Re: 87 CGT Dash Lights

[Richard Beels <beels@technologist.com>]

I guess I mis-spoke.  It's not abrasive at all.  I have a bunch of the
little contact files as well.  I called it an emery board for lack of wht
it's really called; I'm not to hip with the manicure tools (no power!<g>).
This thingie is smooth and she uses it to burnish her nails before she
paints them.  It's definately way low/no abrasive...

At 08:40 PM 9/23/1998 ,  Robert Houk - WorkGroup Server Firmware was
inspired to say:
>     >  open the switch.  Be sure to use some contact cleaner and/or
>     >  sandpaper to clean up the contacts inside the switch.
>  
>     I use an emery file that I stole from my wife.  It's a 'buffing" type
and
>     isn't as abrasive as most.
>  
>  It's still *way too* abrasive. You want to "polish" (as in smooth and
>  shiny) the contacts. Sandpaper (and emery files) leave a very coarse
>  surface that arcs/pits *very* quickly (relative to mirror-smooth
>  contacts). If you're really unlucky, you quickly grind your way
>  through the "hard" surface coating and expose soft copper base, which
>  pits/corrodes even faster!
>  
>  They (the ubiquitous "they") make a tool called a burnishing tool --
>  basically a [small] emery file only very very fine abrasive (like
>  jeweler's rouge) for polishing relay/etc. contacts. Should cost not
>  too much more than a pack of emery boards (i.e., it's cheap and
>  affordable), try your local electrical/hardware supply. (My Newark
>  mailorder electronics catalog shows them at $28.95/package-of-12,
>  typically also available singly at electronic/hobbyist stores).
  

Cheers,
	Richard
	88 90Q - <insert pithy witticism here>
	88 Golf GTi - PRO Rally