Easy solution to scratchy volume pots

Kevin Hatton · From: Buffalo, N.Y.

I've been meaning to post this for awhile. Before you change out that scratchy pot in your volume pedal here is an easy solution. Remove the bottom cover plate on the pedal. Take a 1/16th inch drill and carefully drill a hole in the bottom of the potentiometer. Do not press hard while you are drilling or else you will dimple the hole. Go to Radio Shack and get a small can of their electronics lubricator/cleaner. Spray a couple of spruts into the hole, and voila! No more scratchy volume pedal. Works every time and lasts well over a year. If the pedal gets scratchy again over time just give it another spray. I have never had to. I just did another scratchy pedal here. Works every time. If you dimple the hole by pressing to hard when you are drilling you will have to stick a dental tool in there and pry it out a little. No big deal. Beats putting a new pot in. The lubricant in the cleaner seems to be the magic. All you are doing is lubricating and cleaning a rotating contact. This trick was taught to me years ago by a Nashville master.

Bob Lawrence · From: Beaver Bank, Nova Scotia, Canada

This should work: Available from MG Chemicals(carried by lots of electronic repair shops)

Cleans and protects with electronic grade silicones for lubrication. Suitable for use on tuners, switches, locks, contacts, office equipment, keyboards, plastic parts, mold releases, battery terminals, ignition systems, rubber gaskets, and telescoping antennas.
Safe on plastics and elastomers, 100% Ozone safe
Variable valve allows user to control rate of flow
Flammable - do not use on live circuits
Available Sizes
404B-140G - 140g (5 oz) Aerosol
404B-340G - 340g (12 oz) Aerosol

Clyde Mattocks · From: Kinston, North Carolina, USA

Been doing this for years. Saved a lot of$$$ on pots.
_________________
LeGrande II, Nash. 112, Fender Twin Tone Master, Session 400, Harlow Dobro, R.Q.Jones Dobro

Kevin Hatton · From: Buffalo, N.Y.

Works every time.

Jay Ganz · From: Out Behind The Barn

Not for me.

Lee Baucum · From: McAllen, Texas (Extreme South) The Final Frontier

I kept an AB pot alive for about 10 years by doing that. The wiper finally completely wore out and I replaced the pot with one of Tom Bradshaw's pots.

Greg Cutshaw · From: Corry, PA, USA

I've had some success with this. In some cases though, the carbon track gets wiped out completely or at least enough that there's no restoring it. Going to a conductive plastic pot is a better solution long term. I have no idea why anyone bothers making the modern cheap carbon track pots. In the really high end digital gear they use encoders instead of pots and that really has a super long life.

Nevertheless, Kevin this is a good solution for many people that perhaps were never aware of it.

Greg

Pete Burak · From: Portland, OR USA

I read about this idea a few years back here on the forum.
I tried it but it didn't work... Still unusably scratchy.
No harm done though. They were just old scratchy pots that were lying around.

Brett Lanier · From: Madison, TN

It's worth mentioning here that you should be using electronic cleaner/spray and not electrical cleaner. Electrical cleaner will corrode plastic and rubber parts whereas the electronic cleaner will not.

Ed Mooney · From: Evanston,IL

Just tried it on my older Goodrich that I haven't used for 3 years. Worked like a charm, sounds like a new pot. Thanks Kevin, you saved me the hassle of replacing the pot. After spraying the pot, I put a piece of tape over the hole to keep out any dirt/dust.

Dave Grafe · From: Hudson River Valley NY

The Radio Shack product may work with some pots but most commercial electronics cleaning sprays will do more damage than good, particularly with old and heavily worn pots. A safer alternative would be to carefully remove the cover from the back of the pot, blow out all the old carbon shavings and clean all with alcohol on a cotton swab. Be certain that the wiper is in the correct position when you reassemble it and you should be good to go for a while longer.
You don't even need to mess with the solder connections....

Roger Crawford · From: Griffin, GA USA

Kevin, when you say drill a hole in the "bottom", are you refering to the back cap?

Eric Philippsen · From: Central Florida USA

Wow, this tip came right in time for me. Last night I pulled 3 Goodrichs off the shelf where they had been for some time and all of them were noisy. All I could think at the time was, "Great, fixin' these is gonna' run some $$."
Now, maybe not. Thanx.

Kevin Hatton · From: Buffalo, N.Y.

Leave the pot in the pedal. Just drill a hole in the side of the pot facing the bottom of the pedal. The idea that cleaning/lubricant spray will harm a pot is laughable. Thats exactly what cleaning/lubricant solution is made for. Ed, way to go. Brett, good point. You have to use the CLEANER/LUBRICANT. If you just use electronics cleaner it won't work. Its the lubricant that removes the scratchiness.

Jay Ganz · From: Out Behind The Barn

I have a bunch of old Allen Bradley pots that I've
accumulated over the years. I've taken them apart and sprayed them with cleaner/lubricant.
Made no difference. They were just worn out and that was that. If a pot just happens to be dirty, then the spray will help....for awhile.

Kevin Hatton · From: Buffalo, N.Y.

I want to amend my flippant remark above about laughable. All opinions here are valuable on this Forum. My apology. Jay, you are right. If the pot is worn out cleaning/lubricating will not help. It doesn't work in that instance.

Jim Smith · From: Midlothian, TX, USA

If the wiper is worn out, you can remove the back cover and replace the wiper with one from another pot. It doesn't matter what the taper of the other pot is, as long as the wiper will fit.

Clyde Mattocks · From: Kinston, North Carolina, USA

Good tip, Jim. Just wish I'd saved all those AB pots I threw away over the years.
_________________
LeGrande II, Nash. 112, Fender Twin Tone Master, Session 400, Harlow Dobro, R.Q.Jones Dobro

Rich Hlaves · From: Wildomar, California, USA

Paul Arntson · From: Washington, USA

http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?Partnumber=341-250

Be sure you get the kind rated for "conductive plastics". I have used it for several years. It works miracles.

Jason Hull · Posted 15 Aug 2010 2:16 pm

Why drill a hole? Even on a sealed pot, you can get cleaner into the pot through the small gap between the shaft and the threaded part.

Jack Stoner · From: Kansas City, MO

If you can get cleaner into the unit through the shaft opening then it's not "sealed".

But, I've been an electronics tech for many years (I got my first Ham and commercial FCC license in 1961) and have never been able to fix a dirty (not worn out) pot by spraying into the shaft opening.

Jason Hull · Posted 16 Aug 2010 2:44 am

Some pots have a small hole in the cover, or a gap over the solder tabs, while others are "sealed". I've cleaned many sealed pots by letting cleaner drip down the shaft into the pot. Stew-Mac even has a tool for it.

http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Electronics,_pickups/Supplies:_Cleaners_and_lubricants/Pot_Cleaning_Cap.html

Kevin Hatton · From: Buffalo, N.Y.

Jack, I agree. Thats why it is necessary to drill the hole. The proof is in the pudding.

Greg Wisecup · From: Troy, Ohio

A prominent Nashville player told me as soon as he gets a new pot he drills it and covers the hole with tape before he ever installs it. Then it doesn't have to be removed when it needs serviced. Good tip!
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