Some pics showing the mold. and dripping on a wafer switch. How can I remove and clean this up

Cadium. Happens to parts like this when stored in a high Humidify environment. Use a mask and a brush to clean it off, outside is best.

+1

I use paper towels wetted with isopropyl rubbing alcohol (no need to waste the electronic grade stuff on this cleaning), then follow up with a brush or toothbrush wet with isopropyl. I do this outdoors, and ideally wearing a dust mask. You don't want this stuff in your lungs.

I use wet cleaning because I want to minimize the amount of dust that becomes airborne.

The cadmium salt deposits are toxic. Use a mask, work outdoors, and wet everything down first with the isopropyl alcohol to prevent the dust from getting into the air.

-EB

A shop vac filter is no good for this, it will just redistribute the dust, in a bad way. I use a copier vacuum with a toner rated filter, outside if possible and a wet wipe up after, nasty stuff.
Some of the smells that come out of old solder and gear makes you wonder about a quality mask or filter system

Folks, IT ISN"T Cadmium, nor a Cadmium Salt - they all bear colors. What is present is Stannous Chloride (Tin(II) chloride) , common Tin corrosion in the presence of humidity or organic salts. We saw TONS of it in the navy, particularly in commercial gear. Humidity + Tin..........

Cadmium Sulfide - greenish/yellowish. Cadmium plated chassis that turn green. That's the ugly stuff.
Cadmum Oxide - Brown. Rare to develop at room temperatures. We saw it in cadmium plated jet engine parts.
Tin(II) chloride - whitish deposit, just tin trying to return to it's natural, ore state.

I'd be more suspicious of Cadmium Sulfide if the hardware was attacked - but just tin plated stuff? No way. Remember, those pot housings easily develop tin whiskers - a common problem in Striptrols, and not a new problem either - GE (Consumer Electronics) was aware of the problem in the 80s. Oil impregnated fishpaper solved their problems with tin whiskers in striptrols.

(Signed) He who had 6+ weeks of corrosion control training, plus the required corrosion training with each training track,

Brian, this is well-timed. I've been working on an old Thorens turntable with the same type of white powdery stuff on various parts. I don't see any yellowish or greenish tint to it, so I'm assuming I'm ok with what I've been doing to this point -- using my HEPA filtered vacuum to get off the loose stuff and removing the rest with Flitz polish.

Thanks Brian for fixing revisionist history here, I've never worried about the stuff cleaning off hundreds of old amplifiers.
I usually use a small brush or dry rag to get the tight corners and dust off easily outdoors., all of my Weston testers when cleaning had a bit of "tin dust" on the pots and stuff...funny it carried over to the later Heathkit, too.
Kent

Thanks. for the help everyone. Will get in there with alcohol and rag to try and clean up.

Greetings, All!

Stannous Chloride is also not fun, although apparently not as dangerous as Cd salts. Here is what Science Direct says:



Note that it is supposed to react with alcohol. However, it would seem that the white powder we encounter is probably already somewhat oxidized and therefore is not pure stannous chloride. This might explain its lack of reactivity when cleaned with alcohol.

Nevertheless, caution against breathing, ingesting or eye contact with the stuff is warranted.

Regards,

The TT-1 and TT-1A were introduced around 1960. By that time cadmium plating was not common on things which were only going to see indoor use, though it was still common enough as plating on hardware for outdoor use. (Indeed, it is still used for that purpose sometimes today). Tin plating, on the other hand, was literally everywhere in electronics. Even if it was cadmium there are no recorded cases of anybody being sickened or worse by TT-1 tube tester dust.

Sanding down old radio finishes, many of which contained lead, is probably more dangerous than that white corrosion powder, but just the same it will not do you any good if it gets inside you. Therefore, the reasonable precautions given above are well justified. Just take care not to let any alcohol get inside the meter housing.

I go out of my way to inhale the dust from cleaning up old tube testers. Due to this continued practice, I have acquired most of the functions of tube testers, and I do firmly believe I am now able to test tubes WITHOUT a tube tester. I can just feel the power .....

This explains sooooo many things, Barry.

The older I get, the less I use the three tube testers in the shop!

My National NCX-1000 chassis had the stuff on it. I used a paper towel with a little WD-40 applied, and it wiped right off.