Cleaning things (was Cleaning RK05 packs (Was: LGP-30 Memory Drum Update))

On 01/06/2017 07:32 AM, David Bridgham wrote: I see that as the maker responded to a perceived problem and did their marketing! The bottom line is its seriously off topic and likely not an issue. To get on topic over the years I've used a number of things deemed bad with full success. An example was a few Altair era board with green crud plus dirt from the prior holder storing them. The green crud was the gold over copper plated contacts without nickel over copper. I decided to keep them and ran them through the dishwasher with the usual dishwasher caustic cleaner (cascade) and the oven dry them. They came out looking better than factory and it even cleaned the contacts. They tested fine and I stripped the damaged gold and re-plated the contacts with electroless tin (didn't have the materials for nickel then gold) and sill have them. Back then the locals on the board told me the boards would be ruined. When doing repairs or restoration the person/organization doing it needs to fist have goals, then process, and the skills to implement them and maybe even mitigate side effects. What process they use and can apply is dependent on available materials and the available skills. Our advantage now is is world wide near instant communication to ask what is best, easy, fast, or cheap. I envy the chance to restore a LGP-30 or for that fact play with one. Many of the things I remember mid sixties on are now gone or were rare then. Like small desk sized drum computers using transistors or first generation IC (RTL and RDTL). Allison