Pot crackle - replace or clean

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fisonic
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Re: Pot crackle - replace or clean

Post by fisonic » Wed Sep 30, 2020 4:44 pm

beninma wrote:
Wed Sep 30, 2020 7:41 am
Yawn.. pick your country.. go to whatever Amazon type shop.

Search for contact cleaner. Pick one of the choices and order it.

I just tried it for delivery to the UK and France and found stuff for 5 pounds with free delivery in the UK and stuff < 10 Euros with free delivery in France. Not WD-40, similar professional products to the CAIG products but EU brands. These products are not explosives or particularly hazardous.

But the thread, if you read it, isn’t just about contact cleaner. Thats the cheap half of the process.
As I understand it, the lubricant creates a barrier to stop microvoltage arcing between the pot wiper &

This isn't hard. You don't need the CAIG product even if it might be a good product.

Your profile says Brisbane.. but wherever you are this kind of stuff is usually easy to walk into the hardware store and it'll be on the shelf there as well.
The Caig product you are comparing is not a contact cleaner as such, so you aren’t talking apples & apples.
Just a cautionary reminder for our fellow forumites, not to use these products in an unventilated space.

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andy_tchp
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Re: Pot crackle - replace or clean

Post by andy_tchp » Wed Sep 30, 2020 5:16 pm

beninma wrote:
Wed Sep 30, 2020 7:41 am
Yawn.. pick your country.. go to whatever Amazon type shop.
Amazon vendors won't ship Caig aerosols to Australia last I checked.

The Fader/F-SERIES MSDS indicates the product is classified as both hazardous substance and dangerous goods.

Are you...confused, or just trying to needlessly argue? I'm happy paying the premium for a known quality product, a can of which will last a long time (and was able to walk 20 minutes from my office and buy from a real bricks and mortar shop). I'd guess the OP is too as they ordered some to be delivered after the first few replies.

Fair to say we're all fully aware we can buy the cheap shit/generic "contact cleaner" from electronics or hardware shops - Many of which have no lubricating properties whatsoever (and some with very limited deoxidising/cleaning capabilities too! :-/ ), which is what veered the discussion towards Faderlube/EML type products in the first place.

"Yawn" indeed. Try getting some more sleep?
Last edited by andy_tchp on Thu Oct 01, 2020 5:22 pm, edited 1 time in total.
"I don't know why we asked him to join the band 'cause the rest of us don't like country music all that much; we just like Graham Lee."
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beninma
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Re: Pot crackle - replace or clean

Post by beninma » Thu Oct 01, 2020 5:22 am

The Caig product is not that special. It's just not something you need to get this job done.

There's no point in fretting about wanting to ship a particular brand of chemical around the world and complaining about the cost/regulations to do so when you're just trying to clean a pot that costs all of $6-8 even if you're getting ripped off.

If you're going to make this big a deal just replace the pot. It's a really easy job.

If you're really that bent about getting the lubrication part you can look for the CRC QD product which is similar to Deoxit D5.

There are a bunch of EU brands that advertise clean + lubricate too.

These products don't really require much in the way of special precautions when you're just doing 1/2 second spray to clean a pot. If you're sitting there spraying it all over PCBs for long periods of time that's different.

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andy_tchp
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Re: Pot crackle - replace or clean

Post by andy_tchp » Thu Oct 01, 2020 4:57 pm

So that's a yes to "needlessly argue". :D

You've made it clear you're hard of reading, but there's no ambiguity here: Nobody has complained about the cost of anything (stating that something is expensive is an observation not a complaint), nor has there been any 'fretting' about a product which is reasonably available locally in most places.

Please at least try reading what's actually been written.
"I don't know why we asked him to join the band 'cause the rest of us don't like country music all that much; we just like Graham Lee."
David McComb, 1987.

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Re: Pot crackle - replace or clean

Post by øøøøøøø » Sat Oct 03, 2020 6:01 am

In Australia, look for the Chemtools brand— Chemtools CCL

Also, when cleaning pots, do two cleanings in consecutive days.

Spray it out, exercise it, let it sit for several hours/overnight, and then spray it out again.

Sometimes it takes a second for the crud to get dislodged and it needs to be hit again

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DeathJag
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Re: Pot crackle - replace or clean

Post by DeathJag » Sat Oct 03, 2020 8:25 am

andy_tchp wrote:
Tue Sep 29, 2020 3:38 pm
But yes, do continue on, your knowledge of the subject and appreciation of other people's circumstances seems boundless - almost on par with your comprehension skills.
Quoted for awesomeness! Said better than I’ve ever seen.

I use Dexoit but I have also experienced a residue when I must have been carried away with spraying. That F5 stuff seems pretty superior. Thanks for a great little educational thread! I am starting to read about electricity and electronics, and briefly passed over the bit about wipers and the resistive material. I found this discussion extremely interesting!

Especially the part about how everyone hates Australians. Heh heh

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andy_tchp
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Re: Pot crackle - replace or clean

Post by andy_tchp » Sun Oct 04, 2020 9:41 pm

DeathJag wrote:
Sat Oct 03, 2020 8:25 am
I use Dexoit but I have also experienced a residue when I must have been carried away with spraying. That F5 stuff seems pretty superior.
A little residue is normal. I wouldn't suggest 'superior' so much as 'better suited to this specific task' (pots/faders). I still keep the regular DeoxIT around for oxidized/corroded or otherwise contaminated surfaces/plugs/sockets/contacts/PCBs. It got a heavy workout when I was rehabilitating a ~50 year old Kenwood kitchen stand mixer a couple of years ago (which has since been gifted to a friend and is still running).
Thanks for a great little educational thread! I am starting to read about electricity and electronics, and briefly passed over the bit about wipers and the resistive material. I found this discussion extremely interesting!

Especially the part about how everyone hates Australians. Heh heh
Haha yeah, well there you go - who knew? ;)
"I don't know why we asked him to join the band 'cause the rest of us don't like country music all that much; we just like Graham Lee."
David McComb, 1987.

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Re: Pot crackle - replace or clean

Post by Jaguar018 » Wed Oct 07, 2020 7:21 am

beninma wrote:
Wed Sep 30, 2020 7:41 am
Yawn.. pick your country.. go to whatever Amazon type shop.

Search for contact cleaner. Pick one of the choices and order it.

I just tried it for delivery to the UK and France and found stuff for 5 pounds with free delivery in the UK and stuff < 10 Euros with free delivery in France. Not WD-40, similar professional products to the CAIG products but EU brands. These products are not explosives or particularly hazardous.

This isn't hard. You don't need the CAIG product even if it might be a good product.

Your profile says Brisbane.. but wherever you are this kind of stuff is usually easy to walk into the hardware store and it'll be on the shelf there as well.
Generally speaking, I'd expect a person with over 6,000 posts that has been on OSG for more than a decade to know that kind of stuff. Pretty sure Australian people know how to buy shit to fix/maintain music gear and find deals in their country by now?

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j mascis
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Re: Pot crackle - replace or clean

Post by j mascis » Sat Oct 10, 2020 3:07 pm

I'd replace the pot if you have to deal with this every few days. It's way cheaper over time.

It might not be the pot, though. Check your grounds with a multimeter, and see if the guitar is shielded inside. These can cause similar problems.

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Snowmonkey
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Re: Pot crackle - replace or clean

Post by Snowmonkey » Wed Oct 21, 2020 1:42 am

Wow, it got a bit feisty in here while I was gone.

For those interested in an update, I got a can of DeoxIT F5S-H6 Fader Lube 142gr for 29 € including postage to France. Sprayed the pot again with contact cleaner, and then with lube, and so far so good it all seems to be working smoothly.

I have mixers and things, so I am sure fader lube will come in handy again some time soon. Also, figured 29 € and a home fix was less complicated/costly than changing the pot (when I don't have an easy to reach local guitar tech).

Thanks all for your help...

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UlricvonCatalyst
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Re: Pot crackle - replace or clean

Post by UlricvonCatalyst » Wed Oct 21, 2020 4:29 am

And for everybody else outside the Yoo-ess-of-eh reading this thread, Servisol Super 10 is widely available in the UK and possibly Europe at a fairly reasonable price.

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