[sdiy] Stuck mixer pots and reverb - two queries and an observation

[Electronic Battle]

Hello All

My mixer (1980s vintage) works OK and apart from some noisy pots, which I 
know how to deal with more-or-less, works OK. However, some of the rotary 
pots are as stiff as can be and some will hardly turn at all; they seem 
frozen in place!

Bearing in mind that this isn't a high-quality mixer, I don't mind taking it 
apart and sticking some replacement pots in I wrek them by any process that 
you can recommend, but I would like to try to unstick them. Has anyone some 
advice for me please? I am considering seeing if I can wick some WD-40 down 
the pot shaft: I can see the original lubricant which has slightly oozed up 
and out of the shaft, and appears to be a waxy grease of a cream/brown 
colour.

Secondly - I realise that I don't really know how to use the mixer! Has 
anyone a URL they can recommend which shows me the preferred way to do 
send/rtn (pre or post fader is available on my console) and also gains per 
channel etc.?

Thirdly - my electronic music (and I use the term in its broadest sense) has 
been lacklustre even to my own ears until today when Igot a decent reverb! 
My delay had been down to an Ibanez DM100, whose ability to do proper reverb 
was limited. Now I have a lot of processing available to me (Digitech S-200 
fromeBay - it sounds good to me) and it is astonishing how much better it 
all sounds.

Cheers for any pointers on pot shaft unsticking/mixer basics for thick 
people

EB