Is this 30 year old WD40 dried up?

Discussions on Talking Machines & Accessories
Post Reply
User avatar
Jonsheff
Victor II
Posts: 286
Joined: Mon Mar 19, 2018 11:16 pm
Personal Text: Let's make Victrolas Great Again!
Location: Manchester Connecticut
Contact:

Is this 30 year old WD40 dried up?

Post by Jonsheff »

Doing a rebuild on a 1918 VV-XI table top unit yesterday i ran into some sort of film that soaking in mineral spirits wouldnt remove. It looks like it was sprayed on all the moving parts, the break was covered in it, the tone arm bearings, etc. Had to scrape it off with steel wool and a knif for the thick spots. It looks like a dried up libricant of some sort. Any ideas on what might dissolve it without damaging the plating? Here is a hinge with it on it, the brown area
20190316_203809.jpg

wjw
Victor II
Posts: 472
Joined: Wed Jan 07, 2009 10:57 pm
Location: greater bubbaville

Re: Is this 30 year old WD40 dried up?

Post by wjw »

The first thing I use on what I think is mineral based gunk is a rather evil product called Castrol Super Clean. Same stuff is sold in Wal Mart as Purple Power. Have cleaned phonograph motors and degreased lawn mowers with this stuff. Never cleaned nickel plating with it though.
If the weather is good I go to my rotten picnic table with a bucket, latex gloves, toothbrush and gasoline. Works fast and doesn't harm the plating!

:) - bill

VanEpsFan1914
Victor VI
Posts: 3165
Joined: Fri Oct 06, 2017 11:39 am
Personal Text: I've got both kinds of music--classical & rag-time.
Location: South Carolina

Re: Is this 30 year old WD40 dried up?

Post by VanEpsFan1914 »

I think that stuff is just a combination of old household oils (3 in One, Early Bird, etc.) mixed in with metal polishes of old and a helping of genuine antique dust.

To remove it, I try to avoid scraping and stick to 0000 steel wool and kerosene or 0000 and Kroil. Both of those work nice but the Kroil smells nicer, of course. Kerosene has a scent of its own, let's just say.

User avatar
gramophone-georg
Victor VI
Posts: 3984
Joined: Mon Jan 20, 2014 11:55 pm
Personal Text: Northwest Of Normal
Location: Eugene/ Springfield Oregon USA

Re: Is this 30 year old WD40 dried up?

Post by gramophone-georg »

wjw wrote:The first thing I use on what I think is mineral based gunk is a rather evil product called Castrol Super Clean. Same stuff is sold in Wal Mart as Purple Power. Have cleaned phonograph motors and degreased lawn mowers with this stuff. Never cleaned nickel plating with it though.
If the weather is good I go to my rotten picnic table with a bucket, latex gloves, toothbrush and gasoline. Works fast and doesn't harm the plating!

:) - bill
Yeah... do NOT get that stuff on your hands.. or in a day or 2 you'll have the dryest hands you'll ever want to have.
"He who dies with the most shellac wins"- some nutty record geek

I got PTSD from Peter F's avatar

User avatar
Henry
Victor V
Posts: 2624
Joined: Thu Jan 08, 2009 11:01 am
Location: Allentown, Pennsylvania

Re: Is this 30 year old WD40 dried up?

Post by Henry »

For a small part like that, I'd try lighter fluid---naphtha--like Ronsonol or Zippo. It won't harm the plating, and is a very powerful degreaser. It's also highly volatile, so use care. Apply stuff and wipe with paper towel or Scotchbrite cleaning pad. Repeat as necessary.

User avatar
startgroove
Victor III
Posts: 887
Joined: Sat Apr 20, 2013 3:01 pm
Location: Coos Bay, Oregon

Re: Is this 30 year old WD40 dried up?

Post by startgroove »

For a mild degreaser I use Mineral Spirits or Paint Thinner. For more powerful degreaser and resin softener, I use Lacquer Thinner. All of those are volatile, so I always use them in well ventilated areas away from open flames. Lacquer thinner will dissolve many plastics, paints and hardened oils/greases. The method I use is to soak the part over night, and by morning the non-metallic materials are usually soft, or even dissolved. Non of those will attack the metal. Cheers, Russie

Post Reply