Scratchy pots?

[esactun]

What's the best (or a good) way to clean scratchy pots? I've got an old Yamaha MT120 that would still be useful if the faders, gain faders and pan pots weren't all dusty and scratchy. Everything else on it works more or less perfectly. My pal (who half owns it) needs to use it for the first time in a few years, to mix down old 4-track "reels" he found... and now the unit's pretty much unusable.

I told him that I can mix them down on my PC even without a 4-track (channels 1&2 in, flip tape, channels 3&4 in backwards, reverse with SF), but he wants the MT120...

Being "mechanically inclined" (I always screw up!) , I didn't want to just have at it. So, any thoughts? Links? Free doughnuts?

[Track Rat]

I don't know if you can still get it but there was some stuff called Color Lube for cleaning TV tuners that worked real well. Don't use contact cleaning sprays as they'll clean but won't lubricate.

[esactun]

Cool, thanks, Track Rat! I'll look for it. I was thinking about contact spray, but this Color Lube sounds better. If I can't find it, I'll look for something that does more or less the same thing (clean and lube).

How I loved TVs with knobs--you didn't lose them under the couch cushions!

[Whoopysnorp]

Originally posted by esactun
How I loved TVs with knobs--you didn't lose them under the couch cushions!

Speak for yourself.

[jitteringjim]

I had some scratchy pot once. Made me break out eveywhere & didn't even get me stoned.

[LooneyTunez]

Radio Shack had and may still have 'Tuner Cleaner' available that will help you out. Otherwise, you may be able to just work the pots back and forth or up and down, in a quick long stroke fashion (I know what you're thinking people, and try to resist the temptation...), about a hundred times or so. That type of action can sometimes clear the dirt and clean up the contacts within the pot.

Just another suggestion.

[esactun]

Jim-- Stop smokin' that poison ivy!

Whoops-- What's wrong with knobs?? I liked being able to walk up to the set and DO something with it. Seems silly to use a remote when you're on the Playstation two feet from the set. Plus there was the outer ring on the knobs that let you make the picture turn all green! And the tint knob, the VHF/UHF switch, the way I could touch the screen and the metal-plated on/off switch at the same time and get groovy electric shocks....

Tunez-- Thanks. I'll try that too! Clean and lube, quick, long strokes... ooh, it's better already

[Whoopysnorp]

Originally posted by esactun
Whoops-- What's wrong with knobs?? I liked being able to walk up to the set and DO something with it. Seems silly to use a remote when you're on the Playstation two feet from the set. Plus there was the outer ring on the knobs that let you make the picture turn all green! And the tint knob, the VHF/UHF switch, the way I could touch the screen and the metal-plated on/off switch at the same time and get groovy electric shocks....

That was supposed to be a joke. I was trying to suggest that I did actually lose TVs with knobs under the couch cushions. I should have been more careful with my quote. I always like to contribute useless stuff like this to the conversation.

[Buffalo Bob]

LooneyTunez is right - I NEVER spray anything into a pot- working the pot back and forth will clean the contacts without adding any gunk.

Bob