WD-40 to clean electric contacts?

Does it really matter which component of WD-40 causes the problem or if other products cause the same problem? The point is that WD-40 is not a good product to use on electrical devices unless you know the materials won't be affected by it.

Some people here are in denial about the issue and refuse to consider that anything other than their own personal experience constitutes reality. You seem a bit more reasonable.

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Rick C

ybe it wasn't the solvent in the WD but the mineral oil it contains. IOW, any spray with mineral oil might have had the same effect.

For the purposes of the discussion, I think it does. If most spray elixirs use some sort of petroleum based oil that has a long term affect on certai n plastics, then it's not fair to single out WD40 particularly. In any cas e, I don't recall any other spray solutions that use a synthetic lube that trumpet the fact that they are safe for all plastics. If WD had a known is sue with plastics, someone (if not the WD folks) would surely step in with a fix product to steal the sales.

The point is that WD-40 is not a

That's good advice for any external additive. I always test the material i n question. Still, other than the fellow with the swollen window blocks (p robably an interference fit as it was designed), I think WD-40 will have no affect on electrical connectors.

I don't even use the stuff...

Not hear, it doesn't. Very humid and warm, and any unprotected tools repeatedly get surface rust, despite treatment with WD-40. I must buy some proper anti-rust spray, and use it after I've de-rusted everything in the citric acid bath.

I don't know what "fair" has to do with it. Someone suggested using WD-40 as a contact cleaner and I as well as a couple others pointed out it can cause problems. Others disputed this. Bottom line it WD-40 is not safe to use without checking the materials in use. There are many products that are specifically intended as contact cleaners which don't cause these problems.

Exactly. Some here have said WD-40 is universally safe to use when it is not.

How exactly do you do that without using it on the product in question?

I can't say that universally. As I mentioned, a friend used it on an expensive piece of chemical instrumentation and it froze the controls. I guess if the problem is caused by swelling the material and the connector has a very loose fit, it might not cause a problem. But why take the chance when there are other products that just plain *won't* cause a problem?

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Rick C

** IME it does both and it say so on the can too.

** Wot an idiot "straw man" to bring up.

Proves you know f*ck all about the many uses of WD40.

..... Phil

** Irrelevant.

The WD40 company regularly changes the terminology used.

It used to say it was mostly naptha.

The hydrocarbon propellant was changed to CO2, a couple of decades back.

Maybe that explains Global Warming....

.... Phil

** Irrelevant - cos charts like that are based on long term contact.

The solvents in WD40 **vanish** after a short time leaving only mineral oil behind.

Do you own tests and you will see nothing happens.

BTW: you are being a PITA troll.

.... Phil

This is why I use De-Oxit as a cleaner and follow up with Fader-lube on controls and Pro-Gold on switches.

The only things I use WD-40 for are:

1. Hosing a distributor cap and ignition wiring after it's gotten wet. I used to do this regularly with a '65 Dodge Slant-six engine.
2. Removing labels from equipment and the adhesive residue.
3. Occasionally spraying to the of my table saw. (It's cast iron.)
4. Using it instead of ether as a spray starter for 2-cycle engines. (Like chain saws and the like.) Although I think they stopped using propane as a propellant.

--
Jeff-1.0 
wa6fwi 
http://www.foxsmercantile.com

** You must be a raving nut case.

.... Phil

Well thank you Phil. I just stated what I use. I do it because it works.

--
Jeff-1.0 
wa6fwi 
http://www.foxsmercantile.com

You are obviously the sort of person who believes in do things thoroughly, and using the right tool for the job.

I can understand this if your doing it professionally, or if it's the sort of thing you find you need to quite often - but are you convinced that the end result is substantially better than a quick squirt of WD?

--
Ian

As a professional, I don't like things coming back. Period.

As to using WD-40, some time ago, I acquired several 5-tube table radios at an estate sale. Basically worthless, and with all the usual age related issues you'd expect. I tried WD-40 on the volume controls. Yes it works (are you paying attention Phil?)

I just don't feel comfortable using it.

--
Jeff-1.0 
wa6fwi 
http://www.foxsmercantile.com

** The damn shame is that he IS so convinced.

But that is a sad comment about HIM and nothing else.

The famous "one born every minute" observation is a marketeer's byword.

.... Phil

I never knew WD40 could work with non-metal. Look at this CD unjamming arti cle:

Muskegon Chronicle: Stan Harrison: Jammed DVD/CD tray? Fix it yourself for less than $1 - Mar 4, 2012 It's happened to you. I know it has.

Getting started (middle of article)

Unplug the DVD player and take it to your workshop. Make sure you have a c lean surface and plenty of light. A flashlight can help when looking at sm all parts. You'll need a small Phillips screwdriver, a small flat-blade sc rewdriver, a cotton swab and some WD-40 lubricant.

First, look at the underside of the player. On some models, there's a slot that might say something like this: "For ejection, insert a pin and push to left." In other words, if the DVD tray is stuck -- like yours is -- stic k a straightened paper clip or narrow screwdriver in the slot and push it t o the left. Voila! The tray will pop open, and you can retrieve your DVD. I f you can get the tray open, leave it partially open. It will make removing the cover of the DVD player easier.

And that's the next step -- removing the cover. Carefully study the case an d remove any screws that look as though they're holding the cover in place. Be sure to sort the screws. Tape them to a sheet of paper and label them s o you'll be able to properly reassemble the player.

Once you've removed the cover, you should be able to easily slide the tray open. If you can't, don't force it. Forcing the tray could strip or damage the gears, and then you will indeed be buying that new DVD player. Instead , use a small flat-blade screwdriver to press against the cogs on one of th e gears beneath the tray. You may have to tip the player on its side and pe er into the tray slot with a flashlight. As you push the screwdriver to rot ate the gears, the tray should start to slide open.

Replacing the broken belt

Once the tray slides open, you should be able to see a small motor, some ge ars, and if you're lucky, a broken belt. Remove and keep the broken belt fo r size. If the belt is missing, take a piece of string and snugly wrap it w here the belt should be. Mark and cut the string to size. This will be the size of your replacement belt.

Now for the cheap trick. With the broken belt or piece of string in hand, h ead for the plumbing section -- that's right, the plumbing section -- of yo ur hardware store or home center. You'll want a rubber O-ring, which is typ ically used to repair leaky, dripping faucets. Find an O-ring that matches as closely as possible the size of your broken belt or your piece of strin g. If you can't find an exact match, go for the slightly smaller size.

Put the rubber O-ring in place on your DVD player. If the tray struggles to open or close, the O-ring may be too small. If the next size up is too lar ge, try flexing the O-ring a bit to loosen it up.

Now, using a cotton swab, apply a small amount of WD-40 to the tray guides (groves along the bottom of the tray) for lubrication. This will help the t ray glide more easily.

Reattach the cover (you do remember which screws go where, right?) and you' re back in business!

Not only have you saved yourself $40, but by not tossing your DVD player in to the landfill, you've helped save the planet.

You've just finished watching your favorite movie on DVD, then press the e ject button on your DVD player.

Nothing happens. You press again. And again. And again. The tray is stuck. Now what?

You could take your DVD player to the nearest electronics repair shop. But they'd probably charge just as much or more to look at it as it would cost to replace it. So unless your DVD player is still under warranty or you've purchased an extended warranty, you're out of luck.

Instead, you resign yourself to purchasing a new DVD player, one of those i nexpensive ones for less than $40. You pry your stuck player open, retrieve your DVD, junk the now-damaged player and head to the nearest big box elec tronics store.

Save yourself that $40. Sometimes simply unplugging the player for a few mi nutes will reset the electronics, and you'll once again have a fully functi oning DVD player. If that doesn't work, don't give up yet. For a trip to a hardware store or home center and less than $1, you still might be able to fix that stuck DVD tray yourself. The DVD tray is connected to a series of gears, a motor and a rubber belt. When the motor is engaged, it turns the belt, which in turn moves the gears that open or close the tray. The problem typically is a broken belt. The m otor turns on, but with no belt, it can't turn the gears that operate the t ray.

Of course, you could try to buy a new rubber belt online -- if you can find one. But even though the cost of the belt itself wouldn't be much, the cos t of shipping would hardly make it worth your while.

(Start of article) So what'll it be -- $1 or $40? There's nothing to lose. Even if you mess up while attempting your own repair, you simply end up buying yourself a new DVD player anyway.

--

ed_dvdcd_tra.html

Bizarrely, there are contact cleaners designed for that which DO cause problems. A can of RS "Switch cleaner" made a bit of a mess of the inside of the plastic case of an old radio, by melting the black plastic into runny black goo.

Cleaned the wave-band switch a treat, but I'm glad it only puddled in the inside corner, and not so much the outside!

--
--------------------------------------+------------------------------------ 
Mike Brown: mjb[-at-]signal11.org.uk  |    http://www.signal11.org.uk

** This the one?

That is a strong grease solvent, meant for mechanical stuff.

FYI:

Here is a spray can with the title:

"Contact Cleaner and Protector"

Far as I can tell from the data sheets, its WD-40 under another name.

.... Phil

Not that one. It was a *lot* of years back, and his since been used and chucked. A round can with screw-on lid, and internally a "reversible" aluminium delivery tube, which you rotated 180' and poked out through a hole in the lid to use it.

Khaki green print on white. No idea what the RS part code was, but it was "own branded".

But it was definitely a switch cleaner ... it never damaged a switch or pot, but it didn't agree with that thermoplastic case :(

--
--------------------------------------+------------------------------------ 
Mike Brown: mjb[-at-]signal11.org.uk  |    http://www.signal11.org.uk

In orgo labs we used acetone to be sure there was no water left on glassware.

Acetone (spozably) evaporates completely.

- = - Vasos Panagiotopoulos, Columbia'81+, Reagan, Mozart, Pindus blog: panix.com/~vjp2/ruminatn.htm - = - web: panix.com/~vjp2/vasos.htm ---{Nothing herein constitutes advice. Everything fully disclaimed.}---

CRC electronics cleaner from Walmart. Exotic cleaners from Allied Electronics

WD is deodorized kerosene.

WD would emulsify heavy deposits n then use CRC removing the WD.

CRC bottles on the shelf used with the pipe are compressed air/solvent tools.