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Cleaning Electronics Devices

I thought I'd post this, as it is an example of a "worst-case scenario" situation. A few months ago I acquired a rather high-end Mitsubishi VHS VCR from eBay for not much money. The seller said the VCR was in excellent condition, and very clean. I'm sure everyone has heard this before... LOL. To make a long story short, when I received the VCR it was an absolute disaster from a aesthetic and cleanliness point-of-view. Obviously, the original owner was a heavy smoker, and the VCR absolutely reeked of smoke, and nicotine stains were the worst I've ever seen inside and out the unit. To put it mildly, it was horrible, and I almost felt I needed to put on rubber gloves just to touch it!

Strangely, it worked fine, but otherwise it was a real mess. So, I decided to disassemble it and clean it manually. It didn't take long to realize that this was hopeless. Thus, I did the unthinkable,especially for a VCR. Once disassembled, I put each board and the chassis/transport into the dishwasher taking care to cover and protect the video head drum. No dish washing detergent, just the water. After a full wash, rinse, and dry cycle, I removed it, and gently dried it with compressed air, and then placed it into a 100 degree oven for a short time.

After 3 months, the VCR is still working fine, and it looks (and smells) like new. Realistically, I had nothing to lose by trying this worst-case cleaning method, but it worked. It sounds like this would be an absolute disaster for a VCR, and I must admit, I am surprised that it was successful.

I have used this method for cleaning other types of electronics in the past, but not a VCR.

Reply to
Don
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What is the largest item w x h x d you can put , entire, into a domestic dishwasher ?is dismantling racks possible in some models.?

With tobacco staining I just use oven cleaner (after test patches) on the outside and drops of fragrent oil on whatever gets warm on the inside. Last weeks treat for me was an amp a dog had pissed in the back of - frangipan oil went in that one after localised cleaning.

Reply to
N_Cook

On Sat, 03 Jul 2010 05:38:28 -0700, Don ??o??:

Flux stripper spray and 90% Isopropyl on pc boards and other things that won't be damaged by chemicals. Window cleaner on the outside.

Reply to
Meat Plow

30 years ago, when I worked with circuit boards for cash registers...we would steam clean and blow off board that had spillage,smoking tars, insect or rodent nests on them.

bob

Reply to
Bob Villa

This had no effect on moving parts that weren't covered during the wash? Their lubrication wasn't affected?

Reply to
William Sommerwerck

What's unthinkable about a dishwasher for PC boards? We put all 40 boards of a 1978 Ampex AVR-3 into the dishwasher in 2006 and they worked fine. We did have the bonus of a commercial food dehydrator so we cooked them at 105=B0 F for 17 hours. Oven baking is OK so long as you dnon't overheat them. Electric is preferred over gas as a combustion byproduct is water - what you're trying to get rid of.

The transport however....

G=B2

Reply to
stratus46

The rotating drum/head assembly was completely covered and protected, as well as the bottom of the motor underneath the chassis. After the wash, I went through and fully lubricated all points in the transport which were previously lubricated. Mitsubishi used a special type of graphite grease, and I located it online. Of course, I knew the PC boards could be cleaned in this manner, as I used to work for an electronics manufacturer. However, an entire VCR was a bit of a bizarre thought. I had nothing to lose with this approach, as my initial thought after receiving the VCR was to put it in the trash.

All of the membrane switches, all of the mechanical and electrical aspects of the machine work fine after 3 months of use. Needless to say, I am pleasantly surprised everything is still functioning to spec. We'll see if it has any long term affects in the coming months.

The top cover wasn't in the best of shape, so I contacted a friend who does powder coating, primarily for custom cars. He stripped the cover, and powder coated it, and now it looks better than new. He only charged me for the powder... $10.

Reply to
Don

Thanks for the details.

Reply to
William Sommerwerck

There was a discussion on the TekScopes list a few months ago about Tektronix's procedure for cleaning their oscilloscopes and other test equipment during refurbishment: use a spray gun with plenty of hot water and detergent, rinse with clean water, then dry in a warm oven for 24 hours. A dishwasher approximates this pretty well.

The instructions list a few caveats: try to avoid getting power transformers or paper-cased capacitors wet, and relubricate switches and other moving parts after drying. List members noted that Tek were reasonably careful to choose switches and pots that could be washed this way, and more careful drying may be necessary for equipment made by other manufacturers...

If you're a member of the list's Yahoo group, there's a good article with photos here:

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Adam Sampson
Reply to
Adam Sampson

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