze out and Phil Woods
>>> Waterproof Grease (designed for bicycles) for places requiring a thicker
>>> lubricant.
>>>
>>> I started using Mobil 1after a tip from the R-390 users group.  In my
>>> experience with multiple premium receivers it doesn't creep onto
>>> surrounding surfaces.  I would use this on a tuning shaft any day.
>>>
>>> I first used the Phil Woods Grease while rebuilding my second R-389 (I 
>>> was
>>> young, strong, and foolish once), which has the most leaden manual 
>>> tuning
>>> knob of any receiver I've ever owned.  It didn't work miracles but the
>>> tuning was much better than the first one I rebuilt.
>>>
>>> Once of the stranger lubricant tricks I ever picked up was from a guitar
>>> amp technician.  If you have a noisy and irreplaceable potentiometer,
>>> Lock-Ease graphite lock spray works great for filling in the noisy pits 
>>> on
>>> a degrading pot.  The trick is to use it sparingly and infrequently. 
>>> This
>>> is a tip that can go bad in electronic circuits in a hurry, but 
>>> sometimes
>>> it's the only option.
>>>
>>> Terry O'
>>> http://watkins-Johnson.terryo.org
>>> http://BlackRadios.terryo.org
>>>
>>>
>>>> Hi Boris!
>>>>   I would caution against using silicone spray in electronics: When I 
>>>> was
>>>> in industry, it was explained to me that silicones can break down into
>>>> lesser products, i.e. Silicon Dioxide (SiO2), or sand!  It might be
>>>> permissible to use it on a shaft, but I would rather use something like
>>>> Kroil, or another penetrating oil to get a stuck part moving, then
>>>> gradually work more light oil into it to flush out rust, and afterwards
>>>> use a drop or two of heavy synthetic oil.  Just my two cents worth...
>>>> 73,   Tom Herman, PhD., CETma. N1BEC/7
>>>>
>>>>> From: ua3mcj at mail.ru
>>>>> To: cfuller1 at gmail.com
>>>>> Date: Fri, 24 Oct 2014 08:39:21 +0400
>>>>> CC: Premium-Rx at mailman.qth.net
>>>>> Subject: Re: [Premium-Rx] Collins HF-2050
>>>>>
>>>>>  Hello Chris,
>>>>>
>>>>> At first find location of bearing in main tuning shaft, spray it with
>>>>> Silicone Spray, rotate knob back and forth some few minutes it became
>>>>> ease to move after that.
>>>>> Then add  few drops of synthetic oil ( oil must NOT became dry with 
>>>>> the
>>>>> time).
>>>>>
>>>>> Make some inspection, probably  few more bearings there, if so do the
>>>>> same with them.
>>>>>
>>>>> Also check for rust in the shafts sleeves there, if yes, use rust
>>>>> remover.
>>>>> Remove dust, dirt with pressed air if compressor available. Remove all
>>>>> old, dryed grease if used in and replace with fresh one...Then enjoy
>>>>> with smooth tuning knob rotation...
>>>>>
>>>>> B.R.
>>>>> Boris
>>>>> UA3MCJ
>>>>>
>>>>>
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