Re: Can potentiometers be lubricated?

On Tue, 13 Sep 2005 20:34:21 +0000, Laurence Taylor
<see-headers@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

>kasterborus@xxxxxxxxx wrote:
>> Hi,
>>
>> I recently picked up an old Roland synthesizer, some of the linear pots
>> are "grinding" when I move them - can they be lubricated/cleaned/buffed
>> up with something?
>
>Not easily. You can squirt them with switch cleaner (NOT WD40, which
>contains additives), but if you're not careful this will simply create
>a solution of gunge which will deposit all the dirt back on the track
>when it dries.

Darn. Some time ago I had a noisy pot and squirted WD-40 into it.
Worked it around a few times and the noise was gone - that pot is
still working ~20 years later and I've been using it on pots ever
since. It even worked on the old type turret VHF TV tuners.

Contains additives? Unless you've got a can of vacuum, you have
additives. What is in WD that should cause problems? It is
flammable, so I don't think I'd use it indiscriminately. I looked at
a can and the ingredients aren't listed.

You're not the first person that says "don't use WD-40 on pots," so
either someone (or several people) have had a bad experience with it,
or this is the "conventional wisdom," and hasn't been challenged.

Anyone with different empirical results?
>
>The only certain cure is to dismantle the pot and clean the track with
>a cotton bud or similar, but replacement is probably easier.


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