For cleaning mechanical switches I normally use KONTAKT 60, followed by a flush of KONTAKT WL.
Normally, this works O.K.
Recently, after some time, the treated switches again had contact problems.
Then I used WD40, and the switches seem to stay O.K., also after several days.
Is WD40 really a good contact cleaner?
I had succes with WD40 with a Onkyo and a Kenwood amplifier.
Normally, this works O.K.
Recently, after some time, the treated switches again had contact problems.
Then I used WD40, and the switches seem to stay O.K., also after several days.
Is WD40 really a good contact cleaner?
I had succes with WD40 with a Onkyo and a Kenwood amplifier.
I have used Servisol Super 20 since 1980 with excellent results. Getting difficult to source now so I have found Electrolubes EMF200F (RS part number 101-4937) is also excellent but sometimes calls for Electrolube Contact Treatment Grease 2GX. (RS part number 300-8530) for really stubborn scratchy pots.
There is a difference between contact cleaner and contact lubricants.
A cleaner should strip off old oils, oxidants, sulfates and other nasty stuff. It is not intended to lubricate or protect contacts from dirt, oxidation or sulfur compounds.
On metal contacts WD40 probably does no harm. I would expect it to do long term damage to variable resistor tracks.
Such resistive tracks can be conductive plastic formulations and most petroleum based solvents and lubricants will damage them. They do need a lubricant after cleaning to keep them from mechanical abrasion.
Caig laboratories makes a line of cleaners and specialized lubricants designed for cleaning and lubricating all the various electronic needs. They are not cheap!
That said after a flood from Hurricane Ivan I used WD40 in great quantities to remove water and mud from an amazingly large amount of equipment with fantastic results. However on low voltage switch contacts I did have to clean it off and use the Caig lineup of products.
As a side note after the flood when I was buying a few cases of WD40 one clueless guy asked me if I was picking it up because of a good price!
A cleaner should strip off old oils, oxidants, sulfates and other nasty stuff. It is not intended to lubricate or protect contacts from dirt, oxidation or sulfur compounds.
On metal contacts WD40 probably does no harm. I would expect it to do long term damage to variable resistor tracks.
Such resistive tracks can be conductive plastic formulations and most petroleum based solvents and lubricants will damage them. They do need a lubricant after cleaning to keep them from mechanical abrasion.
Caig laboratories makes a line of cleaners and specialized lubricants designed for cleaning and lubricating all the various electronic needs. They are not cheap!
That said after a flood from Hurricane Ivan I used WD40 in great quantities to remove water and mud from an amazingly large amount of equipment with fantastic results. However on low voltage switch contacts I did have to clean it off and use the Caig lineup of products.
As a side note after the flood when I was buying a few cases of WD40 one clueless guy asked me if I was picking it up because of a good price!
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There is a "WD-40 Specialist Contact Cleaner" spray.
Are you reffering to this or the original WD-40 lubricant spay?
The Onkyo amplifier had bad contacts in the rotary "SOURCE DIRECT" selector,
the Kenwood amplifier had bad contacts in the "NULL BALANCE" push switch button.
KONTAKT 60 and KONTAKT WL did not help.
Use of the WD40 did the job (plain normal WD40).
For potmeters I only use PRF 7-78 with good results.
the Kenwood amplifier had bad contacts in the "NULL BALANCE" push switch button.
KONTAKT 60 and KONTAKT WL did not help.
Use of the WD40 did the job (plain normal WD40).
For potmeters I only use PRF 7-78 with good results.
WD40 is fancy kerosene. It is a SHORT-term lubricant and moisture displacer (cracked spark wires in cars). You WILL need to use it again; the squeak or spark-leak will come back as it evaporates.
Depending on the "dirt", almost anything may "clean", but WD40's virtue is only that it is handy.
After 40(!) years of never being really happy with WD40, I no longer keep it in the house.
Products like Kontakt 60 or WD40 do short-term wonders, but are a disaster in the long term: they creep everywhere and promote a slow but nasty type of oxidation (or another chemical reaction, I am not sure).
If you cherish the equipment you clean, do it the hard way: special diamond files or papers, pens, completed by a non-residue leaving product like Kontakt WL.
If the contacts operate at a signal level only (NOT FOR POWER!), you can protect them from oxidation with a vaseline spray
If you cherish the equipment you clean, do it the hard way: special diamond files or papers, pens, completed by a non-residue leaving product like Kontakt WL.
If the contacts operate at a signal level only (NOT FOR POWER!), you can protect them from oxidation with a vaseline spray
A friend who often repairs old tube radios once recommended Teslanol T6 to me.
It does wonders to old switches and contacts...
teslanol - Sprays und Liquide - Kontakt- und Tuner-Spray
It does wonders to old switches and contacts...
teslanol - Sprays und Liquide - Kontakt- und Tuner-Spray
The only things that I use WD40 for are: 1) Spraying the underneath of my lawnmower after
mowing the yard and washing out the stuck grass. ( I live in Florida, USA and the underneath
gets a good sand blasting every time that I mow, the lawnmower is 10 years old and has no rust).
2) spraying under the eaves of my house so that wasps do not build nests. ( They hate WD40 ).
3) spray the front door and garage thresholds to my house. ( Ants and cockroaches hate it too.)
WD40 is a water displacer and a rust preventative, but collects dust and usually turns to gum
on bearings of rotating assemblies after about two weeks.
mowing the yard and washing out the stuck grass. ( I live in Florida, USA and the underneath
gets a good sand blasting every time that I mow, the lawnmower is 10 years old and has no rust).
2) spraying under the eaves of my house so that wasps do not build nests. ( They hate WD40 ).
3) spray the front door and garage thresholds to my house. ( Ants and cockroaches hate it too.)
WD40 is a water displacer and a rust preventative, but collects dust and usually turns to gum
on bearings of rotating assemblies after about two weeks.
Hello,
A side point, WD40 isn't even a very good lubricant. Motorcycle magazine many years ago did testing of 12 or 15 lubes for motorcycle chains and the results for WD40 were not good. While it was great for preventing rust, when run on a test jig, the WD40 chain ran hotter than a chain with no lube at all.
Good for waterproofing, cleaning sticking labels off things and displacing water, but a lousy lube.
A side point, WD40 isn't even a very good lubricant. Motorcycle magazine many years ago did testing of 12 or 15 lubes for motorcycle chains and the results for WD40 were not good. While it was great for preventing rust, when run on a test jig, the WD40 chain ran hotter than a chain with no lube at all.
Good for waterproofing, cleaning sticking labels off things and displacing water, but a lousy lube.
WD 40 is named after its function - Water Displacer.
It is a poor lubricant which is why it is good for door locks, especially in cars where it displaces water so that the lock does not freeze, and doesn't lubricate to the point o making unwanted access easier.
It is brilliant for cleaning bike chains.
It contains Silanes, which I think are Silicon atoms in a carbon, (ethenes maybe), chain.
The problem with switches is that there are needs for mechanical lubrication to reduce friction and wear, and seperate needs for clean contacts.
The former are often bad for the latter, so each should be treated as a separate issue.
Kontact 60 is very aggressive and can erode some contacts. WD40 is not long lasting, and also not conductive ASAIK, not measured it, and I would not use it on contacts.
I will always try to use molyslip on mechanical aspects, vastly better than most lubricants and good for prolonged periods of no lubrication. On new equipment I immediately use it on toggle switch bearings and then forget about them.
Faster switching, lower arcing, and lower friction and wear.
It seems to me that electrolube, used sparingly only on contacts is appropriate.
It is a poor lubricant which is why it is good for door locks, especially in cars where it displaces water so that the lock does not freeze, and doesn't lubricate to the point o making unwanted access easier.
It is brilliant for cleaning bike chains.
It contains Silanes, which I think are Silicon atoms in a carbon, (ethenes maybe), chain.
The problem with switches is that there are needs for mechanical lubrication to reduce friction and wear, and seperate needs for clean contacts.
The former are often bad for the latter, so each should be treated as a separate issue.
Kontact 60 is very aggressive and can erode some contacts. WD40 is not long lasting, and also not conductive ASAIK, not measured it, and I would not use it on contacts.
I will always try to use molyslip on mechanical aspects, vastly better than most lubricants and good for prolonged periods of no lubrication. On new equipment I immediately use it on toggle switch bearings and then forget about them.
Faster switching, lower arcing, and lower friction and wear.
It seems to me that electrolube, used sparingly only on contacts is appropriate.
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