Posted by Roger on May 26, 2005 at 18:57:58:
In Reply to: Brass Clip Lubricants - Suggestions Wanted posted by BigTankTom on May 26, 2005 at 12:46:47:
Soak your brass clip in plain white vinegar for a bit. Skip the lubes. The cleanser sounds like a good idea, too, but vinegar works great and gets in all the nooks and crannies.
When, for whatever reason, it's just too corroded or the spring breaks, chuck it. They'll last a long time and they are cheap enough, especially from Nix, that tossing them isn't painful. Nix also has a good price on stainless, but why bother? It's overkill. Wouldn't you rather have 15 for $22 than 10 for $44?
Brass can get sharp or come with a burr along the slide that will cut your thumb, especially if you have been in the water a long time and your skin is soft. Fix it. Brass is soft. Just take the edge of the burr off with a screwdriver.
The stainless snap issue is my problem with DIR in a nutshell. "This snap is DIR, so it's fine forever, I don't have to think about it." No. You still have to inspect it and know how to maintain it, and if it's bad, you should get it off your dive gear and replace it with no hesitation, no matter what it cost.