De-Oxit question

[Richs_Trains]

Hello again,

I have a question about cleaning and lubing controls. I took an amp to a local tech who is very highly regarded and although not a Marantz guy per se, he works only on high end equipment and turns away anything with poor build quality (he wouldn't even look at my Phase Linear equipment, said it was built to fail), anyway, he said he never uses Caig De-OxIt as it turns to jelly over time and has to be cleaned again, and that the only way to clean a fader is to take it apart, that de-oxit will clean it temporarily but will again gum it up in the future. He uses 'Tri-Flow super lubricant' which is for bicycle parts, but he says it cleans and contains teflon which coast and lubricates the windings. I bought some, but am hesitant to use it, after all it's for bicycles. Has anyone heard of this?? Thanks Rich

 

[sKiZo]

?

DeOxit is known for NOT leaving deposits that can cause stiction ... IF you follow it up with FaderLube or DeOxit Gold. It's NOT the perfect lubricant by itself.

As far as "jelly" goes ... I'd assUme that's just a poor job of cleaning the control the first time around. I can see where too much spray + too much crud + too little effort to do it right + bad technique could cause problems like that. Same could be said about most anything you use though.

At least your guy isn't using WD40 ... horrors!

 

[Djcoolray]

Sounds like the guy is severely opinionated.....

 

[bryans12v]

He's right. Deoxit does leave a residue. Spray some on a piece of glass laying flat and see how long it remains *wet*. It would be my guess it would never fully dry unless exposed to heat. Over time dust will adhere to whatever is wet and cause problems if this happens inside a switch or pot.

Here's what I do. This goes for both switches and pots. This may not be the recommended method by others but works for me.

1. Spray out dust with compressed air can. Repeat whole actuating.

2. Spray with crc electronic contact cleaner or Wurth circuit board cleaner. Thsee are truly no residue cleaners. Repeat. repeat.

3. Spray with deoxit. Spray again while actuating. Let sit for 15 mins to help any oxidation loosen. Repeat.

4. Rinse with crc a couple times.

5. Compressed air can to evacuate any liquid.

Throughout this process I'll actuate them many many times.. Remember to always place a towel to catch excess fluid and not let it drip down through the chassis or wiring.

Remember to always keep the can upright. If it releases to much propellent and not enough deoxit or cleaner it could freeze and crack plastic.

 

[4-2-7]

The Idiot's Guide to Using DeOxit (revisited)


http://audiokarma.org/forums/index.php?threads/the-idiots-guide-to-using-deoxit-revisited.207005/

 

[Steven Tate]

He's right. Deoxit does leave a residue. Spray some on a piece of glass laying flat and see how long it remains *wet*. It would be my guess it would never fully dry unless exposed to heat. Over time dust will adhere to whatever is wet and cause problems if this happens inside a switch or pot.

Here's what I do. This goes for both switches and pots. This may not be the recommended method by others but works for me.

1. Spray out dust with compressed air can. Repeat whole actuating.

2. Spray with crc electronic contact cleaner or Wurth circuit board cleaner. Thsee are truly no residue cleaners. Repeat. repeat.

3. Spray with deoxit. Spray again while actuating. Let sit for 15 mins to help any oxidation loosen. Repeat.

4. Rinse with crc a couple times.

5. Compressed air can to evacuate any liquid.

Throughout this process I'll actuate them many many times.. Remember to always place a towel to catch excess fluid and not let it drip down through the chassis or wiring.

Remember to always keep the can upright. If it releases to much propellent and not enough deoxit or cleaner it could freeze and crack plastic.

I like your logic. It makes good sense. Conventional wisdom is that you need some lubricant/protectant as a final step, but I can see how it could be a dust magnet. I wonder if the original manufacture had lubricant or not?

 

[bryans12v]

I like your logic. It makes good sense. Conventional wisdom is that you need some lubricant/protectant as a final step, but I can see how it could be a dust magnet. I wonder if the original manufacture had lubricant or not?

I don't think Carbon pots benefit from being greased but that is a debate that can go on for ever. The shaft, yes. This is what gives the knob that smooth feel while turning but that can't be done without removing it completely. Also if the pot has detents than maybe that mechanical part of it should be greased but not the carbon track. Grease or lube here will only shorten the time it stays clean.

 

[savatage1973]

I like your logic. It makes good sense. Conventional wisdom is that you need some lubricant/protectant as a final step, but I can see how it could be a dust magnet. I wonder if the original manufacture had lubricant or not?

Not really a fan of this logic. If you take apart a lot of rotary or slider pots, you will see that there is lubricant (in some cases almost grease) in there. CRC will strip ALL lubricant from the contact surfaces (and in the case of carbon contacts) leave you with the equivalent of metal on sandpaper. Yes, lubricants do accumulate dust/dirt, but they also protect the surfaces to which they are applied. Maybe cleaning/lubricating more than once every 40 years is advised.

 

[Richs_Trains]

That is partly why he says he uses Tri-Flow, being a lubricant made for bike chains it is supposed to repel dirt and grime. I know he used it on my unit, ad it is just fine, but I am apprehensive about using it myself. He was very adamant about not using Caig products and I found that odd as almost everyone on AK uses them, and alot of people here really know their stuff. Just trying to get everyone's perspective on this, not cause any disagreements. Thanks Rich

 

[rBuckner]

I tend to use products for what they are formulated for. Everyone wants a miracle, spray it once and it works forever chemical. As so many have used DeOxit D5 and related ones here, including me, and have no issues I'm sticking with it. Every pot and switch will get noisy again sometime. I thought DeOxit D5 leaves a protectant after the carrier has evaporated, prolonging the time before a re-clean is needed. Time to do research!

 

[bryans12v]

I'm not saying it's bad and please don't take anything I say as gospel as I barely know what I'm doing here. I sometimes too hit them with D5 and leave them, especially in the early stages of cleaning, after dust has been evacuated to the best of my ability. Sometimes after a throrough cleaning I'll also lightly spray D5 in just enough to coat things which takes very little. I'll always lightly spray it out with air so it doesn't pool in there.

This also really depends on the environment they're in. Climate controled and air purified rooms will have less issues than a garage or basement workspace where humidity and dust are more present.

I've opened a few pots and switches that were very caked with waxy residue to the point where they no longer function but it could've been due to people using the wrong stuff beforehand.

What happens is dust settles on the surface and is then pushed to the end of the throw off the wiper. Over time it builds and accumulates in these spots and it's touched everytime by the wiper when it's turned to the max and miniscule traces with be collected by the wiper back in the other direction. This will happen less without lubrication on the carbon surface.

Ad long as you clean them once a year or so there's no need to worry about all this.

 

[Rob-F]

For sliders, faders & pots, I use Cailube MCL (Moving Contact Lubricant) from Caig laboratories, who also make the Deoxit. So far, I've had no problems with it. I've had no problems with Deoxit, either. I understand NASA uses it, and it's good enough for them.

 

[catrafter]

For sliders, faders & pots, I use Cailube MCL (Moving Contact Lubricant) from Caig laboratories, who also make the Deoxit. So far, I've had no problems with it. I've had no problems with Deoxit, either. I understand NASA uses it, and it's good enough for them.

Caig MCL is now called Caig FaderLube.
If you wash the damping grease out from the shaft-bushing interface, it is very difficult to get the silky 'feel' back.

Caig has lots of info on their website.

Tom