Changing Potentiometer Shafts/Wafers

As a busy hobby pedal builder (300+ builds to my name) I buy a lot of pots.

My bulk pot storage

My everyday pot storage

I buy most of my pots from Tayda Electronics. They are alpha pots which are pretty good. I've ad no issues with them in the 6 years I've been building. They are well constructed and come with a handy little dust seal. The only issue I have from time to time is getting the right value with the style of shaft. I was building a Hot Cake clone and it called for a C50K pot (anti-log) I had some but they had spline and split shafts on them. I wanted to have a round shaft so I could put MXR style fluted knobs on them.

I need the round smooth shaft on the C50K

I set up my phone and recorded a short video of me swapping the shafts over. If you don't like loud angry music turn the volume down. I don't do any talking in it ( I have a terrible radio voice).

It's very simple with the right tools. I use an arbor press but it can be done in a vice too. I don't actually have a vice but I find it easier in a vice than the press.

• Remove the back by lifting the tabs with a pair of pliers or any other tool will do.
• Place the pot upside down on the press into a sleeve so the shaft can move freely. I use a discarded linear bearing off my 3D printer but anything can be used.
• Using something skinny press down on the centre of the shaft. In the video I used the closest thing I could find which was a little phillips screwdriver, again anything smaller than the small shaft is fine. It wont go all the way down and out, the rest I pull apart by hand. This also helps make sure I don't drop/loose any bits.
• Swap the wafers (the flat bit with the carbon track on it) over onto the shaft that is desired and grab a plastic wiper wheel.
• This is the tricky bit. It takes a bit of practice and I've broken plenty of wiper wheels trying. You have to hold the pot and wiper and line up the small shaft on the pot to the wiper wheel. They are shaped like two D's back to back. Press it a little bit and check it. If it's no good re-position it and try again. If it's good make sure the wafer is lined up on the little locating pins and then press it all the way home.
• Spin the pot so the stopper lump on the wiper wheel is at the top and fit the back back onto the pot. 
• Repeat for the other pot.....if you want to. I have a big box of pot bits that I haven't put back together

That's pretty much it. I plan to design and build a jig to make this easier at some stage. For now this works for me.