cleaning up older equipment

[William Sommerwerck]

More than 30 years ago, I bought a bunch of Lux's Laboratory Reference
Series components. Lux was one of the few Japanese companies who knew how to
make really good-looking products, * and the LRS stuff is magnificent. ** It
also sounds good.

Anyhow, the LRS system sat unused for more than 25 years. I pulled it out a
year ago to power a bedroom system. Everything worked (including the power
amp), but I've had occasional problems with intermittent switches and pots.

At some point I'm going to rip open these components and clean them up. I
don't need basic advice -- I've been spraying and squirting for years, if
not decades. What I'm interested in are any "gotchas" and "Jedi tricks" I
might not know about.

Perhaps there aren't any. Perhaps I already know all I need to know. But it
couldn't hurt to ask.

Thanks in advance.


* Sony and Nakamichi come to mind. There aren't many. Japanese industrial
design generally stinks.

** It resembles the stuff you see in equipment ads in scientific-research
magazines.

 

[GregS]

More than 30 years ago, I bought a bunch of Lux's Laboratory Reference
Series components. Lux was one of the few Japanese companies who knew how to
make really good-looking products, * and the LRS stuff is magnificent. ** It
also sounds good.

Anyhow, the LRS system sat unused for more than 25 years. I pulled it out a
year ago to power a bedroom system. Everything worked (including the power
amp), but I've had occasional problems with intermittent switches and pots.

At some point I'm going to rip open these components and clean them up. I
don't need basic advice -- I've been spraying and squirting for years, if
not decades. What I'm interested in are any "gotchas" and "Jedi tricks" I
might not know about.

Perhaps there aren't any. Perhaps I already know all I need to know. But it
couldn't hurt to ask.

Thanks in advance.


* Sony and Nakamichi come to mind. There aren't many. Japanese industrial
design generally stinks.

** It resembles the stuff you see in equipment ads in scientific-research
magazines.

I got a LUX power amp I need to fix. The insides are not much to look at. I have
seen better Sansui's. The circuitry is overly complex, and I need to balance some transistor pairs.
The refrigerant cooling is OK I guess. Sometimes I have spent a lot of time
spraying things to get it working over a period of time, and some sealed
pots need to be opened ot drilled to gain access.

greg