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Mapleshade Sil-Clear

206.188.229.200
Posted on December 15, 2014 at 18:56:39
geezerrocket






I was going to post this in "tweaks", but figured I would get more response here in the general asylum.

I have had a small container of Mapleshade Sil-Clear for about 10 or 12 years that I had not used in a while. Tonight I used some Christmas lights of all things because I had some oxidation on the ends of some LED rope lights.
After opening the container and scooping some of the product out with a golf tee I noticed that it had become quite a bit stiffer than I had remembered.
I stirred the substance around vigorously with the golf tee for a bit. That seemed to help a bit, but it was still stiff.

Should I chuck it?

Should I put it in the microwave for 10 or 15 seconds?

Or.......



 

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    ...
Well, it contains silver..., posted on December 15, 2014 at 20:05:37
genungo
 .., so I'm not sure I'd want to put it in the microwave.

Why not shoot Mapleshade an email and ask them what to do?

 

RE: Mapleshade Sil-Clear, posted on December 15, 2014 at 20:18:02
Coner
Audiophile

Posts: 3703
Location: S.W. Washington state, USA
Joined: November 17, 2001
 I'd put just enough alcohol in it to get it back to
normal.

 

This may help....., posted on December 15, 2014 at 23:24:41
Winston Smith
Audiophile

Posts: 1014
Location: PNW (summers) and Southern AZ (winters)
Joined: December 2, 2006
 As I recall, the ingredients are powdered silver and animal lard (pig fat originally, I believe.) Probably another oil or two, as well. But why speculate?

Here is what VH Audio has to say about Silclear's ingredients:

"SilClear uses microscopically thin silver platelets (a millionth inch thin; 8 square feet of surface per gram!) to enhance the conductivity of electrical connectors. The unique binder for the silver platelets is an ultra-pure, low dielectric absorption, food-grade grease that minimizes signal loss/smearing. The thinnest possible coating lasts 10 to 20 unpluggings."

Well, I guess that settles it. Sort of.

If you don't have any food-grade grease, I suspect a very pure oil should do the trick, like ART 30 squalan oil (also known as 'squalene'.) This is (supposedly) a shark liver-based oil of extremely high purity. But a fine food-grade grease would likely be best, if you can gain access to some.

If you have no access to any of that stuff mentioned above, I would use some easily obtainable high-purity machine grade oil, something quite pure, and I'd try it on a wee bit before going all out. Same for any other approach. Try a little bit all mixed well, and see what happens. Let it set a few days after mixing, though, to see if it separates at all or otherwise turns to crap.

At US$35 a container, I'd see if I could rejuvenate it.

Best of luck!

Cheers,

WS

 

"I'd put just enough alcohol in it to get it back to normal.", posted on December 16, 2014 at 05:00:40
Chip647
Audiophile

Posts: 2653
Location: The South
Joined: December 24, 2012
 Amen

 

"Should I chuck it?" Absolutely, posted on December 16, 2014 at 05:03:42
Chip647
Audiophile

Posts: 2653
Location: The South
Joined: December 24, 2012
 And never allow it in your house again. Bad idea products.

 

SilClear hardening, posted on December 16, 2014 at 05:33:09
Dave Pogue
Audiophile

Posts: 11689
Location: DC Area
Joined: October 9, 2001
 As the photos show, it's SilClear without the hyphen (makes it easier to search). I used the Walker Audio version of this stuff and after it hardened, I found a thread on Audiogon where Lloyd Walker suggested the use of canola oil (vegetable shortening) to soften it. I tried this and while it worked after a fashion, the consistency was not the same.

I'd pitch it.

 

RE: Mapleshade Sil-Clear, posted on December 16, 2014 at 08:26:20
bjh
Audiophile

Posts: 18614
Location: Ontario
Joined: November 22, 2003
 Animal fat eh? ... I'm surprised it doesn't stink like hell after all those years lol


 

My Experience, posted on December 16, 2014 at 08:30:08
Awe-d-o-file
Dealer

Posts: 21037
Location: 50 miles west of DC
Joined: January 10, 2004
 I've posted before that I used this on a digital RCA cable and after it dried out some months later I started to get bad read errors. I thought the transport or DAC was bad. I cleaned off the SilClear from the plugs and jacks and no more problem.


I'm surprised it goes bad in its sealed container too.

E
T


ET

"If at first you don't succeed, keep on sucking till you do suck seed" - Curly Howard 1936

 

RE: Mapleshade Sil-Clear, posted on December 16, 2014 at 08:58:18
Old SteveA
Audiophile

Posts: 648
Joined: March 27, 2011
 I think whenever you use Sil-Clear your best bet is to use it like you would
Vermouth when you're making Martinis (you know: If you did anything more
then just pass the bottle over the glass,you put too much !)

(Or just have a Martini & forget about the Sil-Clear; or as I like to call it an "Attitude Ajustment" tweak)

 

Pierre Sprey Says......., posted on December 16, 2014 at 09:04:41
geezerrocket
 Awe-d-o-file and others;

I just got off the phone with Pierre Sprey - Head Chief at Mapleshade.

First; I can hardly believe he called me after I sent him a email this morning about a $35 product I purchased 10 years ago - That my friends is customer service!

Secondly; What a education. I didn't expect we would be having a half hour discussion ranging from fighter jets to tubes to wire to time domain reflecometers. Say what you will about his audio beliefs - The man is a genius on many subjects.

Here's the skinny. Pierre instructed me to add Coleman lantern fuel one drop at a time until the consistency is restored. I just happen to have some.






 

I've heard..., posted on December 16, 2014 at 09:13:20
genungo
 ... that a similar paste sold by Walker is supposed to have a higher silver content than the Mapleshade paste and also does not degrade over time. This is just hearsay, though.

 

So, basically naphtha?, posted on December 16, 2014 at 10:08:03
-æ-
Bored Member

Posts: 788
Joined: May 9, 2013
Contributor
  Since: March 1, 1999
 White gas, right?

If you aren't quite noticing or accepting what is really going on in the present,
but are responding based on your thoughts or feelings about what ought to be,
then you are apt to collide with what is really going on.

 

Actually, VM&P naphtha would be just the ticket..., posted on December 16, 2014 at 12:35:52
Steve O
Audiophile

Posts: 12383
Location: SE MI
Joined: September 6, 2001
 ...it's a common "fast" paint thinner and should be avail just about anywhere that sells oil based paints inc the ubiquitous big boxes. When purchased in this form it should be less expensive than camp stove fuel or lighter fluid and it won't have perfumes or other additives. Quarts are usually the smallest qty avail but it's a good all round solvent and has a very long shelf life.

 

RE: So, basically naphtha?, posted on December 16, 2014 at 12:57:02
geezerrocket



Naphtha is correct.

Ronson lighter fluid contains naphtha as well.......

Ronson was bought out by Zippo a few years back and from what I've been able to gather Naphtha is no longer used in Ronson brand.

I did as Pierre instructed and everything has been restored as far as I can tell.





 

No, unleaded gasoline...no ethanol NT, posted on December 16, 2014 at 18:46:19
Coner
Audiophile

Posts: 3703
Location: S.W. Washington state, USA
Joined: November 17, 2001
 nt

 

Another method., posted on December 17, 2014 at 09:53:31
Rick W
 Dave, I put my jar of that stuff in a wire mesh strainer and placed it above - not immersed in - a small pot of boiling water for 2-3 minutes. This loosened it up and got it back to approx. the original consistency. Heated it up *just a tad*, then mixed it up a bit with the supplied applicator.


 

That's probably a better idea than ..., posted on December 17, 2014 at 13:14:48
Dave Pogue
Audiophile

Posts: 11689
Location: DC Area
Joined: October 9, 2001
 ... canola oil

 

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