Hoffman Amplifiers Tube Amplifier Forum

Amp Stuff => Tube Amp Building - Tweaks - Repairs => Topic started by: phsyconoodler on February 23, 2011, 02:01:06 pm

Title: silicone all over tube socket pins
Post by: phsyconoodler on February 23, 2011, 02:01:06 pm: I have a triple rectifier mesa on the bench that someone has slathered clear silicone goo all over the tube sockets and pins of ALL the tubes.
And I mean SLATHERED. It's like he uses a whole tube of the stuff.It's the consistency of vaseline with no color.
Is there any issues that can come from using this stuff like this?I have never heard of or seen anything like this used in any tube amp I've ever come across in my lifetime.
We used to use it in automotive bulb sockets to keep them from corroding but never anywhere else.
Any insight into this would be appreciated.
Title: Re: silicone all over tube socket pins
Post by: Jack_Hester on February 23, 2011, 02:44:32 pm: Sounds like anti-corrosion was their intention. We used to buy a no-ox paste for all our dissimilar metal junctions, here at the power plant. We now use a synthetic gear lube (very thin film). My Daddy always used just plain ol' 'axle grease' on his electrical junctions. I would say clean the silicone stuff off with brake cleaner, but that stuff will attack plastic and wire insulation. Acetone and a q-tip will clean your terminals fairly easy.

Jack
Title: Re: silicone all over tube socket pins
Post by: Bub on February 23, 2011, 04:05:00 pm: I read somewhere it was to stop arcing from the plate to heater pin on amps with really high plate voltage, 600V and up, but who knows.

Rob
Title: Re: silicone all over tube socket pins
Post by: Ritchie200 on February 23, 2011, 04:15:16 pm: Call the client and tell them that this crap needs to come out - and my hourly rate is...... Besides, he/she needs to get rid of the rectumfryer anyway and buy one of your hand built masterpieces! It's all sales: ...the touch sensitive ions in the hand soldered point-to-point junctions that grab the free ranging tone which enhances the dynamics of the guitar that are just bursting to bloom from the specialized patent-pending sound fountain circuitry that is absofricken perfect for the (insert Rock, Classic Rock, Death Metal, Blues, Jazz, etc., etc....) that you play!

Good luck!
Jim
Title: Re: silicone all over tube socket pins
Post by: Willabe on February 23, 2011, 04:36:34 pm: Quote from: Ritchie200 on February 23, 2011, 04:15:16 pm
and buy one of your hand built masterpieces! It's all sales: ...the touch sensitive ions in the hand soldered point-to-point junctions that grab the free ranging tone which enhances the dynamics of the guitar that are just bursting to bloom from the specialized patent-pending sound fountain circuitry that is absofricken perfect for the (insert Rock, Classic Rock, Death Metal, Blues, Jazz, etc., etc....) that you play!

Yeah, what he said! :laugh: :laughing6: :laughing7: :laughing9: :laugh:

Brad :angel
Title: Re: silicone all over tube socket pins
Post by: phsyconoodler on February 23, 2011, 05:59:22 pm: You guys kill me! :laugh:

I sucked all the crap out and found the real problem with the amp;a dead preamp tube and the aluminum shielding on the cabinet all wrapped up in the PC board and causing it to oscillate and short out.
The amp sounds good now;well as good as a messy booger triple rectifier can sound.Really awful to my ears.
Title: Re: silicone all over tube socket pins
Post by: Voxbox on February 24, 2011, 03:37:47 am: How did you suck it out Physc?
Straw? Hoover?
:grin:
Title: Re: silicone all over tube socket pins
Post by: Willabe on February 24, 2011, 08:15:58 am: Yuck, I don't want to know. :hiding:

Brad :laughing5:
Title: Re: silicone all over tube socket pins
Post by: phsyconoodler on February 24, 2011, 10:13:51 am: I used an air vac we have at work.Then I cleaned the rest with flux cleaner which didn't really touch the stuff but a paper towel slopped up the residue.
This stuff is resistant to solvents and cleaners.No I didn't use a straw! :laugh: