quote:

Fader

I've searched but couldn't find, so I''ll ask ,We've used two type's of contact cleaner's 1 non conductive and 1 conductive to clean the pot's on an Rc-m90. The unit was disassembled so we were able to spray In the tiny little hole's of the pot's to no avail they won't come back.(Volume In particular) Are these part's still available? We took all the #'s off the pot's but the local repair shop doesn't seem to Interested to check If there were any available or maybe a newer pot cross reference. Any help would be appreciated. I realize this Is an older thread but It might catch somebody's eye.  tk's

Thanks for sharing the informative stuff.

The best source known to me for contact cleaning materials is www.caig.com  (I do not work for them. It is from my research on the issue and after trials with other locally available sprays.) Their client base (Boeing/Bose/GE/HP&hellip will support your judgment.

Why I went for Caig - I used locally available Electrical contact cleaner sprays first on some pots. It works on the first time. But two issues comes up. First is the Rotary control will loose it's firmness while turning. Turning a good rotory pot (slider as well) will feel like cutting through smooth butter, with a firm feel. Once the contact spray is applied, it looses that feel and end even feel rough on the slider. This is because of the lubricant being lost on the sliding contact surface. Second issue is that the oxidation problem will start coming back after few weeks.

I am using Squeeze Tube Essentials Kit, No. K-2C as this was the only product that could be shipped out of USA, being non-flamable spray. It cost me a fortune to import it!

Deoxit is their brand name and they have different products for different applications.

There are two types of potentiometers - Carbon or metal sliding resistance. They recommend FaderLube for carbon contacts and original Deoxit for Metal contacts. Most of the pots seen on Boomboxes are carbon type.

With DeoxIT FaderLube, the pots will retain the firmness and good feel after cleaning. With no spray available, I had to apply drops of the lube and move the sliders for minutes to get it working, but once done properly, it feels like original controls and they are working perfectly for months now. In some instances, where the contact was so bad, I had to apply DeoxIT first (which is recommended for only metal contacts) to clear the corrosion, followed by generous dose of faderlube.

To apply the drops (or spray), I look for any tiny holes on the pot body. When there is no hole accessible, sometimes the drop can be applied at the base of the pot shaft through the gap between body and the stem.

I don’t feel guilty anymore for spoiling 30 year old pots!