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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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.

wrote:
Wes wrote:

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.

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?

Roy Lewallen, W7EL

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/