PCB & Amp cleaning?? What do YOU use?

phoenix_rising · Post by **phoenix_rising** » Wed May 06, 2009 6:52 am

What materials do people use for cleaning Amps and PCB's?

Was hoping to put myself together a little kit and was wondering what were the 'must have' products of the circuit board cleaning world

Post by **stipud** » Wed May 06, 2009 7:01 am

99% Isopropyl alcohol, a toothbrush and canned air.

Soak an area in iso, brush the crud off, and spray canned air on it afterwards to make it evaporate instantly. Or just wait overnight.

phoenix_rising · Post by **phoenix_rising** » Wed May 06, 2009 7:03 am

cheers dude... would something like this work well as a substitute? And are there only componenets not too get this stuff on? Does it kill the gold traces on the boards at all?

dBincognito · Post by **dBincognito** » Wed May 06, 2009 7:04 am

stipud wrote:99% Isopropyl alcohol, a toothbrush and canned air.

Soak an area in iso, brush the crud off, and spray canned air on it afterwards to make it evaporate instantly. Or just wait overnight.

Is it safe for that stuff to get on components ?

Post by **stipud** » Wed May 06, 2009 7:40 am

dBincognito wrote:Is it safe for that stuff to get on components ?

Don't pour it in pots or anything mechanical, where it wouldn't evaporate, but yeah it is safe. I usually apply it to the toothbrush and go from there.

dBincognito · Post by **dBincognito** » Wed May 06, 2009 7:43 am

stipud wrote:
dBincognito wrote:Is it safe for that stuff to get on components ?
Don't pour it in pots or anything mechanical, where it wouldn't evaporate, but yeah it is safe. I usually apply it to the toothbrush and go from there.

Well I didn't mean douse the board

I meant toothbrush wise....it's ok to get it on the resistors ?

I have been wanting to shine the boards on my 2125's....what's best ?

Post by **stipud** » Wed May 06, 2009 7:53 am

dBincognito wrote:Well I didn't mean douse the board

I meant toothbrush wise....it's ok to get it on the resistors ?

I have been wanting to shine the boards on my 2125's....what's best ?

You don't need to scour it as hard as you can with the toothbrush... just press enough to get the dust and crud off.

neverman · Post by **neverman** » Wed May 06, 2009 10:29 pm

Acid brushes work really well. Just trim the tips a little to firm them up to your desired application. 99% iso is the ticket, don't settle for less. It won't harm your board or components. Try to avoid getting into places you can't dry is all.

nutxo · Post by **nutxo** » Thu May 07, 2009 6:44 am

I used to use foam swabs and alcohol till I ran aout and couldnt find em so I switch to a paint brush and cotton swabs.

freshkryp69 · Post by **freshkryp69** » Fri May 08, 2009 8:28 am

whats up,
have any of you tried "CRC contact cleaner" it comes in aerosol can,red can??? Im not sure if its board friendly?? I use there brake cleaner,for working on the car and it works better than anything else avail here in the US.

paulmichelsen · Post by **paulmichelsen** » Fri May 08, 2009 8:35 am

My other hobby is restoring arcade games and for cleaning the PCB's one trick people use is the dish washer and then set them out in the sun to dry or use a compressor to dry them. Those things get nasty, this trick is also used on monitor/TV chassis.

freshkryp69 · Post by **freshkryp69** » Fri May 08, 2009 8:52 am

I dont think most of us would throw the amp in the dishwasher...lol...due to the pots and other components that are not solvent safe...I do know most caps arent..

dBincognito · Post by **dBincognito** » Fri May 08, 2009 9:00 am

I still don't think alcohol is a good idea.....I know it leaves residue.....

GX3 · Post by **GX3** » Fri May 08, 2009 9:04 am

freshkryp69 wrote:I dont think most of us would throw the amp in the dishwasher...lol...due to the pots and other components that are not solvent safe...I do know most caps arent..

Just use Jet Dry

freshkryp69 · Post by **freshkryp69** » Fri May 08, 2009 9:05 am

99% alcohol shouldnt leave anything, then there is denatured alcohol,I wonder if it would work better than isoprop alcohol?

dBincognito · Post by **dBincognito** » Fri May 08, 2009 9:05 am

GX3 wrote:
freshkryp69 wrote:I dont think most of us would throw the amp in the dishwasher...lol...due to the pots and other components that are not solvent safe...I do know most caps arent..

Just use Jet Dry

Liquids and electronics just scare me.....I don't even want to try

GX3 · Post by **GX3** » Fri May 08, 2009 9:07 am

dBincognito wrote:
GX3 wrote:
freshkryp69 wrote:I dont think most of us would throw the amp in the dishwasher...lol...due to the pots and other components that are not solvent safe...I do know most caps arent..

Just use Jet Dry

Liquids and electronics just scare me.....I don't even want to try

You know i was being a smart ass

freshkryp69 · Post by **freshkryp69** » Fri May 08, 2009 9:07 am

I have all my amps loaded in the washer now

jet dry it is...

freshkryp69 · Post by **freshkryp69** » Fri May 08, 2009 9:12 am

I know you were J/K...

SERIOUSLY THOUGH I do know if you put an anodized heatsink in the dish washer on,heat dry...it will spider crack the anodize coating due to thermal expansion or the cold fusion thats going on in the washer...lol

freshkryp69 · Post by **freshkryp69** » Fri May 08, 2009 9:13 am

db is scary untill I prove it to him....lol

vin78 · Post by **vin78** » Fri May 08, 2009 10:04 pm

freshkryp69 wrote:I know you were J/K... SERIOUSLY THOUGH I do know if you put an anodized heatsink in the dish washer on,heat dry...it will spider crack the anodize coating due to thermal expansion or the cold fusion thats going on in the washer...lol

Custom! JOMA special

That might look kinda neat

oldskoolmseriesfan · Post by **oldskoolmseriesfan** » Sat May 09, 2009 12:19 am

vin78 wrote:
freshkryp69 wrote:I know you were J/K... SERIOUSLY THOUGH I do know if you put an anodized heatsink in the dish washer on,heat dry...it will spider crack the anodize coating due to thermal expansion or the cold fusion thats going on in the washer...lol
Custom! JOMA special

That might look kinda neat

Rare even

neverman · Post by **neverman** » Mon May 11, 2009 2:18 am

ISO I'm tellin's ya. If it's good enough for Mil-Spec work it's good enough for you. It just needs to be the real stuff, not some rubbing alcohol crap.

I was micro-min certified and granted it was eons ago but I'm pretty sure no residue was left from the alcohol. As long as you used enough and sopped up the first couple passes with a cotton ball to remove the debris you were cleaning it will be shiny shiny. We used this and nothing else to clean salvaged parts from downed/drowned airplanes. If you find something better let Uncle Sam know.

phoenix_rising · Post by **phoenix_rising** » Mon May 11, 2009 5:05 am

Cool so the verdict is 99% Isopropyl alcohol and some swabs... make sure its dry before firing up the device and your good to go... ?

phoenix_rising · Post by **phoenix_rising** » Thu Jun 25, 2009 2:22 am

just bought some ISO and just wanted to make sure that when cleaning the amps pcb's is there anywhere that i SHOULDNT get this stuff... does it conduct and kick my arse if i slap it about around the caps?