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Hints, Tips and Solutions (Do NOT post requests for help here) If you have any useful general hints and tips for vintage technology repair and restoration, please share them here. PLEASE DO NOT POST REQUESTS FOR HELP HERE!

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Old 31st May 2020, 8:43 am   #1
vinrads
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Default Drilling holes to clean vol control's etc

On finding a suitable vol/tone control for jeremy (Pamphonica) I noticed that I had drilled holes to squirt some switch cleaner in ,
To avoid slipping and drilling to far destroying the track ,fit a small tube over the drill bit, so you have only a couple of mm of the drill showing . Mick
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Old 31st May 2020, 8:45 am   #2
alanworland
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Default Re: Drilling holes to clean vol control's etc

Good idea - and have a magnet close by to catch the dwarf.

Alan
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Old 31st May 2020, 8:59 am   #3
vidjoman
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Default Re: Drilling holes to clean vol control's etc

Can only think of one or two controls in the last 60 years of servicing that's fitted in domestic equipment that doesn't have some small access to spray cleaner in.
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Old 31st May 2020, 10:54 am   #4
Paul JD
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Default Re: Drilling holes to clean vol control's etc

Quote:
Originally Posted by alanworland View Post
Good idea - and have a magnet close by to catch the dwarf.

Alan
The little beggars get everywhere - didn't realise you could catch them with magnets though!
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Old 31st May 2020, 12:51 pm   #5
ColinTheAmpMan1
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Default Re: Drilling holes to clean vol control's etc

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Originally Posted by Paul JD View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by alanworland View Post
Good idea - and have a magnet close by to catch the dwarf.

Alan
The little beggars get everywhere - didn't realise you could catch them with magnets though!
Where I live, we employ Wombles to catch them.

Seriously, though, if the case is non-ferrous, a magnet won't help, but some grease on the drill might. There are a lot of old-style pots that can have their cases taken off by bending a few lugs.

Colin.
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Old 31st May 2020, 3:00 pm   #6
vinrads
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Default Re: Drilling holes to clean vol control's etc

Quote:
Originally Posted by vidjoman View Post
Can only think of one or two controls in the last 60 years of servicing that's fitted in domestic equipment that doesn't have some small access to spray cleaner in.
I agree but sometimes the hole is not accessible like on this one , Mick.
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Old 31st May 2020, 4:41 pm   #7
stevehertz
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Default Re: Drilling holes to clean vol control's etc

I would drill a hole in a pot to clean it if I had to, but in 99% of cases there is some kind of manufacturing gap available, and even holding the switch cleaner's narrow tube right up against the junction of two different parts of the pot can force the stuff in there.
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Old 31st May 2020, 7:09 pm   #8
alanworland
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Default Re: Drilling holes to clean vol control's etc

Sorry about the magnetic dwarf's!
But you get the idea.

Alan
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Old 31st May 2020, 9:59 pm   #9
paulsherwin
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Default Re: Drilling holes to clean vol control's etc

I've always been a bit wary about doing this precisely because of the swarf issue, but on the few occasions I've had to do it there haven't been any problems.
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Old 1st Jun 2020, 4:17 pm   #10
G6Tanuki
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Default Re: Drilling holes to clean vol control's etc

I've done it on a couple of sealed "Colvern" pots in the past, a 1mm drill and a hypodermic syringe/needle to introduce the cleaner to the correct place.
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Old 1st Jun 2020, 8:44 pm   #11
DMcMahon
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Default Re: Drilling holes to clean vol control's etc

On my Grundig TK 819 R2R where the double pole on/off switch on the volume control was permanently made, I drilled a small hole in the body of the volume control near the switch contacts end (after being advised to do it) with the intent of putting some switch contact cleaner inside, but was very surprised then that the switch started working fine without having to use contact cleaner.

There was no obvious access without drilling a hole.
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