Ha! I saw your post, Bob, a day too late! The rheostat WAS the culprit and I pulled it apart to see what I could find...corrosion...I tossed the pieces in the trash and ordered a new one from the UK. $50 with shipping. But I like your idea of just shunting them together on the switch...much cheaper! And the posts are already there too. I would have done that if I had seen your post earlier. Oh well...
Kim