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Cleaning Tube Pins and Contacts

sabadabadasabadabada 5,966 Posts
edited September 2013 in Strut Central
Drop some knowledge on me Bro.

  Comments

  • fejmelbafejmelba 1,139 Posts
    if they sound shitty its prolly time to change them. if not:


    nb. don't know if you can buy these in the u.s.
  • sabadabadasabadabada 5,966 Posts
    what do you use as a brush? Pipe cleaner? What about the little 9 pin sockets?
  • LazarusOblongLazarusOblong 896 Posts


    Never needed a brush.
  • fejmelbafejmelba 1,139 Posts
    sabadabada said:
    what do you use as a brush? Pipe cleaner? What about the little 9 pin sockets?
    cotton ear cleaners and i once bought some dentist tools, like the lil hook.
    if the 9pins connector is to dirty and you are a bit handy with the soldering, just replace it
  • HorseleechHorseleech 3,830 Posts



  • spirit_of_66spirit_of_66 104 Posts
    Big cosign on Deoxit and the Magic Eraser...all the hardcore audio nerds at audiokarma.org swear by that stuff and after using both, I'm a believer.

    Deoxit works great for just about everything...dirty contacts, scratchy volume knobs, temperamental headphone jacks, etc...

    The Magic Eraser really is magical for cleaning just about anything and also makes a great, safe stylus cleaner.
  • knewjakknewjak 1,231 Posts
    I would advise to buy a high quality electrical contact cleaner. DeoxIT 'gold' is a good brand. Try to buy a high quality product that is sold smaller quantity verses a moderate quality product in large quantity (see the WD40 can above? you will never use all of that).

    You simply spray the ends of the tube pins and socket inputs, and that is it. Make sure to wipe up any excess overspray. If you find that the tubes are loose in the sockets (caused by multiple exchanging), you can tighten the socket pins with a dental pick. There are a few tutorials online. ...unplug the amp first and be aware that capacitors can retain lethal doses of voltage even when the amp is off or unplugged!

    You can clean the pins of the tubes with a low grit emory cloth (or new dollar bill) which can help scrap off any oxidation.
  • gordon_gartrellgordon_gartrell 102 Posts
    Here's a link that might be helpful:

    http://www.partsconnexion.com/PDF/deoxit_tutorial_vacuumtube.pdf

    Out of interest, what tube gear are people using?
  • sabadabadasabadabada 5,966 Posts
    Thanks. I usually use DeOxit around the knobs and stuff. I ordered a cleaning kit for like $28 from the makers of DeOxit. Comes with cleaning fluids and swabs and wipes and hte whole shebang. A little pricey, but I figure I haven't put a cent into the thing in 2o years so, why not.

    It's a Bogen RF-34 (ungoogleable). I think its about 30 watts per channel and has 17 tubes with 7408 making up the main power tubes. I just bought a Dual 1019 to replace my old Perpetuum Ebner. And I have a pair of serviceable Scott S-15 speakers.
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