VOGONS


First post, by Intel486dx33

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I would like to what is the easiest ways to clean dirty, rusty motherboards and cards ?
Clean from corrosion and capacitor puke too.

Is it safe to clean in a sink with soap and water ?
Dishwasher ?
What type of cleaners do you use ?
Can you upload photos of your best work ?

Reply 1 of 2, by Deksor

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For dust, I use hot water in the shower with some dish soap and I brush it in the water. After that, I dry it with a hair dryer to remove every droplet of water remaining under the chips, connectors, etc.

For rust/corrosion, at least on PCB, I noticed soldering flux works rather well (afterall, it is its purpose to de-oxit)

Trying to identify old hardware ? Visit The retro web - Project's thread The Retro Web project - a stason.org/TH99 alternative

Reply 2 of 2, by Deunan

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Water with a few drops of dishwashing liquid and brush (medium toothbrush for hard to reach places). Don't overdo with the detergent, you don't want bubbles obscuring the PCB.
Soap is not so good (it excels at cleaning dirty plastic cases though). For rust - it depends what is rusted and how badly. Inside a chassis you might want to use rust remover and then coat it with something oily (like WD-40). It's usually necessary to wipe off the excess oil but it will stay in metal pores and prevent further moisuture ingress and corrosion.