Best way to clean elements before assembly?
 

I have become the new owner of a KT-34XA which has never been deployed.

Original owner bought it 3 years ago, and it has lay on the floor of his car
port ever since. So it has been subjected to rain, bird poo and mice. The
main elements (mainly the boom) show the signs weathering. Very dull gray and
an almost dusty texture.

What would be the best thing to use to clean the elements, before grease and
assembly?

--Teh

Best way to clean elements before assembly?
 

On Sun, 11 Mar 2007 04:41:12 +0000 (UTC), Tehrasha Darkon
wrote:

What would be the best thing to use to clean the elements

Wire brush mating connections and assemble quickly - forget the rest.

73's
Richard Clark, KB7QHC

Best way to clean elements before assembly?
 

Richard Clark wrote:
Wire brush mating connections and assemble quickly - forget the rest.

Interesting.

I understand the reason for quick assembly but I'm curious about the clean-up of
the oxidised aluminum elements. What kind of wire brush? Steel? Brass?
Why not some sort of abrasive paper? Or a Scotch Brite pad?

I'm also curious why you seem to dismiss the use of conductive anti-sieze
compounds - Penetrox, for example.

BTW, I'm not trying to be argumentative, I'm truly curious about your thinking
on the matter. Last fall, I put up an aluminum tubing vertical and I'm looking
forward to taking it down this spring to see how it fared over the winter.
Prior to reassembly I planned on cleaning up the mating connections with
aluminum oxide paper and using a light coating (wipe on, wipe off, thin film
left behind) of Penetrox.

73,
--
HZ

Best way to clean elements before assembly?
 

On Mon, 12 Mar 2007 11:05:13 -0700, Hank Zoeller
wrote:

Richard Clark wrote:
Wire brush mating connections and assemble quickly - forget the rest.

Interesting.

I understand the reason for quick assembly but I'm curious about the clean-up of
the oxidised aluminum elements. What kind of wire brush? Steel? Brass?
Why not some sort of abrasive paper? Or a Scotch Brite pad?

Hi Hank,

I was speaking more to the idea of cleaning what is ultimately a
cosmetic issue - the rest of the elements. Forget that.

As for your choices in abrasive materials, use what comes to hand. By
this time many would have chimed in with their favorites, and
compounded with lengthy technical reasons. Those reasons are usually
all very well and good in the face of neglecting other simple
considerations which I will expand on.

I'm also curious why you seem to dismiss the use of conductive anti-sieze
compounds - Penetrox, for example.

This is a kind of belts-and-suspenders solution. There is nothing
wrong with it, but you don't have to go out of your way to use this
stuff if you are mating similar metals.

BTW, I'm not trying to be argumentative,

What a buzz-kill!

I'm truly curious about your thinking
on the matter. Last fall, I put up an aluminum tubing vertical and I'm looking
forward to taking it down this spring to see how it fared over the winter.
Prior to reassembly I planned on cleaning up the mating connections with
aluminum oxide paper and using a light coating (wipe on, wipe off, thin film
left behind) of Penetrox.

Let us know how that fared. Myself, I lay down a layer of tape
(Scotch 3M rubber) that extends above and below the joint. I then add
a layer of clay (the black stuff you can buy for more money to pay for
the trademark) typically found either in a flower shop or at the
plumbing shop. I then wrap that with another layer of tape. The two
layers of tap encapsulate the clay for easy, clean removal only.
Joints are always bright and dry when disassembled and we get enough
wet here in Rain City to test that claim. My lawn is now buried in 3
inches of moss. I wish I could kill the grass completely.

I don't suppose many would go to this level of waterproofing of yagi
elements (I don't have that luxury to consider at the HF end of the
scale, and the VHF/UHF never seem to have any problem with connections
that are manufactured to be tight). I do this level of waterproofing
with every connector or connection, however.

73's
Richard Clark, KB7QHC

Best way to clean elements before assembly?
 

Hank Zoeller wrote:

How about just going over the connections with a VERY fine sandpaper,
such as the 400 grit wet and dry, then some silicone grease to prevent
oxidation--for a while ...

JS
--
http://assemblywizard.tekcities.com

Best way to clean elements before assembly?
 

On Mar 10, 9:41 pm, Tehrasha Darkon wrote:
I have become the new owner of a KT-34XA which has never been deployed.

Original owner bought it 3 years ago, and it has lay on the floor of his car
port ever since. So it has been subjected to rain, bird poo and mice. The
main elements (mainly the boom) show the signs weathering. Very dull gray and
an almost dusty texture.

What would be the best thing to use to clean the elements, before grease and
assembly?



I've discussed my method before in this group. DAGS for "wes cleaning
aluminum" for the writeup.

Unfortunately, in my location the meth labs were using lots of lye so
we can't buy it at Ace Hardware anymore.

Best way to clean elements before assembly?
 

Wes wrote:

...
Unfortunately, in my location the meth labs were using lots of lye so
we can't buy it at Ace Hardware anymore.


Oh no, now we'll probably see a tremendous price increase in lye and
it'll only be available on the black market ... gawd, if they only
expended part of the energy they do in the anti-drug campaign towards
something useful how lucky we would all be.

It may be cold hearted, but if someone insists on killing themselves
with drugs--more power to 'em! Better they kill themselves than someone
else as they hold up, rob, etc. normal citizens.

JS
--
http://assemblywizard.tekcities.com

Best way to clean elements before assembly?
 

Wes wrote:
On Mar 10, 9:41 pm, Tehrasha Darkon wrote:
I have become the new owner of a KT-34XA which has never been deployed.

Original owner bought it 3 years ago, and it has lay on the floor of his car
port ever since. So it has been subjected to rain, bird poo and mice. The
main elements (mainly the boom) show the signs weathering. Very dull gray and
an almost dusty texture.

What would be the best thing to use to clean the elements, before grease and
assembly?



I've discussed my method before in this group. DAGS for "wes cleaning
aluminum" for the writeup.

Unfortunately, in my location the meth labs were using lots of lye so
we can't buy it at Ace Hardware anymore.

If you are talking about Red Devil brand lye, it is because Red Devil
got out of the lye business due to lack of profits in it.

--
Jim Pennino

Remove .spam.sux to reply.

Best way to clean elements before assembly?
 

Best way to clean elements before assembly?
 

On Mar 14, 8:15 pm, wrote:
Wes wrote:
On Mar 10, 9:41 pm, Tehrasha Darkon wrote:
I have become the new owner of a KT-34XA which has never been deployed.

Original owner bought it 3 years ago, and it has lay on the floor of his car
port ever since. So it has been subjected to rain, bird poo and mice. The
main elements (mainly the boom) show the signs weathering. Very dull gray and
an almost dusty texture.

What would be the best thing to use to clean the elements, before grease and
assembly?

I've discussed my method before in this group. DAGS for "wes cleaning
aluminum" for the writeup.
Unfortunately, in my location the meth labs were using lots of lye so
we can't buy it at Ace Hardware anymore.

If you are talking about Red Devil brand lye, it is because Red Devil
got out of the lye business due to lack of profits in it.

Yes. It's hard to make a profit when a lot of stores have pulled it
from their shelves.

Now the meth heads have to mail order it:

http://www.boyercorporation.com/

Best way to clean elements before assembly?
 

On Mar 14, 8:31 pm, Roy Lewallen wrote:


Calcium carbonate (Na2CO3), aka "washing soda", is sold at paint stores
as "TSP substitute". It's not as alkaline as lye (pH over 13), but with
a pH of 11.5 for a few percent solution it's still pretty darn alkaline.
Would it work in place of lye?

Don't see why not. Might just have to soak it longer. Fresh lye
works pretty fast and as it becomes depleted it takes longer, so this
would be about the same situation.

I'm not a chemist and don't profess any special knowledge of this
process other than what Iearned eons ago in the "chem lab" in our
engineering lab. We used to do our own aluminum passivation
(Alodine), silver and gold plating and so forth. For example, here's
one of the two-meter amps I've built:

http://k6mhe.com/n7ws/K7CVT_Amp_6.jpg

(Sorry about the quality of the image, this is scanned from an old
snapshot I took just before I polished it up and sold it.)

Before that I worked in my dad's automotive machine shop, where we had
a caustic hot tank for degreasing parts. You learned real fast to not
leave any VW parts in there overnight because the next day, you didn't
have any.

Best way to clean elements before assembly?
 

Wes wrote:
On Mar 14, 8:15 pm, wrote:
Wes wrote:
On Mar 10, 9:41 pm, Tehrasha Darkon wrote:
I have become the new owner of a KT-34XA which has never been deployed.

Original owner bought it 3 years ago, and it has lay on the floor of his car
port ever since. So it has been subjected to rain, bird poo and mice. The
main elements (mainly the boom) show the signs weathering. Very dull gray and
an almost dusty texture.

What would be the best thing to use to clean the elements, before grease and
assembly?

I've discussed my method before in this group. DAGS for "wes cleaning
aluminum" for the writeup.
Unfortunately, in my location the meth labs were using lots of lye so
we can't buy it at Ace Hardware anymore.

If you are talking about Red Devil brand lye, it is because Red Devil
got out of the lye business due to lack of profits in it.

Yes. It's hard to make a profit when a lot of stores have pulled it
from their shelves.

Now the meth heads have to mail order it:

http://www.boyercorporation.com/

Not really.

Found at the local Lowes home improvement store, Roebic Crystal
Drain Opener. Ingrediants, 100% sodium hydroxide.

None of the local supermarkets which all used to carry Red Devil lye
any longer have anything like that.

--
Jim Pennino

Remove .spam.sux to reply.

Best way to clean elements before assembly?
 

Calcium carbonate (Na2CO3), aka "washing soda"....

Interesting. CALCIUM carbonate with NO calcium in it!-)
Just sodium, carbon, and oxygen!
(table salt = NaCl = sodium chloride)
Is that where the "soda" part of the "washing soda" name comes from?

--
--Myron A. Calhoun; W0PBV; 2001 Dunbar Road; Manhattan, KS 66502-3907
Five boxes preserve our freedoms: soap, ballot, witness, jury, and cartridge
NRA Life Member & Certified Instructor for Rifle, Pistol, & Home Firearm Safety
Also Certified Instructor for the Kansas Concealed-Carry Handgun (CCH) license

Best way to clean elements before assembly?
 

Best way to clean elements before assembly?
 

Roy Lewallen wrote:

Mea culpa. I did indeed type "calcium carbonate", while of course
the "TSP substitute" - "washing soda" - is *sodium* carbonate. At
least I gave the correct formula. I apologize for the error. Yes,
I'm sure the "soda" is from sodium, as in "caustic soda" which is
sodium hydroxide (lye) and "baking soda", which is sodium
bicarbonate.

Roy Lewallen, W7EL

I've used washing soda in laundy. It is very alkaline, but I'm not
sure it would have much effect on aluminum.

Sodium hydroxide, NaOH, definitely eats aluminum. I use it in
various applications around the lab. Red Devil is no longer
available due to the meth heads, but I found a private Loblaws brand
that works just as good. The ingredients on the label are sodium
hydroxide, sodium silicate, and chlorine bleach.

You can tell the approximate strength by pouring a bit in a glass
and adding some canning salt. If the salt doesn't want to dissolve,
the solution is pretty much saturated at above 32%. Also, when you
first open it, you might notice a small wisp of condensation above
the lip, and a strong pungent smell.

If you let some dry on a glass surface, it is a bit difficult to
wash off with plain water, and has a soapy feel. If you add vinegar
to a dry portion, it instantly neutralizes the hydroxide to sodium
acetate and water. The equation is

CH3COOH(aq) + NaOH(aq) -- CH3COONa(aq) + H2O(l)

Of course, it should be stressed this stuff is very dangerous and
requires all the precautions for corrosive chemicals. As you know,
it will eat holes in your skin. It doesn't hurt much since it also
destroys the pain cells, but they take a long time to heal. Some
eyeglasses are made with a plastic that dissolves with NaOH. A few
drops in your eye can cause permanent blindess in seconds, so wear
protective glasses.

Good luck!

Regards,

Mike Monett