WD-40 to clean electric contacts?

I'm on vacation and renting a room, and my landlady has a combination
CD/Radio/Cassette?, very compact, portable, works well except fo the
little on/off/CD slide switch.

The switch doesn't easily make contact, even when pushed to and past
the On position. So it's hard to get the radio on, and it turns off
by itself in about 30 minutes. Moving the switch back and forth 10
times to clean it hasn't worked yet.

Normally what I would do is spray contact cleaner or tuner cleaner in
the switch from above, where the plastic slider that goes over the
switch is, And normally that doesn't accomplish much.

Even taking such things apart and spraying the switch from underneath
has taken longer to work than for rheostats, for example, and here I
don't want to take it apart. She's only my landlady.

I don't know where in this non-English-speaking country to buy
contact cleaner and she might balk at the extra money, but she does
have something in an aerosol can that looks mighty like WD-40.

I have this vague recollection that WD-40 is good to clean electric
contacts?? Either that or it's bad for them. Should I try it.

BTW, I want to use the radio, so that's one big reason I want it
fixed. When it stopped playing while she was there, she said, "Oh,
yeah, maybe that's why I bought another one" (She speaks English.)

On 01.05.17 18:07, Micky wrote:

WD-40 to clean electric contacts?

I'm on vacation and renting a room, and my landlady has a combination
CD/Radio/Cassette?, very compact, portable, works well except fo the
little on/off/CD slide switch.

The switch doesn't easily make contact, even when pushed to and past
the On position. So it's hard to get the radio on, and it turns off
by itself in about 30 minutes. Moving the switch back and forth 10
times to clean it hasn't worked yet.

Normally what I would do is spray contact cleaner or tuner cleaner in
the switch from above, where the plastic slider that goes over the
switch is, And normally that doesn't accomplish much.

Even taking such things apart and spraying the switch from underneath
has taken longer to work than for rheostats, for example, and here I
don't want to take it apart. She's only my landlady.

I don't know where in this non-English-speaking country to buy
contact cleaner and she might balk at the extra money, but she does
have something in an aerosol can that looks mighty like WD-40.

I have this vague recollection that WD-40 is good to clean electric
contacts?? Either that or it's bad for them. Should I try it.

BTW, I want to use the radio, so that's one big reason I want it
fixed. When it stopped playing while she was there, she said, "Oh,
yeah, maybe that's why I bought another one" (She speaks English.)

Trying it, will certainly not make things worse.
And cleaning/flooding the switch a day or two later with
something volatile,(alcohol,turpentine or such) will take
care of the wd40 residue(maybe).
I don't think it will make things worse.

On 5/1/17 12:07 PM, Micky wrote:

WD-40 to clean electric contacts?

I'm on vacation and renting a room, and my landlady has a combination
CD/Radio/Cassette?, very compact, portable, works well except fo the
little on/off/CD slide switch.

The switch doesn't easily make contact, even when pushed to and past
the On position. So it's hard to get the radio on, and it turns off
by itself in about 30 minutes. Moving the switch back and forth 10
times to clean it hasn't worked yet.

Normally what I would do is spray contact cleaner or tuner cleaner in
the switch from above, where the plastic slider that goes over the
switch is, And normally that doesn't accomplish much.

Even taking such things apart and spraying the switch from underneath
has taken longer to work than for rheostats, for example, and here I
don't want to take it apart. She's only my landlady.

I don't know where in this non-English-speaking country to buy
contact cleaner and she might balk at the extra money, but she does
have something in an aerosol can that looks mighty like WD-40.

I have this vague recollection that WD-40 is good to clean electric
contacts?? Either that or it's bad for them. Should I try it.

BTW, I want to use the radio, so that's one big reason I want it
fixed. When it stopped playing while she was there, she said, "Oh,
yeah, maybe that's why I bought another one" (She speaks English.)


According to WD-40's "List of 2000+ Uses" at
https://wd40.com/files/pdf/wd_40_200...d_jan_2017.pdf
"• Cleans gunk from electrical contacts" is one of them

On 5/1/2017 12:00 PM, Retired wrote:
According to WD-40's "List of 2000+ Uses" at
https://wd40.com/files/pdf/wd_40_200...d_jan_2017.pdf
"• Cleans gunk from electrical contacts" is one of them

And most of the 2000 ideas are marketing hype.

--
Jeff-1.0
wa6fwi
http://www.foxsmercantile.com

---
This email has been checked for viruses by AVG.
http://www.avg.com

On 5/1/17 3:08 PM, Foxs Mercantile wrote:
On 5/1/2017 12:00 PM, Retired wrote:
According to WD-40's "List of 2000+ Uses" at
https://wd40.com/files/pdf/wd_40_200...d_jan_2017.pdf
"• Cleans gunk from electrical contacts" is one of them

And most of the 2000 ideas are marketing hype.


You're a regular party-pooper!

--
If people, who cross our border illegally are not Illegal— then what are
they?
- @chuckwoolery

On Mon, 01 May 2017 19:07:44 +0300
Micky wrote:


WD-40 to clean electric contacts?

I'm on vacation and renting a room, and my landlady has a combination
CD/Radio/Cassette?, very compact, portable, works well except fo the
little on/off/CD slide switch.

The switch doesn't easily make contact, even when pushed to and past
the On position. So it's hard to get the radio on, and it turns off
by itself in about 30 minutes. Moving the switch back and forth 10
times to clean it hasn't worked yet.

Normally what I would do is spray contact cleaner or tuner cleaner in
the switch from above, where the plastic slider that goes over the
switch is, And normally that doesn't accomplish much.

Even taking such things apart and spraying the switch from underneath
has taken longer to work than for rheostats, for example, and here I
don't want to take it apart. She's only my landlady.

I don't know where in this non-English-speaking country to buy
contact cleaner and she might balk at the extra money, but she does
have something in an aerosol can that looks mighty like WD-40.

I have this vague recollection that WD-40 is good to clean electric
contacts?? Either that or it's bad for them. Should I try it.

BTW, I want to use the radio, so that's one big reason I want it
fixed. When it stopped playing while she was there, she said, "Oh,
yeah, maybe that's why I bought another one" (She speaks English.)

Report back the results after you man up and try it.

On 2017/05/01 1:24 PM, Wade Garrett wrote:
On 5/1/17 3:08 PM, Foxs Mercantile wrote:
On 5/1/2017 12:00 PM, Retired wrote:
According to WD-40's "List of 2000+ Uses" at
https://wd40.com/files/pdf/wd_40_200...d_jan_2017.pdf
"€¢ Cleans gunk from electrical contacts" is one of them

And most of the 2000 ideas are marketing hype.


You're a regular party-pooper!


Having cleaned the residue (glue like substance) of WD-40 from many an
electrical unit I would say that it's only practical use is for
preventing rust on tools.

Everything else is hype.

There are FAR better solvents out there than WD-40...and cheaper!

John :-#(#

--
(Please post followups or tech inquiries to the USENET newsgroup)
John's Jukes Ltd. 2343 Main St., Vancouver, BC, Canada V5T 3C9
(604)872-5757 or Fax 872-2010 (Pinballs, Jukes, Video Games)
www.flippers.com
"Old pinballers never die, they just flip out."

On 5/1/2017 12:39 PM, Sjouke Burry wrote:
On 01.05.17 18:07, Micky wrote:

WD-40 to clean electric contacts?

I'm on vacation and renting a room, and my landlady has a combination
CD/Radio/Cassette?, very compact, portable, works well except fo the
little on/off/CD slide switch.

The switch doesn't easily make contact, even when pushed to and past
the On position. So it's hard to get the radio on, and it turns off
by itself in about 30 minutes. Moving the switch back and forth 10
times to clean it hasn't worked yet.

Normally what I would do is spray contact cleaner or tuner cleaner in
the switch from above, where the plastic slider that goes over the
switch is, And normally that doesn't accomplish much.

Even taking such things apart and spraying the switch from underneath
has taken longer to work than for rheostats, for example, and here I
don't want to take it apart. She's only my landlady.

I don't know where in this non-English-speaking country to buy
contact cleaner and she might balk at the extra money, but she does
have something in an aerosol can that looks mighty like WD-40.

I have this vague recollection that WD-40 is good to clean electric
contacts?? Either that or it's bad for them. Should I try it.

BTW, I want to use the radio, so that's one big reason I want it
fixed. When it stopped playing while she was there, she said, "Oh,
yeah, maybe that's why I bought another one" (She speaks English.)

Trying it, will certainly not make things worse.
And cleaning/flooding the switch a day or two later with
something volatile,(alcohol,turpentine or such) will take
care of the wd40 residue(maybe).
I don't think it will make things worse.

Very bad idea. Contact cleaner is specifically formulated for the job
and won't cause any harm to electronics. A friend used WD40 on some
very expensive chemical instrumentation as "preventive maintenance" and
the volatile solvents in it melted the shafts to the collars on the pots
freezing them. So he had a service call the next day where he had to
replace the pots he sprayed.

--

Rick C

On Monday, May 1, 2017 at 12:07:54 PM UTC-4, Micky wrote:
WD-40 to clean electric contacts?

I'm on vacation and renting a room, and my landlady has a combination
CD/Radio/Cassette?, very compact, portable, works well except fo the
little on/off/CD slide switch.

The switch doesn't easily make contact, even when pushed to and past
the On position. So it's hard to get the radio on, and it turns off
by itself in about 30 minutes. Moving the switch back and forth 10
times to clean it hasn't worked yet.

Normally what I would do is spray contact cleaner or tuner cleaner in
the switch from above, where the plastic slider that goes over the
switch is, And normally that doesn't accomplish much.

Even taking such things apart and spraying the switch from underneath
has taken longer to work than for rheostats, for example, and here I
don't want to take it apart. She's only my landlady.

I don't know where in this non-English-speaking country to buy
contact cleaner and she might balk at the extra money, but she does
have something in an aerosol can that looks mighty like WD-40.

I have this vague recollection that WD-40 is good to clean electric
contacts?? Either that or it's bad for them. Should I try it.

BTW, I want to use the radio, so that's one big reason I want it
fixed. When it stopped playing while she was there, she said, "Oh,
yeah, maybe that's why I bought another one" (She speaks English.)

So borrow hers.

BTW - Where's your car?

In message , John
Robertson writes
On 2017/05/01 1:24 PM, Wade Garrett wrote:
On 5/1/17 3:08 PM, Foxs Mercantile wrote:
On 5/1/2017 12:00 PM, Retired wrote:
According to WD-40's "List of 2000+ Uses" at
https://wd40.com/files/pdf/wd_40_200...d_jan_2017.pdf
"€¢ Cleans gunk from electrical contacts" is one of them

And most of the 2000 ideas are marketing hype.


You're a regular party-pooper!


Having cleaned the residue (glue like substance) of WD-40 from many an
electrical unit I would say that it's only practical use is for
preventing rust on tools.

Everything else is hype.

There are FAR better solvents out there than WD-40...and cheaper!

Cheaper than the old can you've had in the tool-shed for the last 20
years, but which has been your saviour on the odd occasion when you've
suddenly needed a general-purpose lubricant / switch cleaner / rusty nut
freer / corrosion inhibitor ?


--
Ian

In message , rickman
writes
On 5/1/2017 12:39 PM, Sjouke Burry wrote:
On 01.05.17 18:07, Micky wrote:

WD-40 to clean electric contacts?

I'm on vacation and renting a room, and my landlady has a combination
CD/Radio/Cassette?, very compact, portable, works well except fo the
little on/off/CD slide switch.

The switch doesn't easily make contact, even when pushed to and past
the On position. So it's hard to get the radio on, and it turns off
by itself in about 30 minutes. Moving the switch back and forth 10
times to clean it hasn't worked yet.

Normally what I would do is spray contact cleaner or tuner cleaner in
the switch from above, where the plastic slider that goes over the
switch is, And normally that doesn't accomplish much.

Even taking such things apart and spraying the switch from underneath
has taken longer to work than for rheostats, for example, and here I
don't want to take it apart. She's only my landlady.

I don't know where in this non-English-speaking country to buy
contact cleaner and she might balk at the extra money, but she does
have something in an aerosol can that looks mighty like WD-40.

I have this vague recollection that WD-40 is good to clean electric
contacts?? Either that or it's bad for them. Should I try it.

BTW, I want to use the radio, so that's one big reason I want it
fixed. When it stopped playing while she was there, she said, "Oh,
yeah, maybe that's why I bought another one" (She speaks English.)

Trying it, will certainly not make things worse.
And cleaning/flooding the switch a day or two later with
something volatile,(alcohol,turpentine or such) will take
care of the wd40 residue(maybe).
I don't think it will make things worse.

Very bad idea. Contact cleaner is specifically formulated for the job
and won't cause any harm to electronics. A friend used WD40 on some
very expensive chemical instrumentation as "preventive maintenance" and
the volatile solvents in it melted the shafts to the collars on the
pots freezing them. So he had a service call the next day where he had
to replace the pots he sprayed.

While I'm sure that there have been occasions when a squirt of WD40 has
dissolved everything in sight, I've been using it for decades, and I've
never found it has ever caused any such damage.
--
Ian

On 05/02/2017 01:45 AM, Ian Jackson wrote:
While I'm sure that there have been occasions when a squirt of WD40 has
dissolved everything in sight, I've been using it for decades, and I've
never found it has ever caused any such damage.
-

Not WD-40 but I found out that using Lock-Ease on a bicycle chain lock
with plastic internal parts is a poor idea Even worse is having the
chain wrapped around the bike and an immobile object at the time.

On Tue, 2 May 2017 08:45:41 +0100, Ian Jackson
wrote:

In message , rickman
writes
On 5/1/2017 12:39 PM, Sjouke Burry wrote:
On 01.05.17 18:07, Micky wrote:

WD-40 to clean electric contacts?

I'm on vacation and renting a room, and my landlady has a combination
CD/Radio/Cassette?, very compact, portable, works well except fo the
little on/off/CD slide switch.

The switch doesn't easily make contact, even when pushed to and past
the On position. So it's hard to get the radio on, and it turns off
by itself in about 30 minutes. Moving the switch back and forth 10
times to clean it hasn't worked yet.

Normally what I would do is spray contact cleaner or tuner cleaner in
the switch from above, where the plastic slider that goes over the
switch is, And normally that doesn't accomplish much.

Even taking such things apart and spraying the switch from underneath
has taken longer to work than for rheostats, for example, and here I
don't want to take it apart. She's only my landlady.

I don't know where in this non-English-speaking country to buy
contact cleaner and she might balk at the extra money, but she does
have something in an aerosol can that looks mighty like WD-40.

I have this vague recollection that WD-40 is good to clean electric
contacts?? Either that or it's bad for them. Should I try it.

BTW, I want to use the radio, so that's one big reason I want it
fixed. When it stopped playing while she was there, she said, "Oh,
yeah, maybe that's why I bought another one" (She speaks English.)

Trying it, will certainly not make things worse.
And cleaning/flooding the switch a day or two later with
something volatile,(alcohol,turpentine or such) will take
care of the wd40 residue(maybe).
I don't think it will make things worse.

Very bad idea. Contact cleaner is specifically formulated for the job
and won't cause any harm to electronics. A friend used WD40 on some
very expensive chemical instrumentation as "preventive maintenance" and
the volatile solvents in it melted the shafts to the collars on the
pots freezing them. So he had a service call the next day where he had
to replace the pots he sprayed.

While I'm sure that there have been occasions when a squirt of WD40 has
dissolved everything in sight, I've been using it for decades, and I've
never found it has ever caused any such damage.
I can tell you one thing it is DEFINITELY no good for.
I have EuroVynyl brand tilt turn side dlider windiws - made with Rehau
vinyl extrusions. When cleaning the windows my wife drcided to
lubricate the pivot blocks with WD-40.She then could not get the
blocks to slide in the track. I ended up moving the top block far
enough to pop the window sash out of the sliders, drive the block to
the end, cut the top of the track and pry out the block. Luckily I had
purchased a few sets of the lovot blocks and other parts fron the
manufacturer when I bought the windowsn(I worked for the dealer) so I
was able to replace the swollen blocks. No amount of soaking in
alcohol or any othe substance was effective in returning the block to
the proper size. No idea what kind of plastic it was- but it sure
didn't like WD-40.

If using wd-40 to disolve hardened grease in a slide switch, ALWAYS
finish the job with a contact cleaner to flush out the remains.

In automotive switches, like power window, door lock, headlight, etc,
when I've had to dissassemble them and clean/polish contacts etc I
re-assemble using a synthetic silicone based grease which won't
harden.WD 40 can be an effective solvent for softeninf and removing
the old "boogers" - . It can also be acceptable for "burnishing"
plug-in connectors and keeping them from corroding - things like
wiring harnes plugs - but the old TV Tuner dope works a lot better if
you can still find it.

On Tue, 2 May 2017 08:39:44 +0100, Ian Jackson
wrote:

In message , John
Robertson writes
On 2017/05/01 1:24 PM, Wade Garrett wrote:
On 5/1/17 3:08 PM, Foxs Mercantile wrote:
On 5/1/2017 12:00 PM, Retired wrote:
According to WD-40's "List of 2000+ Uses" at
https://wd40.com/files/pdf/wd_40_200...d_jan_2017.pdf
"• Cleans gunk from electrical contacts" is one of them

And most of the 2000 ideas are marketing hype.


You're a regular party-pooper!


Having cleaned the residue (glue like substance) of WD-40 from many an
electrical unit I would say that it's only practical use is for
preventing rust on tools.

Everything else is hype.

There are FAR better solvents out there than WD-40...and cheaper!

Cheaper than the old can you've had in the tool-shed for the last 20
years, but which has been your saviour on the odd occasion when you've
suddenly needed a general-purpose lubricant / switch cleaner / rusty nut
freer / corrosion inhibitor ?

I think there are 3 topics you're not supposed to talk about at work
(since you have to continue to see those people): politics, religion,
and WD-40.

On 2017/05/02 12:39 AM, Ian Jackson wrote:
In message , John
Robertson writes
On 2017/05/01 1:24 PM, Wade Garrett wrote:
On 5/1/17 3:08 PM, Foxs Mercantile wrote:
On 5/1/2017 12:00 PM, Retired wrote:
According to WD-40's "List of 2000+ Uses" at
https://wd40.com/files/pdf/wd_40_200...d_jan_2017.pdf
"€¢ Cleans gunk from electrical contacts" is one of them

And most of the 2000 ideas are marketing hype.


You're a regular party-pooper!


Having cleaned the residue (glue like substance) of WD-40 from many an
electrical unit I would say that it's only practical use is for
preventing rust on tools.

Everything else is hype.

There are FAR better solvents out there than WD-40...and cheaper!

Cheaper than the old can you've had in the tool-shed for the last 20
years, but which has been your saviour on the odd occasion when you've
suddenly needed a general-purpose lubricant / switch cleaner / rusty nut
freer / corrosion inhibitor ?



ATF and acetone are better at loosening rusted nuts that WD-40 will ever be.

As per Machinist's Workshop Magazine March/April (and May/June?) 2007:

No lube 516 lbs
WD-40 238 lbs
PB-Blaster 214 lbs
Liquid Wrench 127 lbs
Kano Kroll 106 lbs
ATF-Acetone 50:50 mix 53 lbs (yes, Fifty-Three pounds)

However I did find that an Army/Navy/Air Force repair manual for
oscilloscope 0S-261/U (NSN 6625-00-127-0079)(Techtronics 475) says:

"There are three recommended switch lubricants. They are Silicone
Versilube (General Electric Co.), Rykon R (Standard Oil),
and WD-40 (Rocket Chemical Co.)."

Which I find surprising based on my experience (seized up shafts),
however note that this is a SWITCH lubricant, not a potentiometer. In
the manual they specifically state that you don't lubricate sealed pots.

So, I will revise my comments accordingly, it would appear that WD-40 is
OK for switch contacts - at least in the mid-70s. Use sparingly!

Anyone here know anyone at Techtronics who can confirm if they still
ahve it on the list of recommended lubricants for switches?

Live and learn, eh?

John

On 5/1/2017 9:07 AM, Micky wrote:

WD-40 to clean electric contacts?


WD-40 will spit shine those contacts, and it smells good, too.