Cleaning old rigs

[Mark Johnson/Ontario/IBM]

Alan et el..
Regarding your note on cleaning rigs....Last week I did the unthinkable...I
put an SB-101 I have into the dishwasher.

Yes, I can hear the groans all ready but in my case the rig was 50/50 on
being restorable, or becoming a parts rig. It was very dirty inside and no
vacuuming or hand cleaning could get it clean.

It sure came out nice when finished!!

I pulled all tubes, pulled the meter,  covered all the IF transformers with
plastic wrap and in she went. I ran a quick cycle, used normal dishwasher
soap, did not let it go through the dry cycle. The heat from the Hot water
dried a good piece of it. I then put it in the oven at LOW temp for 4
hours. I then let it sit over night, then back into the oven for 4 hours
the next day. I then let it air dry outside for an  afternoon. I then used
a good quality contact cleaner on all the pots, switches, shafts etc. to
force out any moisture and stop any corrosion.

I then let it sit for 4 days before the power test.

It powered up just fine and worked!!

In hindsight, I'd remove the front plastic dial bezel and the actual dial
the next time as the soap and hot water faded them. Lucky for me I have
these spare parts so I was OK.

Worked for me!! As I mentioned, my risk was low because this was 50/50 on
being a parts rig. She's a keeper now!
Mark V. Johnson
VE3DJU


Alan KB7MBI <ARDUJENSKI at AOL.COM> on 09/26/2000 04:58:36 PM

Please respond to ARDUJENSKI at AOL.COM

To:   HEATH at LISTSERV.TEMPE.GOV
cc:
Subject:  Cleaning old rigs




Is there a good website that gives information on cleaning the insides of
older rigs? The vacuum cleaner provides some initial efforts of scaring off
the dust bunnies lurking inside but does little towards dealing with the
dust
that may be clinging due to lite coating of grime.  A dust rag does fine on
open areas but in and around components this is not always practical. Is it
just patience and use of various brushes or are there better ways?

For the outside I had tried a dilute solution of SIMPLE GREEN. It appears
to
be kind to most finishes and leaves no noticeable residue

I would appreciate a referral to a site that addresses this topic (or
input).
 Many thanks
Alan KB7MBI

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