"GregS" wrote in message
...
In article
,
Dubtron wrote:
On Sep 18, 10:28=A0am, GeneO wrote:
Have been Googling the proper way to clean plated electrical contacts
but either get nothing if use " or a lot of nonrelevant hits without.

Am interested in any suggestions esp how to remove the nonconductive
oxides.

If a connector is too damaged would also be interested in what are
considered the best type replacement.

Thanks

Gene

I have had very good luck repairing low current relay contacts and
mechanical rotary switches using "tarn-x" silver cleaner containing
acidified thiourea. MSDS: http://www.jelmar.com/msds/TX_MSDS_eng.pdf.
If you take the relay or switch apart to get to the contacts, use a
cotton swab with a small amount of cleaner and apply to the oxidized
(tarnished) surfaces. They shine right up and the surface does not
appear to be damaged by it. Then dry and apply a very light film of
silicone based contact cleaner to keep the air away and help with
lubrication. Works great for speaker relays in amplifiers and mode
switches for VCR's.



Silicone based products are really not a good thing, at least thats what
some say. However sometimes a silicone grease is used to
protect connections. Silicone sprays were common 30 years ago.
I don't recall any of the more common recommended sprays having
silicone. I see mixed recommendations of lubing relays.
Some say no, but I do.

greg

Years ago, we used to treat the long multipole open slide switches that were
fitted to dual standard TV sets, to a liberal does of white heatsink paste.
This did a grand job of stopping the sections that did the timebase
switching, from arcing, and the sections that did the low-level signal
switching, from tarnishing and becoming intermittent. Happy days. Gentler
times ...

Arfa