Decided to do some retro console gaming so dug out my original crystal Xbox and my indigo game cube and set them up. Crystal controller is benched for now as I'm missing the breakaway lead so I am using the black controller from my lads old Xbox. All works great apart from the left thumb stick who's movement is quite sticky. It looks a little awkward to take the actual mechanics apart and may even include having to desolder it so I'm wondering if I can just poor some form of solvent into the plastic working parts to desolve the grime or is that going to be disastrous. What I have to hand is isopropyl alcohol and on the little more extreme side, brake cleaner. Any other suggestions will be welcomed.
Yeh I wouldn't completely dismantle it. I wouldn't use anything stronger than alcohol, try and get it in something with a small nozzle so you can squirt it through with some force, to break out any debris. If you can get something thin in there to wipe/pluck out crap that's a goodu'n. After cleaning, spray with some dry PTFE lubricant to keep it slick.
I cant see any actual debris in it so think it may even be something clear got spilt in it(just clutching at straws here), I will see what I have that i can use to squirt it in with force. Will defo have to buy some PTFE lubricant if I can find some local. Thanks
After it became stiff to scroll a while ago, I lubricated the wheel on my mouse with tiny drops of sewing machine oil. Worked well.
FYI: Oil attacks soft PVC, ( the rubbery stuff on pads.) I have a sticky, gummy mouse wheel on my mill system because of the oil.
It's ok on my mouse, an Evoluent vertical. I've had it about 5 years and first put oil on the mouse wheel only a few months after getting it, because it was squeaking and other owners said oiling fixed it. I've only oiled it twice and, wiped away all excess I could get to with isopropanol. Still no sticky wheel...
