Cleaning a PowerBook G4

[Dan]

oiy. What have I gotten myself into!

The owner of this PB G4 claimed he doesn't smoke - but he smells and 
has glowing yellow eyes.  The PB has that nicotine patina, and the 
keys are gummy, some unresponsive.  I opened it up... and the 
nicotine/tar is acting as a glue for some white cat hairs...


Ok, so tonight I'm going to double up on the latex gloves and try 
cleaning this beastie.  Normally I use things like rubbing or iso 
alcohol.  But then normally, I avoid tar'd computers.  Is there 
something better for ciggy goo?


Thanks,
- Dan.
--
- Psychoceramic Emeritus; South Jersey, USA, Earth.

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Re: Cleaning a PowerBook G4

[Alexander MacLeod]

On Mon, Jul 18, 2011 at 3:03 PM, Dan  wrote:
> oiy. What have I gotten myself into!
>
> The owner of this PB G4 claimed he doesn't smoke - but he smells and has
> glowing yellow eyes.  The PB has that nicotine patina, and the keys are
> gummy, some unresponsive.  I opened it up... and the nicotine/tar is acting
> as a glue for some white cat hairs...
>
> Ok, so tonight I'm going to double up on the latex gloves and try cleaning
> this beastie.  Normally I use things like rubbing or iso alcohol.  But then
> normally, I avoid tar'd computers.  Is there something better for ciggy goo?
>
> Thanks,
> - Dan.



Cleans just about anything, including disgusting keyboards. About $4
for a four pack at the Home Despot. HTH

Alex

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Re: Cleaning a PowerBook G4

[Doug McNutt]

At 15:03 -0400 7/18/11, Dan wrote:
>The owner of this PB G4 claimed he doesn't smoke - but he smells and has 
>glowing yellow eyes.  The PB has that nicotine patina, and the keys are gummy, 
>some unresponsive.  I opened it up... and the nicotine/tar is acting as a glue 
>for some white cat hairs...
>
>Ok, so tonight I'm going to double up on the latex gloves and try cleaning 
>this beastie.  Normally I use things like rubbing or iso alcohol.  But then 
>normally, I avoid tar'd computers.  Is there something better for ciggy goo?

Long long ago, when I  worked in a government laboratory, I used an acoustic 
vibrating tank filled with CCl2F2 - freon22 - for things like that.

That's probably illegal now but there are vibrating tanks big enough to handle 
a keyboard if you can get access to one.

Carbona was CCl4 - carbon tet - would be good too but there's that ozone thing 
above us.

Acetone is a a BAD idea.  It will mess up the plastic parts.

Gasoline??  Perhaps with some experimenting on the plastics first. Alcohol will 
clean up after that.

Stoddard Solvent would be like gasoline but without dissolved heavier oils.

Paint thinner is a lot like Stoddard but cheaper and available at Home Depot. 
NOT paint remover.
-- 

--> From the U S of A, the only socialist country that refuses to admit it. <--

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Re: Cleaning a PowerBook G4

[Richard Gerome]

   I think your best bet would be: "Electromotive Cleaner" or "Electronic Tuner 
Cleaner" 




-Original Message-
>From: Doug McNutt 
>Sent: Jul 18, 2011 4:32 PM
>To: g3-5-list@googlegroups.com
>Subject: Re: Cleaning a PowerBook G4
>
>At 15:03 -0400 7/18/11, Dan wrote:
>>The owner of this PB G4 claimed he doesn't smoke - but he smells and has 
>>glowing yellow eyes.  The PB has that nicotine patina, and the keys are 
>>gummy, some unresponsive.  I opened it up... and the nicotine/tar is acting 
>>as a glue for some white cat hairs...
>>
>>Ok, so tonight I'm going to double up on the latex gloves and try cleaning 
>>this beastie.  Normally I use things like rubbing or iso alcohol.  But then 
>>normally, I avoid tar'd computers.  Is there something better for ciggy goo?
>
>Long long ago, when I  worked in a government laboratory, I used an acoustic 
>vibrating tank filled with CCl2F2 - freon22 - for things like that.
>
>That's probably illegal now but there are vibrating tanks big enough to handle 
>a keyboard if you can get access to one.
>
>Carbona was CCl4 - carbon tet - would be good too but there's that ozone thing 
>above us.
>
>Acetone is a a BAD idea.  It will mess up the plastic parts.
>
>Gasoline??  Perhaps with some experimenting on the plastics first. Alcohol 
>will clean up after that.
>
>Stoddard Solvent would be like gasoline but without dissolved heavier oils.
>
>Paint thinner is a lot like Stoddard but cheaper and available at Home Depot. 
>NOT paint remover.
>-- 
>
>--> From the U S of A, the only socialist country that refuses to admit it. <--
>
>-- 
>You received this message because you are a member of G-Group, a group for 
>those using G3, G4, and G5 desktop Macs - with a particular focus on Power 
>Macs.
>The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/lists/g-list.shtml and our netiquette 
>guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml
>To post to this group, send email to g3-5-list@googlegroups.com
>For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/g3-5-list


Scars only tell us where we have been, they do not have to dictate where we are 
going...

“Choose love and peace above all other options.  Commit to the goal of 
unconditional love and compassion for all life, in all its expressions, and 
surrender all judgment to God.

--- Dr. David R. Hawkins

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Re: Cleaning a PowerBook G4

[Bruce Johnson]

On Jul 18, 2011, at 12:03 PM, Dan wrote:

> 
> Ok, so tonight I'm going to double up on the latex gloves and try cleaning 
> this beastie.  Normally I use things like rubbing or iso alcohol.  But then 
> normally, I avoid tar'd computers.  Is there something better for ciggy goo?

I'd test it on some discreet place out of the way, but you could try Goo Gone, 
or GG cut with isopropyl.

Simplest is to just tell them 'The keyboard is foo, it needs replacing.' 
Wearing a respirator, gloves and/or a full body hazmat suit at the time (cheap 
at American Science and Surplus ) might drive home 
the point.

You have my sympathies. We had one pipe-smoking faculty member whose keyboard 
was so grotty we would routinely bring our own whenever we had to work on his 
computer. 

-- 
Bruce Johnson
University of Arizona
College of Pharmacy
Information Technology Group

Institutions do not have opinions, merely customs


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Re: Cleaning a PowerBook G4

[Dan]

Thx to all that replied!

At 2:48 PM -0700 7/18/2011, Bruce Johnson wrote:

try Goo Gone, or GG cut with isopropyl.


Tried a number of the suggestions.  Many worked - but breathing near 
the chems became an issue (athsma).  GG cut with iso did pretty well. 
OMG the smell.  I, um, ended up using Fabrese on it too.


The keyboard is now fully functional.  The inside of the machine 
looks better.  The outside is actually clean!  Thought the PB was 
fully dried but it does a bit of floral scent when it warms up! :)



Simplest is to just tell them 'The keyboard is foo, it needs replacing.'


Yea.  Was thinking about that, but things worked out ok for now.

- Dan.
--
- Psychoceramic Emeritus; South Jersey, USA, Earth.

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