[dngl]

How the heck do you clean a tube socket? I've sort of fooled around with toothpicks with bits of cloth and de-oxit, but is there any tool that can adequately clean those little holes?

thanks.

 

[Beagle]

I don't know how dirt could get in there. You might want to coat the tube pins with an appropriate contact cleaner and move them in and out a few times. I think the sockets can be removed and cleaned or immersed in vodka.

 

[Hirsch]

Anybody besides me remember pipe cleaners?

 

[Anders]

Pipe cleaners are good. Cage makes a small brush but there should be an even smaller, for things like Sennheiser headphone inputs.
What I have read, vodka is no good for this. It does remove some dirt but not oxides and sulphides. You need something like De-oxit or Kontak.
I have tried Kontak, and it has a sonic effect if the connection is dirty. A nice thing with Kontak is that you can see how much dirt there was, the pipe cleaner becomes gray or black. Somewhat disturbing, but also clean and shiny looking plugs can be dirty.

 

[puppyslugg]

Caig (Cramolin), offers a brush cleaner. Should work well for tube sockets, but pipe cleaner as Hirsch suggested, should work just as well. Cheaper, too.

 

[Dusty Chalk]

All my pipe-cleaner sculptures ended up looking like dachsunds. With back problems.

PS Pipe cleaners come in different sizes. "Gauges" as it were. I found that out long after the above "artistic" phase of my life.

 

[sambhara]

Quote:

Originally posted by Hirsch Anybody besides me remember pipe cleaners?

remember pipe cleaners, ****, i still use 'em to this day...

 

[Born2bwire]

Quote:

Originally posted by Dusty Chalk All my pipe-cleaner sculptures ended up looking like dachsunds. With back problems.

Man, and I thought my summer job was boring.

 

[dngl]

thanks for the suggestions, guys.

[edited for appropriateness]

 

[Tuberoller]

Jon I used to be able to find these tube socket cleaners everywhere.Now they are near impossible to find except for on ebay.They work well and I use them often with QD electrical contact cleaner(available at NAPA auto parts stores).Clean contacts are always important and I'm glad you are considering some of the maintenence that tube gear requires.