Jim wrote:
I'm working on a SB-101 and a couple of the tuning slugs in the
hetrodyne osc are frozen. Whats a good way to free them up? The 20
position is dead and I've swapped out the 20 meter crystal. I suspect
the Plate tuned osc. isn't and would like to tweek it. The 15 meter
slug turns and does a good job of insuring the osc starts or not
depending on how it's tuned.


In my experience, frozen slugs are very often not actually frozen, but rather
split in half lengthwise. When you try and turn the slug, the diddle stick
cams the halfs of the slug apart, and makes it impossible to turn. The worse
slugs for this problem are the square, or triangular hole type. The hex hole
slugs will break this way too, especially if you use a steel allen key to turn
them.

One way to free slugs that have this problem is to stabilize them by gluing
a round toothpick in the hex hole. A drop of yellow carpenters glue will
work nicely. Be sure to be frugal with the glue, you don't want it to
touch the form in any way.

-Chuck