Getting Started
Alright, so this thing happened last Thursday during the dance show setup. One of the dimmer packs just wouldn’t turn on. After five minutes of useless button mashing, I finally peeked at the stage pin connector – man, it was gross. Looked like somebody dunked it in coffee grounds mixed with sawdust. Total no-brainer why it crapped out. So I figured instead of just whining about busted gear, let’s actually clean the damn things properly. Here’s how that went down.
Gathering My Stuff
First off, I dragged my lazy butt to the workshop. Didn’t overthink it – just grabbed what seemed useful:
- That toothbrush I accidentally stole from the Marriott last month
- Half-empty bottle of rubbing alcohol
- Shop rag that probably wiped up motor oil once
- Cheapo screwdriver from the dollar bin
- Compressed air can that always gives me the chills
The Dirty Work
Unplugged everything first – learned that lesson the hard way last year when I nearly lit my eyebrows on fire. Then I just went at it:
- Held the connector upside down over the trash can. Gave it three good whacks with my palm. You wouldn’t believe the dust bunnies that fell out. Seriously, might’ve been feeding a mouse family in there.
- Shook the air can like it owed me money. Shot short bursts into every hole and gap. More black gunk shot out the other end like confetti. Kinda satisfying actually.
- Dumped alcohol on the toothbrush bristles. Went full dentist mode scrubbing between each pin. Had to really jam it in there where the black crap was glued on. Rag wiped off all the muddy brown sludge that came loose.
- Checked for any bent pins – found one slightly crooked. Gently nudged it straight with the screwdriver flathead. Key word: gently. Last time I got forceful, needed pliers.
- Let the whole thing air dry for ten minutes while I ate a stale granola bar.
The Real Test
Plugged it back into the dimmer pack… nothing. Cue mild panic. Realized I forgot to plug the pack into the wall. Duh. Flipped the power – voila, angry red lights came on properly. Plugged a fixture cable in, fixture fired up like new. Honestly shocked it worked this well.
What I Realized
Been doing this every Friday afternoon now while I listen to terrible podcasts. Takes less time than brewing coffee. Those connectors? Haven’t had a single dropout since. The takeaway? Don’t wait for things to break. Smack’em, blow’em, scrub’em every few weeks. Works like a charm, no fancy tools needed. Just saved myself $600 for new dimmers last month alone.