what do I clean chips with

[oxid]

what should I use to get rid of old scraps of bad thermal paste? alcohol? if so, what type of alcohol?
or distilled water?
using just a tissue won't get rid of all the stuff, and I want to get it all off, don't know why, guess i'm just picky, but what should I use?

 

[Corporate Thug]

91% alcohol

 

[RallyMaster]

isopropyl alcohol. i used a 70% saturated alcohol swab (medical) to do my cleaning today.

 

[Zepper]

I use lighter fluid (Ronsonol, etc. - naphtha based). It cuts anything short of the epoxies. Follow with a rubbing alcohol rinse and it should be clean as a whistle.

.bh.

 

[mindwreck]

Originally posted by: Zepper
I use lighter fluid (Ronsonol, etc. - naphtha based). It cuts anything short of the epoxies. Follow with a rubbing alcohol rinse and it should be clean as a whistle.

.bh.

hmm never tried that. I have some zippo fluid i could use..

 

[thisbarb]

Ethyl alcohol works too. You know, that handle of Bacardi your mom has stashed in the highest cupboard ^_^

 

[Zepper]

Bacardi's too impure (though it's nice for sippin' while you're working) - it's the 151 "white lightning" that you want (no sippin' on that stuff if you want to keep your tongue and esophagus, but for punching up a punch it's hard to beat). But if Bacard's all you got...

.bh.

 

[JEDIYoda]

I prefer to use Everclear......in the gallon container.
Everclear is a brand of grain alcohol, available at concentrations of 95% alcohol (190 proof ) and 75.5% (151 proof). Everclear is made by the David Sherman Corp.

It is illegal to purchase the 190 proof version in many U.S. states such as Pennsylvania, Washington, Oregon, California, Michigan, Ohio, Virginia, and West Virginia. By contrast, normal hard liquors such as rum and vodka contain only 40% alcohol (80 proof). Everclear is usually mixed into an alcoholic beverage; straight consumption of Everclear is not recommended as it can be lethal. Because of its high proof, Everclear is highly flammable.

 

[potato28]

Man... Kerosene works on ANYTHING! But use the med swabs...

 

[MDE]

Normal rubbing or isopropyl alcohol is more than enough for any kind of thermal paste.

 

[Ping to the Pong]

if i had some Everclear, i would not be using it to clean off heatsinks! :laugh: isopropyl alcohol is fine, the higher the percentage the better.

 

[HardWarrior]

Denatured and goof off works well.

 

[Xpage]

I used isopropyl alcohol and a paper towel, worked fine.

 

[gatesofhell]

So isopropyl and paper towel, would a cloth be better?

and do you have to clean the isopropyl off once you have got the thermal paste off?

 

[themusgrat]

Coffee filters also work real well, and try to not spill much isopropyl, and the leftover will evaporate.

 

[RallyMaster]

Originally posted by: gatesofhell
So isopropyl and paper towel, would a cloth be better?

and do you have to clean the isopropyl off once you have got the thermal paste off?

no, alcohol is very volatile and will evaporate on its own.

 

[Howard]

Any ideas about thermal pads?

 

[ottothecow]

I had some nasty stuff on the memory chips when I took the stock HSF off of my video card.

What eventually did it was either acetone or turpentine which was then washed off with isopropyl (be careful...that stuff is harsh).

As to paper vs. cloth. Paper is slightly abrasive and leaves stuff behind compared to any decent piece of cloth (which can then be washed and used again). Mechanics always check your oil with a CLOTH so that they dont get paper fibers in your engine.

 

[Zepper]

Howard,

Lighter fluid (naphtha based) will cut anything short of the epoxies.

.bh.

 

[mshan]

Arti-Clean