Fixed My 30+ year Old Zerostat

[pioneervato]

I bought my Zerostat gun back when I was in college around 1977 or 78. I'm not sure when there first became available but I have the "white" Zerostat with the blue lettering on it.

Well anyway I had used it for several years and then stopped using it because the trigger mechanism seemed to stop working correctly like I remember it working. It has survived countless moves since my college years and so I today I decided to give it a look and see if it was something I could fix.

Luckily, the plastic housing on this model just snaps together and so taking it apart was pretty easy and was surprised as to its simplicity and minimal parts. I removed the small nut at the bottom end of piezoelectric thingamajig and with a 5/64" hex key I backed off the the small threaded set screw and was able to remove the thingamajig from inside the solid metal frame but I found nothing to indicate any problems.

And so I figured that maybe the setscrew had backed out some over the years when I was using it and so after realigning the thingamajig back into its metal frame and making sure the trigger pin fell into its proper place I slightly snugged up the set screw with the allen wrench, reinstalled and snugged up the small nut, snapped the housing back together and "BINGO", she works just like I remembered. Now when I pull the trigger I get, what feels to me, the resistance I remembered and the clicking of the trigger.

So if you have one of the older white ones like I do and have experienced a similar problem as I did then it might be an easy fix for you as well.

If you have never seen one in the nude before well here she is.

 

[dokblues]

Nice fix there Jess! :thmbsp:

 

[spartanmanor]

Lucky you. I tried fixing one of the red plastic model version. The plastic does not come apart on those. I ended up destroying the whole thing. No big loss as I had purchased it at an estate sale for $1.

Glad to hear you got yours going again.

 

[myu701]

Congrats on the fix, pioneervato. And for sharing with us the inside view--nice simple design!

 

[TerryS]

If you are using it correctly, it should not click. That usually means you are squeezing the trigger too fast. It should be a very slow, steady squeeze and release. When done right, no click.

Terry

 

[12ax7]

Now you've got me shining a Mag-Lite through my red one to see if the posts and aligning nubs are the same (they are). The outline of the piece that holds the piezo element seems a little different though.

Hmmm... Nah, it still works.

 

[TerryS]

Here's a link to some instructions:

http://www.needledoctor.com/Milty-Zerostat-Gun

"Operation is simple: point the gun at the object you want de-staticised and SLOWLY pull the trigger. If you hear any "clicks" you've pulled it too fast. "

Terry

 

[pioneervato]

If you are using it correctly, it should not click. That usually means you are squeezing the trigger too fast. It should be a very slow, steady squeeze and release. When done right, no click.

Terry

Interesting. Maybe the newer versions aren't supposed to click but mine always has and IIRC it is supposed to click which mine does at the end of the slow pull. I believe my original instructions indicated so but if you have info disputing this on this older model I would like to know.

Or maybe my pull is not slow enough but I pull pretty slow. I will have to work on it.

 

[Arkay]

But are you sure it is working? Just the feel of the trigger may not indicate that it is doing its job right. Test it to be sure: try pointing it straight at your groin or stuck-out tongue, and then slowly pull...


NO, DON"T! Just joking, of course. Congratulations on the repair job. :thmbsp: Zerostats have to be among the most durable items in audio (probably because of their simplicity).

 

[pioneervato]

But are you sure it is working? Just the feel of the trigger may not indicate that it is doing its job right. Test it to be sure: try pointing it straight at your groin or stuck-out tongue, and then slowly pull...


NO, DON"T! Just joking, of course. Congratulations on the repair job. :thmbsp: Zerostats have to be among the most durable items in audio (probably because of their simplicity).

And you are telling me this because???

See, amigo, you are the reason that manufacturers now need to include warning labels and disclaimers to try and prevent people from doing such silly things.

Arkay, I used to put it up against my finger and pull the trigger. ZAP!! Ouch!
:nono:


Edit: Just tried it on an LED an it causes it to light up briefly and so I guess that means it is working.

 

[terra1]

Interesting. Maybe the newer versions aren't supposed to click but mine always has and IIRC it is supposed to click which mine does at the end of the slow pull. I believe my original instructions indicated so but if you have info disputing this on this older model I would like to know.

Or maybe my pull is not slow enough but I pull pretty slow. I will have to work on it.

I have the 'old" white version and if I pull or release too fast it clicks.

But if I slooowly pulllll and slooowly releaaase, it should be silent.

Inhale 1 thousand 2 thousand exhale 1 thousand 2 thousand .... or something like that ...

I am the original owner too and I have always understood it to be silence is good. Lost the instructions long ago though...

 

[Uncle Paul]

Thanks for the write up. I have the exact same model bought at about the same time. Still works like new! BTW, I recall the instructions with mine saying to pull the trigger slow enough to not make it click.

 

[pioneervato]

Thanks for the write up. I have the exact same model bought at about the same time. Still works like new! BTW, I recall the instructions with mine saying to pull the trigger slow enough to not make it click.

Well then my memory is not what it once was. It's hell getting old. Been practicing and I think I got it down and also managed to zap myself on the release. Almost forgot what that felt like but my memory came all back on that one.

The problem I was having was due to the fact that the small set screw had backed out just enough to prevent getting a full trigger's worth of pull. Now I get the full travel motion of the pull.

 

[aabottom]

...

So if you have one of the older white ones like I do and have experienced a similar problem as I did then it might be an easy fix for you as well.

...

Good job pioneervato?

 

[TerryS]

I have the 'old" white version and if I pull or release too fast it clicks.

But if I slooowly pulllll and slooowly releaaase, it should be silent.

Inhale 1 thousand 2 thousand exhale 1 thousand 2 thousand .... or something like that ...

I am the original owner too and I have always understood it to be silence is good. Lost the instructions long ago though...

Same here. The original instructions are long gone, but I have always known that the clicking was to be avoided, so it must have been in those old instructions somewhere.

 

[TerryS]

Here is a link to a picture of the instructions from the zerstat back in the day when it was sold by discwasher...
http://db.audioasylum.com/cgi/m.mpl?forum=vinyl&n=744245&highlight=audiophiles

Also says to avoid the click.

terry

 

[pioneervato]

Terry, thanks for the link. Those instructions have jarred my memory as I used to have that from when I bought mine new. The clicking I was referring to is explained in the following and that is what my memory was going on.

"Occasionally the "click may" sound during normal slow operation but should be ignored."

 

[Mark W.]

well here's a simple idea get a Neon test lamp or the test lamp that came with your Zero Stat and try your SLOW method and a fast method and see when the bulb lights up. if it lights up it's working PERIOD

Do as you like but on mine if I pull the trigger slowly enough to not CLICK the bulb never lights. If I pull it at about the speed the clicks start the bulb lights right at the moment of the CLICK.

I might be doing it completely work BUT then again after using it my Records sound statice free and I have watched dust fall off the charged vinyl as I use it.

YMMV

 

[jt4me1]

But are you sure it is working? Just the feel of the trigger may not indicate that it is doing its job right. Test it to be sure: try pointing it straight at your groin or stuck-out tongue, and then slowly pull...

That there just made my day . . . thanks, ARKAY:thmbsp:

 

[audiopersyn]

Ran across this thread today about repairing a Zerostat, so it motivated me to take a part a red Zerostat3 distributed by Discwasher. There where some small broken pieces of red plastic that had fallen out of the trigger hole a year ago, plus the trigger would not open all the way (seemed to re track back only about a third of the way). I used a small plastic pry tool, couple of wooden popsicle sticks, a wooden skewer & a couple of plastic putty knives to gently persuade it open. Once open I was able to pull open the trigger handle. When I did I got a gentle shock, so I'm assuming it might work still. I have not put it back together yet, because I want to come up with a way to open & close it again without having to do the prying. I've been able to hold onto the trigger piece and slowly open & close it & it seems to fall back into place. Although I am not able to duplicate the clicking (which I know if it does click then you are going to fast), but since I can;t duplicate the click by pulling the trigger fast I wonder if it still doing it's job? Here are some pictures of the process so far.