'66 F Key restoration (hopefully) help/suggestion/tips/photos

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Jay
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'66 F Key restoration (hopefully) help/suggestion/tips/photos

Post by Jay » Fri Mar 09, 2007 10:24 pm

So I got this set of XII F keys from a recent eBay auction and they're pretty much a wreck.  For the most part they look okay on the outside.  A little bit dull like Klusons but the insides are filled with dirt/sand and LOTS of corrosion.  I was able to get the case off of one with quite a bit of working but the 4 or 5 others I went at were barely budging since they seem to be rusted/corroded together.  So I was thinking I could soak these in something like WD40 to loosen up the casing but I really need something that's going to remove a lot of the corrosion as well, without damaging what appears to be a nickel finish.  Will WD40 screw these up? Any other ideas for something better? I plan on hitting the hardware store tomorrow.

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Re: '66 F Key restoration (hopefully) help/suggestion/tips/photos

Post by fullerplast » Sat Mar 10, 2007 4:04 am

WD-40 won't screw them up.

I use LPS-2 for stuff like that. I get it at ACE hardware (though it might be found elsewhere). It comes in a teal green can with red LPS-2 lettering.

It's around $8.00 a can, and is supposed to be the best liquid penetrated oil and preservative there is. I use it all around the house; cars, guitars, plumbing, whatever.
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Re: '66 F Key restoration (hopefully) help/suggestion/tips/photos

Post by sookwinder » Sat Mar 10, 2007 6:27 am

Jay, exactly the same thing happened with the tuners from the 66 jag I restored.

I got some kerosine  (I am pretty sure it's called the same thing in the states -  normally blue coloured) filled a jar and let them soak for a week. The kero got rid off all the greese and crap and "softened up" the corrosion.  After a week soaking they were easy to pull apart, clean and regreese.
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Re: '66 F Key restoration (hopefully) help/suggestion/tips/photos

Post by Stereordinary » Sat Mar 10, 2007 3:12 pm

Try Naphtha, aka lighter fluid.  Mix three parts naphtha with one part light household oil and soak it in that.  You shouldn't have to soak it long, but you may want to do it a couple of times with refreshed solution.  After that, briefly rinse them in acetone.  That oughtta do the trick.
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Jay
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Re: '66 F Key restoration (hopefully) help/suggestion/tips/photos

Post by Jay » Sat Mar 10, 2007 3:24 pm

I tried Doug's stuff and they all came apart fairly easily with the exception of a couple extra stubborn ones.  I've cleaned them out (there was literally piles of dirt/sand inside the cases...  gross!) and removed as much of the corrosion on the post gears as I could get out with a brush and some metal cleaner. I'm currently letting them dry out in the sun and I'll toss some grease in later this afternoon.  I'll post the results of this adventure this evening.

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Re: '66 F Key restoration (hopefully) help/suggestion/tips/photos

Post by jetset » Sat Mar 10, 2007 3:43 pm

I signed up for the StewMac weekly tech email.  Great stuff- last week was how to restore vintage tuners.  Short answer - naptha, new grease.
I just did the klusons on my '64, which since they don't vome apart, involved injecting naptha in, then - when they are clean and dry - grease.

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Re: '66 F Key restoration (hopefully) help/suggestion/tips/photos

Post by Jay » Sat Mar 10, 2007 5:13 pm

Well, the long and short of it is there fine now.  Greased up and ready to go.  They're not in the best visible condition but they all seem about as good as typical F tuners, some stiff, some loose, some maybe slipping a bit.  These will be for sale as they simply don't look nice enough to replace any of the slipping tuners on my current XII.  Should make a tidy profit though.  :)

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