Cleaning

[Narf]

I connected a RAM pack to my 464 a couple of days ago, only to find it wasn't working. Fortunately, all that was required was a quick dusting and all was well. However, this did get me wondering about how to give the expansion port a good cleaning. My first thought was switch cleaner, but I don't know if that would be too corrosive.


What do you guys use/recommend?

[CraigsBar]

I connected a RAM pack to my 464 a couple of days ago, only to find it wasn't working. Fortunately, all that was required was a quick dusting and all was well. However, this did get me wondering about how to give the expansion port a good cleaning. My first thought was switch cleaner, but I don't know if that would be too corrosive.


What do you guys use/recommend?

The only thing I ever used on my cpc 464 expansion connectors was a Hornby Railway Track cleaner block (Or track Rubber) these are harder than a pencil eraser, but softer than those ink erasers that scratch a hole in your paper!


a quick rub down with the block every few months kept all my expansions singing together sweetly and I had a few....


64k ram, Romboard Extra (with basic 1.1), Genius Mouse, Silicon Disc (OS ROM removed from the separate board and put in the Romboard Extra) & DDI-1


Craig

[TFM]

What do you guys use/recommend?

A 6128 with Centronics expansion port, the contacts are gold plated, so they will not oxidize.


For cleaning ... Q-Tips with 70% Ethanol (Wodka does it too, but don't use brown liquor).

[chinnyhill10]

I connected a RAM pack to my 464 a couple of days ago, only to find it wasn't working. Fortunately, all that was required was a quick dusting and all was well. However, this did get me wondering about how to give the expansion port a good cleaning. My first thought was switch cleaner, but I don't know if that would be too corrosive.


What do you guys use/recommend?

I have a large collection of game cartridges and buy on a regular basis. The edge connectors are the same as the CPC's expansion connector.


I use Isopropyl alcohol spray with cleaning swabs specially designed for electronics. Should be fine for a CPC. You want to avoid anything abrasive unless you have serious oxidisation at work.


Sometimes you just have to be abrasive. Been working on my BBC Master this evening and been puzzling over why it wasn't storing its CMOS settings. Traced it to the battery contacts, Badly oxidised. Scraped a Stanley knife over them (DO NOT do this this a CPC!!!) and then IPA'd them. Now works fine.

[mr_lou]

I read this recently:
Hardcore Gaming 101: Guide to NES Maintenance

In short, metal polish should supposedly be the best.

[chinnyhill10]

I read this recently:
Hardcore Gaming 101: Guide to NES Maintenance

In short, metal polish should supposedly be the best.

Any polish is abrasive and therefore should only be used as a last resort. Chances are the problem is dirt rather than oxidisation.


Sadly alot of console sites talk a lot of rot. Rub a pencil eraser over the surface, blow on it etc. Only start getting abrasive if IPA doesn't work because IPA is the gentlist method you can use.

[mr_lou]

I know quite a lot of people uses sandpaper.
That's most definitely more abrasive than metal polish. 

[Narf]

I got a decent amount of dirt off by lightly wiping a q - tip over it, but I know it needs more than that. Think I'll give it a once over later with an alcohol wipe before I can get something more suitable

[chinnyhill10]

I know quite a lot of people uses sandpaper.

Then they are idiots.

[chinnyhill10]

I got a decent amount of dirt off by lightly wiping a q - tip over it, but I know it needs more than that. Think I'll give it a once over later with an alcohol wipe before I can get something more suitable

You have to give it a good rub. I purchase Sega carts that are beyond filthy. Utterly disgusting in fact and encased in crud. Yet I've never needed more than IPA, a electronic cleaning cotton bud and sometimes a little bit of kitchen paper (to be wrapped around the end of the bud as it can hold more IPA.


If you are abrasive then eventually there won't be any metal left to clean.

[EgoTrip]

Put them in the dishwasher

[chinnyhill10]

Put them in the dishwasher

Works for IBM Model M keyboards!


The keyboard on my BBC Master was so bad I considered the dishwasher but eventually industrial quantities of IPA managed to get it working.

[mr_lou]

Then they are idiots.

Calling other people idiots, because they do things differently than you.... ok then.

Personally I don't care what kind of religion everyone has regarding cleaning of machines and games. As long as it makes my machines and games work, they can do what they want.
And so far, they've always made my stuff work, so I'm sticking with them, and ignore that you're calling them idiots.

[Bryce]

Anything that removes more than just the dirt is bad news in the long run. There's only 35µm of copper/gold on those contacts and every abrassive clean is taking some of that away. Switch cleaner or alcohol is best because they don't remove the original material. Dishwashing anything electronic is also a bad idea unless your dishwasher ran out of salt a year ago. Otherwise residue from the dishwasher salt (which is quite corrosive) will still be under the ICs and other parts, slowly corroding through the copper. The elctronics will work at first, but a few months later it may suddenly die.

Bryce.

[mr_lou]

The few times I have attempted to clean something myself, I've used isopropyl alcohol, with very mixed results.
Mostly I'm not getting anywhere with it. Not with retro machines anyway.

I've only had success using isopropyl alcohol on other electronics, like tape-players back in the day. Never had success using it for cartridge cleaning, which is why I just leave it to other people nowadays.

Regarding abrasive methods, and the "not good in the long run", I'm thinking... it's a long "long run", so I'm good.
Machines are in poor shape probably because they've been stored in the attic or something. Once they've been cleaned, they'll be stored properly in my home. So even if there might only be 20µm of copper/gold now, it has proven to be enough - and I'm sure it'll last for many many years.

Of course it makes sense that it probably won't survive another one of those treatments, but it really shouldn't need to get another one of those treatments either.

[Bryce]

The problem is that the connections are gold plated copper. Gold will get dirty, but it won't oxidise. If you use sandpaper you remove the gold almost with the first swipe. You're then left with bare copper that oxidises very quickly, so you've made the cartridge very unreliable. Alcohol is ok for mild dirt, but I prefer to use this on cartridges: -http://www.reichelt.de/Kontaktreiniger/KONTAKT-2010/3/index.html?&ACTION=3&LA=2&ARTICLE=9462&GROUPID=4069&artnr=KONTAKT+2010

Bryce.

[chinnyhill10]

Calling other people idiots, because they do things differently than you.... ok then.

The protective gold coating is thin. Very thin. Clean it with sandpaper and you'll take the lot off in one go. Therefore it would be foolish in the extreme to use sandpaper.


The dictionary definition of idiot is:

a foolish or senseless person

Like I say, only a foolish person would start scrubbing their edge connectors with sandpaper. So my use of the word "idiot" is entirely appropriate.

[chinnyhill10]

Dishwashing anything electronic is also a bad idea unless your dishwasher ran out of salt a year ago. Otherwise residue from the dishwasher salt (which is quite corrosive) will still be under the ICs and other parts, slowly corroding through the copper. The elctronics will work at first, but a few months later it may suddenly die.

No soap, no salt and no drying cycle. Let it dry for a week.


Only works for IBM Model M's. Don't try it without a how to guide or any other model of keyboard. The model M is rather a special case!

[EgoTrip]

I wasn't being serious about the dishwasher comment. I'd wager that anyone with the tiniest bit of electronics knowledge would know its probably not a good idea.

[Bryce]

I wasn't being serious about the dishwasher comment. I'd wager that anyone with the tiniest bit of electronics knowledge would know its probably not a good idea.

You wouldn't believe how many people have done this!

Bryce.

[Gryzor]

I'd say, the point of the forum is not being right, it's being cool with each other. But since @chinnyhill10 referred to no one in particular and certainly to no one in this forum I think getting offended is not needed...

Also, cleaning contacts with sandpaper? bloody idiots.