Cleaning up an old plugboard

[Robert E. Seastrom]

hal <hfeinstein at cox.net> writes:

> A few web references:
> 
> 1. Brush Plating can be used when its not possible to submerge the
> parts in a plating tank.
> 
> What the heck is brush plating?

I think it involves a conductive brush that's used to hold the
electrolyte.  I seem to recall someone (ad in the back of Popular
Mechanics?  Edmond Scientific?) selling a kit for doing just this,
some years back.

> 2. A product called Wahmoo cleans up oxidation on silverware but is it
> appropriate for this kind
> 
> of electrical work?  Is this what happens when you apply power?

Never heard of this...

> 3. A chemical called  cranolin (sp?) was mentioned as sold by MCM.  I
> was told that Ten-Tec
> 
> repair shop uses two cranolin products to cleanup corrosion on the
> wafer switches.  The first
> 
> is called "K5" that dissolves the corrosion while "V5" coats the part
> to protect it against future
> 
> oxidation. MCM doesn't list it, nor does (almost) anyone on the web
> sell it.   I've seen another reference to "Ten-Tec's repair shop" and
> in that post they are said
> 
> to recommend an entirely different set of products (Collins
> Collector's mailing list), also hard to find.  There aren't many
> 
> references on the web to cranolin, but I did find an on-line health
> supplement store selling it for
> 
> about $50.  No, it can't be the same thing.  Maybe an urban legend?
> 
> 
> Hal.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> At 08:28 PM 11/16/2003 -0500, hal wrote:
> >Here's the problem:
> >
> >  I am cleaning up a number of old plugs/sockets constructed as follows:
> > two rows of 10 pins are mounted side by side on a bakelite rectangle
> > form of about 10 inches.  The
> 
> > pins are not commercial type but "specials" made from small brass
> > hollow cylinder stock about 1/8 inch diameter and about an inch
> > long. I'm sure this was done to save money over a more expensive
> 
> > industrial type plug.  The equipment it comes from was put together
> > back in the late 1950's and has
> 
> >accumulated a good deal of corrosion. Clean the pins is the problem.
> >
> >The pins appear to be plated brass corroded gray-white. This is some
> > type of oxide introducing high resistance. The corrosion can be
> > removed with a few light passes of 600 grit wet/dry sandpaper. The
> > problem is that
> 
> >sanding takes the corrosion off and the plating with it.
> >
> > There are other sandpapers available, for example, 600 extra fine,
> > 1000 and up. I'm told there are
> 
> > also chemicals available that will safely dissolve the
> > corrosion. Dissolving the corrosion will leave the plating intact
> > and avoid the scratching that is unavoidable with sanding.
> 
> >
> >OK,
> >
> > (1) Has anyone worked with this kind of chemical and remembers what
> > it is called?  (2) Where can I get some from?

Cramolin is now called DeOxIt, and is a product of Caig Laboratories.
http://www.caig.com/

I love the R5 stuff, haven't used any of their other products, but
they've got a "works as advertised" reputation.

                                        ---Rob