Westy56
A symphony of paradox
Yes, it takes time to do this well. I left these placemarkers for later fill-in.
Thanks golden___ Oops, I mean Don.
Yes, it takes time to do this well. I left these placemarkers for later fill-in.
Chassis cleaning 1:
I've heard tell of people putting chassis in the dishwasher for a through cleaning treatment but I've never done that. Additionally, with an integrated amp or receiver there are parts and pots that may not tolerate that too well, where with a standalone amplifier, those sensitive parts are not there or there aren't many of them and they can be more easily removed or masked off.
A word of caution: Many chassis are cadmium plated. If you see white powdery oxidation on the chassis, use a mask when performing these procedures and thoroughly clean everything afterward.
Step 1: The first step of chassis cleaning is to remove any rodent detritus, dust, birdseed, and anything else by taking the amp outside and vacuuming or blowing air on it.
I used canned air, like you'd use to clean a keyboard and a brush from a dustpan and brush set.
The cleaning chemicals you use to clean the chassis are your choice. I'm only describing what I do and what I use. I've heard that some get fine results using Simple Green, 409, and a variety of other cleaners. The choice is yours but the amount of elbow grease you must apply, and the state of the silk screen on the chassis may depend on your choice.
I suggest that you wear protective rubber or latex gloves for this part of the cleanup.
Step 2: I make a mixture of one part ammonia and four parts warm water in a slop sink in the basement. Make the water hot and the fumes are too much, at least for me.
Then, using a sponge paintbrush or an old rag, brush some of the liquid mixture onto the chassis and let it sit a few minutes. You don't want to use so much liquid that it drips through the chassis vent holes . Then wipe with a dry cotton rag. The purpose of this first application is to soften the oxidation, dirt and any rust that is on there for removal with a second application.
Step 3: Fill a small plastic container like you get take-out food in with an inch or so of the solution from the sink and drop the knobs in to let them soak.
Step 4: Perform a second application and then begin wiping the solution off firmly. I like to use an old facecloth and a couple fingers. Dip a corner of the facecloth in the water/ammonia solution for use where extra rubbing is required. Pick one corner of the chassis and start firmly wiping and drying the solution while changing the rag's wiping surface regularly. You can watch the black accumulate on the rag as you go. Do this until the chassis is thoroughly dry. For an especially grimy chassis, those white very low abrasive scotch-brite pads can be used instead of a rag. Don't bear down too hard where there is silk screening or where there are stampings on the chassis.
Step 5: When finished, drain the slop sink, thoroughly rinse the rag or scrubbie n water and then wipe the chassis down with a damp clean rag to remove any ammonia that may remain.
Step 6: To clean the knobs, use a toothbrush and, frequently dipping the toothbrush in the ammonia/water solution in the knob container, brush in the direction of the lines. I go from back to front in the direction of the lines on the knobs, but some knob types are smooth and that advice doesn't apply. Be careful around any gold leaf or silver position indication markers if there are any. Rotate the knob until the whole thing has been brushed. Do this for each knob. Rinse the knobs with clean water and dry them, shaking the water out of the inner and outer folds of the knob that can retain water.
Fair enough. Thanks for the feedback.
I've made the changes.