Fader Lubricant : anyone used it?

ethios4 · Post by **ethios4** » Thu Oct 26, 2006 11:44 pm

Check it :
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/ ... sku=429169

Has anyone used this, or anything similar?
Sounds pretty useful, but I'd imagine its made for electro-mechanical style faders, not necessarily for midi-style faders. I'm not sure if that matters - does it?

Cleaner and lubricant for conductive plastic faders and controls.

DeoxIT FaderLube Spray (formerly CaiLube MCL) is a 5% solution precision lubricant specifically formulated to improve conductivity and lubricate conductive plastic and carbon compound faders, switches, and other similar components. Over time these components lose their original lubrication from wear and/or repeated cleaning. Dust, dirt, drink spills, and other contamination also degrade the components' lubricant. The need for re-lubrication is necessary to avoid excess wear and abrasion to the plastic surfaces.

Another use for DeoxIT FaderLube is on conductive membrane switches and components. Oil, grease, and acids build up on the membrane surfaces due to repeated finger contact and can lead to device malfunction. Applying DeoxIT FaderLube will provide a long-lasting barrier against these types of contamination. The oil, grease, and acids will be displaced above the DeoxIT FaderLube layer preventing contact with the plastic membrane.

Uses: lubrication/protection of plastic-to-plastic parts (faders), plastic-to-metal parts (faders, linear sliders - dot matrix printers), metal-to-metal parts (sliding and slow rotating metal parts, locks, bearings), carbon-based controls (potentiometers) and membrane switches (mouse pointers, touch keypads).

leisuremuffin · Post by **leisuremuffin** » Fri Oct 27, 2006 12:39 am

how has this thread made it so long without there being a joke about choking the bishop yet?

.lm.

DeadlyKungFu · Post by **DeadlyKungFu** » Fri Oct 27, 2006 12:51 am

leisuremuffin wrote:how has this thread made it so long without there being a joke about choking the bishop yet?

'Oil, grease, and acids build up on the membrane surfaces due to repeated finger contact and can lead to device malfunction."

device malfunction

decoder · Post by **decoder** » Fri Oct 27, 2006 1:08 am

hee, hee.... lubricant

Poltergeist · Post by **Poltergeist** » Fri Oct 27, 2006 1:09 am

Be sure to massage the lubricant in deeply into the crevices before performing aural penatration.

ethios4 · Post by **ethios4** » Fri Oct 27, 2006 1:32 am

c'mon guys, this is a serious question. I'll be right in the middle of a good jam on my long-throw fader and it gets all hot and dry from the friction. I tried using my knobs more instead, but it gets to where I can hardly twist them.

ohmpow · Post by **ohmpow** » Fri Oct 27, 2006 2:39 am

my knobs!

DeadlyKungFu · Post by **DeadlyKungFu** » Fri Oct 27, 2006 2:42 am

did your knobs get pushed into the chassis while travelling? if they're that bad you might have to take the thing apart to clean the pots.

franknputer · Post by **franknputer** » Fri Oct 27, 2006 5:06 am

I've used other similar Caig products, they're good stuff - I use them for cleaning rotary pots & switches that tend to get crap in 'em over time. I can't speak for your specific fader, but in general I say if it's appropriate for your fader then use it.

Generally speaking, a fader isn't that different re: MIDI - it depends more on the construction of the component. If it's not sealed/self-lubricating, then I suspect it would help.

Patch · Post by **Patch** » Fri Oct 27, 2006 8:28 am

I've taken my (DJ) mixer apart a few times for fader maintenance. Makes one HELL of a difference.

The method I used:

Crack open the mixer
Give the whole inside a blast with compressed air
Take out the faders
Open them badboys up
Give 'em a little squirt of switch cleaner/alcohol-water solution
Use a q-tip/ear-bud to clean the faders moving parts
Allow to dry thoroughly
Put a TINY drop of CAIG onto the fader
Use a DIFFERENT q-tip/ear-bud to spread the CAIG along the fader
Slide the fader to min/max a bunch of times
Close fader back up
Close mixer back up
Go nuts on your new silky smooth faders

...and I mean SILKY SMOOTH.

(Now - the faders on my mixer run on rails. I don't know how= faders on a midi controller work. But I sure would like to silken-up the faders on my UC-33e. Anybody have any ideas how?)

mikemc · Post by **mikemc** » Fri Oct 27, 2006 3:05 pm

I have used this to very good effect on my vintage guitar pots http://www.hosatech.com/hosa/products/D5S-6.html and recommend it.

pev · Post by **pev** » Fri Oct 27, 2006 3:48 pm

I don't know about that particualar brand but aerosols of combined contact cleaner/lube have been a staple of my toolkit for 15 years. If you're in the UK, the generic contact cleaner from RS works absolutely fine. You can do restoration wonders on old kit using contact cleaner assuming that the carbon tracks haven't actually worn through or broken down. I've resurrected many an old mixer in this way with time and patience. Just be careful not to use it on optical encoders (mechanical encoders are fine though)

~Pev

P.S. Note that using contact cleaner isn't something you should do that often like putting oil in a car - its more of of a reactionary measure when you have a specific issue like dust having got into a pot and making it sound scratchy.

ethios4 · Post by **ethios4** » Fri Oct 27, 2006 4:38 pm

nice! I think I'll be getting some lube for me ole knobs and faders! I just wanted to make sure I wasn't going to be putting anything on there that would cause "device malfunction"...knowwhatimean?

as for this being a serious issue....sarcasm and inflection are oh so hard to communicate in writing...sorry. My knobs really are dusty and a bit sticky, tho...