Do you wonder “what is the appropriate goop to use in this repair?” Let’s talk about it. First things first:

  • petroleum based products risk degrading plastic and should not be used

  • WD-40 is a petroleum based solvent and is not a good lubricant in any situation

  • Plastic on plastic interfaces (e.g., microswitches in a joystick) can be lubricated with white lithium grease spray

  • Rosin-containing (amber colored) “no-clean” flux liquid is good for solder rework but HOLY FUCK it is hard to clean up even with IPA

  • Hot glue is NEVER THE RIGHT CHOICE. Use kapton tape to hold wires and for the love of god if you are doing a mod that adds a port through the case, use a compatible 2 part epoxy or a 3d printed bracket (or hell, a spacer made of paper) to friction fit it, because that glue is going to give way, it’s just a matter of when.

Your turn - share your hard earned lessons regarding the right and wrong goops to use in different repair situations.

  • kadu@lemmy.worldEnglish
    4·
    1 year ago

    Isopropanol (isopropyl alcohol) is fantastic for cleaning electronics.

    It’s also going to degrade most rubbers, some plastics, and absolutely ruin any LCD if it manages to get in-between the layers of the panel (and it does manage to do so very often).

    So do not go the Reddit route of drowning your stuff in isopropyl - apply it to a cotton bud or similar and apply on the components you wish to clean directly.