How to clean pots?

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  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 32,926
    edited December 2018
    Full disclosure -- some pots are reputed not to fare too well with CAIG DeOxit cleaning. I believe folks have reported problems damaging pots using 'conductive plastic film' as the resistive element.

    I have not knowingly had any problems with DeOxit D5 spray, although I will acknowledge that the solvent properties of of DeOxit spray can clean out the lubricant that makes the pots turn oh so smoothly. As @pitdogg2 indicates, the CAIG product called Faderlube is often employed after cleaning to restore some semblance of the original feel of the controls.

    Take all of the above "as is"; strictly FYI and FWIW.

    CAIG DeOxit D5 spray is very "mobile" (as they say in the solvent biz) -- Even 'sealed' pots will often respond very favorably to careful infusion of DeOxit (e.g., down the control shaft, where it passes through the body of the pot. Generally, there are gaps and seams in most (older) pots -- allowing a gentle drizzle of DeOxit to get where it needs to go, IMO/IME.

    "Less is more" when it comes to DeOxit. Start gingerly and test results, rather than flooding everything and making a mess (or worse).

    One other pro tip :p Don't ever, ever, ever spray DeOxit on the vanes of an "air variable capacitor" (i.e., AM or FM radio tuning capacitor). The residual stuff will alter the dielectric constant between the capacitor plates and thus the capacitance value of the cap, profoundly altering its tuning. A capacitor that's been thus insulted can be cleaned, but it is real work to undo such a gaffe. Best course of action is to just avoid it entirely! :|

    There is, I believe, a "sticky" on AK about the proper procedures for cleaning & lubricating the contacts of tuning capacitors.
  • pitdogg2
    pitdogg2 Posts: 24,477
    edited December 2018
    mhardy6647 wrote: »
    One other pro tip :p Don't ever, ever, ever spray DeOxit on the vanes of an "air variable capacitor" (i.e., AM or FM radio tuning capacitor). The residual stuff will alter the dielectric constant between the capacitor plates and thus the capacitance value of the cap, profoundly altering its tuning. A capacitor that's been thus insulted can be cleaned, but it is real work to undo such a gaffe. Best course of action is to just avoid it entirely! :|

    ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
    THIS IS VERY GOOD ADVICE!!! do not ever stick anything in them not even a toothbrush any even a slight bend will alter it negatively. if need to just blow them out gently

    Post edited by pitdogg2 on
  • mlistens03
    mlistens03 Posts: 2,767
    That's why that tuner started acting weird... the tuner in an Olson receiver I had lying around became kinda funky after using a toothbrush to get some dust out of it. I'll remember not to do that in the future. :)
  • afterburnt
    afterburnt Posts: 7,892
    @Jstas did you ever eat a blue gill?
  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 32,926
    Jstas wrote: »
    OK, so, like, why is everyone all into bass amps?

    Why don't they go for other amps?

    I mean, bass is pretty big to begin with, doesn't need much help being amplified.

    But, now, bluegill or perch? Yeah, that's good eatin' right there but it takes 4 or 5 to fill a frying pan.

    Get yourself a bluegill amp and then one bluegill will fill a fryin' pan!

    Would help a bunch with that dirty pot problem you got too. One fish, less cookin' time, less baked on funk that you need fancy chemicals to get rid of.

    I'd be tempted to say that this post was crappie, but it was in fact pretty darned excellent, if a tad fishy.
  • ken brydson
    ken brydson Posts: 8,640
    afterburnt wrote: »
    @Jstas did you ever eat a blue pill?

    Fixed it for ya. Kidding John...

  • Jstas
    Jstas Posts: 14,707
    afterburnt wrote: »
    @Jstas did you ever eat a blue gill?

    Yeah, actually.

    Was fishing with my dad when I was like 11. There was this ole black woman with a lawn chair and a single burner camping stove with a frying pan on it. She was fishing too. She had this cutting board a filet knife with a scaler on the back. She'd catch a bluegill or sunnie , clean and gut it right there (i.e.: gut it, descale and cut the fins head and tail off), drop it in the bag of seasoning she had and stuck it right in the frying pan right there next to the lake.

    She asked my dad and I if we wanted any. My dad didn't but I wanted to try it. It wasn't what I was used to (I was 11) but it wasn't bad. It's got a flavor like catfish but with the consistency of trout. Especially if you use corn meal as the breading. Needs some seasoning for sure, though, it's kinda bland by itself. But breaded and fried in oil, it's good stuff. Not a ton of meat on a single bluegill, though.

    Here, this is essentially what she was doing: https://www.livestrong.com/article/462437-how-to-cook-eat-bluegill/
    Expert Moron Extraordinaire

    You're just jealous 'cause the voices don't talk to you!