|
|
Post by seditionary on Apr 21, 2022 4:07:52 GMT -6
I bought an old Altec tube mixer / preamp circuit, which sounds great... unfortunately, it smells terrible... it must have been in someone's wet basement for the past 50 years... Any suggestions other than opening it up and airing it out?
It seems 99.99% alcohol and baking soda could be safe?
|
|
|
|
Post by EmRR on Apr 21, 2022 5:53:24 GMT -6
Wouldn’t do baking soda. 409 is almost always good for a first pass, chase with water or alcohol if it’s aluminum. Open it and stick it in the sun. Cleaning old things is it’s own black art.
|
|
|
|
Post by kcatthedog on Apr 21, 2022 11:40:51 GMT -6
Nix the baking soda for sure , yes to 99% iso, cotton swabs and a soft new toothbrush, used lightly , should clean things up nicely, just be careful about how much force you use.
Good chance to check solders, after cleaning you might want to reflow solder points .
Checks caps carefully too, look for distortions in casings, you might want to just replace them all.
|
|
|
|
Post by svart on Apr 21, 2022 12:16:53 GMT -6
Actually, pure alcohol is not that great for killing mold or anything else really. Pure chemicals are usually rejected by cellular organisms by closing of the pores in their cell walls. That's why it's always suggested to mix concentrated cleaners with water for disinfecting purposes as the lower concentrations are usually taken internally by the organisms more readily which makes the disinfectants more effective overall.
However, sunlight is probably one of the most effective mold killers. Sunlight can both kill and dry up mold and you can usually just blow out the remaining dust and ultimately use less chemicals to do a final cleaning of the boards.
IF they are old style phenolic PCBs you do not want to use much water as these can absorb quite a bit of water. Use acetone or alcohol. If they are FR-type materials you can use whatever you want as they do not absorb water very much.
|
|
ericn
Temp
Balance Engineer
Posts: 16,099 
|
Post by ericn on Apr 21, 2022 21:07:15 GMT -6
Sunlight is your best bet, the problem is most of what will in fact do a decent job of killing the mold, will probably cause some type of oxidation.
|
|
|
|
Post by chessparov on Apr 22, 2022 0:41:18 GMT -6
Tanning salon?
Chris
|
|
|
|
Post by christophert on Apr 22, 2022 2:35:40 GMT -6
Mold can help things sound warm and retro, could be wise to check before getting rid of it ?
|
|
ericn
Temp
Balance Engineer
Posts: 16,099
|
Post by ericn on Apr 22, 2022 11:37:31 GMT -6
Careful you don’t want your boards getting skin cancer, wait cancer pays my rent 😜 |
|
|
|
Post by kerryluis on Nov 28, 2023 14:39:11 GMT -6
Opening up the Altec tube mixer and letting it air out is a great starting point, especially if it's been stored in a damp place for years. Moldy odors can be pretty stubborn, though. For tackling the smell, the idea of using alcohol and baking soda seems like a good plan. Just be cautious with the alcohol, as it can be strong and might affect the materials inside. Test it on a small, inconspicuous area first to be safe.I can totally relate to dealing with mold. I've got some mold problems in my own home, and I'm thinking about bringing in a local mold remediation team to handle it. I've heard positive things about ssrestore.com. |
|
