What to use for cleaning switches, pots and rotary encoders?

[analogix]

For servicing music synthesizers (basically old audio equipment), what should I use in order to clean switches (tactile pushbuttons which can be opened up revealing a round metal "disc" which presses against metal contact), scratchy potmeters and rotary encoders (I suppose you could call it a switch as well).
I'm expecting a lot of replies saying Deoxit (which is not sold her and very expensive to order online because of the shipping restrictions) so I'm looking for alternatives -or better yet: what kind of chemical should it contain?

I have however been lucky to get hold of a can of Deoxit F5 "Faderlube" which I believe is what i should use on faders and pots. Should I clean them with isopropy alcohol first, then apply Deoxit F5?
How about switches that don't work reliably (due to dirt and oxydization I suppose)? Many people point towards Deoxit D5, but I've found another contact cleaner which I think might work: it contains naphtha. Is that what removes corrosion, oxydization etc?
Can I use Deoxit F5 "Faderlube" on switches/rotary encoders, or is it only faders/pots that should be lubricated?

[orbiter]

I've used Servisol Super 10 for years and have had good results with it.

[danadak]

Caig DeOxit -

http://caig.com/


Regards, Dana.

[alm]

In Europe you should be able to get Cramolin Contaclean, which I believe is very similar to Caig Deoxit D5. The advantage over IPA is that it provides lubrication in addition to cleaning. This is especially important for switches with a thin layer of gold plating. Just removing all lubrication and operating the switch a dozen times to clean it may already damage those contacts.

As for using Faderlube for switches, I imagine it might work, but it would provide no cleaning action (so not suitable for corroded contacts, only for contacts that were already cleaned or brand new). Caig specifies Faderlube as not being for metal on metal contacts, so it might be suboptimal in some way (not inhibit corrosion or not last as long).

[ollihd]

I use Taerosol Kontakt PRF 6-68 for the same exact purpose. Works like a charm. You can probably get it in Norway also.

[james_s]

Faderlube is good stuff, a bit spendy but it works well. Just follow the directions on the can, nothing else should be needed.

There are other good products as well, that's just the one I'm familiar with and since you already have a can just use it.

[oldway]

The best I know is KF F2 special contacts....I use it for years.

I buy it at Farnell 14

http://be.farnell.com/fr-BE/kf/1001/nettoyant-f2-special-contact/dp/3916560

[cvanc]

Someone jump in and correct me if I'm wrong but aren't Caig and Cramolin the same company?

[alm]

I believe the relation between Caig and Cramolin is somewhat complicated, and do not remember specifics, but I believe the end result is that Cramolin is only sold in Europe and Caig mostly in the US (not sure about other parts of the world).

[cvanc]

I believe the relation between Caig and Cramolin is somewhat complicated, and do not remember specifics, but I believe the end result is that Cramolin is only sold in Europe and Caig mostly in the US (not sure about other parts of the world).

I'm remembering something like this too.  Exact same products from the exact same company, sold in different countries under different names (Marketing?  Legal?  Don't know why).

Maybe I'm completely wrong, but way back when I think it was ALL called Cramolin - the Caig naming came later...

[apelly]

Can't find it now, but I'm also sure I've read somewhere about an acrimonious sale or parting of ways involving Caig and someone.

[analogix]

I use Taerosol Kontakt PRF 6-68 for the same exact purpose. Works like a charm. You can probably get it in Norway also.

Yes, I can buy it here!
I checked its contents which says Naphtha and isopropyl alcohol, so this means no lubrication.
I'm confused, because alm says it's very important with lubrication for switches, but does this only apply if it has gold contacts?

The place I found the PRF 6-68 also sells other Taerosol products, but I don't know what they're suitable for:
PRF IPA Kontakt (isopropyl alcohol, non-lubricative), PRF 7-78 Kontakt (Hydrocarbons C9-16 hydro-treated dearomatized, isopropyl alcohol, lubricative) and PRF TCC contact cleaner (naphtha, non-lubricative).

I haven't had any success in finding Cramolin, KF F2 or Servisol here, and ordering from abroad is either very expensive or not possible (because of shipping restrictions for dangerous goods).

[analogix]

In Europe you should be able to get Cramolin Contaclean, which I believe is very similar to Caig Deoxit D5. The advantage over IPA is that it provides lubrication in addition to cleaning.

What's "IPA"?
I can't find Cramolin here either unfortunately. Perhaps one of the Taeorosol products I just mentioned work in the same way as Cramolin and Deoxit D5?

[rstofer]

In Europe you should be able to get Cramolin Contaclean, which I believe is very similar to Caig Deoxit D5. The advantage over IPA is that it provides lubrication in addition to cleaning.

What's "IPA"?
I can't find Cramolin here either unfortunately. Perhaps one of the Taeorosol products I just mentioned work in the same way as Cramolin and Deoxit D5?

IPA = isopropyl alcohol

[Sredni]

Perhaps this is the reason Cramolin is hard to find?

Cramolin Replacement Inquiry
http://store.caig.com/s.nl/ctype.KB/it.I/id.1411/KB.215/.f
Years ago I had this spray product for use on the electrical switching devices of a Schober Organ. It contained 47% trichlorotrifluoroethane.
I don't see this listed in your current products. Is it now under a different name? I still have the organ and am in need of a spray product to clean the switching devices. Please advise which of your products you recommend.

Thanks,
P. Stough

Answer
What you're referencing is the old Cramolin R5 with TF solvent, and it's now banned by the EPA. The replacement is the DeoxIT® (D5S-6), with petroleum naphtha as the carrier solvent or the new DeoxIT® DN5 (DN5S-6N), which is non-flammable, non-drip and safe on plastics.

Also, see this

http://www.pitt.edu/~szekeres/caigcram.htm

[alm]

IPA = Isopropyl Alcohol, the same stuff that is in 'PRF IPA Kontakt'.

The problem of stripping the plating applies to thin gold plating, as found in some switches designed for low power signals. I wouldn't be as worried about contacts with harder, thicker plating like those designed to switch several amps, although they should still be lubricated somehow.

I believe Conrad sells Cramolin, but I am not sure about shipping to Norway. Farnell at some point used to sell it, but I can not find it there at the moment.

Are the Kontakt Chemie products available? I believe Kontakt Gold 2000 is somewhat similar to Deoxit G5 (protects and lubricates plated contacts). They also have a bunch of other sprays for both cleaning and lubrication. I believe Tuner 600 is supposed to be a decent cleaner, but I have never used it myself.

I am not familiar with the Taerosol products. The description of 7-78 Kontakt seems to only mention mechanical applications (fine mechanics, VCRs, copy machines).

[analogix]

IPA = Isopropyl Alcohol, the same stuff that is in 'PRF IPA Kontakt'.

The problem of stripping the plating applies to thin gold plating, as found in some switches designed for low power signals. I wouldn't be as worried about contacts with harder, thicker plating like those designed to switch several amps, although they should still be lubricated somehow.

I believe Conrad sells Cramolin, but I am not sure about shipping to Norway. Farnell at some point used to sell it, but I can not find it there at the moment.

Are the Kontakt Chemie products available? I believe Kontakt Gold 2000 is somewhat similar to Deoxit G5 (protects and lubricates plated contacts). They also have a bunch of other sprays for both cleaning and lubrication. I believe Tuner 600 is supposed to be a decent cleaner, but I have never used it myself.

I am not familiar with the Taerosol products. The description of 7-78 Kontakt seems to only mention mechanical applications (fine mechanics, VCRs, copy machines).

Yes, Conrad electronics appears to sell Cramolin. Contrary to my understanding, Cramolin is actually a brand, not a specific product, so here's all the Cramolin products that came up at Conrad's site. Which one is it? I checked, and they do send to Norway, but with a minimum shipping cost of 45 Euros! That's 45 Euros plus whatever the cleaning agent costs plus import duties on top of that. I might as well have a service center do the cleaning for me!

So if I understand correctly you can basically use the same cleaning product for both pots, switches and rotary encoders -which would be isopropyl alcohol or isopropyl alcohol/naphtha, but you also need to lubricate moving parts, and that's where Deoxit F5 "Faderlube" comes in.
So while isopropyl alcohol/naphtha cleaning products are no problem (I actually have a can of CRC "electronic cleaner" (contains naphtha) which I'm guessing is suitable for this, I also have a bottle of isopropyl alcohol which I could apply with Q-tips), finding something that lubricates is apparently very difficult to obtain here. Maybe it's just that it's mostly available for the industry and not as a consumer product...

I did locate a local online store selling Kontakt Chemie products, but nobody has the Kontakt Gold 2000 (which, according to the specs, isn't a cleaner but a lubricant -so I assume I'd have to use isopropyl alcohol and/or naphtha first, then apply this after -to switches and rotary encoders).

Here's a few of photos of the switches I'm trying to clean (tactile switches with a convex metal disc which appears to bring contact to the switch when pressed), the pots and rotary encoder.

[alm]

The Cramolin product that is very similar to Deoxit D5 is Contaclean. But €45 shipping sounds ridiculous. Funny how there Conrad is in Sweden and Denmark, but not in Norway. And obviously Conrad Sweden and Denmark will not ship to Norway.

Cleaning with IPA may not be effective if the contacts are corroded. That's where the Deoxit name came from. I believe the naptha in Deoxit D5 is only a solvent to flush out contaminants. The active ingredient is [trade secret] . Cleaning pots with IPA shouldn't hurt anything, however, as long as you apply Faderlube afterwards. I would not recommend a contact cleaner containing a somewhat aggressive acid like Kontakt 60 (very effective at removing corrosion) for carbon or plastic pots, or even those tiny buttons / encoders, since it is very hard to flush it out completely. Tuner 600 (also by CRC) would be a milder cleaner (probably mostly naphta). Maybe you could ask the store selling the Kontakt products if they can order the other CRC products for a reasonable price?

I am sure that there are products available locally at electronic distributors that might be suitable, but you would need someone to be familiar with them. Apparently none of the brands common in the US and other parts of Europe are easily available in Norway.

[analogix]

I just downloaded and read the datasheet for Deoxit F5 "Faderlube" that I already have, where it says:

4. Features/Benefits:
Spray, adjustable valve (L-M-H) - Flushing action, Safe on plastics.
DeoxIT® Fader F100L concentrate has approximately 0.0% chemical cleaning action. DeoxIT® Fader is not for metal contacts/connectors, use DeoxIT®, DeoxIT® Gold and DeoxIT® Shield for those surfaces.
Replaces lubrication lost that have been cleaned with solvents or other cleaning solutions. Perfect for OEM’s
Excellent enhancing, excellent protection, No ozone depletion.
Reduces intermittent connections, arcing, RFI, wear and abrasion.
Cleaner Audio - Clearer Video - Reliable Data.

This cleaning business sure is confusing 
The switches contain both metal and plastic (see photo).
Here's what it says about the use for Deoxit F5 "Faderlube (or rather "Fader" as I see it says on the can):

3. Product Description:
Precision lubricant for conductive plastics and carbon-based controls (faders, slide potentiometers, conductive membranes - mouse pads and other mechanisms with sliding surfaces). It replenishes lubrication lost on surfaces that have been cleaned with solvents or other cleaning solutions. Use on conductive plastics and other sliding metal-plastic surfaces. Temperature range: -26OC to +150OC.

There doesn't appear to be any lubricant inside the switch mechanism, and to be honest I've never come across any switches/buttons that have any "greasy" feel to it (except the mechanical metal parts of a slide switch or shaft of a potmeter -not the actual electrical contact parts).

Would it be a problem to just clean my switches, pots and rotary encoder with an isopropyl (IPA) based spray (or just clean it with Q-tips dabbed in IPA, then apply Deoxit F5 "Fader" to the carbon tracks of the pots, and leave the other stuff alone? Well, perhaps the rotary encoder needs a dab of Deoxit F5 Fader...
Getting hold of Deoxit D5 appears to be very difficult, expensive and will take time to get here, so I'm looking for a solution where I can use what I already have, or buy something which is readily available here (like the Taerosol products). Just as long as it won't cause damage to the components.
 

[madires]

I got good experience with Teslanol Tuner Spray (all-in-one solution, not aggressive). And it's not expensive.

[analogix]

I got good experience with Teslanol Tuner Spray (all-in-one solution, not aggressive). And it's not expensive.

Today I found a local computer shop selling Teslanol Oszillin T6 which, according to its description appeared to be something similar to Deoxit D5, so I bought it!
Is this the one you mean? It appeared to do more than just clean, which is what I've understood I need (lubricate as well as clean the contacts, so as not to cause excessive wear and damage when used).

Here's also some more info where it says:

Does not influence any frequencies in the VHF/UHF range, quickly eliminates contact resistances, impregnates against moisture and soiling. Particularly yielding agent with micro sliding film that preserves the contacts and prolongs their functionality. Does not require any post-treatment as it also cleans, cares and protects high-grade contact elements and connectors in a single pass. Reduces abrasion of thin metal layers and protects damaged precious metal layers against corrosion.

But I found a comment where someone said that he prefers Deoxit instead of Oszillin because Deoxit is less aggressive (edit:text made BOLD by me):

Because I treated myself a while back and got a whole whole assortment of Caig Labs products, I chose the DeOxit solution. Worked like a charm and the investment paid for itself instantaneously. This stuff is impressive and I prefer it over the more aggressive “Teslanol Oszillin T6” (yes, that’s a real product) which is the standard over here.

Do I need to worry?

Actually I found a local company which imports Hosa/Caig products, but they wouldn't/couldn't import Deoxit because of the air-freight restrictions of such chemicals (which I find strange considering there are lots of other chemicals from abroad which are easy to get hold of). Oh well.....

The safety datasheet is available here (German, and scroll down in the document to page 19 for English) along with more info (scroll down and click on "Download and support"). I'm no chemist and can't make much sense of it 

[madires]

Yes, Oszillin T6 is the tuner spray. I'm using it for pots, switches and contacts for years and haven't noticed any aggressive reaction yet. If I need something more aggressive, like for heavy duty connectors with some corrosion, I use Kontakt 60 first to clean the contacts and then Oszillin T6 for lubrication and protection. Another option is Vaseline (Kontakt 701) which is great for poles of car batteries and other stuff exposed to the elements.

[analogix]

You say you've been using Oszillin T6 for pots.
Well, I might have done something stupid in my attempt to clean up an old synthesizer...

I sprayed Oszillin T6 into all its pushbutton switches and also a rotary encoder. I haven't tried it yet but expect it to help the contact problems.
And for the potmeters I sprayed a little bit of Deoxit F5 "Fader" into one of them, only to experience that the original smooth and slow action had gone and instead the potmeter was "scratchy" and feeling "cheap" to turn!
Having read so many good things about Deoxit and paying good money to buy it from the U.S. I expected the totally opposite.
Maybe I should have used some sort of thick grease instead? If so, what should I look for?

How does Oszillin T6 work with potmeters? Does it also remove the smooth feeling action? At least it appears to be a very thin liquid.
And is it safe with plastics? I sprayed it into some tactile pushbutton switches (since I couldn't open them all) and read that Servisol (which was recommended earlier in this thread) isn't plastic safe at all. Hopefully Oszillin is different.

[madires]

For lubrication with grease I'd use vaseline. And so far I haven't had any issues with potentiometers treated with Oszillin T6, but I haven't used it for slide potentiometers yet.

[joseph nicholas]

Vasaline works great for the range switch on your DMM.  Been using it for years. 

[analogix]

Vaseline -the same kind as some people use as a skin moisturizer?
Won't this act as an electrical insulator on the pot's carbon track? I assume that's where the vaseline is applied in order to make it glide easily?

Well, if this works at least it will be absolutely no problem to get hold of!

[joseph nicholas]

I can say this is for the ball bearings, if your multimeter uses these, in the range switch outer tracks.  This is how some manufactures ship their products.

[analogix]

So the vaseline is used only for the mechanical parts of the multimeter range switch and the shaft in the potmeter, not on the actual electrical connection?
This probably means I have to open up the pot to make sure the vaseline only goes to the metal shaft, and the Deoxit F5 or Oszillin T6 only goes to the carbon track?

UPDATE: another thing: won't vaseline "melt" and become more like a liquid when it heats up, and thereby flowing all over the place?

[SeanB]

There are different grades of petroleum jelly, of different viscosities, so some are pretty liquid at room temp while others are nearly solid waxes.

[analogix]

Which brand/type is known not to melt at room temperatures?

Some good news about my "scratchy" (as in feeling like it scratches when moving aound) -the Deoxit F5 seems to have "settled" a bit, so the pot is a little smoother now. But still not as smooth as before. I might have to desolder and open it up to be able to lubricate the pot spindle with some kind of grease.

[SeanB]

Well, the brand name Vaseline is pretty runny at room temperature, and getting liquid at body temperature, but I bought some locally made generic that is almost a wax at room temperature, which was perfect for the use I wanted it for, as a hotfoot bird deterrent. Worked well there, and lasts a long time even in the heat.

[Kjelt]

Just be sure you use acid free vaseline!

[Stuggi]

I use Taerosol Kontakt PRF 6-68 for the same exact purpose. Works like a charm. You can probably get it in Norway also.

Yes, I can buy it here!
I checked its contents which says Naphtha and isopropyl alcohol, so this means no lubrication.
I'm confused, because alm says it's very important with lubrication for switches, but does this only apply if it has gold contacts?

The place I found the PRF 6-68 also sells other Taerosol products, but I don't know what they're suitable for:
PRF IPA Kontakt (isopropyl alcohol, non-lubricative), PRF 7-78 Kontakt (Hydrocarbons C9-16 hydro-treated dearomatized, isopropyl alcohol, lubricative) and PRF TCC contact cleaner (naphtha, non-lubricative).

I haven't had any success in finding Cramolin, KF F2 or Servisol here, and ordering from abroad is either very expensive or not possible (because of shipping restrictions for dangerous goods).

Sorry to revive an old thread, but as I saw people talking about PRF sprays here I'd add a couple of cents;

PRF sprays are quite highly regarded within the electronics industry here in Finland. PRF IPA Kontakt is just isopropyl alcohol in a spray can. PRF 6-68 is a non-lubricating contact cleaner, while 7-78 is the lubricating kind. Both are non-conductive and people generally recommend 7-78 for scratchy potentiometers. There's also TCC, which is a speciality cleaner for sensitive electronic equipment, as well as HFE, a non-flamable variant, which is 30-40% tetrafluoroethane, aka. R-134a refrigerant, but it's almost 3 times as expensive as the others. Personally I've used IPA Contact and 6-68 at work for cleaning RF connectors in the field, and both have worked well for that.

I've emailed the manufacturer, and will post back when I get their opinions for the different uses of these cleaners.

[IconicPCB]

WD have a contact cleaning spary.

and NO .. dont abuse me it is different to wd40 water displacement concoction.
I am talking of fast drying contact cleaner.

[Stuggi]

I use Taerosol Kontakt PRF 6-68 for the same exact purpose. Works like a charm. You can probably get it in Norway also.

Yes, I can buy it here!
I checked its contents which says Naphtha and isopropyl alcohol, so this means no lubrication.
I'm confused, because alm says it's very important with lubrication for switches, but does this only apply if it has gold contacts?

The place I found the PRF 6-68 also sells other Taerosol products, but I don't know what they're suitable for:
PRF IPA Kontakt (isopropyl alcohol, non-lubricative), PRF 7-78 Kontakt (Hydrocarbons C9-16 hydro-treated dearomatized, isopropyl alcohol, lubricative) and PRF TCC contact cleaner (naphtha, non-lubricative).

I haven't had any success in finding Cramolin, KF F2 or Servisol here, and ordering from abroad is either very expensive or not possible (because of shipping restrictions for dangerous goods).

Sorry to revive an old thread, but as I saw people talking about PRF sprays here I'd add a couple of cents;

PRF sprays are quite highly regarded within the electronics industry here in Finland. PRF IPA Kontakt is just isopropyl alcohol in a spray can. PRF 6-68 is a non-lubricating contact cleaner, while 7-78 is the lubricating kind. Both are non-conductive and people generally recommend 7-78 for scratchy potentiometers. There's also TCC, which is a speciality cleaner for sensitive electronic equipment, as well as HFE, a non-flamable variant, which is 30-40% tetrafluoroethane, aka. R-134a refrigerant, but it's almost 3 times as expensive as the others. Personally I've used IPA Contact and 6-68 at work for cleaning RF connectors in the field, and both have worked well for that.

I've emailed the manufacturer, and will post back when I get their opinions for the different uses of these cleaners.

After talking to the manufacturer I got the following;

6-68 Kontakt - General "Dry" Contact Cleaner - Non-conductive
7-78 Kontakt - Lubricating Contact Cleaner - Non-conductive, specifically intended for cleaning potentiometers
TCC Contact Cleaner- Speciality Contact Cleaner - Evaporates quickly, "dry", intended for precision components and contacts
HFE Precision Cleaner - Non-flammable Speciality Contact Cleaner - Especially pure, non-flammable, evaporates completely - removes flux, light oils, fingerprints and other impurities.

My take on TCC and HFE are that they are intended for more high end applications, such as cleaning circuit boards in metrology equipment, especially HFE since the main solvent is R-134a (tetrafluoroethane) which is a bit exotic to say the least. 

[Kjelt]

Before buying Kontakt spray cans make sure you look at the manufacturing date and use them within one or two years or you can clean your cupboards as I had to do last year, what a mess, it leaked the stuff all over. Google it and you can find more victims.