Shoutout to the trick of using a can of compressed air upside down on a crusty potentiometer

Had a 1980s stereo receiver in Phoenix with a scratchy volume knob that drove me nuts for two hours before I remembered flipping the can and freezing the contact spray directly onto the carbon track actually loosened up the grime and fixed it instantly, has anyone else tried that or do you stick with Deoxit every time?

3 comments

3 Comments

susan_bell29d ago

Wait, so we're supposed to choose between freezing our gear and possibly cracking it like an ice cube on a summer sidewalk? Sounds like a great way to turn a scratchy pot into a permanently broken one.

hayes.joel1mo ago

Nah you're sleeping on the freeze method lol. I've done it on a few old radios and never cracked anything, just gotta hold the can far enough back so the liquid hits the pot without pooling. The thermal shock argument is overblown, those old carbon tracks are way tougher than people give them credit for and the real enemy is that sticky grime that Deoxit sometimes just smears around instead of actually breaking loose.

gavin6921mo ago

People act like a scratchy pot is the end of the world or something. It's just dust and oxidation, not a blown transformer. I get that Deoxit works fine for most people but freezing the crap out of it with compressed air seems like way more trouble than it's worth. What if you crack the plastic housing or something from the thermal shock? I'd rather just use some contact cleaner and call it a day instead of messing with extreme temps on old gear.