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K3: Brush or Blow Dust?

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Dan Nixon

K3: Brush or Blow Dust?

I'm an old ham who has built a lot of kits over the years. I am really
excited though to become an Elecraft user having just received my K3 kit. My
question has to do with instructions to "either brush or blow away any dust
or lint from the front panel area around the encoder shaft".

I have a good old standby fine bristle brush I use for my radio front
panels. I also have a fairly new can of the "Cleaning Duster" (Office
Depot), which states that it is for removing dust and dirt from audio, video
and other such equipment. It contains "Difluoroethane" ???

Question is: What would you recommend to use "safely"....Dan, W4EA

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WE0H

Re: K3: Brush or Blow Dust?

I use a very soft long bristle brush and whisk away any dust on my radio's.

--
Mike
WE0H
K2 #6698
SKCC #5446

Dan N wrote:

> I'm an old ham who has built a lot of kits over the years. I am really
> excited though to become an Elecraft user having just received my K3 kit. My
> question has to do with instructions to "either brush or blow away any dust
> or lint from the front panel area around the encoder shaft".
>
>
>
> I have a good old standby fine bristle brush I use for my radio front
> panels. I also have a fairly new can of the "Cleaning Duster" (Office
> Depot), which states that it is for removing dust and dirt from audio, video
> and other such equipment. It contains "Difluoroethane" ???
>
>
>
> Question is: What would you recommend to use "safely"....Dan, W4EA
>

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GW0ETF

Re: K3: Brush or Blow Dust?

In reply to this post by Dan Nixon

Dan Nixon wrote

My question has to do with instructions to "either brush or blow away any dust
or lint from the front panel area around the encoder shaft".

I have a good old standby fine bristle brush I use for my radio front
panels. I also have a fairly new can of the "Cleaning Duster" (Office
Depot), which states that it is for removing dust and dirt from audio, video
and other such equipment. It contains "Difluoroethane" ???

Question is: What would you recommend to use "safely"....Dan, W4EA

Air dusters can emit solvent especially when full or shaken/used upside down and I wouldn't trust difluoroethane on plastic. Must be the same class as dichloromethane (.....ethylene?) which was early type switch cleaner, great on old ceramic switches but destroyed anything plastic. Isopropanol is much safer now - and less harmful to health and environment.

I have a question about removing dust particularly on circuit boards.......I'm wary of inducing static by blasts of air or physical brushing with bristles and I know you can buy expensive vacuum cleaners to clean out the inside of IT equipment to avoid static damage; all the tools and tubing contain carbon to prevent the build up high air friction induced voltages which could fry sensitive ICs. So as my K3 #145 ages and needs a wash and brush up I wonder what is the safest way to remove the dust and spiders from inside?

Stewart Rolfe, GW0ETF

Don Wilhelm-4

Re: K3: Brush or Blow Dust?

Stewart,

In the past, I have understood that when ICs are mounted on the boards,
the static susceptibility is greatly reduced, so air-cleaning of
assembled boards is generally OK. That may not be true of any single
board since it may have unconnected inputs at the pins, but should be
true for complete assemblies of boards.

I have taken the air hose to many old computers and have had no
identified problems.
I have never had to do the same to any ham gear that I have encountered
because there is just not that much dust accumulation.

73,
Don W3FPR

GW0ETF wrote:

>
> I have a question about removing dust particularly on circuit
> boards.......I'm wary of inducing static by blasts of air or physical
> brushing with bristles and I know you can buy expensive vacuum cleaners to
> clean out the inside of IT equipment to avoid static damage; all the tools
> and tubing contain carbon to prevent the build up high air friction induced
> voltages which could fry sensitive ICs. So as my K3 #145 ages and needs a
> wash and brush up I wonder what is the safest way to remove the dust and
> spiders from inside?
>
> Stewart Rolfe, GW0ETF
>
>

Geoffrey Mackenzie-Kennedy

Re: K3: Brush or Blow Dust?

In reply to this post by GW0ETF

Stewart,

To remove dust and dead beasties from circuit boards, I use the type of
vacuum cleaner that you describe powered by DC, which I was lucky to be able
to buy at low cost in Luxembourg many years ago. To clean other parts of my
equipment I use the vacuum cleaner and a 'make-up' brush when required,
which has very soft and small diameter bristles, 'acquired' from our
daughter before she used it (I did ask). I do not use liquid cleaners nor
'wipes'. Fortunately spiders have never managed to get into the sensitive RF
circuitry, which is contained in metal enclosures/ boxes.

73,
Geoff
GM4ESD

Stewart GW0ETF wrote:

> I have a question about removing dust particularly on circuit
> boards.......I'm wary of inducing static by blasts of air or physical
> brushing with bristles and I know you can buy expensive vacuum cleaners to
> clean out the inside of IT equipment to avoid static damage; all the tools
> and tubing contain carbon to prevent the build up high air friction
> induced
> voltages which could fry sensitive ICs. So as my K3 #145 ages and needs a
> wash and brush up I wonder what is the safest way to remove the dust and
> spiders from inside?

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Jay Bromley

Re: K3: Brush or Blow Dust?

In reply to this post by Don Wilhelm-4

Hi Stewart and Don,

I have also had good luck with an air hose or air in a can, but on the fan
motors be sure jamb a screwdriver into the blades as to not over speed the
motor and ruin the bearings. Also don't forget to take the screwdriver back
out, hi.

The main thing I have seen is guys with an air hose is using too much
pressure or bearing down with an air gun. One guy got so aggressive he blew
off part of an SMT variable capacitor!

All one has to do is keep the air about a foot or so away from what you are
trying to clean. Common sense like with anything else, you can get close up
with locked down fans, not so close on things like pots, variable caps, etc.
When the dust starts flying that is close enough.

Also some air tanks seem to have more moisture than others, if they have a
water catch or a drain, but sure to do the proper maintenance before hand.
If it is cold outside I usually let the equipment warm up to room
temperature for a few hours before I power it back up.

73 de w5jay/jay..

> Stewart,
>
> In the past, I have understood that when ICs are mounted on the boards,
> the static susceptibility is greatly reduced, so air-cleaning of
> assembled boards is generally OK. That may not be true of any single
> board since it may have unconnected inputs at the pins, but should be
> true for complete assemblies of boards.
>
> I have taken the air hose to many old computers and have had no
> identified problems.
> I have never had to do the same to any ham gear that I have encountered
> because there is just not that much dust accumulation.
>
> 73,
> Don W3FPR