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Which Contact Cleaner and Lubricant today? (Is De-Oxit D5 and Faderlube F5 still good?)

sunvalleylaw

sunvalleylaw

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Haven't found anything recent and I heard at a local electronics store that the De-oxit formula had changed, and had another enthusiast in a local vintage audio group say it was no good any more. So what say the experienced and regular restorers, tinkerers and users of such products on the board?

I have typically used D5, or if I did not have it, CRC contact cleaner, and then followed up with faderlube F5. But hadn't done it in a while and wondered if there was a new standard.

Thanks!
 
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D-5 is 5% De-oxit. The rest is solvent and propellant. I use it for flushing out non-carbon pots and switches. Do not use it on old carbon pots as it can attach the thin carbon film. No problem with conductive plastic pots. Then D-100 by the drop on contacts and pots. Then for pots F-100 Faderlube by the drop to lubricate. G-100 optional for gold contacts.

I can’t speak to new D-5 being ‘not as good’ as it used to be, but it seems irrational to me to hobble a well accepted product with a proven history.
 
billyz said:
I use Deoxit and F5 almost everyday while working on Electronics. Both still do an excellent job. I mostly use the DeoxIT D100L precision applicator instead of the Spray can.
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Do you use the precision applicator for the F5 as well? Would stand to reason I guess but thought I would clarify.
 
billyz said:
It is actually very easy to use. Just a tiny drop and it will spread all over and around the contact surface. Great for Vacuum Tube pins as well.
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Oh man I'm ordering one NOW. I hate those spray cans with a deep passion.
 
sunvalleylaw said:
Haven't found anything recent and I heard at a local electronics store that the De-oxit formula had changed, and had another enthusiast in a local vintage audio group say it was no good any more. So what say the experienced and regular restorers, tinkerers and users of such products on the board?

I have typically used D5, or if I did not have it, CRC contact cleaner, and then followed up with faderlube F5. But hadn't done it in a while and wondered if there was a new standard.

Thanks!
Click to expand...
Deoxit is fine. What is prolly confusing some people is that HOSA often acts as a distributor of Caig products. No changes to the formulations, as far as I know.

CRC products are excellent, too. This is the one to get.
 
Mr Boochie said:
Deoxit is fine. What is prolly confusing some people is that HOSA often acts as a distributor of Caig products. No changes to the formulations, as far as I know.

CRC products are excellent, too. This is the one to get.
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That last one you linked is the one mentioned by one of the guys down at what is known as the Boise Reuseum, which is a STEM program 501(c)(3) that teaches kids and adults about electronics repair, computers, etc. it looks like you’re dealing with a spray bottle still but will keep that one in mind. What this guy liked about it was that you didn’t have to do cleaning and then lubrication in two steps, as compared to the CAIG products he had used previously

I’m going to pick up a can to try out also I think. And also explore and see if they have a dropper bottle style.
 
I've used both Caig (Deoxit) products as well as some from MG Chemical (404B contact cleaner and 401B NuTrol). I find the MG stuff to be equally effective for contact and pot cleaning.

Contact Cleaners

Our contact cleaners are formulated to clean, lubricate, and protect vital components, which restores and prolongs their conductivity and performance.
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Specialized Cleaners

MG Chemicals offers specialized cleaners designed more towards specific end uses. These specialty formulated liquids are useful in a variety of applications like static dissipation, restoring rubber, removing adhesive and cleaning magnetic storage space.
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Well, I was today years old when I realized I could get the dropper bottle style at all and be more precise about it. That was one thing I was concerned about in my use of the products was I tended to get it all over the place if I wasn’t very careful with the spray bottles. Bb sometimes requiring further disassembly so I could clean off the glass in front of a tuner display, for example
 
The bad reviews of Caig stuff is from the switch to the flip up, all it does is leak straw instead of the one that is inserted into the spray nozzle.

Caig figured it out and started offering the ‘Professional’ or some such wording old style, adjustable cans of juice for more money. I don’t know if they still offer both the flip up, non-working (spray everywhere except where you need it) and the old style with the straw taped to the can, like it should be. It costs more because you don’t waste it like the ‘new’ style cans.

I have not heard they changed the juice in the cans.

I’ll talk to the stupid name change in a different post, if I need to do that again.
 
sunvalleylaw said:
Haven't found anything recent and I heard at a local electronics store that the De-oxit formula had changed, and had another enthusiast in a local vintage audio group say it was no good any more. So what say the experienced and regular restorers, tinkerers and users of such products on the board?

I have typically used D5, or if I did not have it, CRC contact cleaner, and then followed up with faderlube F5. But hadn't done it in a while and wondered if there was a new standard.

Thanks!
Click to expand...

No good ? why, for what reason ?
 
sunvalleylaw said:
Haven't found anything recent and I heard at a local electronics store that the De-oxit formula had changed, and had another enthusiast in a local vintage audio group say it was no good any more. So what say the experienced and regular restorers, tinkerers and users of such products on the board?

I have typically used D5, or if I did not have it, CRC contact cleaner, and then followed up with faderlube F5. But hadn't done it in a while and wondered if there was a new standard.

Thanks!
Click to expand...

D5 seems to not be so hot on older vintage carbon pots, I like to use F5 or F100 as it seems to lube the pot better and also cleans it just as well.
 
twitch54 said:
No good ? why, for what reason ?
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There is a lot of information on this topic, while Caig claims D5 is fine for pots lots of folks claim it can dissolve the carbon traces in older ones. It also contains a cleaner that seems to flush out all the old grease in the older style pots. Making them feel loose and dry.
 
Blue Shadow said:
The bad reviews of Caig stuff is from the switch to the flip up, all it does is leak straw instead of the one that is inserted into the spray nozzle.

Caig figured it out and started offering the ‘Professional’ or some such wording old style, adjustable cans of juice for more money. I don’t know if they still offer both the flip up, non-working (spray everywhere except where you need it) and the old style with the straw taped to the can, like it should be. It costs more because you don’t waste it like the ‘new’ style cans.

I have not heard they changed the juice in the cans.

I’ll talk to the stupid name change in a different post, if I need to do that again.
Click to expand...

Oh I forgot about that flip up sprayer lol I still have many older cans with the standard red straw.
 
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