[GreenKeys] Model 33 ASR Keyboard Key Cap Restoration

[Ed Sharpe Archivist for SMECC via GreenKeys]

This goes to show what careful attention  can net in a project!
I have a  32   I need to do this  to   in  the  summer Thanks  for
the process notes! Well done Dave!  And  thinks  to Doug on  the keycap
removal notes!   (although  I will not have to  remove and replace)
 
Both messages below  for reference - 
Ed# _www.smecc.org_ (http://www.smecc.org)  
 
amazing..................................looks as  new!
Dave -  




-------- Original Message --------
Subject:  [GreenKeys] Model 33 ASR Keyboard Key Cap Restoration
From: David Tumey  via GreenKeys <_greenkeys at mailman.qth.net_ 
(mailto:greenkeys at mailman.qth.net) >
Date:  Sat, January 31, 2015 6:21 pm
To: Greenkeys <_greenkeys at mailman.qth.net_ 
(mailto:greenkeys at mailman.qth.net) >

Doug,


Just my $.02 on the key cap restoration work I have done for my  machines 
with excellent results.


As you can see in the 'before' photos, the caps were covered with a  
chalky-white 'oxidation' (for lack of a better word).


Step 1 - I removed each key from the KB one at a time and cleaned  with 
some 0-0-0-0 steel wool dipped in a solution of 50% Linseed oil and 50%  
mineral spirits.


Step 2 - Wet sanded the sides and top with #800 wet/dry paper +  water.  
The lettering is molded into the cap, so you do not have to  worry about 
removing it when you use an abrasive.


Step 3 - Polished the key cap with a stitched buffing wheel in a  drill 
press and a fine polish.  This brought the cap back to a nice  gloss.


Step 4 - Applied some Turtle Wax "ICE", then removed with a soft  
microfiber cloth.


Step 5 - Applied a light film of Remington Gun oil to the key lever  and 
replaced it in the keyboard.


I did this for 4 KB's in all, and they all look just like the  'after' 
photo.  I restored the spacebar the same way.


Hope this helps.


--dave
W5DT



 
 
Thanks to Paul Cembura (Mr RTTY) for new keycaps and Wayne  Durkee for
instructions, my students and I have replaced the cracked and  crumbling
keycaps on our 33.  For a writeup and photos, see:

--  http://www.cs.uiowa.edu/~jones/pdp8/UI-8/log.shtml#2015-01-29

The  new-old-stock keycaps Paul sent are pristine -- but just the caps,
not the  keylevers.  Therefore, we had a bit of fun learning how to
extract  keylevers from old keys, but we were entirely successful, and
many of the old  keycaps were undamaged by the process -- we did smash
one old cap, and  several of the badly cracked old caps came apart in
the process.

I do  seek one bit of advice:  Can the old caps be polished to match
the nice  shine of the new ones?  As things stand, the old caps are
a frosty grey  color.  I tried solvent polishing them (Plastruct
Bondene solvent cement  doesn't seem to do a thing for the key caps,
while it is an excellent cement  for the ABS used on the Teletype
cover).  Any ideas?

Doug Jones
jones at cs.uiowa.edu
 


  
____________________________________
 
______________________________________________________________
GreenKeys  mailing list
Home: 
http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/greenkeys
Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
Post: mailto:GreenKeys at mailman.qth.net

2002-to-present greenkeys archive: 
http://mailman.qth.net/pipermail/greenkeys/
1998-to-2001 greenkeys archive: 
http://mailman.qth.net/archive/greenkeys/greenkeys.html
Randy Guttery's 2001-to-2009 GreenKeys Search Tool: 
http://comcents.com/tty/greenkeyssearch.html

This list hosted by: _http://www.qsl.net_ (http://www.qsl.net/) 
Please help  support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html  



______________________________________________________________
GreenKeys  mailing list
Home:  http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/greenkeys
Help:  http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
Post:  mailto:GreenKeys at mailman.qth.net

2002-to-present greenkeys archive:  
http://mailman.qth.net/pipermail/greenkeys/
1998-to-2001 greenkeys archive:  
http://mailman.qth.net/archive/greenkeys/greenkeys.html
Randy Guttery's  2001-to-2009 GreenKeys Search Tool:  
http://comcents.com/tty/greenkeyssearch.html

This list hosted by:  http://www.qsl.net
Please help support this email list:  http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://mailman.qth.net/pipermail/greenkeys/attachments/20150201/bfc4cc0f/attachment.html>