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.

  • @kaduEnglish
    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.