WurliTzer "Funmaker" disassembly

[Guest]

A few weeks ago I "adopted" a Wurli 545D (Funmaker series) that the previous owner had relegated to a corner of the basement. It was hard to beat the price (free) so I dragged it home and set about making it work correctly. </p>

It appears to have some problems with the rocker switches in the panel to the left of the manuals. Problem is that I can't seem to get that panel out so I can use some contact cleaner on 'em. I know that there are at least 2 of them that have what appears to be electrical contact problems...the "Hawaiian Guitar" switch is one of 'em If I switch it back and forth, I can get it to function correctly (that is, turn the effect off...it wants to stay on all the time.) </p>

I'd sure appreciate any insight into removing the switch bank as well as any other hints about it if possible...well, except for those that might suggest I use it as a boat anchor, If I owned a boat, I might consider it.:)

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[skippy]

Re: WurliTzer &quot;Funmaker&quot; disassembly



Hi RM,</P>


I am not an electronics expert but here is my 5 Cents worth anyway. From my experience dirty contacts cause the feature "not to work". If you have trouble turning a feature off you may have stuck or broken contacts. What I usually do if I cant get to contacts is to use the nozzle extension of the spray can to force the contact cleaner in liberal quantities through any gapsaround theswitch in the hope that it will reach the spot of trouble. Just be careful, some products may attack certain plastics. You are running the risk of reducing the value of your organ from zero to minus zero [:'(].</P>


Have you tried to pull the individual rocker switch coversfrom their pivots? Some just clip onto a pivot rod. I never had a Wurly - I am only guessing. Don't break anything - I will never forgive myself.</P>


Have a musical day,</P>


Skippy</P>

[Guest]

Re: WurliTzer &quot;Funmaker&quot; disassembly



Not to worry, Skippy. I very rarely work on instruments with hammers or torches. I leave those for the hot rod. :)</p>

However, I haven't been able to feel any movement as I would expect from a pivot cover. I know what you meant, anyway. These seem to be an assembled unit...the switches and caps, I mean. </p>

I'm still messing around with it when I'm not playing the Hammond, taking pictures at the race track or workin on one of my vehicles. Yanno, as I get older, it seems like there aren't as many hours in the day as there used to be, </p>


I've had 2 weekends of 3-day race events (ALMS and SCCA)...and a 4-day event this weekend (AMA/FIM Superbikes.) I took 1500 shots last weekend, 2500 the weekend before. Thank God for digital SLRs. Then the Ed Roth Rat Fink Reunion (I've been to every one since Ed died in 2001) starting on June 5...and then I might have a weekend free. Good thing I'm retired, huh? How did I ever find time to hold down a job?</p>


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[james]

Re: WurliTzer &quot;Funmaker&quot; disassembly



I just wanted to share some info here regarding spraying certain contacts, parts, etc. inside an organ. With older organs a good number of them used plastics in various places. Plastic of today is somewhat different as a tech told me than back when the organs were a big going item of the market. Those sprays can literally break down thoseplastics so as mentioned your organ can go from zero value to minus zero.</P>


There are lethal volts insides organs, so unless one really knows what he is doing, the organ need to be unpluged when even doing ligt cleaning inside. It is best a good qualified tech repair an organ that has some value much easier than a good number of us.</P>


However, choose wisely on finding a tech. I have met a few that really didn't know what they might be doing as well as those who take the easy way out. Remember they are out to make $$$$. As my tech recently told me the number of guys that could work on the organs back when they were so popular are not around anymore or they are becoming scarce.</P>


James</P>

[Guest]

Re: WurliTzer &quot;Funmaker&quot; disassembly



Your points about volatile substances and voltage are very well made. I learned about both in the army, going back to 1966. We used to clean the insides of the radar cabinets (Nike-Hercules fire control systems) with trichlorethylene (I think that's what we used...brain damage, maybe? &lt;G&gt;) and numerous times people would stagger out of the vans just goofier than all get out. And it DID attack some plastics. The scary part is that the vans were made from magnesium. And everybody (including me) smoked in 'em. I can only think that it was dumb luck that prevented someone from starting a fire with a volatile solvent and igniting the magnesium. I shudder to think.</p>

I also learned about the need to remove a power source when I pulled the wire off the plate cap of a rectifier tube in a 450v power supply with plate volts still on. I got tossed backwards across the van and landed in a heap with the skin burned off the tip of one finger. When the warrant officer who was in command saw that I wasn't seriously injured, he had everyone gather around and look at the burned finger to show them what could happen when you didn't follow safety procedures. I figger I was pretty fortunate in only getting a burned finger and a lesson in humility via humiliation. It could have been much, much worse. Just like the scenario with the solvent, I shudder to think what would have happened if I'd had my other hand on a ground source and the current passed through my upper torso. </p>

So I agree with ya, James. I may not be an organ tech, but I spent enough time (4 years as a radar tech, 15 as a computer hardware tech, 15 as a programmer) around equipment to become familiar with precautions and safety procedures. But if someone is going into a vacuum-tube or discrete component piece of equipment without knowledge of the risks and precautions, it could be real scary. </p>

The advice on finding a good tech is also spot on. Just from seeing people who claim to be able to work on cars or computers or...whatever, there are a lot of guys that create more problems than they fix. Computers for instance: the most common fix for any problem is to format and reload the operating system. And 90 percent (or more) of the time, it's massive overkill. Finding and correcting the problem isn't what is taught these days...and a lot of valuable data gets wiped out because "reimaging" is all the techs know how to do.</p>


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