r s Posted December 12, 2003 Share Posted December 12, 2003 I've noticed that some of the cameras I get have really dirty, corroded, scratched, etc battery 'plates' in the inside of the cameras. Some of my later acquisitions doesn't recognize that I put a battery in and I'm starting to think that it's because of just this. Is there any one out there with some clever suggestions on how to clean these metal pieces (what to use, etc)? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jerry_gitomer Posted December 13, 2003 Share Posted December 13, 2003 Two suggestions: 1. Electrical contact cleaner (In the U.S. you can buy it at Radio Shack in spray cans) 2. If the contacts are not plated or spraying with contact cleaner doesn't solve the problem use an eraser. (If the contacts are plated try to avoid the use of abrasives in cleaning them.) HTH Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
r s Posted December 13, 2003 Author Share Posted December 13, 2003 Jerry, thanks for the suggestions - I will check it out. (I was also thinking that it might be a good idea to put the cleaning fluid on just a q-tip and use that to clean the plates rather than spraying into the camera battery compartment)? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
www.antiquecameras.net Posted December 13, 2003 Share Posted December 13, 2003 I use Clorox Wipes to clean the compartment + contacts. However, you should scratch ( YES scratch ) the metal contacts with a sharp item to reveal "fresh" metal. If you dont, sometimes a coating remains and the battery wont make contact. I usuallt take a screwdriver and scratch the metal....It doesnt look great - but it works....<p> Visit www.antiquecameras.net Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
winfried_buechsenschuetz1 Posted December 13, 2003 Share Posted December 13, 2003 In photo shops you can get a pencil-like device called 'Battery saver'. It is a felt tip pencil containing some mildly acidous fluid which can clean off quite a bit of dirt. Scratching the metal until it is 'shiny' again is not always a good idea. Most of the battery contacts are nickel or chrome plated metal (mostly steel sheet), and scratching this coating deeply can be the cause of further corrosion in the future. In some cases I cleaned the metal and soldered a small piece of nickel plated thin steel sheet onto it (of course without getting solder tin on the upper surface). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
conrad_hoffman Posted December 13, 2003 Share Posted December 13, 2003 You're fighting chemical deposits, then corrosion. I start with nothing more than a wet Q-tip. If that doesn't do it, try an ink eraser. The usual rubber eraser won't do much; you need the abrasive embeded in the ink type. A small piece of Scotch-Brite held in a hemostat (or whatever) can be effective, as can some metal polishes like Semichrome or similar but much cheaper Mother's Mag Wheel Polish (see your auto dealer), on a Q-tip. Don't forget to clean up the battery cap. It may look clean, but can have a thin film of stuff on it. Clean out the cleaners when done. Also, make sure the lower contact has enough spring force to keep the battery under tension. I wouldn't go in and just scratch things, as it's a point contact at best, subject to rapid re-oxidation, and as stated, looks bad. If a professional service outfit ever did that to a camera of mine, they could expect a rather unpleasant reaction! OTOH, if the area is corroded really badly, you do what you've gotta do to get through it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
connealy Posted December 13, 2003 Share Posted December 13, 2003 My Yashica Lynx came with a battery that looked like it had been in there for about a decade. I used a little vinegar to clean it up. Works fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
r s Posted December 14, 2003 Author Share Posted December 14, 2003 After using some vinegar on a q-tip to clean up the battery plates...the camera fired up and seems to work a-ok!! Thanks for the suggestion!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cony_dowen Posted December 14, 2003 Share Posted December 14, 2003 You can also use a glass fiber pen to clean the metal and then clean the dust away with a Q-tip dipped in alcohol or something similar. These pens have replaceable tips and are very handy for all dirty contacts or batteries - they won't harm the shiny nickel surface if you stop in time. What I don't know myself is what to do after that when it becomes apparent that the corrosion has attacked the plate so severely that the shiny nickel coatings is gone... the bare metal will remain vulnerable for oxidation and corrosion, but I don't see how you can re-plate the contact... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rob_murray Posted December 16, 2003 Share Posted December 16, 2003 Alcohol wont clean it very well, even the expensive Caig deoxit cant cut thru much build up but white vinegar will clean it off in no time! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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