Any Walker SST users?


I've been using the Extreme SST with great results for several years. But recently I noticed my SST dried up and became very thick, so according to their website I put a few drops of Canola oil into the vial but somehow I had some doubts of this Canola oil application. A few days later I tried to check its conductivity with a Multimeter set on "Continuity". I made a line with SST on a piece of wood and tried to test it on both ends of the SST line, but no sound from Multimeter, no continuity, no conductivity? Then I dipped the multimeter probes into the SST vial, still nothing. If it's so conductive, as they say, shouldn't it pass the continuity test? I was expecting that it will be more conductive than copper but obviously it looks very resistive. Am I doing something wrong here? Or has the SST lost its onductivity after I applied Canola oil?

Can somebody with a multimeter and SST check this?

Thank You
muratc
Your SST is fine as long as you only used a couple of drops of canola oil. For whatever reason, lots of folks have reported that sticking multimeter probes in SST will not show any result. If you have any concerns about this, call Walker Audio at 610-666-6087 and talk to Lloyd.
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Walker SST, like any of these products, is simply a suspension of silver particles, in an organic vehicle. Whatever is used in these products, canola oil, or otherwise, will dry out over time if it is in the open air.

The conductivity of silver is what it is, it's the highest conductivity material you can find.. Whether it is in the form that the manufacturer sold it (dried powder), or in the finished product that is SST, etc., you cannot make it less conductive. Silver can oxidize, but even silver oxide is quite conductive - but let's presume that it has not oxidized.

In order to have continuity, you need to form a continuous chain of silver particles that the electrons (electricity) can flow through. Just like wire, if you cut a wire, no matter how good or bad the conductive material is, it will not pass the continuity test. You are essentially making a wire when you do the test you did - think of it in these terms. ANY voids whatsoever in your film (line) will result in the electrons not being able to flow, and you have the situation you are in now.

Personally, if you are using bare wood, that would be one of the more difficult materials to find success with. The reason being you are dealing with a very non - uniform surface. The odds of being able to form a contiguous silver film on any such surface is quite low. Try a perfectly smooth non - conductive material, such as glass or acrylic (plexiglass), and try again.

Follow Lloyd's recommendations. If he tells you that canola oil is the appropriate thinner, you can bank on it. His goal is for the material not just to work, but for it to make a profound improvement for you. Just be sure to not add to much, as again, your goal is to wind up with a film where you have no voids whatsoever - contiguous silver particles, from one end to the other. The more silver you have in the paste, the easier that is. The more oil, or anything else, the more difficult it becomes.
Trelja is exactly correct. I just talked with Lloyd to confirm: he says, as Trelja points out, the silver is in an organic oil suspension (carrier). The oil is not very conductive and will show no conductivity with a multimeter due to the low voltage being applied. When the SST is applied to a connnection and the connection is then tightened down, the carrier is forced to the outside and the silver remains, creating a highly conductive interface. The carrier dries on the outside of the connection forming a seal that helps prevent the connection from corroding.

By the way, the carrier used is not canola oil but something else. Canola oil is simply the best readily available material for us users.

Hope this explanation helps in confirming and supplementing Trelja's comments.
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Just a bit of info re using SST. I really like what the treatment does for my system, but recently had a problem I thought I would share. I recently sent my Koetsu cartridge for retipping and treated the cartridge tags when reinstalling. I also changed the phono lead at the same time.
when re setting up, there was a loud hum audible from across the room. I struggled with this, thinking it was the new lead. As a last resort I cleaned the SST from the tags and the hum went. Just something to bear in mind using it, though others may not have the same experience
SST is meant to be used VERY minimally; a barely discernable film. It's possible that you shorted the pins slightly or some such abberation.