6 May
2004
6 May
'04
3:22 p.m.
What's the best way to clean up a dirty old VT52?
The case is dirty and some of the keys are a bit
dirty and stick when pressed.
Ashley
6 May
6 May
3:56 p.m.
What's the best way to clean up a dirty old VT52?
The case is dirty and some of the keys are a bit
dirty and stick when pressed.
Ashley
7 May
7 May
1:28 a.m.
>>>> "Ashley" == Ashley Carder
<wacarder(a)usit.net> writes:
Ashley> What's the best way to clean up a dirty old VT52? The case
Ashley> is dirty and some of the keys are a bit dirty and stick when
Ashley> pressed.
Take off the keycaps and hose down the contacts with contact cleaner.
Failing that, use a solvent such as alcohol.
VT52 keyboard switches are gold contacts, not sealed, so they can get
dirty but they are highly tolerant of cleaners.
paul
1:39 a.m.
Thanks for the tip. Where does one get contact cleaner and is it
any more effective than alcohol?
Ashley
----- Original Message -----
From: "Paul Koning" <pkoning(a)equallogic.com>
To: <cctalk(a)classiccmp.org>
Sent: Friday, May 07, 2004 9:28 AM
Subject: Re: Cleaning a *DIRTY* old VT52
>>>> "Ashley" == Ashley Carder <wacarder(a)usit.net> writes:
Ashley> What's the best way to clean up a dirty old VT52? The case
Ashley> is dirty and some of the keys are a bit dirty and stick when
Ashley> pressed.
Take off the keycaps and hose down the contacts with contact cleaner.
Failing that, use a solvent such as alcohol.
VT52 keyboard switches are gold contacts, not sealed, so they can get
dirty but they are highly tolerant of cleaners.
paul
1:47 a.m.
>>>> "Ashley" == Ashley Carder
<wacarder(a)usit.net> writes:
Ashley> Thanks for the tip. Where does one get contact cleaner and
Ashley> is it any more effective than alcohol?
Radio Shack carries it, as would any of the dozens of electronic
supply companies such as Contact East.
More effective than alcohol? Probably. Alcohol is nice because it's
readily available and safe for most plastics (but not for plexiglas).
The same should be true for contact cleaner. Other easily available
substances like acetone are more likely to dissolve things.
I don't know what contact cleaner uses these days for active
ingredients. Back before it became non-PC, various freon-like
substances were used, and those work very well, but you're not allowed
to buy those anymore.
paul
11:18 a.m.
What's the best way to clean up a dirty old VT52?
The case is dirty and some of the keys are a bit
dirty and stick when pressed.
Same method as usual. Take the whole thing apart as far as it will easily
go (take everything out of the case, for example), then clean the case
parts with anti-static foam cleaner (Eletrolube, Servisol, etc make
this), clean the PCBs with propan-2-ol (isoproyl alcohol, etc).
For the keyboard, pull the keycaps (make sure you have a diagram first!).
Clean them all separately (this takes quite a time, but it's worth it!).
If this is the keyboard I think it is, the key plungers and springs pull
out of the plastic frame. Clean those too, and clean inside the frame
housings with proan-2-ol. That should get it going again.
-tony
3:05 p.m.
Take the case off and scrub with something pretty harsh, I use bon-ami but
comet works too, this will take off much of the yellow/oxidized plastic
then dry and armorall or equiv.
keys, remove and wash as dishes, perhaps some simple green and a light
alchohol rinse. I would be very carefull about contact cleaner, some of
it will soften keycap plastic/ attack the lettering (I've wound up with
unlabled keys)
there are a range of cleaners, I've been running through several restoring
a bunch of hardware that sat outside for 15 years!
puretronics contact cleaner (puretronics.com) states that it is safe on
plastics but test on an inconspicuous spot first (hmm..)
deoxit (caig.com) is what all the sound guys around here use on mixing
boards,etc. One of the pricey ones but seems like it might be worth it
check the website but I've been using deoxit-D5 as a cleaner, the
puretrinics as a rinse for parts I can't get at, then follow with caig
progold...
congrats on a really fine terminal.
Pavl_
What's the best way to clean up a dirty old VT52?
The case is dirty and some of the keys are a bit
dirty and stick when pressed.
Ashley
7487
days inactive
7488
days old
6 comments
5 participants
participants (5)
-
ard＠p850ug1.demon.co.uk -
Ashley＠carderweb.com -
pkoning＠equallogic.com -
pzachary＠sasquatch.com -
wacarder＠usit.net