Schneider CPC 464 - brown keys and rusty metal plate

[eto]

I received a fully working but pretty filthy Schneider CPC 464. One of the first ones with the PCB keyboard.

Besides the usual cleaning, I am not sure what to do with two aspects of this particular 464:

1) The keys that I thought should be grey are brown. Not in the form I know it can happen by "normal" yellowing, but much darker. Also the letters on the normal keys have a brown touch. The 464 prototype pictures on the Wiki have the same kind of brown but other pictures of the prototype. I would expect it's a pretty strong form of yellowing, but just to be sure, was there ever a 464 with brown keys? If not, what would be the best way to retrobright them? I have already put them into the sun for a few hours but I don't see any change.

2) the metal plate under the keyboard keys has plenty of rusty spots. Most of it can't be seen but some spots between keys can be seen from above. Not a technical problem but it looks still filthy although it's cleaned. Have you ever come across something like that and can share an idea how to fix these spots?

[Gryzor]

I think I've seen some Schneider ones with very dark keys... do post a couple of photos though

[eto]

do post a couple of photos though

Argl... I thought I did...

[eto]

Picture of key color and rusty spots.

[Gryzor]

Yeah I think I've seen that yellowing/browning before. Google for Schneider 464 and you'll see some...

Interesting though that perhaps different plastics were used for the Schneider CPCs?

[Bryce]

That's a standard (rusted) Schneider 464. They had brown keys.


Bryce.

[eto]

Yeah I think I've seen that yellowing/browning before. Google for Schneider 464 and you'll see some...

Interesting though that perhaps different plastics were used for the Schneider CPCs?

The only picture which comes close to the brown I see here is from a CPC 464 prototype. So it is (extreme) yellowing? Usually, when I got a computer that had some yellowing it was not as perfect. Here, all keys are identical from all angles. Usually there are at least slight differences. That's why I thought, that maybe there were models that had brown keys instead of grey. It doesn't look too bad.

[eto]

That's a standard (rusted) Schneider 464. They had brown keys.

OH! ok... good to know.

[Bryce]

Look at the picture on the front of the Schneider manual: http://www.cpcwiki.eu/imgs/b/b0/Schneider_Bedienungshandbuch_CPC464.pdf

Bryce.

[Gryzor]

Look at the picture on the front of the Schneider manual: http://www.cpcwiki.eu/imgs/b/b0/Schneider_Bedienungshandbuch_CPC464.pdf

Bryce.

Eh, I'd call that "80s German Beige"

[eto]

Look at the picture on the front of the Schneider manual: http://www.cpcwiki.eu/imgs/b/b0/Schneider_Bedienungshandbuch_CPC464.pdf

Bryce.

I would say the keys are grey. I quickly checked the 464 manuals that are available on Ebay and there the keys are clearly grey. (e.g. this one: https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/TZ4AAOSwuGJgBZKe/s-l1600.jpg)

Also all adverts I find show grey keys.

[Bryce]

They were originally closer to grey, but with yellowing they look browner.

Bryce.

[anyweb]

my Schneider coloured CPC 464 has more grey keys than his 'brown' ones, imho it would be worth retro brightening them just to see the difference... here's how mine looks, definitely grey versus brown
https://www.amstrad-noob.com/2020/08/12/my-second-cpc-464/

[Gryzor]

my Schneider coloured CPC 464 has more grey keys than his 'brown' ones, imho it would be worth retro brightening them just to see the difference... here's how mine looks, definitely grey versus brown
https://www.amstrad-noob.com/2020/08/12/my-second-cpc-464/

This looks mint... and also like it's been put through a greyscale filter

[anyweb]

heh indeed, and that's why i bought it, but it was DOA when i got it, simple fix though, just wobble a cable.

Here's a better view of it (video)
https://youtu.be/uX4zo5qmQS8

[eto]

my Schneider coloured CPC 464 has more grey keys than his 'brown' ones, i

That's a very late model. Mine is afaik the first model that was produced. The keyboard e.g. is completely different. For later models it's obvious that the keys were grey.

I would have thought that also the first models were grey but I am nor 100% sure as putting my brownish keyboard into the sun for several hours made absolutely no difference, which always had at least a bit of impact with any other yellowed case/key I tried so far.

[anyweb]

you could be right, if you remove one of the brown keys and turn it upside down, is it Brown on the inside or Grey ?