Poldiac question

[Vaslovik]

That little silver contact pin in the button. I've found that it can get dirty over time, and that when it does it's pretty hard to get clean. I put brand new pins in two of my Poldiacs today, and suddenly they work so much better, hitting much harder. These are rhodium plated contact rods, and MMV has only 2 of them left, and I just bought them. What's a good thing to use in cleaning those little dinky pins so they work right again? I tried alcohol, but it doesn't really work.

 

[Firestorm]

For silver or rhodium plated parts I would lightly rub them in warm water with dish soap and diligently rinse them with water and dry them off.

 

[B2L]

Make a wet paste of baking soda and white vinegar, let the parts soak for a few minutes and then rinse. I usually dip them in 93% isopropyl and let them air dry to make sure no mineral residue is left over from your water rinse.

I would do this with the pin as well as the contact screws.

If the carbonization is bad, it may take a little rubbing with the paste solution.

 

[Vaslovik]

Make a wet paste of baking soda and white vinegar, let the parts soak for a few minutes and then rinse. I usually dip them in 93% isopropyl and let them air dry to make sure no mineral residue is left over from your water rinse.

I would do this with the pin as well as the contact screws.

If the carbonization is bad, it may take a little rubbing with the paste solution.

I've not gotten into the carbonization stage with them, just the dirty film stage, but I did notice the mod was not hitting hard as it had, and even when I cleaned the contact screws and the pin with alcohol it did not improve. It was only when I put the new pins into the buttons that it did improve. This worried me. I can't get any more of those pins having just bought the last 2 MMV has. They would seem to be the weak point in the Poldiac, and I'm anxious to find a solution.

 

[B2L]

Yup, that makes all the difference. I've rebuilt that switch many times, this was my avatar for a couple of years

Of all the mods I've sold, this is the one I miss the most.

 

[Portertown]

If you have contact pins for your poldiac that are the silver plated ones or the rhodium over silver plated ones and the coatings have gotten in bad shape on them you can get them recoated with rhodium at a lot of jewelry stores. They rhodium coat silver jewelry all the time to keep it from tarnishing so easy.

Also just a speck of dust on a contact pin can keep it from making good contact. There is a very, very small contact area when the pin contacts the pole screws.

 

[Vaslovik]

If you have contact pins for your poldiac that are the silver plated ones or the rhodium over silver plated ones and the coatings have gotten in bad shape on them you can get them recoated with rhodium at a lot of jewelry stores. They rhodium coat silver jewelry all the time to keep it from tarnishing so easy.

Also just a speck of dust on a contact pin can keep it from making good contact. There is a very, very small contact area when the pin contacts the pole screws.

Thank you for that Portertown. What I am seeing on one of the pins is a thin black ring around the end of the pin, and I can't seem to get it off. I'll be checking with the local jewelry stores about the coating, and perhaps they can clean them well too.

 

[oplholik]

I just use a very strong solution of baking soda and distilled water, let them soak for awhile, then use a tooth brush, but mine haven't gotten as bad as what you are describing .

 

[Bad Ninja]

If they are rhodium played, don't use any abrasive.
They will clean up with soap and water.
That's why we plate contacts with rhodium.

If they are silver plated, the darkness is tarnish and they just need to be cleaned with never dull or a silver polishing cloth.

Precious metals don't corrode like brass or copper.
That's why we plate contacts with them.