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Old 9th Jan 2020, 4:31 pm   #1
parlourtw73vs
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Default Which contact cleaner do you consider the best?

Hi to all, I'd just like to access the many years of experience collected on this forum to help me out. My Quad 33 pre amp's potentiometers have become a little noisy lately, not surprising as it's nearly 50 years old and doesn't get used on a very regular basis, so I was wondering which of the various spray cleaners to purchase. I only really know of 3 off hand, Deoxit, Servisol and I believe WD40 make a specific contact cleaner. When looking at the prices I was amazed to see that Deoxit is at least four times more expensive than the others. Is it really that much better? I'd be interested in your opinions and recommendations, maybe there's something else out there which can do the job. About the only thing which I've seen any sort of general agreement on is to not use regular WD40 as there is no lubricant properties in its formulation. I await your replies with interest.
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Old 9th Jan 2020, 4:39 pm   #2
Bazz4CQJ
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Default Re: Which contact cleaner do you consider the best?

Have you done a search for the numerous previous threads on the Forum on this topic?
All of them are full of conflicting opinions (sometimes, probably wrong) and sadly lacking any data which would prove anything .

B
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Old 9th Jan 2020, 4:51 pm   #3
donutty
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Default Re: Which contact cleaner do you consider the best?

All I can say to sum my experience up is that I believe Kontakt 60 has the same active ingredient as Deoxit and is much cheaper hence I have switched over to that as it performs as well, and comes with a straw
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Old 9th Jan 2020, 5:05 pm   #4
paulsherwin
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Default Re: Which contact cleaner do you consider the best?

Nobody can possibly have used all the contact cleaners available in a way that allows the results to be directly compared. We all choose one that seems to work well enough and stick with that.

Ordinary WD40 does work as a contact cleaner, particularly for sliding contacts like pots and switches, but will leave an oil film behind after the white spirit component evaporates. That isn't usually what you want to happen. It also makes a mess if you don't use it sparingly.
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Old 9th Jan 2020, 5:47 pm   #5
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Default Re: Which contact cleaner do you consider the best?

Please be Very Careful using WD40 as a contact cleaner. (I would not.)
It can attack certain plastics making them brittle and crack over a time.
Deoxit or Servisol types work fine. Choose the one most suited for the use you want it for.
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Old 9th Jan 2020, 6:00 pm   #6
dglcomp
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Default Re: Which contact cleaner do you consider the best?

I think the OP mentioned that there was a WD40 branded contact cleaner, rather than using regular WD40 as contact cleaner, though I can see whare confusion would occur.
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Old 9th Jan 2020, 6:34 pm   #7
David G4EBT
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Default Re: Which contact cleaner do you consider the best?

WF40 has been touted around as a wonder potion - a 'tool kit in a can' which will free stuck rusty screws, and do all manner of things, except of course that it doesn't. It's been said many times that it's a water displacement product. Hopeless as a penetrating oil because penetrating oil must have low surface tension to seep right into the joint. It's OK for removing grease and oiling hinges, but that's about it.


For some years now, WD40 (the company) seem to have tacitly accepted the shortcoming and it's a while now since they introduced their specialist range of nine additional products which do all the things that people once thought (many still do) that plain WD40 will do.

The specialist range consists of:

Fast drying contact cleaner
Fast release penetrant
PTFE lubricant
Silicone lubricant
Lithium grease
Long lasting spray grease
Multi purpose cutting oil
Anti-friction dry PTFE lubricant
Fast acting degreaser.

https://wd40.co.uk/wd-40-products/

Then of course there's plain old WD40.

Not to mention specialist products for bikes and motor bikes.

Back on topic, many sing the praises of De-Oxit, and I've got a can which will, literally last me a lifetime, which I use just because well - so many seem to think it's the best. I've also got cans of Servisol I've used over the years. I've no idea - and I don't think anyone has, whether or not one is better than the other, or whether the WD40 'Fast drying contact cleaner is better than both.

All I would say is that I wouldn't let WD40 anywhere near a radio.
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Old 9th Jan 2020, 6:43 pm   #8
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Default Re: Which contact cleaner do you consider the best?

There seems to be a die hard following for Deoxit, especially in the US. But there's a whole family of Deoxit products for cleaning and lubing electrical contacts. I have never used it because it's not widely available in the UK and I have always had excellent results using Servisol Super 10 switch cleaning lubricant which is readily available and works well. I also use Electrolube dispenser pens depending on the physical situation etc. On that note, I got those pens when I worked as a test engineer at Thorn Automation until 1985 - and they're still ok! I also have can of WD40 Contact cleaner but can't really comment yet on its effectiveness. I would never use plain old WD40 dispersing oil for cleaning electrical contacts due to oil's ability to damage or weaken plastic components over time.
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Old 9th Jan 2020, 7:21 pm   #9
TonyDuell
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Default Re: Which contact cleaner do you consider the best?

I normally use pure propan-2-ol (the Servisol 'IPA' can). It seems fairly effective and safe
on most things (including disk and tape heads).

I've tried the WD40 contact cleaner, it seems 'OK' but not as good as propan-2-ol
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Old 9th Jan 2020, 8:21 pm   #10
Bazz4CQJ
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Default Re: Which contact cleaner do you consider the best?

Quote:
Originally Posted by paulsherwin View Post
Ordinary WD40 does work as a contact cleaner, particularly for sliding contacts like pots and switches, but will leave an oil film behind after the white spirit component evaporates. That isn't usually what you want to happen.
The question of having a lubricant on a contact is debatable. I think that in the case of a number of contact cleaning products, the maker's intention is that you follow up the cleaner with the application of a lubricator. Isn't that the case with DeOxit? Then of course we have the homemade IPA/vaseline emulsion, which I think has been advocated by Bill WME of this forum, and seemed to have some followers in the past threads.

@4ebt, I could point you at some data confirming that that traditional WD40 does work as a penetrating /release agent, though quite an average one compared with other products, but let's not drift off topic.

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Old 9th Jan 2020, 8:32 pm   #11
Ted Kendall
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Default Re: Which contact cleaner do you consider the best?

For what it's worth, I have found Electrolube from a pen and Servisol to be both effective and benign in most cases. I do have Deoxit, but now use it with caution, as I have had a couple of cases of component damage which might be linked to my use of it. If you want to clean up crusty phono sockets and the like, it's very effective, but otherwse I keep it as an instrument of last resort. Plain WD40 is worse than useless in this regard.

YMMV...
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Old 9th Jan 2020, 9:31 pm   #12
paulsherwin
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Default Re: Which contact cleaner do you consider the best?

I keep saying this, but ordinary WD40 is just white spirit mixed with a bit of mineral oil. If you're going to use it on a cotton bud or a rag you might as well use white spirit, which is much cheaper and doesn't leave an oily deposit.

Despite what the haters say, WD40 is indeed a versatile fluid which can be used for a range of water displacement, rustproofing, dismantling, cleaning and lubrication jobs. It usually isn't the best product for any of these tasks, but will work when nothing better is available. It gets its bad reputation from overenthusiastic marketing in the 70s and 80s, with consequent overenthusiastic use.
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Old 9th Jan 2020, 9:50 pm   #13
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Default Re: Which contact cleaner do you consider the best?

I have seen this thread so much on the Internet I did a picture a while ago:

Edit: WD40 is best for spraying on things that aren't rusty yet so they don't go rusty, like missiles, as originally intended.
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Old 9th Jan 2020, 10:12 pm   #14
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Default Re: Which contact cleaner do you consider the best?

Back in the old TV servicing days I remember it was Duraglit for turret tuner contacts (followed by a very thin smear of MS4 silicone grease, for some system switches (in Philips TV's) it was again Duraglit followed by a thin smear of MS4.

For other stuff it was carbon tetrachloride plus a drop or two from an Electrolube pen.

As for WD40 it seems to have got a bad press, unfairly in my opinion.

I suspect it's mainly due to Chinese whispers from the ill informed or its use by the said.

I've used it many times as an aid to free up rusted or tight parts in vehicles and radio equipment etc it's not as good as Plus Gas but nevertheless useful, I've also used it as an initial cleaning and lube fluid in radio's, record players and other electronic stuff etc and never had any problem with it at all, it's not rocket science when it comes to using it.

Lawrence.
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Old 9th Jan 2020, 10:43 pm   #15
Bazz4CQJ
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Default Re: Which contact cleaner do you consider the best?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ted Kendall View Post
I do have Deoxit, but now use it with caution, as I have had a couple of cases of component damage which might be linked to my use of it. YMMV...
I bet you did not use the DeOxit with their recommended follow-up treatment?
My own experience with DeOxit (alone) is that it is good, but the benefits are short-lived. But, I've never used the follow-up product!

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Old 9th Jan 2020, 11:05 pm   #16
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Default Re: Which contact cleaner do you consider the best?

Always used super servisol and like a lot of old tecs i have a bottle of electrolube on the bench, a bit brown with age but ok!.
The old type servisol used to attack certain plastics but i think the recipe was changed, made the mistake of spraying it onto a system switch in a kb vc1 chassis once, the resulting volcano ensured a new switch was required!.
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Old 10th Jan 2020, 12:01 am   #17
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Default Re: Which contact cleaner do you consider the best?

I have killed expensive studio faders (they were quiet to start with, but grated a little...only needed a little grease...) with Electrolube. Can't recall the exact product. Since then, I have only used Deoxit D5, which has never damaged anything (although I have read it contains chemicals which may have unusually dangerous health effects. Use in ventilated area).
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Old 10th Jan 2020, 1:23 am   #18
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Default Re: Which contact cleaner do you consider the best?

I've been using WD40 contact cleaner for a couple of years and it seems ok

As for 'proper' WD40, I use it in conjunction with "Bill's magic fluid" for noisy pots, it works a treat as long it's only used for a quick squirt, an nth of a second
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Old 10th Jan 2020, 1:57 am   #19
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Default Re: Which contact cleaner do you consider the best?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Bazz4CQJ View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ted Kendall View Post
I do have Deoxit, but now use it with caution, as I have had a couple of cases of component damage which might be linked to my use of it. YMMV...
I bet you did not use the DeOxit with their recommended follow-up treatment?
My own experience with DeOxit (alone) is that it is good, but the benefits are short-lived. But, I've never used the follow-up product!
The original DeOxit D5 will remove any lubrication so you'll need to use Cailube afterwards. However, there are other DeOxit products that include lubricant so you need to be aware of exactly which one you are using.

Personally I'm still on my first can of Servisol Super 10 which must be at least 20 years old now. I've also seen IPA used directly on fader tracks which are now still working fine something like 25 years after treatment.
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Old 10th Jan 2020, 4:31 am   #20
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Default Re: Which contact cleaner do you consider the best?

I have recently updated the WD40 expiment article. It came about looking for the ideal substance to lubricate and protect corroded IC sockets in vintage computers.

You might be interested in the interesting findings so far. The initial issue was noted with brass.

WD40, Selley's RP-7 Inox "Lanox" all produce a brown spot corrosion effect on copper, it is not due to direct chemical attack.

So far Inox mx3 and Deoxit does not. The experiment is ongoing. Currently I'm testing WD Servisol and it appears ok, but the experiment is not old enough yet.

http://worldphaco.com/uploads/THE_GREAT_WD.pdf

On the face of it, with the current results, Inox mx3 and WD servisol, look very good as it leaves behind a very slow to evaporate oil, unlike WD40 which has left the building after 3 to 4 months.

Still, the one I love the smell of the most is WD-40 !
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