Lubricating Potentiometers / Faders / Variable Resistors - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / beginners

author: paul_g_787
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 07, 2019, 06:39:00 pm
content: I am wondering what is best to use to re-lubricate different types of potentiometers.For example:I have some old game controllers where analogue sticks were very stiff and sticking due to contamination. I have tried Servisol Super10 switch cleaning lubricant on the pots, which at first worked perfectly, but after a few hours it dried out and there is now ZERO lubrication at all and the pots are completely dry!I also have come across this same problem with linear pots as faders on a mixing desk and rotary pots on a guitar amp / pots on a guitar.I have done some search online and a rather expensive solution seems to be Peavey's Silent Slider spray. But I cannot get this in the UK and if I could it is not cheap.What do they lubricate pots with when they are made in the factory?

author: ledtester
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 07, 2019, 09:41:15 pm
content: Have you tried Deoxit? It's a well-recommended contact cleaner.

author: DimitriP
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 07, 2019, 09:57:07 pm
content: I usually take pots completely apart (if I can get to them).after some proprietery cleaning , and alleggations of some wiper bending , apply silicone lubricant bought at the auto parts store.Then I put the pot back together.

author: TERRA Operative
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 08, 2019, 12:44:43 pm
content: I have found Deoxit Fader to be very good.

author: Etesla
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: October 08, 2019, 01:51:20 pm
content: Another vote for Deoxit

author: GLouie
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: October 08, 2019, 04:37:00 pm
content: Note that Deoxit makes several products that change over the years. IIRC,Regular Deoxit is for metal contacts.Progold is for gold contacts.Faderlube is for carbon controls.And they come in different strengths, typically 5% in sprays and 100% in bottles.Purely mechanical lubrication problems such as shafts can likely be best fixed with ordinary lubricants, although regular Deoxit seems to have some petroleum naphtha or some such that gives a little light lubrication.

author: paul_g_787
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 09, 2019, 03:06:59 pm
content: The pots I need to lube are indeed carbon trace pots. I already have contact cleaner, which has dried out the pots so I am looking for a contact lubricant.I have done a lot of research and narrowed it down to three types of lubricant which are available under many different brand names:Silicone based LubricantSilicone free LubricantSilicone free Lubricant with PTFEI have seen several threads online that say that Silicone based lubricants attack the carbon traces over time and also provide poor conductivity. So in this case, a silicone free lubricant looks the way to go. But do I get one with PTFE in or not? What is the difference?I have heard about Deoxit Fader F5 but it is £25 for a tiny little 200ml can!The cheapest brand seems to be Servisol with their Super 40 and Super 200 which are approx £4 per 200ml can which is more reasonable, if it is the right stuff.Has anybody got a can of Deoxit F5 that can send me a pic of the ingredients on the can please see what it actually is?All I can see on their website is a "5% lubricant spray", but my question is 5% of what exactly? And is it worth £25?

author: BradC
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 09, 2019, 03:35:26 pm
content: Quote from: paul_g_787 on October 09, 2019, 03:06:59 pmhttp://www.techni-tool.com/site/MSDS/218CH049.pdfI have a little bottle with a needle tip applicator of the 100% faderlube. At the rate I use it, it will outlast me.I use the standard Deoxit 5% spray to clean (never move the wiper while the track is wet), and then a drop or two of the faderlube. My worst case was a bespoke dual pot in an old Roland amp which was practically unusable. A good clean and lube made it usable. Not great, but at least I can use the amp without chassis vibrations causing the pot to crackle.I generally use most of the Deoxit products in the 100% liquid form, but the 5% spray is handy for flushing crap away. You tend to use a lot less with the liquid. The aerosol seems to go a lot quicker.

author: GLouie
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: October 09, 2019, 07:58:28 pm
content: The whole contact/fader cleaner/lube business has been a mystery for decades, IMO. Products come and go and change. Deoxit USA used to be Cramolin, apparently imported from Germany. Many techs swore by it, but it stopped being available in the USA, and Deoxit made their own products.It is hard to predict if a given product will solve a given problem on a given fader. It might ruin it, too. Most products will at least temporarily clear up a "dirty" pot problem, but long-term may be another matter. Pot replacement may be the best choice. My experience with Deoxit generally is that they are good, but can't permanently cure a worn pot.Another USA vendor that has most of these products and links to the MSDS is parts-express.com - search for deoxit.As for using a 100% or 5% solution, who knows. I keep both around of original and Faderlube; the 5% spray with straw is OK for flushing out rather blindly, where a needle with 100% is good when you can get inside. The % is, of course, the % of their secret ingredient. The rest is petroleum naptha, and gas propellant. There is online conjecture about the ingredients if you search the web. PTFE is small particles of solid Teflon. I wouldn't use it on carbon tracks.Is it worth it? If it solves your problem, sure. And mine also lasts years, if not decades, as you need only use it sparingly. It may be interesting to note that one of the most expensive pro fader manufacturers, Penny+Giles, states to clean the conductive tracks with soap and water, apply silicone to the mechanism, and NOTHING to the tracks!I would wager that Peavey Silent Slider is repackaged Deoxit D5.

author: drussell
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 09, 2019, 08:23:51 pm
content: For cleaning controls (as opposed tocontact cleaner) I normally use the MG Chemicals "Nutrol Control Cleaner". It has the lubricant that your pots need, unlike contact cleaners which will help toremoveany oils and lube.The various Caig Deoxit brand "F series" Fader lube versions are generally good also.

author: paul_g_787
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 09, 2019, 10:11:46 pm
content: Thanks for all the advise. The aim here is to try to extend the life of the existing pots as much as possible. Especially with this mixing desk which I cannot get the pots for anymore.I did think about opening the pots up but they appear to be melted plastic pegs through a hole in the metal casing so I can't simply bend up any tabs like most pots.I also didn't fancy de-soldering 64 pots from the PCB! Imagine... lolIt seems to me that any non conductive lubricant without Silicone or PTFE will be appropriate.I have ordered a can of the Servisol super 40 which seems to be the best budget option and I plan to try a comparison with the Deoxit F5 (which my local music shop tech said he will kindly allow me to use for this test).I will do half the channels on this mixing desk with Servisol super 40 and the other half with Deoxit F5 and see what the difference is.I will first spray a little of each in two bottle caps and test the conductivity, see if there is a difference.Will post back with results.

author: james_s
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 09, 2019, 10:44:55 pm
content: Deoxit products are expensive, however a little goes a long way so if you look at it as money spent per device refurbished you're not really spending very much.I have some MG Chemicals Nu-Trol control cleaner and lube that is decent stuff and was reasonably priced. I don't even remember how much it was because I've had the same can for probably 10 years and it's still at least half full.

author: drussell
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 10, 2019, 12:33:01 am
content: Quote from: paul_g_787 on October 09, 2019, 10:11:46 pmJust remember that the Servisol Super 40 is only a lubricant. You need to get your pots cleaned up first with another cleaner. I have no experience with the Super 10 that you have, but you certainly don't want to use somecontactcleaner solvent that will damage the pots carbon tracks or substrate.Most contact cleanersprobablywon't damage a pot, but I normally use the control cleaner for pots and the contact cleaner (usually MG 409 regular or the 801 with the the polyphenyl ether, depending on the application) for contacts. I've don't ever recall having had the 409damagea pot when I've used it, but it certainly doesn't lubricate them. It will make them significantlylesslubed, which would be especially noticeable on a slide pot on a fader in a mixer. For those, I wouldonlyever use the control cleaner with lube in it or else they won't slide smoothly anymore. (...although spraying something like that super 40 in there afterwards might work acceptably, of course!) I also wouldn't normally spray the 801 stuff into a pot (at least not an important one), although they do list potentiometers as a suitable application, and I've probably used it a few times when it was at hand and the Nutrol wasn't. You just want it to be as gentle as possible and leave no contact modifying residues.

author: paul_g_787
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 11, 2019, 08:04:25 pm
content: Yes I have used a combination of flushing with contact cleaner / using contact cleaner on a cotton swab / picking out fluff with a toothpick to get all the dirt out and then flushed it out with contact cleaner afterwards for good measure, then waited for the contact cleaner to evaporate. It has not in any way attacked the carbon trace.Although it is probably a good idea to not move the fader up and down while using a solvent.It would be much easier to clean the type that can be disassembled.The result now is that the pots are perfectly clean inside now before lubricating.

author: MyHeadHz
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: October 12, 2019, 02:40:31 am
content: That video goes in depth about corrosion inhibitors and lubricants. Deoxit was the key to inhibiting oxidation, in short.On a side note, I've had the same problem with pots. As was mentioned above, they dried out after cleaning, which caused other problems. Perhaps mixing some Deoxit with dielectric grease would work?

author: paul_g_787
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 28, 2019, 05:26:46 pm
content: Well I can confirm after 2 weeks of use there is no noticeable difference between the faders using Caig Deoxit F5 or Servisol super 40. Both halves of the desk are working great and the faders/pots all slide and rotate perfectly smoothly like new (even though they are nearly 20 years old).The only difference I found is that the Deoxit is ever so slightly conductive. I sprayed a small amount of each into two bottle caps and then used my ohm meter to measure the resistance.At approximately 2mm distance between the probes there is approx. 180MΩ resistance in the deoxit F5. When placing the probes so close that they almost touch it is approximately 172MΩ.Whereas with the servisol there is more than 1000MΩ resistance with the probes a hairs width apart. My meter doesn't measure any higher than this.I do not think slight conductivity of the Deoxit F5 is anything to be worried about as it is still very high resistance, especially as we are only talking about low voltage signals.When probing the faders with the ohm meter they measure the corerect value when moving all the way along using either spray.So I would conclude that the F5 Fader Lube is a rather large rip-off at the price of £35 per 200ml 5% spray compared to the Servisol at £8 inc postage per 200ml 5% spray.Can anyone tell me there experiences?Is there anyone here who works for or has in the past worked for Caig who can give me there comments?

author: GLouie
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: October 28, 2019, 08:33:37 pm
content: I can't answer those specific questions, but am noting:-Servisol does not seem to be sold in the USA, but is distributed by CRC which does sell similar products under the CRC brand in the USA. I can't quite figure out if any of the CRC products correspond directly to Servisol products.-The Servisol Super 10 data sheet I found on the net claims to be a contact cleaner and lubricant. Unfortunately the OP found no lubricating properties after drying.-Servisol Super 40 looks to be advertised only as a lubricant. This may be enough to clean pots and leave them lubricated. The main ingredient appears to be naphtha, just like Deoxit.If a CRC or another brand has a good product (in the USA) to replace Deoxit for less money, I'd certainly try it. But I don't want to buy dozens of different products and test them for several years.

author: paul_g_787
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 28, 2019, 09:58:37 pm
content: Quote from: GLouie on October 28, 2019, 08:33:37 pmI have emailed CRC three times to ask them, and despite receiving read receipts for all my email they never responded.I was caught out by the super 10. What I have learned is that it is a "Switch contact cleaning lubricant".Meaning that it is designed for switch contacts which touch and move apart such as in a light switch.Itis notfor sliding or moving surfaces such as metal on metal or metal on plastic as found in potentiometers / faders. Which is why I was experiencing the problems.By my understanding, it works by clinging to the contact and giving it more surface area, therefore giving a better connection.I found a simple contact cleaner works fine for removing the dirt from the faders and pots then apply the Super 40 lubricant.In the short term as I stated previously the super 40 seems to be a perfect lubricant for these purposes.I will post back after a few months to confirm how good the super 40 holds up vs. Deoxit F5 after a reasonable time has passed to see how good they compare in the long term.

author: paul_g_787
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 19, 2020, 05:06:15 pm
content: Well after much use, I can honestly say there is absolute no difference in the results or performance between Servisol Super 40 / Caig Deoxit F5.So from now on, I will stick with the super 40, as it is much much cheaper.

author: helius
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 19, 2020, 05:32:05 pm
content: Silicone lubricants should be avoided on anything that could create a spark or arc, because it can fuse at high temperatures to produce silica or silicon carbide, very abrasive contaminants that reduce operating life. On extra-low-voltage audio pots etc this is not a major concern, but it applies to power rheostats and relays.

author: Raj
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 23, 2020, 07:47:03 am
content: For flight sticks....I usually just toss those pots away for a hall effect sensor like MLX90333. Too bad, gamepads are tiny and it's hard to fit those in there.I think, we'll soon find drop-in hall effect based replacements soon, since a guy just recently sued microsoft over controller wear issue.

author: paul_g_787
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 02, 2020, 03:07:02 pm
content: Quote from: helius on May 19, 2020, 05:32:05 pmI would be inclined to agree with you, so after seeing this comment I did a little testing to see what the reality is.I sprayed some deoxit F5 into a bottle cap and connected it to my power supply using two crocodile-clips on the edges of the bottle cap with the metal tips submerged in the liquid, and my ammeter in series to measure any current flow. I also had a 20W lamp in series to protect the power supply.DC VoltagesUsing a DC voltage, I turned it up all the way to 100V and there was no significant conductivity (less than 20µA which is as low as my ammeter measures).I repeated this test with my 'big' power supply and I started getting around 35µA of current at about 495VDC.I repeated the test with the Servisol Super 40 and got approximately 41µA of current at about 452VDC. So I conclude that they are both pretty darn good with DC and about the same performance as eachother.So then I repeated the test with an AC supply. This is where it got interesting.Deoxit F5 ACI started at 12V and this was just fine. Then I started creeping the voltage up.With the Deoxit F5, I started getting 25µA at around 56VAC.I continued increasing the voltage and the lamp lit up dimly at about 103VAC and I wasgetting approx 80mA. Approx 8.2W!I increased the voltage again and when I got to 138VAC, the lamp lit up full brightness and was drawing approximately 195mA. Oh dearSo in my opinion, the Deoxit should only be used up until around 50VAC. Which I guess is fine for audio circuitry, which is exactly what they advertise it is designed for.Most amps run on something like +/- 18V or 15V anyway.Servisol Super 40 ACNow the Servisol Super 40 was similar at low voltages but performed better further up. I got exactly the same 25µA at 56VAC, but when I went to 103VAC I was still only drawing 0.96mA. This was a lot better that F5's 80mA!But when I got to 150VAC with the super 40 I was getting about 10mA.So of course, I kept going but it was not until I I reached 384.5VAC when the lamp lit up to full brightness and started drawing 52mA.So again, I kept increasing and I eventually got to 400VAC and could not get the deoxit to boil. This is as high as the power supply will go.So I guess the super 40 is better in this sense as it will not boil off at high voltages leaving it dry, but it is still conductive so the equipment will malfunction.So in my opinion the Servisol Super 40 should be suitable for up to around 100VAC.This therefore proves your theory and I conclude that that both Deoxit F5 and the super 40 are both perfectly suitable for use with low voltages like potentiometers in amplifiers, but I would not use either of these products on high or mains voltages such as dimmer switches.

author: paul_g_787
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 02, 2020, 03:19:29 pm
content: I still have one problem though:With my salvaged Marshall amplifier that had all of the pots crackly, I used Servisol super 40 and also Deoxit F5 and had the same exact result.The potentiometers are working great, measuring fine, no crackles and turning smoothly. However they are very, very loose. So loose in fact that the amplifier adjusts itself due to vibration.What lubricant is used in the factory? When the potentiometers are new they have a 'stiffness' to them if that makes sense?I contacted Marshall and they do not know and say they just replace any suspect pots with new. However I have some items of vintage equipment, which I cannot get the replacement rotary potentiometers for any more as they are no longer manufactured.Unlike Marshall who have the luxury of, in Jim Marshall's words using "off-the-shelf components" which are easily available. A sensible move in their business model in my opinion as I have yet to find a Marshall amplifer that Marshall cannot supply parts for no matter how old it is.So again what could they be using in the factory to lubricate the pots? Is it something more like a thick Silicone based grease perhaps?What do you all think?

author: helius
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 02, 2020, 04:38:37 pm
content: They were probably lubricated with separate products on the wiper and the shaft bushing. Higher molecular weight greases are generally higher in viscosity as well, up to 1 million cP (centipoise) are available. The viscosity of chunky peanut butter is around 400,000 cP. The service lubricants for tracks and wipers will be much lower viscosity because they need to flush out contaminants and spread evenly when sprayed in from outside. Barring full disassembly it's difficult to get a viscous grease into the bushing.

author: wizard69
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 02, 2020, 07:28:25 pm
content: Quote from: paul_g_787 on October 09, 2019, 03:06:59 pmThe only stuff that I use when I really need a contact cleaner /enhancer is the Deoxit line. Never actually used the fader cleaner. The best example I can offer up of what Deoxit can do is an issue I had on an old CNC memory board that would fault the controller randomly. Tried conventional cleaner on the back plane socket, with no success. Took the same course of action with Deoxit and the problem never returned; that machine ran for years afterward. I became an instant fan of Caig Labs after that.As to the composition, I have not idea but the stuff stinks. It certainly isn't regular contact cleaner. Is it worth it, yes if the problem is something it can fix. In the case mentioned above the ability to fix an intermittent issue on an expensive CNC controller backplane / processor board, likely save tens of thousands in component costs, down time and miscellaneous costs. So yea if it can fix the problem it is worth every penny. That being said I've had situations where it hasn't done any good, that is likely due to not getting to whatever the root cause was. If you pick the wrong tool, you really can't blame the tool.As for lubrication of electrical components at work we use Rheolube from Nye lubricants. Unfortunately I'm not at work at the moment and can't tell you which version we are actually using. I want to say Reolube 716R but I'm almost 60 and could be having a brain fart. This is an extremely thin grease that we use on the mechanical parts of electronic systems. Think gear trains and bearings for matching networks, sliding and rotating components. I've never used it directly on a pot though. Rheolube though is good where you need something with a little more cling than plain oil.If grease isn't the right lube for those mechanisms something like watch oil may be required. If you are working on really old stuff and need to free up shafts a good penetrating oil might be advised. It sounds like you have an issue with the pickup not contacting the pot element well, that can just mean you need to clean again as cleaning will break crap loose, causing a repeat failure. The other less delightful possibility is that the pot is worn out in some manner.

author: Jwillis
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 03, 2020, 07:46:21 am
content: Deoxit active ingredient is a trade secret . Deoxit Fader lubricator is 5% Deoxit , 75% PETROLEUM NAPTHA and 20%DIFLUORETHANE used as a propellant. Similar products use silicone lubricants as the active ingredient.

author: analogix
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: November 17, 2020, 09:11:39 am
content: What kind of lubricant would be suitable for making faders smooth again?(I've sprayed Deoxit F5 "Fader" and while they now work better electrically the action is very "scratchy" and not smooth at all, as they were before I cleaned them).Preferrably something generic as i'm not in the U.S. and Deoxit for instance was very hard and expensive for me to obtain.

author: CaptDon
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 17, 2020, 03:12:21 pm
content: I gave up on all the expensive stuff. Its effect onlylasts for a certain time frame. I have used WD-40exclusively for around 20 years. Just a tiny bit, thenrun the control/fader end to end about a dozen timesand then just a tiny bit more. Lasts for years, flushesand lubes at the same time. I love the stuff from CAIGand it works well but is so costly. Back in the days ofmechanical T.V. tuners there were many good cheapproducts available WISSSH was one of them and aproduct under the Channel Master name called Color-Lube was good but had a nasty kerosene smell. I swearit was foaming blue tinted kerosene. The one place Iwon't use WD-40 as a cleaner/lube is in the gold fingercam switches in Tektronix gear. WD-40 is good for theTek push-button switches however!!! I have flushed thegold finger cam switches with Chloro-Kleen, TriChlorethylenebut you have to blow it out with clean air quickly as thechlorinated solvents will attack certain plastics.

author: helius
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 18, 2020, 12:25:20 am
content: Quote from: analogix on November 17, 2020, 09:11:39 amInanother thread, a poster mentionedthat the DeOxit cleaner lacks lubrication for sliding contacts. You might need a very light application of a petroleum grease to get that original smooth feeling.

author: GLouie
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: November 18, 2020, 06:03:48 pm
content: I think many people spray out the shaft/slide lubrication when trying to clean out the resistance tracks. My understanding is that the smooth turning/sliding feel of the mechanism is done with damping grease, also commonly used in things like camera lens adjusters. You can buy a range of resistance feel to the grease at places like Micro-Tools. I have a tube of Nyogel 767A and it works well on such rings and turntable cue pistons. The damping character does not seem to be consistantly related to the "thickness" of a grease or viscosity from what I can tell. A very thick axle grease has little damping on a little shaft. You can buy very high viscosity (high centistoke rating) silicone fluids at places like hobby stores; I can't say if they would work.TBH, I haven't tried it on pots as I avoid getting any lube into the mechanism. I would think to get the grease into the right area would require disassembly, a PITA. The more typical problem is an old pot with seized grease.

author: cdev
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 20, 2020, 04:00:41 am
content: I bought an old used antenna tuner that contains a roller inductor So I asked some old hams what to use to clean it With the caveat that it was really messed up before, with some regular grease that contained graphite, I was told about something called Genie screw drive garage door lubricant. It can be bought in 3 small tubes for around $15It works well with deoxit and the ohmic resistance is very low and it just glides. Have not transmitted using it, so dont know what happens thereIt contains lithium grease.

author: analogix
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: November 22, 2020, 10:49:17 pm
content: Quote from: cdev on November 20, 2020, 04:00:41 amSo lithium grease would be OK to use as a lubricant for faders?I almost bought a can of CRC "white lithium grease" but held it off because I read something on the can about not to be used with other solvents or something like that -I was worried that it could cause some chemical reaction or other issues if it got in contact with the Deoxit I had already sprayed inside.But considering this isn't an issue, will it be thick enough to make a fader "glide" like it used to? According toCRC's own videoit appears to be quite thin flowing, but then again it might thicken after a while.... anyone tried it with faders/potmeters?

author: cdev
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 23, 2020, 01:06:50 am
content: This stuff is not for electrical anything, its for garage doors!Engineers at a very high end antenna tuner company (I think it was Palstar but I'm not sure) swear by it, I read at the time. Since then I have also used it on my x-y table and Ive also tried it out on my bike. It seems to be a good lubricant.But an antenna tuner is not the same as an audio fader at all. So as for your application, I have no idea. It may destroy it.Faders and roller inductors, although quite similar, especially the wire wound ones, are still not the same.Measured by my bench meter, it was a big improvement. I used just a tiny bit of deoxit red and then the Genie stuff, which is white.But its been some time, and I have not used it since then, for space reasons. I'm rearranging my desk now so I may have space to give it a shot soon. if anything has changed I'll post an update here.I think I read this originally on e-ham. You might want to check there.Quote from: analogix on November 22, 2020, 10:49:17 pm

author: analogix
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 10, 2020, 07:56:47 pm
content: Quote from: cdev on November 23, 2020, 01:06:50 amThat might be true, but as long as it lubricates (and doesn't dissolve the materials which cause friction) I believe it should be fine. Then again, maybe what you're saying that it can destroy faders/potmeters if it gets in contact with the actual carbon tracks?Another question that arises is if that type of lubricant I almost bought is thick enough for this purpose....

author: analogix
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 10, 2020, 08:06:54 pm
content: Quote from: GLouie on November 18, 2020, 06:03:48 pmYes! I think this is exactly what I've experienced when inserting the Deoxit F5 Fader plastic straw into the faders. The high pressure probably "flushes out" not only dust and debris but also the lubrication which I did NOT intend to remove.QuoteI'm not familiar with Micro-tools and haven't come across Nyogel where I'm at. I did find some info about damping greases like that online, but they seem to target the industry and not something you can easily get as a private individual.Do you have any specific brand names/types of silicone fluids that can be bought at hobby stores?It appears Deoxit has a product called F100L Fader Grease syringe which is probably applicable for this sort of thing, but it's not available in my area so I have no idea. Has anyone reading used it?https://caig.com/product/deoxit-fadergrease-dfg-213-8g/

author: wizard69
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 11, 2020, 03:30:35 am
content: Nye Lubricants:https://www.nyelubricants.com/sensorsis a high end manufacture of lubricants. We use a few of their products at work, not exactly electronics related, but extremely useful materials when working at the limits of modern technology.Quote from: analogix on December 10, 2020, 08:06:54 pmYes this can be a huge problem, especially on rotary controls, because you basically dry out the bearings and allow for corrosion. Any control clenaing needs to followed up with lubrication.QuoteOne other thing here, there is a lot to be said for the practice of disassembly because it allows for visual inspection of the elements and can inform one if it is even worth while to move forward. If that can't be done over on Youtube, Mr Carlson's Lab has a pretty good video describing his method for cleaning pots. It is one of many so I'm not about to go looking for a link at this time.As for Fader grease I've never tried it so can't comment. However you probably could get a lot more for you dollar buying a tube of Rheolube or similar grease from a distributor. I believe that the grease can be had in 8 oz tubes.