Spade Plugs and Terminal Fittings

come on lynn, quit being a smart ass.

Momma always said:

"...better a smart-ass than a dumb-ass"

How about a glassfibre eraser, then?

oooh...me likey!

I've used many of these. They do work well. Beware of the glass fibers that slough off/break during use.

A set of needle files might work; also electrical contact cleaning solution (aerosol can).

It's best to go with Lyn on this one, and it's the wire brush with brass bristles that's the best choice. Anything that's as aggressive as the needle files, sandpaper or even the stainless steel bristled brush may remove the plating from the contact or create an uneven surface, either of which may raise the contact resistance enough to affect the performance of the circuit. There are some pretty good contact cleaning sprays also, but it's important to be sure that the spray is compatible with the connector plastic as well as anything that might get some overspray.

Damn if the best answer isn't wire brush!

Depending on the type of corrosion, size of the fitting, insulating material used on the fitting (if any), loaction, etc, then other methods may work well (or better) in certain situations (chemicals, scratching using sharp tools, sandpaper, files, sandblasting, etc), but in the end a good old wire brush is best for general purpose corrosion cleaning balancing good cleaning action and precision against damage to fittings.

_{Jack - Computer's low on commas now.}

Careful, lest you be branded a smart a$s.

i appologize lyn, but using a brass wire brush was the first thing i tried. i was'nt satified with the results.

Ok, what type of corrosion and what type of lug do you have?

A picture would likely help a whole lot.

they're spade plugs connected to copper terminals. white corrosion.

A quick look on Wikipedia under white rust says (you guessed it) use a wire brush.

White rust

On a more serious note, how about just replacing them? If the corrosion becomes too difficult to remove I find simply replacing the fittings to be more cost-effective than corrosion removal, especially if the surface has been irreparably pitted and damaged by said corrosion.

Eat them, and then wash them when they emerge.