"Ian Jackson" wrote in message
...
In message , Ian Field
writes

"spamtrap1888" wrote in message
...
On Dec 20, 12:59 am, "N_Cook" wrote:
Rheilly Phoull wrote in message

... On 12/18/2011
12:32 AM, N_Cook wrote:
Ian wrote in message
...

wrote in message
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The volume control of the cheapie Sony "transistor" AM FM radio I
bought about a year ago does not operate smoothly at low volumes.
Could I try spraying it with something, and if so, what do people
recommend?

Even if not cost-effective, I hate to throw things away. Further,
it
has the best FM performance of any small radio I have ever had.

Why does no one ever seem to mention desoldering the pot and
taking
it
apart. Then you can actually see whether it is wear,dirt, hardened
lubricant, weak wiper springing or misalgnment, bad paxolin
rivets,
cracked
paxolin etc.

Because its best to look on the bright side till all else fails.

As something in excess of 95 percent of the "dirty" pots I come
across
are
anything else but dirty, I've long since been in the habit of
removing
and
dismantling rather than wasting time with various potions.

Absolutely, pots that don't get 'twiddled' much might be dirty but a
volume pot is prone to being worn 'out'. Sometimes a little bend of
the
contact wiper to an unworn part of the track (on older pots) can
extend
the life.

Rheilly P

This is my consensus view, assuming not due to being abused. Old pots
tend
to be worn. Modern small ones as used in multichanel mixers -
misalignment
of the flimsey wiper, plastic bodied ones - compacted grease under the
flimsy wiper. I don't remember coming across a worn failing modern pot,
probably swings and roundabouts of flimsey wiper metal. Stout and it
wears
the track and light the wiper gets mispositioned too easily

So if this were a modern plastic bodied pot, would squirting it with,
say WD-40 be appropriate, because grease would be compacted under the
flimsy wiper?
vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv

Once Im sure the plastic body won't be damaged by the solvent, I use
GT85 -
you'd think the PTFE content would interfere with the wiper contact but it
never has yet.

I would also suggest WD40 (as it's something that most DIYers have
immediately at hand.

GT85 is sold in direct competition to WD40 and is rapidly catching up.

Its more expensive but the PTFE additive makes it worth the extra.