Speed Cleaning After Potting

[automan]

I spend way too much time cleaning up wax on covered humbuckers. I usually pot 10 - 15 humbuckers at a time and it just seems to take forever to get the space between the poles to clean up right. You cant go back and forth quickly with pressure or you run the risk of a bit of plating to flake off a pole and scratch the cover. I've tried q-tips, but once you wipe one way, you have to go the other and it leaves trace lines of wax. If I take my time, I can have it looking perfectly. But that's the problem. Time is money. I can't spend 5 minutes per pickup making sure it looks impeccable in the display case doing 15 pickups at a time. I have tried super soft paper towels, lint free rags, terry cloth towels, q-tips, etc.

What do you guys do to speed up this process?

[kevinT]

I use microfiber cloths for final detailing. It has a wicking capability that helps lift off whatever you're trying to remove whether its parrifin wax or car polish, or whatever. Microfiber won't scratch for the most part but I still get fine scratches that I have to buff out. I don't think there is any way to get around final touch up if you want them to look good. I spend whatever time is necessary.

I initiallly use paper towels to wipe them off when coming out of the pot. I let them dry and then wipe away the remainder of the wax with the cloth.

[MesaDCLP]

I've used lighter fluid (100% naptha) on Q-tips and rags before, and it has worked great cleaning wax off of bobbins, covers, and screws.

[David Schwab]

I'd pot them without the covers, and then just pour a little wax in the top of the cover before putting it on.

[Joe Gwinn]

I've used lighter fluid (100% naptha) on Q-tips and rags before, and it has worked great cleaning wax off of bobbins, covers, and screws.

This is the traditional solvent for wax. One can buy VMP Naptha by the gallon in many paint stores.

[FunkyKikuchiyo]

I think I have a certain amount of naphtha running through my system at this point after years of using it on guitars. Pretty soon I might be able to light my own cigarettes.

Seriously though, if you get one of those lighter fluid bottles at a convenience store and then refill it with the naphtha from the hardware store, it is cost effective and the bottle is great. It squirts small amounts and there is no open top so you don't get the dizzies when you're cleaning something. Musicians have been losing brain cells in enough other ways, let's try to shorten that list.

I've always potted with the covers off because that whole pool of wax underneath seemed like a bad thing.... bad idea?