I got a cleaning brushes set from Marco, in different materials: Nylon, Brass, and Stainless Steel.
http://www.marcospecialties.com/pinball-parts/77-3PBS
On which pinball parts to use each of them?
(Topic ID: 171838)
Berea, OH
I don't think I've really used any of those brushes for pinball work.
I use toothbrushes for cleaning/scrubbing parts on stubborn grime, and also use them to help clean boards. Packs of 3 at the dollar store.
Hey just got done pulling 50000 plays worth of grime off a monster bash. Don't think I would use anything abrasive like that on any games.
Everything for the most part will clean with a rag and novus2. I used purple power ( "bleache wite" has been hard to find ) a degreaser on some of the metal assemblies and a soft toothbrush if necessary but mostly just a rinse will do.
I tumble everything small in a vibratory tumbler using walnut and flitz.
I have also used 4 different scotch brite pads and work from heavy grit to fine then finish off with a stainless steel polish. Mostly for things that don't fit in the tumbler.
For the boards just simple green and a toothbrush just make sure everything is dry before you plug it up again. I spray down with the air compressor and put in the oven on the lowest setting until dry.
The materials of the brushes are based on the materials that are being cleaned and severity of corrosion, rust, and dirt.
Each brush type is in increasing stiffness of construction.
In order of rigidity is nylon-brass-steel.
Don't use these brushes to clean any type of plastic, they are designed for metal ONLY.
Use toothbrushes for cleaning plastic posts and bushings.
Use a soft rag for playfield plastics.
I use sanding sponges wet (very fine grit) and Scotchbrite pads for metal, except light sockets.
I use sanding pens for light sockets.
Found on Pinwiki:
41.15 Connectors and Soldering
Anytime an electrical part of a machine has intermittent operation suspect any connectors in its power chain. Any connector in a power chain at its best adds a minute amount of resistance to the power flow. Jones plugs' connectors can be cleaned and polished on the older EM machines; newer solid state machines you can try and polish the pins, but the best thing to do is replace or eliminate the connectors if you can and they are causing problems. A steel or brass wire bottle brush of the appropriate size works well to clean Jones plugs, and you can get a very fine nylon bottle brush to clean the female connectors. Don't use a metal brush to clean the female side unless you're sure to find and clean up any broken brush strands.
Often on solid state boards the male header pins crack from usage fatigue. Make sure any wire management straps are being used to support the weight of the harness going into the cabinet instead of depending on the header pin to support all that weight. Resoldering the header pins will fix the cracking and while it's not strictly necessary to replace the header pins, it wouldn't hurt either. Tug on and inspect all connectors to ensure the wiring is crimped tightly into the pin. Any loose wires should have their pins replaced with new properly crimped pins. Do not use solder on a crimped pin connector; it changes the temper of the connector pin which allows oxygen to penetrate the wire bundle, allowing oxidation.
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