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snip
09-04-2010, 19:53
Hi there,

I have a bunch of old valves that I want to clean the contacts pins on.

Some of them are quite badly oxidized as in they are almost completely black.

How do you guys clean yours? I am tempted to try and stand one in an inch of cola and then rinse it after 20 minutes, while this should work for the ones where the pins come directly out of the glass body I guess it could gunk up the ones that have a bakelite/plastic base.


//J
DSJR
09-04-2010, 20:02
What about one of those glass-fibre "pens" used for cleaning circuit track? That should hopefully do it...
snip
09-04-2010, 20:16
What about one of those glass-fibre "pens" used for cleaning circuit track? That should hopefully do it...

That's a good idea, maybe I should try that first and then if they do not become clean move on to a chemical solution, deoxit seems to be the stuff everyone raves about, but it is very expensive.

//J
DSJR
09-04-2010, 20:18
You know, plugging the valves in and working them up and down in their sockets should work as well too if these valves are ones you use and you're careful with them..
snip
09-04-2010, 20:44
You know, plugging the valves in and working them up and down in their sockets should work as well too if these valves are ones you use and you're careful with them..

Yet another good idea :)

I will be selling some of these once I am done with my little tube rolling adventure though, so it would be nice if they are nice and shiny though :)

//J
aquapiranha
09-04-2010, 20:57
fine steel wool works, and cheap.
hifi_dave
09-04-2010, 21:36
You've got to be very careful not to remove too much and thereby make the pins a loose fit in the bases. Also, you really need to be careful that there are no residues or steel whiskers to cause an arc over across the pins...:eek:
aquapiranha
09-04-2010, 21:42
You've got to be very careful not to remove too much and thereby make the pins a loose fit in the bases. Also, you really need to be careful that there are no residues or steel whiskers to cause an arc over across the pins...:eek:

Indeed. You are talking to Steve 'fingers' aquapiranha though...

Don't ask.... :lol:
goraman
09-04-2010, 23:02
1 min. in a small dish of CLR then rinse them off and dry them.
snip
11-04-2010, 02:15
1 min. in a small dish of CLR then rinse them off and dry them.

What's CLR?

//Jan
goraman
11-04-2010, 03:33
It's a product here in America,mabey you guys have it there but it will remove Rust,lime,scale any oxidisation with in one min.
even rust in a drive way.