General > General Technical Chat
Brake cleaner is cheap and cleans PCBs really well
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duckduck:
N.B.: Chlorinated brake cleaner makes (at least some) plastic parts extremely brittle. I've now got a new plastic case on the way for my Garmin GPS because I thought it would be smart to clean it with brake cleaner and it crumbled into tiny little crispy bits.  :palm:
amyk:
Chlorinated solvents tend to attack plastics pretty aggressively - methylene chloride can be used for plastic welding, for example.
helius:
As can MEK, but I find the latter easier to use as it doesn't evaporate instantly as DCM does.

DCM on the left, MEK on the right.
They both work better if a small amount of ABS is dissolved in the solvent (this is how many modeling glues are made). Using the brush cap and returning it to the bottle will carry in plastic resin slowly as well.
Halcyon:
What about a dishwasher and a bit of detergent?
jpanhalt:
Has anyone tried E85 "flex" fuel? 

In the US, it is at least 50% ethanol + light petroleum distillates (https://afdc.energy.gov/fuels/ethanol_e85_specs.html ).  Apparently the ethanol percentage is higher in the Summer.  In the US, it is spec'd to contain 51% to 83% ethanol.  Many of the commercial flux removers have petroleum spirits in them too.  Doesn't smell too bad either.  It is also less than $3/gal in my area.

I bought some the other day (Summer in Ohio), but haven't had a chance to use it. 
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