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Cleaning Old Vintage Cards

G

gerrydoire

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Aug 25, 2008
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What is the best and safest way to clean expansion cards.

Would a ultrasonic cleaner be safe and effective?
 
Let's think about this. Do you really think that solder joints would enjoy a good ultrasonic shaking?
 
How dirty?

Mostly, I just use a soft bristle brush. But near-terminal cases (mouse poop, etc.) can require some water and a drop or two of detergent--and a toothbrush.
 
I would use a slightly-damp washcloth for general dirt and dust. Just be sure to wring it hard enough to get every last drop of excess water out.
 
I also use a soft brush (actually a hair clipper cleaning brush I think) to get the worst off, then work over with a baby wipe, finally toothbrush and isopropynol for any areas hard to reach. Bear in mind not all components are submersible (electrolytic caps and switches in particular).
 
The brush is a standard item in the woodwind repair world. I use it for everything now. Get a 1.5" or 2" paint brush. The cheap Chinese hog hair are good, but actually anything will do. Once you get one on your bench you'll wonder how you did without.

Tiberian Fiend has the other key item - a slightly damp cloth. I tend to use a cotton swab for the same purpose. Dampen with detergent and water, or alcohol, or acetone, depending on what you're trying to do. (You really should have a little bottle of at least one of those solvents on your desk for almost all technical repair fields.) But always be careful. The end bracket on a card can be rubbed hard with any of the above, but chip tops should be treated with a bit more care. The detergent/water is always the safest.
 
I use lots of warm water and some dish soap and maybe a soft brush if there is anything that looks sticky. After that I let the cards dry in the basement.
Works fine for me and nothing has broke yet , same method for motherboards as well.

We don't have hard water here so I don't get that white calcium deposit like some places do.
 
I'll add that when the mouse poop gets to be more than about a quarter-inch thick, I've resorted to oven cleaner to soften it up. Keep it away from aluminum and galvanized parts; rinse thoroughly. It was either that or toss the thing in the garbage.
 
Chuck(G) said:
I'll add that when the mouse poop gets to be more than about a quarter-inch thick, I've resorted to oven cleaner to soften it up. Keep it away from aluminum and galvanized parts; rinse thoroughly. It was either that or toss the thing in the garbage.
Click to expand...

I vote garbage.
 
Unknown_K said:
I vote garbage.
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Clearly you're not the sort of person to take a vintage tractor that's been sitting in a farmer's field for the last 50 years buried in blackberry vines and rehabilitate it to working order...

Sometimes I wonder how much vintage stuff winds up in the trash because the person owning it doesn't know how to repair it.
 
I use water + toothbrush, then before it's had a chance to dry and leave residue, I spray the hell out of them with isopropyl.
Seems to work, but I need a cheaper source of isopropyl :/
 
Chuck(G) said:
Clearly you're not the sort of person to take a vintage tractor that's been sitting in a farmer's field for the last 50 years buried in blackberry vines and rehabilitate it to working order...

Sometimes I wonder how much vintage stuff winds up in the trash because the person owning it doesn't know how to repair it.
Click to expand...

Actually I would fix the tractor, its just not something I would be working on in my basement lab with my cats watching me. There are all kinds of diseases found in poop I would rather not worry about bringing into my house.

Rat poop piles would also mean rat pee which tends to destroy electronics (cat pee is very bad). The kind of stuff I work on is somewhat common commodity equipment so one less C64 in this world is no big deal. I don't shy away from fixing things (they tend to be the best deals), I just draw the line at excrement on common equipment.
 
Unknown_K said:
Actually I would fix the tractor, its just not something I would be working on in my basement lab with my cats watching me. There are all kinds of diseases found in poop I would rather not worry about bringing into my house.

Rat poop piles would also mean rat pee which tends to destroy electronics (cat pee is very bad). The kind of stuff I work on is somewhat common commodity equipment so one less C64 in this world is no big deal. I don't shy away from fixing things (they tend to be the best deals), I just draw the line at excrement on common equipment.
Click to expand...

I guess I've gotten used to it. You haven't lived until you've unsoldered a tuba with a dead rat stuck in it...
 
SpidersWeb said:
I use water + toothbrush, then before it's had a chance to dry and leave residue, I spray the hell out of them with isopropyl.
Seems to work, but I need a cheaper source of isopropyl :/
Click to expand...

Actually, the common alcohols are fairly similar in their action. In many cases you can substitute Methanol (aka wood alcohol). It is generally quite cheap by the quart or gallon in paint or hardware shops. It also evaporates quicker, which can be both good and bad. If you spray it could be a nuisance and fire hazard, but not serious for adult home use.
 
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