sometimes things work out okay...

[William Sommerwerck]

Take a look at this tuner..

http://www.niji.or.jp/home/k-nisi/5t50.html

I bought one of these (and the associated Lux LRS amplification) over 30
years ago. Some months back I pulled it out and set it up in my bedroom to
drive a pair of Mission speakers.

This equipment had been sitting unused for almost 20 years, and it had (and
still has) quirks that need fixing. Most of them are related to dirty
switches and controls.

One of the worst problems was the Tuning buttons on the 5T50. As with many
dirty or aging switches, a single press caused multiple closures. Tuning was
extremely clumsy, as the frequency would jump multiple channels with a
single press.

"Look! Up in the sky!"

So I pulled the lid off to clean the switches. Uh-oh. They were sealed and
there was no obvious, simple way to remove or open them. What to do? Working
on the principle of "try anything", I pulled off the buttons. This isn't
difficult -- they snap into place -- but there's this huge, weak spring that
provides the restoring force. You don't want to lose it.

I guessed that the button's shaft directly poked the switch contacts. So I
squirted some cleaner into the switches.

Bingo. The switches now work correctly.

Sometimes things work out just fine.

 

[William Sommerwerck]

I guessed that the button's shaft directly poked the switch

What brand of cleaner?

Clorox Toilet Bowl.

No, seriously... M G Chemical's Super Wash.

When you buy toilet bowl cleaner, look at the list of ingredients for
hydrochloric acid (or some strong acid). Cleaners without it don't do a very
good job. I kike Sno-bol.

 

[William Sommerwerck]

The 'way in' to sealed square shafted selector switches is often,

as you have discovered, the gap around the shaft. Decent switch
cleaner / lubricant seems to have good creep and penetration
characteristics, and a good squirt up the shaft gap, will, in most
cases, find its way into the switch body, and do a decent job
of restoring contact.

These were not that type switch (they're pushbuttons), but I appreciate the
insight.

 

[William Sommerwerck]

I've been using an attachment for guitar pots that screws atop the pot

and allows the cleaner to squrt down the shaft. Saves a lot of time in
some cases and can be used on anything with a similar pot.

Where do you find these?

I assume they're "custom" and won't work as well on a smaller shaft.

 

[William Sommerwerck]

Thanks. The last cleaner I used forgot to mention some type

of acetone-like product in there that played havoc with some
of the new plastics.

It's amazing such products are still made. I look for a "safe on plastics"
claim, as well as a list of things the cleaner is (supposedly) good for
cleaning.

 

[propman]

I've been using an attachment for guitar pots that screws atop the pot
and allows the cleaner to squrt down the shaft. Saves a lot of time in
some cases and can be used on anything with a similar pot.

Ooooo.....where did you get that rascal? I've an old Double Beat Wah
that I tried to clean using the shaft method but it never seemed to
work. The product you mentioned sounds interesting....thanks.

 

[Baron]

That's interesting and very useful sounding. Where'd you get it ? Any
ref with a piccy ?

Arfa

Grab a neoprene cable sleeve and cut the narrow end to suit !

 

[William Sommerwerck]

I've been using an attachment for guitar pots that screws atop the pot

Most guitar supply places have them. I think we get them from WD
music although I was not the one who ordered them. And I'm fairly
sure they make several sizes.

There's a Guitar Center (or whatever it's called) down the road. I'll check
the next time I'm in the neighborhoods.

 

[William Sommerwerck]

http://www.premierguitar.com/Magazine/Issue/2008/Oct/A_Pot_Cleaning_Miracle.aspx


Hmm... How does it remove the seeds and stems?

 

[Baron]

A person with relatively decent manual dexterity and household tools
could actually make one from aluminum or brass.

Agreed ! But a 20 cent sleeve does the job and it doesn't matter if it
gets lost or damaged in the tool box.