Vintage Gear question

Want to talk about music hardware or software that doesn't include Reason?
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guitfnky
Posts: 4408
Joined: 19 Jan 2015

27 Oct 2020

MrFigg wrote:
27 Oct 2020
guitfnky wrote:
27 Oct 2020


it's just a general statement. I thought my opinion was already pretty clear. :?
I can only advise you man. Don't use WD40 on pots. My next door neighbour builds everything from amps to compressors. He renovates vintage amps and he uses the method I've outlined to save original pots. WD40 drives out water (WD=Water Displacement). It breaks down the dust and grime and works in the short term. It also however breaks down any lubricant and leaves an oil residue which in turn binds grime. That's why you should use an electrical contact spray without oil. WD40 does not conduct electricity. Contact spray does. If you need a lubricant then Vaseline is good as it also conducts electricity and also protects against corrosion. All that said, if you want to use WD40 then sure...I wouldn't.
I get it—what I’m saying is I’d like something more than the opinions of keyboard jockeys on an internet forum (and I mean that lovingly, because I’m obviously one myself). even Selig, who I normally trust pretty implicitly, is couching his answer in indefinite terms (“everything I’ve ever heard”). everything I’ve seen looking around the ol’ interwebs is either an opinion in a forum, or an opinion in a blog post, which leads me to believe no one really knows what they’re talking about (again, including myself). the most definitive “answer” I found is on the WD40 website, which is obviously suspect, since they’ve got a bit of an interest in the answer.

so yeah, I’d love to see something scientific—until then I won’t throw away 20+ years of personal experience and the expertise of people who actually used it in an actual professional studio.
I write good music for good people

https://slowrobot.bandcamp.com/

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selig
RE Developer
Posts: 11685
Joined: 15 Jan 2015
Location: The NorthWoods, CT, USA

27 Oct 2020

guitfnky wrote:
27 Oct 2020
I'd love to see some actual science behind this claim, because as far as I can tell, this WD40 attracts dirt thing is an old wive's tale, and it doesn't look like there's much more than opinion out there in google land saying one thing or another. never had a problem with it collecting dust, as long as you wipe up any excess, which of course you should do no matter what you're using to clean your pots--and I kind of thought that was a given, but--maybe not?
Well, you can take or leave my 40+ years of studio/electronics experience. So I googled it and checked out the first 10 hits. ALL of them say to use a contact cleaner such as I've already mentioned. The ones that DO mention WD40 say it's OK but attracts dust and makes it worse over time - basically if it's all you got, use as little as possible - but try to use a product designed for cleaning pots!

I can't find ANYONE advocating WD40 as the best solution, as I've never heard anyone advocate it IRL in my years around electronics (which actually started when I was a kid watching my older brother etch and solder his own circuit boards).

In the end, I'm just sharing what I've learned and what I've found - it's your gear, do what you want!
https://electronics.stackexchange.com/q ... entiometer




https://www.antiqueradios.com/forums/vi ... hp?t=99189
https://www.fender.com/articles/tech-ta ... s-can-help
https://www.premierguitar.com/articles/ ... -miracle-1
https://www.gearslutz.com/board/geekslu ... utton.html
https://www.musicradar.com/tuition/tech ... and-mixers
https://www.instructables.com/How-to-Cl ... er-Switch/
Selig Audio, LLC

User avatar
guitfnky
Posts: 4408
Joined: 19 Jan 2015

27 Oct 2020

selig wrote:
27 Oct 2020
guitfnky wrote:
27 Oct 2020
I'd love to see some actual science behind this claim, because as far as I can tell, this WD40 attracts dirt thing is an old wive's tale, and it doesn't look like there's much more than opinion out there in google land saying one thing or another. never had a problem with it collecting dust, as long as you wipe up any excess, which of course you should do no matter what you're using to clean your pots--and I kind of thought that was a given, but--maybe not?
Well, you can take or leave my 40+ years of studio/electronics experience. So I googled it and checked out the first 10 hits. ALL of them say to use a contact cleaner such as I've already mentioned. The ones that DO mention WD40 say it's OK but attracts dust and makes it worse over time - basically if it's all you got, use as little as possible - but try to use a product designed for cleaning pots!

I can't find ANYONE advocating WD40 as the best solution, as I've never heard anyone advocate it IRL in my years around electronics (which actually started when I was a kid watching my older brother etch and solder his own circuit boards).

In the end, I'm just sharing what I've learned and what I've found - it's your gear, do what you want!
https://electronics.stackexchange.com/q ... entiometer




https://www.antiqueradios.com/forums/vi ... hp?t=99189
https://www.fender.com/articles/tech-ta ... s-can-help
https://www.premierguitar.com/articles/ ... -miracle-1
https://www.gearslutz.com/board/geekslu ... utton.html
https://www.musicradar.com/tuition/tech ... and-mixers
https://www.instructables.com/How-to-Cl ... er-Switch/
all fair, and I appreciate it. it’s still all just anecdotal stuff though—all suggestions and no science (except the vid of the guy who tested multiple faders—but WD40 wasn’t part of that test, and it wasn’t a long term test). I trust your experience, but no more or less than the similar years worth of experience of those at the place I’d interned with, or my own personal experience. see the problem?

and to be very clear, I did not—nor do I—suggest that WD40 is the BEST option, as you seem to be insinuating—only that it is an easy solution that works (and it’s something the OP probably already has lying around the house), and that, barring any actual evidence to the contrary, it’s not going to gum anything up unless you’re spraying it and not wiping away the excess.
I write good music for good people

https://slowrobot.bandcamp.com/

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