Deoxit

[dan stanton]

How do I use Deoxit on pots? Do I have to take apart the pot? Also, since Liquid Wrench is basically the same thing, would that work? Thanks for any help.

[Fragger]

This pretty much tells the story.

All the pots I`ve ever seen have a little indent and hole into the pots body.

Little dab-a-do-ya. Keep a q-tip handy to clean up overspray. You can also spray a little on a q-tip and wipe that q-tip on a guitar cord end and insert and spin in a jack to clean the contacts.

I`ve only used liquid Wrench on rusted nuts and bolts.

[Johno]

Deoxit and Liquid Wrench are nothing the same. Don't use it, or WD40 or gasoline in any of your pots.
There should be an opening at the solder tab end of your pots. Spray Deoxit in there. Rotate the shaft a few times.

[guitician]

Do the conductive traces of pots oxidize? I thought they were carbon composition. DeOxit will work for the metal wiper contacts, but not the resistive track.

[g1]

Johno I am in agreement but will share this story. Once I was talking to a service guy at a large PA manufacturer. I was asking if for their older mixers they cleaned all the pots or just the noisy ones as it can be a big job to do them all. He said "oh, we just remove the circuit boards and soak them in a big vat of WD40"!

[gbono]

Mmmm - dipping boards in WD40? Good luck with that one. Silcone in WD40 has an affinity for steel and will migrate through just about anything to get to it. Water Displacement #40 will probably safely clean your contacts, when they are not energized, but long term you will have other problems.

[Enzo]

Do the conductive traces of pots oxidize? I thought they were carbon composition. DeOxit will work for the metal wiper contacts, but not the resistive track.

And what is the wiper made of?

[jrfrond]

Who said DeOxIt and Liquid Wrench were similar???

Methinks that the vat of WD40 story was a tall tale told by the manufacturer. Anyone who recommends WD40 for cleaning contacts is in for a rude surprise over the long haul!

[Prairie Dawg]

Who said DeOxIt and Liquid Wrench were similar???

Methinks that the vat of WD40 story was a tall tale told by the manufacturer. Anyone who recommends WD40 for cleaning contacts is in for a rude surprise over the long haul!

I'm working on my very last can of Channel Master R-12 that came out of a dead radio repair shop. Freon's good stuff.

[dan stanton]

Deoxit and Liquid Wrench are both naptha petroleum-based. Look at the ingredients. I'm going to go ahead and use Liquid Wrench on my pots, because, chemically I see no reason NOT to. Also, instead of paying some company for their packaging of the same product easily available in grocery stores, the old ways are cheaper, more effective, and doggone it people will like me!
And now that I have done more research on it, WD-40 would be effective on any wire-wound pot. Blow it out with compressed air, should be new.
Please, anybody, is a bright, shiny penny worth more than rusty dime?

[Enzo]

A can of RediWHip from your grocery store uses Nitrous Oxide as a propellant. MY dentist uses Nitrous Oxide as a relaxant, and drag racers use nitrous oxide to boost horsepower in their engines. SO since they are all the same, why don;t I just fill my gas tank with RediWhip, and fill my mouth with it to relax, and hurry off to the dentist? After all, as long as there is a common ingredient, they must all be the same thing, right?

Electrical solder and plumbing solder are both made of lead. WHy should I spend a lot of extra money for electronic solder? Certainly the OTHER ingredients in a product shouldn;t matter.

[Johno]

From the Caig website:
4. Potentiometer Maintenance
The following guidelines have been established based on the experience and feedback of technical
professionals, end users and our own years of testing and evaluation:
Sealed pots:
1. Found in newer equipment, may be difficult to restore, and should probably be replaced.
2. Occasionally if the pots are not totally sealed, you may be able to treat it in an ultrasonic cleaner
using a 10% solution of DeoxIT. Contact a CAIG representative for specific recommendations and
instructions. Call 858 / 486-8388.
Unsealed pots:
Rotary pots respond best to DeoxIT® 100% spray or 100% liquid, depending on how they’re mounted.
Recommended Maintenance:
1. Apply 1-2 bursts/drops DeoxIT® 100% solution.
2. Manually operate pots 5-10 times to displace the surface contaminants and distribute
DeoxIT®.
3. Reapply DeoxIT®.
4. It may be necessary to repeat this step the following day, depending on the condition of pot.
NOTES: Normally, we suggest removing any excess 100% product, wherever possible. In this case, we
have accomplished this process through mechanical action.

[unparalleled]

I use Du Pont Teflon Silicone lubricant with perfect results.
Part No. DS6109901
The spray liquid dries away leaving a dry lube.
Even fixes pots previously treated with CRC/ WD40.

[jrfrond]

A can of RediWHip from your grocery store uses Nitrous Oxide as a propellant. MY dentist uses Nitrous Oxide as a relaxant, and drag racers use nitrous oxide to boost horsepower in their engines. SO since they are all the same, why don;t I just fill my gas tank with RediWhip, and fill my mouth with it to relax, and hurry off to the dentist?

ROTFLMMFAO!!!!!

STOP IT!!!!! YER KILLIN' ME!!!!! LOL!!!!!!

Too funny dude!

[jrfrond]

Listen, DeOxIt is THE de facto contact cleaner used by professionals and worth EVERY SINGLE PENNY! There are reasons e.g. it is time-tested, it works, and used by countless techs and companies who build and service electrical and electronic gear, including military, aviation and medical electronics.

WD-40 is not.

If you'd like to go ahead and clean your pots with WD-40, then go right ahead. I am telling you that someday, you will regret it.

The right tool and chemical for the job. That is my motto, and that is what I adhere to in my day gig here and my own business.

DeOxIt is one of the best. Just about any other contact cleaner is a waste of money. The other one, which is even pricier is Stabilant 22. I use both. When DeOxIt RARELY fails, sometimes Stabilant 22 might work. Google it.