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Topic: How do I clean this pot? |
Brian Hunter
From:
Indianapolis
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Posted 3 Apr 2012 7:17 pm |
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Here is the pot in my Goodrich 120. It has become scratchy. I have read some folks speak of cleaning pots. I would like to try this before I haul off and buy a new one. Money is a bit tight right now. I will buy one from Tom Bradshaw's site later down the road. So, how do I clean this one? Take it apart? Spray some cleaner? What's the process?
Thanks in advance!
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Brian |
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Russ Wever
From:
Kansas City
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Posted 4 Apr 2012 1:17 am
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I've opened pots by prying the 'tabs' that hold the 'case' or 'cover' on, but have never been able to get them back on securely.
Since then I have drilled a hole in the cover, only large enough diameter to allow the 'straw' (that comes with the spray cleaner) enter.
Before drilling make a slight 'dimple' where you want to drill (in an area of the cover where the drill won't enter and contact the 'wiper')
with a center-punch to prevent the drill bit from wandering when you begin drilling.
I prefer to drill 'upward', that us, holding the pot in a vice with the drill drilling upward from below, so that if a stray piece of metal gets
loose, it will hopefully fall outside rather than inside the pot.
Drill very slowly, ready to 'back out' the instant the drill breaks through.
Be sure to use 'contact cleaner' and not the 'cleaner and lubricant'.
Insert the straw and flood the inside.
Turn the pots shaft vigorously.
I use a small hot-glue gun and smear a dab of hot glue in and over the hole, leaving the hole available for further invasion, if need be.
From my experience, this usually cleans the pot, extending it's usefulness, making the whole procedure worthwhile, but sometimes
it's the 'carbon track' that it worn beyond revival or the wiper is too worn/disintegrated and it becomes a crapshoot.
I've read that someone has, in the case of the wiper being beyond cleaning or repair, used properly sized
electric motor brushes to replace the wiper.
~Russ
_________________
www.russface
www.russguru |
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Jack Stoner
From:
Kansas City, MO
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Posted 4 Apr 2012 2:17 am
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As a former amp tech, I've found in many cases that only "prolongs the agony" of having to replace the pot. This was also the case back when the old "desired" Allen Bradley pots were being used and available.
As Russ notes wear on the resistance element or the wiper and the pot is history. As the pot is sealed there should not be any "dirt" inside like there is with a pot that is not sealed. |
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Greg Wisecup
From:
Troy, Ohio
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Posted 4 Apr 2012 9:33 am
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A prominent Nashville player shared the drilling idea with me but he drills the new pot before the instal so that removal is not necessary and servicing the pot is quick and easy.
_________________
Derby SD-10 4&5 Black!(duh)/
Derby D-10/Steelers Choice/
Goodrich 120/ 2- Katana Boss 100's
/Nashville 400
RV-3/ Zoom MS-50G
As long as I'm down in the mix I'm Fantastic! |
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Brad Bechtel
From:
San Francisco, CA
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Posted 4 Apr 2012 10:34 am
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I had a similar problem with my Goodrich L10K volume pedal. I was unable to get the pot to stop scratching even after spraying it with De-Ox-It contact cleaner. I bought a replacement pot from Goodrich at the Texas Steel Guitar Jamboree and replaced it myself. It wasn't hard to do. It took me possibly an hour all together, and now I have a great volume pedal again.
Just bite the bullet and get a new pot.
_________________
Brad’s Page of Steel
A web site devoted to acoustic & electric lap steel guitars |
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Greg Cutshaw
From:
Corry, PA, USA
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Posted 4 Apr 2012 10:45 am
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Many times the track is still full of carbon but the wiper has worn down to its metal holder. At that point the metal on the wiper housing quickly starts chewing up the carbon track and it's all down hill from there. See first pic below showing a still decent track after 10 years of use. See second pick showing the carbon wiper worn down so its now even with its metal holder, causing the metal to carbon contact. No amount of spraying is going to help this pot (even De-Oxit) but I suppose you could replace the carbon wiper!
Greg |
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Clyde Mattocks
From:
Kinston, North Carolina, USA
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Posted 4 Apr 2012 11:50 am
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I, too, use the drill & spray method. In almost every instance it will buy me months of extra pot life. Yes, sometimes it doesn't do any good, but what have you got to lose?
_________________
LeGrande II, Nash. 112, Fender Twin Tone Master, Session 400, Harlow Dobro, R.Q.Jones Dobro |
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Brian Hunter
From:
Indianapolis
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Posted 4 Apr 2012 1:15 pm
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Thanks guys. I guess I will hold off until I can spare the money in a couple of weeks. Thanks for all of the input!
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Brian |
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Ransom Beers
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Posted 4 Apr 2012 5:33 pm
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I love the avatar,too big for a paper weight but makes a great shoe rack!!!!  |
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Russ Wever
From:
Kansas City
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Posted 4 Apr 2012 6:21 pm
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| Quote: |
| I guess I will hold off until I can spare the money in a couple of weeks |
'Drill-n-Spray' may easily buy you a couple weeks time with your ole pot.
~Rw
_________________
www.russface
www.russguru |
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Lane Gray
From:
Topeka, KS
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Posted 5 Apr 2012 7:36 am
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All I wanna know is that at least one other person thought "try a credit card and an album cover."
The drill and spray oughtta buy you some time
_________________
2 pedal steels, a lapStrat, and an 8-string Dobro (and 3 ukes)
More amps than guitars, and not many effects |
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Kevin Hatton
From:
Buffalo, N.Y.
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Posted 5 Apr 2012 4:12 pm
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| Weeks of time? I drilled and sprayed my scratchy volume pot FOUR years ago. It still smooth and quiet. |
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Tony Dingus
From:
Kingsport, Tennessee, USA
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Posted 5 Apr 2012 4:57 pm
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I've heard using 90% rubbing alcohol to clean it with.
Tony |
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Lane Gray
From:
Topeka, KS
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Posted 5 Apr 2012 5:53 pm
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Kevin, that's still "weeks of time".
Around 200. Look out, we've hexed it.
_________________
2 pedal steels, a lapStrat, and an 8-string Dobro (and 3 ukes)
More amps than guitars, and not many effects |
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Donny Hinson
From:
Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.
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Posted 6 Apr 2012 3:38 pm
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| Tony Dingus wrote: |
I've heard using 90% rubbing alcohol to clean it with.
Tony |
You can't just "clean", you've gotta lubricate the pot as well to get maximum life! Go to Radio Shack and get a can of spray cleaner-lube for volume pots. REMOVE the back cover! (I'd never recommend drilling the cover while it's on the pot.) Hold the pot over some old rags or paper towels and spray liberally for about 5 seconds. Shake the pot a little to remove any excess and replace the cover, bending back the tabs. Wipe it off and re-install it, and you may be surprised at how long it lasts!
The guys who said "It only worked a week or two after I cleaned it" are the ones who did not bother to lubricate it. It's a mechanical device, and mechanical devices require lubrication. |
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Russ Wever
From:
Kansas City
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Posted 6 Apr 2012 5:14 pm
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Yeah, 'weeks of time' is all
the guy is looking for . . .
He doesn't necessarily
need year, though I've
also had 'em last years
after a 'Drill & Spray'.
~Russ
_________________
www.russface
www.russguru |
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Larry Dahl
From:
Melbourne, FL USA
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Posted 7 Apr 2012 8:10 am
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I, too, have been drilling and spraying for years now. it can add a lot of life to a pot. the only thing I do different is I just use duct tape to seal the hole up.
One time, there was a slight sound left when rotating the pedal/pot. I would just get the pedal adjusted to the volume where I wanted, the noise would stop, and I could kick off an intro with no noise. Once the rest of the band are in after the 2 or 3 beats of the intro, no one hears a thing.
I also found that usually the noise would disappear later in the gig.
The main reason I go about this problem in this way is that I have a couple of Franklin stereo volume pedals with the pot's shafts facing each other, and they are much more involved to repair than an Emmons, which I believe they must have been designed after.
On an Emmons pedal I still have, I drilled a hole on the opposite side from pot's shaft, and it is easier to adjust the shaft inside the collar with a screwdriver after installing. And, you can just leave the string and collar as they are, slide the old pot out, slide a screw driver in, then reverse. |
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Brian Hunter
From:
Indianapolis
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Posted 24 Apr 2012 10:54 am
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Bought a pot from Tom Bradshaw. Put it in and strung it up last night. Hey!....a new pedal!!
_________________
Brian |
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Keith Hilton
From:
248 Laurel Road Ozark, Missouri 65721
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Posted 24 Apr 2012 2:19 pm
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 To Russ and Jack--You guys know the best solution is "Tuning Fluid". With enough "Tuning Fluid" in your system you will not hear the scratchy sound. |
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Jack Stoner
From:
Kansas City, MO
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Posted 24 Apr 2012 3:45 pm
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| Damn Keith, you are right again. |
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Frank Parish
From:
Nashville,Tn. USA
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Posted 28 Apr 2012 7:07 pm
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| Yeah I'm gonna have to take mine out too and do that drill and spray thing but then again I might be able to do it with it still in the pedal! It's a Franklin stereo pedal and I'm just using one pot as the other one was cutting out and now both are going bad. These are the A and B pots made in Mexico. I've got one of the new Dunlop pots from Tom Bradshaw but the thing has some weird posts on it and is not easy to attach the wires to. |
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