TI-99/4a Monitor power cord

[Chuck Guzis]

On 11/6/21 10:24 AM, David Gesswein via cctech wrote:
> On Fri, Nov 05, 2021 at 10:13:48PM -0500, David Williams wrote:
>> I have a TI monitor that has a power cord that is becoming sticky and gummy 
>> and I'm looking at what to do with it. 
>> Any other suggestions on dealing with the cord besides replacing it?
>>
> Once the plastic starts breaking down I haven't found anything permanent.
> Some are breaking down slow enough that cleaning lasts for a couple years.
> I go though my various cleaners/solvents until I get to one strong enough to 
> clean it up without too much damage. The ones for removing gummy adhesive 
> remover seem to work OK. A mild abrasive cleaning pad or cleaner can also help
> since sometimes you need to remove the surface plastic layer to get to more 
> stable plastic. Aggressive solvents will also do that but I have trouble
> controlling them.

Heptane (sold under the name "Bestine") works wel and won't affect
plastics.   Bestine is mostly known to stamp collector s who use it to
remove adhesive from stamps without damaging them.  Bestine is also
useful for removing really stubborn deposits from tape and disk heads.

You can expect that eventually, the jacket on the cord will begin
cracking as the loss of plasticizer progresses.

A somewhat more pragmatic approach, short of replacement, is to encase
the the cord in split wire loom.   Looks a little clumsy, but will keep
the sticky stuff from fouling anything else.

FWIW
Chuck