How to clean my circuit board?

[aztecadam]

Hi everyone,

 

I've just picked up a four switch Atari 2600 console. It was pretty dirty so I took it apart, and cleaned up the casing real well with just soap and water. The only thing is I don't know how to clean the circuit board or if I should I even bother trying? I found a pruduct called Electrosolve Contact Cleaner and it seems safe but I'm still worried that I may ruin the board.

 

Any advice is much appreciated.

 

Thanks!

Edited November 2, 2008 by aztecadam

[Forrest]

If there's just dust on the circuit board, the simplest and safest method to clean it is with a can of compressed air - available at office supply stores for about $6.

[aztecadam]

If there's just dust on the circuit board, the simplest and safest method to clean it is with a can of compressed air - available at office supply stores for about $6.

 

 

Thanks Forrest, but it's dirty beyond compressed air, the dirt is really caked on, and in some places looks more like a mixture of goo, or gel mixed with like rust or dust, maybe even nicotine, i'm not sure. The whole console was filthy before a restored it.

Edited November 2, 2008 by aztecadam

[Foster]

This may sound crazy but I've cleaned about 10 circuitboards recently in the bathtub by blasting them with a high-pressure showerhead. They were all in really bad shape. I then use compressed air to blow residual water out of the hard-to-reach areas and let the board dry for a good day or two before plugging it back in. They all work just fine. One was actually not working before I subjected it to this process. The key is to let it fully dry before reapplying power. I finish up by treating all the contacts with Caig Laboratories DeOxit and DeOxit Gold. It's worked like a charm for me. The boards look like new.

[+Stephen Moss]

Try Elecrtolube "Safewash 2000" it does a reasonable job plus it comes with a stiff brush that you can squirt the foam through and use to scrub any stubborn areas. You will have to rinse and dry the PCB afterwards. Alternatively you could use Isopropanol (in a well ventalated area) which gets a lot of gunk off and as it evaporates in air you probably won't need to rinse the board off afterwards.