Care of Electrical Contacts

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In your vintage jukebox you will find a number of electrical contacts. 

These are made of various precious metals and their alloys. 

Such metals are used because they are good electrical conductors and do not corrode when they are exposed to the atmosphere. When electrical contacts do not work you can almost always blame one of two things. The first might be foreign matter such as dust, corrosive substances, oil, or solder flux which might cover the contact surfaces. The second would be rough or irregular contact surfaces. Remember the following points:

1. Never touch a contact with an oily feeler gauge or tool. 

2. Do not touch contacts with your fingers or hands.

3. Do not let fumes from solder flux pass across any contacts.

4. See that dust does not blow into any part of the phonograph.

5. Whenever you think that contacts have any oil, salts, dust, or organic chemicals on them, use only a clean lint less cloth and methyl alcohol to clean them.

6. The practice of filing has caused many contact failures. Unless carefully done with the proper tool, it will eventually do more harm than good. Any method that roughens surface contact can cause a failure. 

NEVER USE SAND PAPER OR EMERY BOARDS!

If it is necessary to burnish a pair of contacts because they are pitted, use a burnishing tool. These have a surface which is about as rough and stiff as a very fine grade of card stock such as construction paper. After you use a burnishing tool, clean the contacts with methyl alcohol to remove any fine particles.