Phil Clayton wrote: Walmart sells a spray cleaner in a white spray (or gallon refill) called Crown Cleaner. If the nicotine/tar is not embedded into the plastic itself, then spray this on a let it sit a second. It will come right off, no problem. To get rid of the sticky feeling afterwards just reclean it with Windex or a damp sponge with plain water. For the permanent stains, I disassemble and lightly sand the parts and then tack rag them. I get the cheap stain finish paint that Walmart sells (since it has toluene base and will soften into the plastic and stay for good) and repaint the whole piece with the applicable paint. They have a black, light grey, tan and off white that match the original colors nearly to the T. I let them dry very well, usually overnight to make sure that nothing has softened, and then wipe them down good with a damp rag to get rid of the excess spray dust and then reassemble. I use denatured alcohol to clean them prior to painting to make sure there isn't any oily stuff left. The paint hting is great if you have a cracked panel too. Reglue the piece with super glue, fill with plastic filler (testor's for models) and then sand until it's back to original finish. Then refinish like I said above but be sure the item is clean (tack rag is best and very cheap). Hope this helps.

Joe wrote: If you need to re-pebble an area that's been filled, I use a gauze sponge (square folded up of guaze) wet with acetone and then the acetone softens the plastic (usually styrene type plastic anyway) and the guaze will put marks in it similar to the finish it had. Of course you have to get used to it on a junker first or you might just ruin the good one. That's what new computer's cases were made for, trial and error. You can always get another clone case faceplate. As for something like the Sanyo, the are hammer finish paints out too, I just use a Badger or Paasche airbrush to spray them on and then they hammer finish them selves, whether on metal or plastic. Plastic usually takes a good primer coat first though.

On Tue, 22 Sep 1998, Phil Clayton wrote: I know it would be rough, but do you have an attic you can haul them into? Any barns in your area with an upstairs loft? You might want to choose the important ones and take care of them first. GOOD LUCK! Sam Alternate e-mail: dastar(a)siconic.com ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ever onward. September 26 & 27...Vintage Computer Festival 2.0 See http://www.vintage.org/vcf for details! [Last web site update: 09/21/98]

Attics never survive hurricanes. What's a Basement ?Thanks everyone for best wishes and thoughtful ideas. I just finished watching the news, of course its full of reports of the worst. People down here are very aware of the danger of these storms and tend to panic. It was only a few years ago the Andrew hit south Florida, I live on the Southwest side of Florida, and according to reports we are right in the predicted path. Already all grocery stores are bare of standard supplies like Water , Bread, Batteries, the isles are getting bare in grocery stores. Lumber is already nonexistent as everyone boards up their windows..My plan is to take my most prized computers like my Osbornes, Kaypros, TRS-80's..( I mostly collect portables (Luggables)) to my Business Office and store them . It's built very solid and has very few windows.. As for the rest I am going to put them (Already in boxes) in Large Garbage bags tied to reduce leaking from possible flooding.. Nothing will help wind damage George looks like it could easily become a 4. Its going to be a lot of work as I have about 80 computers, not counting printers and monitors.. I've lived in Florida for 30 years , seen a lot of storms come and go but this storm looks very dangerous, it has all the conditions to become very damaging. Just to stay with the theme of this forum I am changing the subject line to: " Classic Computer Survival in Hurricanes" <GRIN>!! Gotta' keep my sense humor here !!!! --Phil

On 22 Sep 98 at 16:10, Phil Clayton wrote: WOW !! And I was just thinking of winter coming soon and envying your climate. I always assumed that people in areas succeptable to high winds would have storm cellars, but I guess that's only applicable in the midwest where they don't have that type of flooding. Looks like that equipment will really get a stress test. See which stands up best. I put my bets on the ones in metal cases. Good luck and let's hope it bypasses you. Take care. ciao larry lwalker(a)interlog.com

Are you still with us Phil? Haven't heard anything since before the hurricane. Did you and all the computers come through okay? On Wed, 23 Sep 1998 10:51:51 -0400, you wrote: -Bill Richman (bill_r(a)inetnebr.com) http://incolor.inetnebr.com/bill_r - Home of the COSMAC Elf Microcomputer Simulator, Fun with Molten Metal, Orphaned Robots, and Technological Oddities.)

On Sun, 4 Oct 1998, Phil Clayton wrote: I'm glad for you, but that just means more computers to worry about when the next killer hurricane comes a courtin! (DOH! Always the cynic! :) Sam Alternate e-mail: dastar(a)siconic.com ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ever onward. Coming in 1999: Vintage Computer Festival 3.0 See http://www.vintage.org/vcf for details! [Last web site update: 09/21/98]

If you can take the guts out of the computer conveniently, you can wash and scrub the parts with soft scrub. The yellow gunk from cigarette smoke DOES come off. (and as I pointed out to the smoker friend who sold me my first GS, if your computer looks like this, imagine your lungs). My GS still smells a bit of cigarette smoke - it's gotten into the power supply and is still on the main board, and when things get warm it smells. Still, it's cleaner and nicer than it was. -- Jim Strickland jim(a)calico.litterbox.com ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Vote Meadocrat! Bill and Opus in 2000 - Who ELSE is there? -----------------------------------------------------------------------

jpero(a)pop.cgocable.net wrote: For those that can/should be near water, use the Crown Cleaner but make sure to rinse afterwards. For PC boards and components, dentured alcohol on a nnatural bristle paint brush (wet) and swich it around, then you can even semi-rinse with some not on a brush. Works great.

jpero(a)pop.cgocable.net wrote: If I recall, the FAQ recommends something called "Purple Stuff". I don't know what it is or how well it works or how hard you have to scrub, if at all -- I've never used it. -jrs -- _______________________________________________________________________ \/|/\ | Jason Simpson | http://www.xio.com/jason/ /\|\/ | jason(a)xio.com | Wanted: Honda Civic VX or Volkswagen Fox Wagon