Attempted Non-Destructive Cleanup of a Sputtered Brewster Window

Just a lil something I've been up to.

Brewster Tube Internal Sputter Cleanup Attempt - YouTube


It didn't work, but was worth a shot. Got the tube for the cost of shipping.

Interesting. I can't think of a good way to clean the window without removing it...but it would indeed make a nice lamp most MG brewsters run at 1400-1600V-ish, at 6.5mA depending on ballast.... probably someone who ran it reverse polarity or it has a bad connection to the cathode as you mentioned. Baking the tube is just going to kill it fast though....I wonder if there's a way to repel the aluminum off the surface? doubt it though, it looks like alot and its caked on pretty good.

I'm not sure it is aluminium from the can either. I think it is from the brass/bronze lead-in cathode connection. It looks bronze in color on the window as well.

might be zinc. and if that's the case, it's not coming off short of acid.

Yep. 'Tis a lamp now (or will be when I get a spare hv supply - might make one if I feel like it) since the faulty cathode connection is a death sentence.

FWIW, -some- of the sputter had lightened in intensity from the RF torture. Blasting a tube meant for 12W with 300W will do that though.

Yeah, it's probably done a number on the cathode as a whole.