Re: How do I clean an Apple IIGS?

[robert.pappas@gmail.com]

> Hi, now I have an Apple IIGS - finally, but the CPU, keyboard, mouse
> and the disk drive is very dirty and yellow. Is there any web sites
> that can teach me how to properly clean the Apple IIGS, especially the
> ADB keyboard?

There is one way to fix the yellowing:  Paint the computer.  It's not
as crazy as it sounds.  I had an Apple //c that was very yellowed, and
I took it apart and cleaned the case pieces very well, and carefully
molded some masking tape to cover the parts I didn't want to paint.
Then I sprayed them with a very light coat of paint-prep primer that
is designed for plastic, followed by a light grey hard enamel paint.

I STRONGLY recommend testing several paints on something else plastic
(like a CD), because different paints have a different "feel" to them
when they dry, and most are tacky...which you don't want.  You want a
paint that feels very hard and very very dry (just like hard plastic)
when you rub it.  I found a Testor Enamel paint that dried hard and
feels just like the original plastic.  But even within the Testor
brand I've found that different colors behave very differently.

My //c looks absolutely BEAUTIFUL now, practically brand new.

You can't paint the keyboard though, because for one thing you'd cover
up the letters, and for another thing the paint wouldn't survive the
wear and tear of a lot of typing.

This is a solution that is best suited for a show-piece collectable
computer, and not one you plan to handle a lot.

I also have a black Macintosh SE that someone else painted with some
professional quality paint, and it looks awesome!