Cleaning up an old Mole light
 

Hey Guys,

I just got a good deal on a 2k that looks like it has been out of service for a while. It needs to be cleaned up a bit and it will be ready to go. My questions are:

1. What can I use to clean the housing (inside and out)? It is a bit rusted, btw.

2. The hinge and the Spot/Flood mechanism needs WD-40. Is this safe? (Heat plus flammable=fire). I would of course give ample drying time...

3. What can be used to clean the reflector? Alcohol of some sort?

4. What about the fresnel lens? Water?

Thanks guys!
Jonathan

If the housing is rusted, it's really not a huge problem unless the rust becomes so invasive as to cause structural problems. I'd try to use a wire brush to gently remove as much rust as possible, then touch-up with the highest temperature paint you can find. You standard run of the mill high temp paint could easily bubble and even burn, so try to find some heavy duty 1200 degree paint. Old Moles get rusty - it happens.

If you can get the spot/flood gears to lossen up with WD-40, great. You just want to try and clean them as much as possible, then use a bit of high-temp grease to keep them nice and loose. Not too much.

Denatured alchohol and a soft cloth should do fine for the reflector.

The only bugaboo about cleaning the fresnel lens with water is the cord around it. If there's a heavy wire with a cloth cord around it, it should not get wet. If it's old enough, that might even be asbestos cording, which could be a hazard if it's cracked and producing particles. Proceed gently.

Other than that, those old Mole lights are practically bulletproof. Keep it reasonably out of harm's way, and you'll be giving that half-rusted old sucker to your grandkids.

Thanks Scott.

So WD-40 does not pose a fire hazard as long as it is given adequate drying time?

I bought a bunch of old fresnels lately with lenses that were yellowed and had some pitting/black spots. I was able to remove the lenses. Soaking them in a solution that was equal parts boiling water and vinegar for about 20 minutes did wonders for cleaning them up. So if you can get the glass out that is an easy and quick clean up, if a bit smelly during the process.

By the way, I also found silicon tape, which is rated to 500 degress f, to be extremely useful in rewiring these fixtures. You can get it in the plumbing section of home improvement stores.