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Vintage threads from the first ten years

contact cleaner

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10/31/2002 1:54 AM
David	contact cleaner My old Vox wah gets scratchy after a few days after cleaning the pot, I'm using Chemtronics Kontact restorer which is OK but is there a better brand for old Icar's? I really don't want to change the pot. Anyone have a favorite contact cleaner? Thanks db

10/31/2002 3:06 PM

Consider that the scratchiness is a function of momentary absences of continuity. Some of that comes from the resistive element side, but some comes from the wiper side. The contact cleaner can help out with keeping the crap off the resistive element so that nothing gets n the way of the wiper, but it has no effect on things like the tension or spring-like pressure of the wiper itself.

Although, there is a small amount of risk attached to it, one thing you can try is to carefully remove the back of the pot and CAREFULLY re-tension the wiper by bending it just a bit (put the case back on afterwards by bending the tabs back). You might also wish to use some cotton swabs and wipe all the accumulated crap off the resistive element while you're in there. Though I don't knowlingly own any ICAR pots, I have done this restoration of pots successfully a number of times and a variety of different pots. Works fine. Again, remember that you are simply looking to assure a good dependable contact of the wiper and resistive element, and nothing more.

10/31/2002 9:50 PM
David	Mark, thanks for the tip Sounds a little risky but a good idea and well worth it. db

11/1/2002 1:14 AM

Surgical procedure completed and it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. I also checked out Keens "The secret life of pots" and he had a tip to bent the contact over a bit to run on fresh carbon, this I did and cleaned up a lot of crude and all is well however during the exploratory I noticed there is a lot of wear so if she goes again I might have to consider replacement, don't think the pot will survive a second surgery!

Thanks again

David

1/12/2003 2:49 PM
David	Still works! It's been two months and still works fine, haven't had to clean the pot yet. Mark thanks for the tip. db

1/13/2003 2:17 PM

So does feedback

Appreciate you getting back to me/us and providing followup. Much like doctors' offices where the patient strolls in with a problem and strolls out with a prescription, one often never finds out if the suggested treatment worked as anticipated or had unexpected side effects unless there is followup. It's useful for everyone else here when folks like yourself let others know about the outcomes of their "pedal triage". It adds confidence to others' judgment when doling out "cures" and when shopping for them.

Thanks. I consider myself paid back.

1/13/2003 11:37 PM
David	"pedal triage" hehe, yeah the patient is doing well with corrective surgery rather than a transplant. thanks again for the great repair tip David

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