squeaky stomp switches

Started by jolly1423, September 09, 2011, 10:10:44 PM

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jolly1423

I have two switches that have been squeaking when I hit them. One is the tap switch on my line6 m-13 and the other it a 'soft touch' momentary from small bear. It's not mechanical it's just the metal switch on the metal sleeve. Is there anything I could lube it with? I play in Churches a lot and it can be heard... maybe powered graphite or just enough grease that it won't travel down into the mechanics?

peps1

A Dielectric grease like Permatex?

jolly1423

That looks interesting. I was also thinking applying a nice thick grease to the shaft with a q-tip in a thin layer would probably keep it from traveling down too far. But that stuff looks like it's only 10 bucks or so...

runmikeyrun

Silicone dielectric grease would work well, and you wouldn't have to worry about it conducting if it gets into the terminals.  You can pick up small packets at Auto Zone for 99 cents I believe.
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jolly1423

Awesome, I'll give it a try. Thanks for the tip!

John Lyons

It's not mechanical it's just the metal switch on the metal sleeve.
Actually it is mechanical. You only have electrical and mechanical here.
And it's not electrical so...  :icon_wink:
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jolly1423

Thanks for the clarification. You know, I think I just read an old post recently where someone thanked you for being a little retentive  ;)
I really do appreciate being corrected though, if I'm using a term wrong why would I want to continue doing so, some people take such offense to correction. My biggest literary pet peeve is when people say 'literally' when they literally mean 'figurative'. Example, (from a 'professional' on the radio referring to the power money holds) 'In our society today, money is literally a power tool'. Really?
A bit off topic, I know... :)

ClinchFX

Quote from: jolly1423 on September 09, 2011, 10:10:44 PM
maybe powered graphite

Absolutely not :icon_eek:

I once had a guitar player come into the shop, late in the afternoon before a gig, in a panic.  His Roadie had "cleaned" the pots in his guitar with powdered graphite.  The graphite had shorted everything, completely muting the guitar.  Fortunately, the pots responded to cleaning with contact cleaner-lubricant.
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EATyourGuitar

Quote from: runmikeyrun on September 10, 2011, 01:40:15 PM
Silicone dielectric grease would work well, and you wouldn't have to worry about it conducting if it gets into the terminals.  You can pick up small packets at Auto Zone for 99 cents I believe.
I have it an spray but the alchohal or ether propellent is probably not as benign as dielectric silicon grease. thanks for the tip
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jolly1423

Quotemaybe powered graphite

Absolutely not icon_eek

I once had a guitar player come into the shop, late in the afternoon before a gig, in a panic.  His Roadie had "cleaned" the pots in his guitar with powdered graphite.  The graphite had shorted everything, completely muting the guitar.  Fortunately, the pots responded to cleaning with contact cleaner-lubricant.
Yeah, wasn't sure how it would react with electronics, I know it works super well but it gets everywhere...