Re: Safe to use WD40 as switch or potentiometer cleaner?

From: gothika (Vampyres_at_nettaxi.com)
Date: 08/21/04 

Date: Fri, 20 Aug 2004 19:15:45 -0500

On Fri, 20 Aug 2004 14:21:36 -0400, "Leonard G. Caillouet"
<lcaillo_ns_@devoynet.com> wrote:
`Correct, much to much said about it.
I'd just reiterated the obvious the times I did to try and get the
message through that using WD40 was a very bad idea.(If the poster's
pots survived it in the past it could attributed to the pots being of
good quality and very forgiving to such abuse, certainly not to any
"quality" of WD40.)
I've not used Cramolin, mostly the usual stuff from CRC or Chemtool or
LPS.
I'll have to search it out locally and give it a try.
>I can't see why there is such a debate about this. Most who have used it
>concur that the best cleaner/preservative is, and has been for a couple of
>decades, Caig's Deoxit (aka Cramolin). WD40 is what it is, a relatively
>poor lubricant and cleaner. Numerous other cleaners and lubricants do a
>better job on pots. What is the advantage to even considering WD-40 unless
>you are in a pinch and have nothing else? The best products are just not
>that much more expensive.
>
>Leonard
>
>"John Robertson" <spam@flippers.com> wrote in message
>news:hfbci09t7k7qdhs20vtqcrj5artcgppg5o@4ax.com...
>> My experience in twenty-five+ years of amusement game service leads me
>> to think that WD-40 is NOT good inside machines. Everything gums up
>> about five to ten years after some one sprays that stuff on moving
>> metal bits, then you have to take it apart somehow (lots of solvent)
>> and clean the glazed crap out.
>>
>> I only use WD-40 for it's original intent - as a tool preservative.
>> It's WaterDisplacement-40th formula, anything else is based on it
>> comes out as a liquid there for it 'must' be good for lubrication.
>> Never designed as a lub...I'd never use it as a lube.
>>
>> OK, the web site suggests using it to lubricate a dish washer arm ,
>> but read the other uses...
>> http://www.wd40.com/Brands/wd40.cfm I fail to see volume controls or
>> any valuable electronic equipment mentioned...
>>
>> John :-#)#
>> www.flippers.com
>>
>> On Wed, 18 Aug 2004 06:45:47 -0600, goodguyy@webtv.net (Ken G.) wrote:
>>
>> >There is a large ``cult`` against wd40 because someone chose to start it
>> >then the rest have not tried it and are hell bent that it wont work .
>> >
>> >For ordinary pot , switch , control cleaning wd40 works fine . More is
>> >not better . It does not leave gunk behind .
>> >
>>
>> (Please post followups or tech enquires to the newsgroup)
>> John's Jukes Ltd. 2343 Main St., Vancouver, BC, Canada V5T 3C9
>> Call (604)872-5757 or Fax 872-2010 (Pinballs, Jukes, Video Games)
>> www.flippers.com
>> "Old pinballers never die, they just flip out."
>>
>

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Recommendations for electrical contact cleaner[s].
    ... I'm not a big fan of the "lubricant" style cleaners; ... everywhere and it's a bitch to clean up - getting it out of pants or a sofa, ... mostly I just buy whatever contact cleaner is cheapest. ... I spray the shit out of my pots with that stuff too - oddly enough, ...
    (alt.guitar.bass)
  • Re: Cleaning a POT that looks sealed?
    ... beer spills (Like contact cleaner) ... I can say the knob in the Mesa V twin appears to have an oil mechanism ... I cant afford to pay a repair guy to put new pots in right now and its ... And....check for cracked solder joints. ...
    (alt.guitar)
  • Re: Can switch cleaner damage pots?
    ... Normally the switch cleaner should be good. ... type of switch cleaner you use, and how the pots were made inside. ... > noisy, so I opened it up and sprayed all of the pots with DeoxIt D5 ...
    (sci.electronics.repair)
  • Re: Can potentiometers be lubricated?
    ... but I've replace a lot of pots that had been sprayed with WD-40. ... Yes, I did work in consumer electronics at one time, and you wouldn't ... cheapskate would use brake cleaner or electrical contact cleaner and you ... Blue Shower was first sold as TV tuner cleaner and left a huge mess ...
    (sci.electronics.misc)
  • Re: Lubricant for pots?
    ... consumer grade volume control pots? ... ** Pots do not need lubricating. ... this also takes out the lubricant and makes the track wear out ... there's no time for the fine grease-like substance to migrate ...
    (sci.electronics.basics)