Been a while since I purchased some. Prices are getting out of hand for this stuff. Any recommendations for good spray cleaner to flood things like dirty switches? Looking for a good bang for the buck.

cyclo from CRC have even seen it sometimes in NAPA stores. Then a very small amount of the good stuff.
DeOxit Red can switches and the Fader Stuff for pots. Switches I put the DeOxit on with a needle applicator. one very small drop per contact.

John k9uwa

Depends on the application you might want to use a NO RESIDUE cleaner or one that leaves a sealing film.

CRC Electronic Cleaner, all auto parts stores, blast clean, flash dry. No residue or lube, so you'd want to carefully lube contacts after this dries.

Well, right now I have a radio with a bunch of slide switches that are actuated by other levers contacting and moving the switch. My experience in the past has been that it is very difficult to get these enclosed sliders cleaned.

At work (and home) I use CRC "QD" contact cleaner...
it works for both big & small, and has never eaten any plastic (yet)

..

This is what I have to contend with:





Yes, alongside those levers are slide switches. I have found cleaning sliders to be the most difficult in the past. These switches having all the "harnesses" around them will make it even worse.

They don't come apart easy because they are riveted in....
And to make matters worse, they are very dirty and I have about 12 in total to clean!!

I use GC Big Bath for flooding switches and pots. It leaves no residue. Available from Antique Electronic Supply http://www.tubesandmore.com/products/S-C19-906. It works great for cleaning gang, slide and toggle switches (bat handle types), as well as switches on potentiometers. I can usually find a way to get it into the control or switch without disassembly. However, it ain't cheap!

I use D5 for cleaning oxidized metal contacts.

Deoxit D5. Good for a couple of years. Use sparingly. Any music store has some if you are in a rush.

Use DeWrex-It VERY sparingly on phenolic switches as it can cause them to swell and develop conductive paths at vacuum tube B+ voltages.
I use just a partial drop from the dispenser on a pointed object and carefully place on a switch rotor and rotate it several times and then wash off with brake cleaner. Do it again if needed.
Its also good on tuning capacitors at the spring brass ground wipers....it cant damage anything there.

Carl

Big Bath is what us professionals use.

Too bad they stopped making "Blue Stuff" and "Tuner Wash" ... those worked wonders on the old TV Turret tuners.

I wonder if for $25 a can the ingredients are any different than the CRC electrical cleaner that the auto parts store sells for $5.99. Does dollar bills come out of the can as you spray it?

CRC QD Electronic Cleaner can says: "Excellent precision cleaning solvent that cleans and protects sensitive electronic components and contacts. Instantly penetrates hard-to-reach areas to safely dissolve dirt, dust, grease, flux, and other contaminants on contact. Evaporates quickly and completely. Regular use helps prevent contact failure and malfunction. Harmless to most plastics and paper tapes."

"Contains Hexane Isomers, n-Hexane 110-54-3, COzol 204 and Carbon Dioxide 124-38-9."

Indeed, Big Bath is pricy, but gotten from my local distributor I pay around $10 a can.
Some sources overprice it obviously.
Nevertheless, it's an effective product that saves time, and the costs of using it in my business are added to the customer's bill just like any other repair part or specialized tool.

Big Bath and Component Bath are both great products. I have a few left, a 22 oz can cost me $12.95 a few years back but now they want double for that same amount. I found a bunch of the good quality cleaner at a flea mkt, 3 cans for $5 so I stocked up

Sounds like brake cleaner. Store brands are often on sale for .99

Carl

Mouser and DigiKey do not sell the GC Big Bath. I am not paying $25 for a can at AES. I will just give the CRC a go.
25 bucks a can....what is the world coming to...

CRC QD isn't brake cleaner...

It has been in regualr use in both big$$ automation systems, fancy electronics, as well as
3000A transfer switches... never failed me yet.. abput $10 can from Grainger's


and yes Hifi and radio gear also

That is good to hear Adam. I paid $5.99 at my local auto parts store.