DTgill
Headphoneus Supremus
Not around the electronics please...
The Reference 6SN7 Thread
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Mr Trev
Headphoneus Supremus
As long as you use a goodly bit of compressed air to blow the debris from the pins afterwards, all is fine. I think it goes without saying not to do the cleaning around your gearNot around the electronics please...
Mr Trev
Headphoneus Supremus
Sadly, no. That's why I didn't suggest just using the wire wheel on a bench grinder
cddc
1000+ Head-Fier
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Thanks guys for the recommendations!
Sandpaper/glass fiber/Dremel/steel wool/blade/etc...with these mechanical methods we still need some time and effort to clean pins, especially on the hard-to-reach portion that faces inwards. I can see that Dremel is the best among these mechanical methods, because you don't have to scrape off the rust/corrosion manually. Also, more or less these mechanical methods will take away some good metal from the pins. So I'm thinking if there is some chemical solution that dissolves the rust/crust quick, something way better than the Deoxit or WD-40? You just apply the liquid solution to quickly dissolve the rust/oxide (without hurting the base metal), then sit and wait, and rinse it off.
Ranger Ron
100+ Head-Fier
Bring them to an auto body shop and have them sand blasted! Like most good things in life you have to earn nice shiny pins
Deleeh
Headphoneus Supremus
Hello,
Chemistry on metal is usually never good.
Especially the thin sheet metal of the pins eats through relatively quickly, as they are no more than 1 mm thick when they are well made.
Furthermore, the surface is already scratched by the corrosion and probably a little thinner.
And it's better to wear it down as much as necessary so that the pins remain stable and don't break.
Deoxite is okay, but certainly not everything.
Wd 40 is even worse to use for something like this.
The pins have no sealing ring, and Wd 40 also contains water.
Dremel is another thing, take a close look at the bottom of the base.
There is a relatively thin wire connected to other pins. if it breaks or comes loose due to the vibration of the Dremel, it's over.
In the end, the tube is more likely to be broken than restored.
If there are corrosion points, the motto is always to start small first.
Instead of using sandpaper, it is better to use abrasive fleece first.
And roughly work the pins with it.
Sanding fleece does not remove any material but treats the surface. Mostly the corrosion is only superficial if the tubes have been stored reasonably well.
Use sandpaper only if the pins are already damaged by the corrosion.
If this has already happened, you have to be careful without it that you can still re-tin it.
A bit of preparatory work is necessary for this.
If you really don't want to remove much, you can also put a drop of Wd 40 or oil on the sanding fleece or sanding paper to get a bit of shine on the surface of the pins.
This will remove the corrosion a little more gently, but it will take longer.
Finally, dip a cotton swab in alcohol and clean the pins.
For sealing, there are some Deoxit products that are not wrong if you want to.
Apart from that, if you sand, you take off material and the pins lose contact with the base, which can cause interference.
You could tin it, which is always a bit tricky to do.
Sandblasting would be an option if the pressure is not set too high and the sand grain is right.
If you do it with a fine, handy nozzle and polish the pins after it, it might work.
The material removal rate is relatively low, but for a trial if you have it, I would take an older/broken tube for testing.
I would distance myself from everything else.
Especially if the tube has cost a lot of money or is rare but still functional.
Chemistry on metal is usually never good.
Especially the thin sheet metal of the pins eats through relatively quickly, as they are no more than 1 mm thick when they are well made.
Furthermore, the surface is already scratched by the corrosion and probably a little thinner.
And it's better to wear it down as much as necessary so that the pins remain stable and don't break.
Deoxite is okay, but certainly not everything.
Wd 40 is even worse to use for something like this.
The pins have no sealing ring, and Wd 40 also contains water.
Dremel is another thing, take a close look at the bottom of the base.
There is a relatively thin wire connected to other pins. if it breaks or comes loose due to the vibration of the Dremel, it's over.
In the end, the tube is more likely to be broken than restored.
If there are corrosion points, the motto is always to start small first.
Instead of using sandpaper, it is better to use abrasive fleece first.
And roughly work the pins with it.
Sanding fleece does not remove any material but treats the surface. Mostly the corrosion is only superficial if the tubes have been stored reasonably well.
Use sandpaper only if the pins are already damaged by the corrosion.
If this has already happened, you have to be careful without it that you can still re-tin it.
A bit of preparatory work is necessary for this.
If you really don't want to remove much, you can also put a drop of Wd 40 or oil on the sanding fleece or sanding paper to get a bit of shine on the surface of the pins.
This will remove the corrosion a little more gently, but it will take longer.
Finally, dip a cotton swab in alcohol and clean the pins.
For sealing, there are some Deoxit products that are not wrong if you want to.
Apart from that, if you sand, you take off material and the pins lose contact with the base, which can cause interference.
You could tin it, which is always a bit tricky to do.
Sandblasting would be an option if the pressure is not set too high and the sand grain is right.
If you do it with a fine, handy nozzle and polish the pins after it, it might work.
The material removal rate is relatively low, but for a trial if you have it, I would take an older/broken tube for testing.
I would distance myself from everything else.
Especially if the tube has cost a lot of money or is rare but still functional.
Deceneu808
500+ Head-Fier
Two months in the waiting, they finally arrived
bcowen
Headphoneus Supremus
Congrats, comrade!Two months in the waiting, they finally arrived
Had a chance to listen to them yet?
jonathan c
Headphoneus Supremus
From Russia with love….006N8S….licence to ‘roll’…Congrats, comrade!
Had a chance to listen to them yet?
Deceneu808
500+ Head-Fier
Just plopped them in the Elise. The Fotons. Going to walk the dog so they can warm up a bit. I have about 4 hours until I go to workCongrats, comrade!
Had a chance to listen to them yet?
. M for Mother Russia ? 
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Congrats. love to hear how they sound in Elise.Just plopped them in the Elise. The Fotons. Going to walk the dog so they can warm up a bit. I have about 4 hours until I go to work
Deceneu808
500+ Head-Fier
Well... they fixed the VCs a little. Brought the midrange back up where I like it. Nothing to write home about the bass, softer than most and/but very pleasant. Mid range and top end are it's strengths. I can 100 % recommend this tube. Taking it up a notch with the Chatham 6AS7G also. Most sweet mid-forward sound
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Nice, precise impressions. Thanks.
But which tube is it exactly? Sorry, I missed it if it was said somewhere directly above.
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