Vintage Synth Repair

On Sunday 06 April 2008 15:01, timothy kosiorek wrote:
> Hello:I've used this only on Hammond preset keys and not on key contacts
> and I've used it for 30 years without any problems,

I guess you've been lucky,  then.  (I've worked on Hammonds a bit longer, 
started in 1975 :-)

> if you take the preset keys section apart the contacts are sealed up so the
> WD-40 does not get on them,The purpose that WD-40 was made for is to mix
> with other lubricants to thin them down,

"WD" stands for "Water Displacement".  It's made of two components:  Kerosene,  
which evaporates,  and why it makes a lousy lubricant,  and "petroleum 
distillates",  which leave a gummy residue and which will cause all sorts of 
problems when used in electronics equipment.

> Hammond uses grease on the preset mechanism that dries out and turns to a
> very sticky paste,any contact cleaner would completely remove the lubricant
> and cause the presets to lock up,

Then if it needs to be degreased and re-greased it should be.

> I would never use  WD-40 on anything else,but this is a mechanical problem
> on metal to metal parts not an electrical problem.

I'd still use something else in there.

> I work on a dozen Hammonds a month mostly in Churchs and I don't get
> callbacks but do get return business from my customers for other problems
> not related to my repairs,for electrical contact problems 

Where are you doing this kind of business?  I've done organ repair both around 
the NYC area (along with 2 or three other guys I shared that task with) and 
in South Central PA and covering 12 counties never saw that many Hammonds a 
month,  and after a while not even that many organs.  I don't think people 
around here are fixing them much,  and haven't been for the past 10-15 years 
at least,  which is a damn shame but that's the situation here.

> I use Caig De-oxit which is recommended by most manufacturers tech
> departments.

I've heard lots of good things about that stuff as well.

-- 
Member of the toughest, meanest, deadliest, most unrelenting -- and
ablest -- form of life in this section of space,  a critter that can
be killed but can't be tamed.  --Robert A. Heinlein, "The Puppet Masters"
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Information is more dangerous than cannon to a society ruled by lies. --James 
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