Vestax Fader Cleaning & Maintenance
After long or intensive periods of use your faders need some maintenance to keep them at their best. Follow this guide to make them brand new again.
You'll need the following:
- Phillips head screwdriver
- Flat head screwdriver
- Soldering iron
- Solder
- Razor-blade or other thin tool for prising the case open
- Desoldering wick (optional)
- Isopropyl alcohol
- Deoxit D100L or similar liquid fader lubricant
Before continuing see our other guide for modifying the cut distance of a fader, whilst servicing it’s worth the effort.
Vestax PCV-CF Crossfader Spacer Modification
Begin by removing the fader mounting plate and the 2 M3 screws.
Using a sharp blade prise open the case and heating the pad on the circuit board detach the back half of the case.
With the fader internals now exposed, use a flat bladed screwdriver to open the metal tabs holding the two rails to the case.
Remove the washers off the rail and slide off the fader stem and place carefully on a surface where the brushes can’t be damaged.
Clean the inside of the case, I use a small brush to remove any dust and debris. If the top is rusted this is the perfect time to get a wire brush on a Dremel or a glass fibre pen to remove it.
Check the fader stem, if it’s bent you can use a pair of pliers to straighten it. Then dip a q-tip in isopropyl alcohol and use it to clean each of the plastic bushings of the stem, I use another dry q-trip to make sure all the dirt has been removed.
Next pour some isopropyl alcohol into a rag and use that to clean the rails of any oil and dust, if the washers are dirty use water and pat them dry (isopropyl alcohol isn’t recommended on rubber.)
The isopropyl alcohol dries out pretty quick so afterwards apply some lubricant onto the bushings of the fader stem and also the underside which glides on the lower rail.
I use DeoxIT D100L, it can be tricky to find outside of the US but it is worth it.
Insert the rail back into the fader stem and add the rubber washes (double if performing the cut lag mod)
Bend back the metal tabs around the 2 rails to ensure there is no movement using a flat screwdriver, do it slowly and with even pressure. Move the fader back and forth to ensure an even coating of the lubricant. If required add a small amount on the rail to help it glide.
Re-attach the back of the case and solder it back on to the PCB.
Screw the mounting plate back on and install back on to the mixer.