WD-40 to clean electric contacts?

[Micky]

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.)

 

[Sjouke Burry]

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.

 

[Retired]

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_2000_uses_updated_jan_2017.pdf
"• Cleans gunk from electrical contacts" is one of them

 

[pfjw@aol.com]

A few things on WD-40.

Its name means Water Displacement - 40th try.
It is, essentially, stoddard solvent, that is highly refined kerosene and a very small amount of very light mineral oil.
It is 100% volatile over time. Which is directly related to temperature.
Most gunks and goos are soluble in WD-40. But, what is not rinsed away will be evenly distributed when the solvent evaporates. So beware!
It is a rather gentle solvent, and does not attack most plastics or finishes. *MOST*, not all!

WD-40 is NOT a contact cleaner. What it does along those lines is by rinsing.
WD-40 is not a lubricant. It will (temporarily) reconstitute some lubricants under some conditions.

Good luck with it, you could do worse.

 

[Foxs Mercantile]

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_2000_uses_updated_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 Monday, 1 May 2017 18:40:38 UTC+1, pf...@aol.com wrote:

A few things on WD-40.

Its name means Water Displacement - 40th try.
It is, essentially, stoddard solvent, that is highly refined kerosene and a very small amount of very light mineral oil.
It is 100% volatile over time. Which is directly related to temperature.
Most gunks and goos are soluble in WD-40. But, what is not rinsed away will be evenly distributed when the solvent evaporates. So beware!
It is a rather gentle solvent, and does not attack most plastics or finishes. *MOST*, not all!

WD-40 is NOT a contact cleaner. What it does along those lines is by rinsing.
WD-40 is not a lubricant. It will (temporarily) reconstitute some lubricants under some conditions.

Good luck with it, you could do worse.

Stoddard solvent is aka white spirit. I'd try 100 times rather than 10.


NT

 

[Wade Garrett]

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_2000_uses_updated_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

 

[burfordTjustice]

On Mon, 01 May 2017 19:07:44 +0300
Micky <misc07@bigfoot.com> 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 Mon, 01 May 2017 19:07:44 +0300, Micky <misc07@bigfoot.com> wrote:

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.

Get it on Ebay and have it shipped to you.

 

[Ian Jackson]

In message <b139cdd6-bb7e-4c10-9c18-72fa2c407b88@googlegroups.com>,
"pfjw@aol.com" <pfjw@aol.com> writes

A few things on WD-40.

Its name means Water Displacement - 40th try.
It is, essentially, stoddard solvent, that is highly refined kerosene
and a very small amount of very light mineral oil.
It is 100% volatile over time. Which is directly related to temperature.
Most gunks and goos are soluble in WD-40. But, what is not rinsed away
will be evenly distributed when the solvent evaporates. So beware!
It is a rather gentle solvent, and does not attack most plastics or
finishes. *MOST*, not all!

WD-40 is NOT a contact cleaner. What it does along those lines is by rinsing.
WD-40 is not a lubricant. It will (temporarily) reconstitute some
lubricants under some conditions.

The makers of WD40 might disagree with you.

Good luck with it, you could do worse.

Indeed. WE40 may be the perfect cure for every problem - but it IS a
good general-purpose cleaner/lubricant/anti-corrosion fluid. I've never
had any problems with it.
--
ian

 

On Mon, 1 May 2017 10:40:36 -0700 (PDT), "pfjw@aol.com" <pfjw@aol.com>
wrote:

A few things on WD-40.

Its name means Water Displacement - 40th try.
It is, essentially, stoddard solvent, that is highly refined kerosene and a very small amount of very light mineral oil.
It is 100% volatile over time. Which is directly related to temperature.
Most gunks and goos are soluble in WD-40. But, what is not rinsed away will be evenly distributed when the solvent evaporates. So beware!
It is a rather gentle solvent, and does not attack most plastics or finishes. *MOST*, not all!

WD-40 is NOT a contact cleaner. What it does along those lines is by rinsing.
WD-40 is not a lubricant. It will (temporarily) reconstitute some lubricants under some conditions.

Good luck with it, you could do worse.

WD-40 does not completely evaporate over time unless the temperature
is higher than that which is compatible with human life. It leaves a
kind of hard residue, almost like a very hard wax. A very thin
coating. Which, unless baked on, will be easily dissloved when next
doused with WD-40. I have had direct experience with this coating. It
can be used to repaior an oil-rubbed bronze finish.
Eric

 

[pfjw@aol.com]

On Monday, May 1, 2017 at 5:51:19 PM UTC-4, et...@whidbey.com wrote:

WD-40 does not completely evaporate over time unless the temperature
is higher than that which is compatible with human life.

No, it does completely evaporate. That 'leftover' is the previous skunge dissolved and spread over everything.

To prove this out:

Take a standard paper towel, clean and dry.
Saturate it in WD-40.
Leave it on a clean surface in a location in your domicile exposed to normal temperature variations.
Check it in 4-20 days depending on ambient temperatures.

Don't take my word for it.

Peter Wieck
Melrose Park, PA

 

[John Robertson]

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_2000_uses_updated_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."

 

[John Robertson]

On 2017/05/01 3:50 PM, pfjw@aol.com wrote:

On Monday, May 1, 2017 at 5:51:19 PM UTC-4, et...@whidbey.com wrote:
WD-40 does not completely evaporate over time unless the temperature
is higher than that which is compatible with human life.

No, it does completely evaporate. That 'leftover' is the previous skunge dissolved and spread over everything.

To prove this out:

Take a standard paper towel, clean and dry.
Saturate it in WD-40.
Leave it on a clean surface in a location in your domicile exposed to normal temperature variations.
Check it in 4-20 days depending on ambient temperatures.

Don't take my word for it.

Peter Wieck
Melrose Park, PA

I have a bit of trouble with your test, Peter. If it left no residue
then WD-40 couldn't prevent rust on tools (which was all it was only
designed to do).

Instead of your paper towel, pour some WD-40 on a sheet of glass and let
it sit and evaporate for a while and see what remains.

There MUST be some sort of residue.

My shop's experience is WD-40 plus oil = glue/goo.

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 Mon, 1 May 2017 22:48:40 +0100, Ian Jackson
<ianREMOVETHISjackson@g3ohx.co.uk> wrote:

In message <b139cdd6-bb7e-4c10-9c18-72fa2c407b88@googlegroups.com>,
"pfjw@aol.com" <pfjw@aol.com> writes
A few things on WD-40.

Its name means Water Displacement - 40th try.
It is, essentially, stoddard solvent, that is highly refined kerosene
and a very small amount of very light mineral oil.
It is 100% volatile over time. Which is directly related to temperature.
Most gunks and goos are soluble in WD-40. But, what is not rinsed away
will be evenly distributed when the solvent evaporates. So beware!
It is a rather gentle solvent, and does not attack most plastics or
finishes. *MOST*, not all!

WD-40 is NOT a contact cleaner. What it does along those lines is by rinsing.
WD-40 is not a lubricant. It will (temporarily) reconstitute some
lubricants under some conditions.

The makers of WD40 might disagree with you.

Good luck with it, you could do worse.

Indeed. WE40 may be the perfect cure for every problem - but it IS a
good general-purpose cleaner/lubricant/anti-corrosion fluid. I've never
had any problems with it.

I've never had any problems with it either, but there are tw othings ti
does not do well. 1. Loosen rusted bolts. (I use PB Blaster for that,
it's a much better product). 2. Be used as a permanent lubricant. For
example, if the tailgate on my pickup is sticking, I will use WD 40 to
loosen that linkage, but once the linkage is loose, I apply an oil or
grease to that linkage for a permanent lube. I dont think the WD 40
totally evaporates, but there is little lube left. Thus I apply the oil
or whatever as a permanent lube for that linkage.

I have never used WD 40 for electronic switch contacts or
potentiometers. I always used contact cleaner. But I have used WD 40 on
auto connectors such as trailer light plugs, with corrosion on them. It
helps clean them, but I always clean them as best as possible too.

Overall, its top promotion seems to be to loosen rusted bolts, and I
find it near worthless for that purpose. But it does have some other
uses which are valuable. It's also works rather well to clean off
oxidation on old dull paint (on cars and other metal objects).

There are other generic replacements for WD 40 that are cheaper and work
just as well. I usually buy them.

 

[Phil Allison]

Micky wrote:

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

** WD40 is excellent at making bad contacts good again.

Switches, connectors and pots are all examples.


..... Phil

 

[Phil Allison]

Sjouke Burry wrote:

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).

** No need to do that, the reside is just light mineral oil.


..... Phil
> I don't think it will make things worse.

 

[Phil Allison]

pf...@aol.com wrote:

A few things on WD-40.

** So a few lies from this norotious WD-40 hater.

It is, essentially, stoddard solvent, that is highly refined
kerosene and a very small amount of very light mineral oil.

** WD-40 contains no kerosene and the oil content is 10-15 %.

It is 100% volatile over time. Which is directly related to temperature.

** At room temp, that could means years.

WD-40 is NOT a contact cleaner. What it does along those lines is by rinsing.

** So the same action as other contact cleaners.

WD-40 is not a lubricant.

** Of course it is.




...... Phil

 

[Phil Allison]

tabb...@gmail.com wrote:

Stoddard solvent is aka white spirit.

** Which is refined petrol, aka lighter fluid.




...... Phil

 

[Phil Allison]

et...@whidbey.com wrote:

WD-40 does not completely evaporate over time unless the temperature
is higher than that which is compatible with human life. It leaves a
kind of hard residue, almost like a very hard wax. A very thin
coating. Which, unless baked on, will be easily dissloved when next
doused with WD-40. I have had direct experience with this coating.

** Ever burn some oil in a fry pan ?

If you put WD-40 on parts that get hot, a similar residue forms.

It cleans off easily or dissolves in fresh WD-40 so is not a problem.

I see it on the pins of certain noval tubes from time to time.



..... Phil