[Arran]

Mike;
That is not a bad idea, or even one could take a normal sized vacuum or shop vac, and make an adapter. I did this with some 3/4'' PVC pipe with matching elbow, to clean out the soot from the combustion chamber of an oil furnace, and it worked. My idea was to heat up a wire somehow, and poke it down the hole, but not knowing what the tube that the slug lives in is made out of I was hesitant to suggest it, with a steady hand this would not be an issue, but if Captain Clock has tremors in both hands that would make it a "No".
I've known a few people that had the "shakes" because they used to prescribe lithium as a psychiatric drug, which over time causes nerve damage. You would think that they had Parkinson's disease but they didn't. This is why I really have to wonder where some electric car enthusiasts still believe that electric vehicles are "good" for the environment. lithium is almost equal to lead in toxicity, and much more volatile.
If I were anywhere near Indiana I would give C.C a hand with that broken dial cord, though those boom box dial cords can be frustrating to repair sometimes, using plastic posts rather then pulleys, which saw through over time.
Regards
Arran