Contact cleaners and WD40 (long soapbox oration)

[twagner@mail.island.net (Tom Wagner (guru of old stuff))]

At the risk of being flamed I am posting a couple of cautions I have found
and as the subject of cleaning fuses and connections comes up I am taking
the liberty of expounding a couple of points from experience.

Never use contact cleaning solutions.  They are intended for contacts that
wipe, and will ruin connections that don't.  They can attract dirt and
contaminants and acutally form an insulating barrier.  I have had a couple
of instances of having to trash complete "shipboard" telephone exchanges
where the electrician had sprayed the relays in order to _clean_ the
contacts.  The best thing to use is a mild abrasive such as a typewriter
eraser.  Even a clean white business card and a little elbow grease is
better.  Wet or dry sandpaper has been used, but it too can leave a
conductive residue in delicate applications.  

WD40 is great, but it is pretty good at melting rubbers and soft plastic.
We had a maintenance person lubricate all the stenographic chairs for
squeaks.  Few months later any soft parts turned to mush. They specifically
_do not_ mention anything about plastic or rubber.  Only metals on the can.

I have found Liquid Wrench to be pretty safe, but then again, I read on the
can not to get it on painted surfaces.  That kind of tells me that maybe it
too can be harmful.

WD40 does make a great starting fluid, and fishermen swear by it for
covering bait.  I have arthritus, and was told to spray WD 40 on my joints.
No thanks, it took me 20 minutes just to find an old can of it around my
shop.  Ask me why they called it WD40!

Tom, who should mind his own business and is probably repeating what has
already been said...

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