Best way to clean Pots.

I'm assuming spraying down the shaft with a cleaner/ lub and work it is the best way to do this? Some pots have openings in the body also and is this a better option? Cheers!

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trm54321
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Spraying "Down the shaft" will wash away the lubricant that allows the pot to turn smoothly, and into the actual pot, along with any metal shavings and metallic dust. Either use the opening, remove the cover and replace it after cleaning, or replace the pot, unless it is a temporary fix.

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Reply to
Michael A. Terrell

Ask Scott Dorsey in rec.audio.pro. He seems to know this stuff well.

Graham

Reply to
Eeyore

On Sun, 17 Dec 2006 22:03:14 -0500, trm54321 Has Frothed:

Better to shoot cleaner in the opening when possible. Sealed pots shouldn't be sprayed.

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Pierre Salinger Memorial Hook, Line & Sinker, June 2004

COOSN-266-06-25794
Reply to
Meat Plow

Sealed pots are only sealed to prevent contamination from external sources. They still go bad, and still benefit from cleaning, if one can gain access to do so. This applies to deposited carbon potentiometers. Many modern volume controls are actually rotary encoders, and cleaning them is a crap-shoot. Those must be taken apart and tarnish cleaned from the internal workings, and since the controls are cheap, better just to replace them when possible.

Mark Z.

Reply to
Mark D. Zacharias

trm54321 wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com:

No,you just move the axle grease into the pot.

Yes,you want the cleaner/lube to get on the resistance element and wiper,nowhere else.

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Jim Yanik
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Jim Yanik

"Michael A. Terrell" wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@earthlink.net:

I used to successfully drill a small hole in Bourns Mod Pots and used a syringe needle on the spray tube to get the cleaner/lube into the pot thru the small hole. It worked well. Not a TEK-sanctioned method,tho.

It did keep repair costs down for the customer.

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Jim Yanik

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trm54321

Sometimes the control is badly in need of lubing. Anything tends to help temporarily.

I had a heck of a time cleaning switches in a Nicolet scope. I drilled, pryed, well I think the prying worked, but I had to do it over several days. Alcohol is good for cleaning, and seeps easily into small cracks. Sometimes drilling is the easy thing to do. For the Nicolet I used everything, from Contaclean, to Bull Frog cleaners, along with the alcohol.

greg

Reply to
GregS

The only way to help when you have wiper problems is get the cleaner/lube inside the unit. Spraying down the shaft usually does not accomplish this.

I recommend Caig labs products such as D5 or pro gold. If the pot has holes in the back, spray into the holes and turn the pot for a minute or so to clean off the resistance contact area.

Sealed pots (or switches) are another issue. On the plastic cased units, i have developed a method of last resort. Take a fine tipped pencil soldering tip and slowly burn a hole through the back while working the control back and forth so the internal melted plastic won't jam the control. Then spray the cleaner in the pot. Sometimes i reseal with a dab of RTV or such,. Not a 100% fix, but it will bring some back to life.

Bob

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Bob Urz

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Compressed air from Staples. Won't wash anything away - just stirs it up. Spray sparingly. Then power up device and turn knob back n' forth until crackling - noise disappears and/or volume or effect gets louder/clearer.

-CC

Reply to
ChrisCoaster

Reply to
Slowchordchanger

On Mon, 18 Dec 2006 18:05:19 +0000, Slowchordchanger Has Frothed:

I work exclusively on guitar amps, guitars, PA gear and I would never clean a pot and send it back to the customer without telling them I just put a BandAid on it and to get it back for a replacement ASAP. Nor do I ever charge just to clean a pot.

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Pierre Salinger Memorial Hook, Line & Sinker, June 2004

COOSN-266-06-25794
Reply to
Meat Plow

The Mod Pots are plastic bodies, so you don't have to worry about metal shavings getting into the element and slideing contacts. I see nothing wrong with your method, as long as a drop of glue or something is used to seal the hole after you're done. :)

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Reply to
Michael A. Terrell

You give away your services? It takes time to open up a unit to get to the pot to clean it. Sometimes, parts are not available. And using the Good caig stuff is not cheap either. A Band-Aid is better than unusable.

Bob

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BOB URZ

"Michael A. Terrell" wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@earthlink.net:

It's not a very big hole,about a #56 drill size. I never resealed them,it was hard enough getting the bit in position to make the hole.IMO,there was less chance of getting contaminants in there than for a regular unsealed pot. (the ModPots were not really "sealed",anyways. enclosed,yes.)

I didn't try to drill or lube sealed metalcased pots.

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Jim Yanik
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Jim Yanik

"ChrisCoaster" wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@73g2000cwn.googlegroups.com:

a neat trick is to wrap a couple of turns of insulated wire around the control's knob,then pull alternately on the wire ends to rapidly spin the pot shaft from limit to limit;that can "clean up" a noisy pot fairly quickly,and it's not hard on the fingers.

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Jim Yanik
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Jim Yanik

On Mon, 18 Dec 2006 18:26:18 -0600, BOB URZ Has Frothed:

Takes me all of what, 5 minutes to spray a pot on a guitar amp. It's good for customer relations and business when the customer thinks they are getting something for nothing. I'm not a robot stuck back in the far end of the building churning out amp repairs on an assembly line. Customers are welcome to visit my service area and ask questions pertaining to their equipment. Word of mouth has brought me many customers, some travel from out of town where they could have had repairs done locally so I must be doing something right. I'm also a gigging musician so I understand the customer's needs. As far as Band-Aids go, a pot spray is about it. Nothing will lose you a customer faster than sending out an amp only to have it fail while it's being used at a gig. I always recommend replacement and in emergencies when a part isn't available, I will make a suitable loaner available with a deposit. I just treat customers how I want to be treated when I take something in for service like my Harley or other vehicle.

Reply to
Meat Plow

If it takes any amount of time, I would ask the owner what he wants.

greg

Reply to
GregS

On Tue, 19 Dec 2006 13:47:41 +0000, GregS Has Frothed:

Read the part of my post were I mention customers are welcome to ask questions. Some do, some don't. Many different personalities needs etc.. making it hard to generalize in policy.

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Pierre Salinger Memorial Hook, Line & Sinker, June 2004

COOSN-266-06-25794
Reply to
Meat Plow

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