[HAM] WD 40 & Hammond oil

[Steve Leigh]

At 04:34 PM 4/21/2007, you wrote:
>[Much text deleted]  I know that Steve will not agree, and I
>respect what he and his late wife accomplished, but it did work.

To the contrary - I agree!

Basically, whatever works, and causes no peripheral problems, is a 
good solution.

I confess, Rebecca and I were more than a little fanatical about the 
Prokeys work we did.
I mean - c'mon - we used to paint the *insides* of Leslie transformer 
bells!  The amount of time we put into some of our projects couldn't 
be justified by any logical means.

We were just committed, chronic perfectionists.  Some people knew we 
were 1/2 crazy, others thought we were right on the case.  And 
Prokeys was a HOBBY.  It always was, for years and years.  I think it 
really represented quality family time for Rebecca and I to work on 
things together, alone, away from the world, away from our jobs, with 
our family (the dogs) nearby.  We didn't watch a lot of TV, we worked 
on a lot of Hammonds, though.

For me (can't speak for others), Hammonds and Leslies have 
chronically exhibited their own peculiar problems since I first went 
on the road in 1963.  Plenty of the problems qualified for a "quick 
fix" (flash a scanner, anyone?), and some of the problems were just 
as easy as tube replacement.

But then, as time went on, something bad happened.  You couldn't go 
to a Hammond store and buy a new or used B3 anymore.  They were 
becoming harder and harder to find, and the ones you DID find were so 
beat up, they needed 4 months of work, anyway.  (Realize I'm 
generalizing here.)

So the Hammonds available and living began to develop age 
problems.  Predictable, when you consider the numerous and various 
complex assemblies of Hammonds and Leslies.

The drummer didn't have these problems - he just replaced drum heads, 
bought new sticks.  Guitar and bass players didn't have these complex 
problems - they replaced strings and tubes.

Using WD40, kerosene, Hammond oil, etc, in a generator is - in my 
estimation - quite acceptable.  If you get the job done, and the 
organ works, that's really all that most people care about.

Rebecca and I definitely "went our own way" in several areas.  We 
didn't hesitate to question (and/or reject) the "average" or 
"accepted" ways of doing things.  WD40 is an example.  We determined 
(maybe right, maybe wrong) it shouldn't go near a Hammond 
generator.  That didn't stop it from working fine for other people - 
many people have used it with good results.  I can't argue with good 
results, no matter WHAT I personally believe.

About all I can say here is - yes, I'm quite opinionated.  Following 
our own tests, our own experiences with our own Hammonds, and 
questioning "mainstream" opinions, gave Rebecca and I some alternate 
insights.



Steve Leigh  :::  steve at sl-prokeys.com
<http://sl-prokeys.com/>The ProKeys<http://sl-prokeys.com/> 
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<http://sl-prokeys.com/stax/stax-story.htm>The 
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