SyntaxTerror

If it really IS solder, I have to wonder how on earth it got there. It really, really does look like solder that's been heated long enough to burn off all the flux. No matter. If we assume that whatever it is melts in the nozzle... it would be a reasonable assumption that you could get rid of it with some desoldering wick and either a soldering iron or a heat gun.

That's really odd. Looks just like solder.

Oh, this reminds me: Could you also please add the prefix of your power supply? Is it a GS or GST unit?

I think we need to start a data collection regarding power settings. Maybe when we have enough people with working settings, we can figure out something that is shutdown-safe for everyone.

No problem

Wait, what? I didn't get any PM?

Yep, that looks like the correct part. Good luck!

On a side note regarding sourcing of the part (shipping/administration costs and such), it's probably safe to say that due to the Mark 2 project I'm pretty damn well stocked on BC817's. If you want, I can throw a few in a letter and mail them to you.

For most SMD components with pins coming out sideways from the package, I'd always recommend cutting them with a scalpel rather than trying to desolder the entire part. Cut it out, then desoldering the individual pins is easy as can be. And yes, you'd need a relatively fine tipped soldering iron to work on the board, this is true. The switching transistor is designated T1, part number BC817, available here. Component location is:

Wouldn't it be better to just install a new switching transistor on the board? It's a 0.13 euro part and anyone familiar with a soldering iron can replace it in 60 seconds. Just saying.

Since we're talking abrasives I'm just going to throw one thing in there that's highly useful - especially to people not terribly proficient in sanding/polishing. Micro-mesh This is a great product. Small abrasive pads in a variety of grain sizes and you can buy sets that allow for easy sanding through the grits. More importantly, they've got a foam backing which ensures correct pressure by letting the grain sink into the foam in case too much force is applied. No need to wrap it around anything like you might want with sandpaper either, the foam is stiff enough to work on its own. Heh, incidentally they have their own grit scale too Fantastic bit of kit, this - nonstandard grit or not. Ranging from around 30 to < 3 microns - I've buffed out scratched watch lenses with it.

@Labern has a mirrored feeder assembly up on youmagine that works very well here.

You're welcome

+1 on that. The world would be so much improved if we could just settle on ONE standard of measurement for everything. Elaborating a bit on grit differences: Since I work in an industry where a lot of documentation is American in origin, I have to be really careful with these things. Say I go shopping for 240 grit. Since I'm European, it's automatically assumed that I mean P240 (the P meaning FEPA grit scale). P240 means 58.5 micron grain size. CAMI grit 240 is the same, no problem. But then I want some 800 grit as well. P800 is 21.8 microns. CAMI grit 800 however is 12.6... not even remotely close to the intended. So yeah - when buying abrasives make sure which standard you're buying, otherwise there's no telling where you end up.

It's entirely possible that dust and dirt has gotten into the latching mechanism and is preventing it from engaging. Try cleaning the assembly with a brush before taking drastic action. Otherwise I'm sure I can find a replacement part for you, if you're a DIY'er.