Vintage Potentiometer Maintenance
I have some vintage, 40 year old potentiometers that need cleaning and/or treatment before being returned to service. I believe they probably have a carbon resistance element as well as possible phenolic components.
After reviewing the postings on your support pages, there seemed to be a concern about cleaning with anhydrous isopropyl because the isopropyl may penetrate phenolic and not evaporate completely. Would it never evaporate enough?
For example, what if I blow out the pot with compressed air, and wait a little while. Then with no visible isopropyl remaining, and no isopropyl odor, bake-out the pots in an oven set to, say, around 100 degrees F?
If you think it would be OK to clean them with isopropyl first, then which of your other products would you recommend after that? From what I read on your website, it does NOT seem like DeoxIT® is a good idea, am I correct about that?
I look forward to the purchase of your products in order to begin work. Thank you for your help. P. Capo .....
DO NOT USE ALCOHOL. Even if you bake the pots, the IPA may still get trapped in the phenolic due to its porosity.
The recommendation would be the DeoxIT ® 100% spray (D100S-2) applied as directed. The reason for not using the original DeoxIT® D5 (D5S-6) is that it contains a solvent called OMS (odorless mineral spirits), which may wash away some of the carbon in an older system.
The DeoxIT® 100% spray version (D100S), contains no solvent. The cleaning is done through chemical action, and it has the additional benefit of providing lubrication, as well.
NOTE: DeoxIT® GOLD (formerly ProGold) DeoxIT® GOLD GxL (formerly ProGold GxL) DeoxIT® SHIELD (formerly PreservIT) DeoxIT® FaderLube (formerly CaiLube MCL) DeoxIT® FaderGrease (formerly CaiLube MCL P20 & P40) DeoxIT® Grease Type M260 & L260 Paste (formerly CaiLube Grease)
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