How I restored my CPC 6128.

[Querubin]

Hi,
here is a video where you can see how I put my 6128 as new.

Warning: controversial methods are used on this video. You could be desagree but please, don't judge me.

This is the way I made. Not "the way".

Hope enjoy it.

[Dr Tiger Ninestein]

Takes a big set of testicles to dunk your 6128 into a bucket of soapy water!

[EgoTrip]

Washing the plastic bits and keys is fine. I did that with my 464. But I would personally never wash the electronics like that. Especially the disc drive, theres too many places where water can stay and potentially cause problems. The mother board isn't so bad but I'd never do it under the tap like that. I wiped mine clean with Dettol wipes.

[seanb]

Takes a big set of testicles to dunk your 6128 into a bucket of soapy water!

I just remembered what your name is from.
Terrahawks 
Loved that when I was younger.
Might have to revisit it.

[Dr Tiger Ninestein]

I just remembered what your name is from.
Terrahawks 
Loved that when I was younger.
Might have to revisit it.

Yep. Gerry Anderson's best show imo.

[khaz]

I must admit, I squealed a little when you threw the disc drive in the bucket. That takes guts, man.

Keyboard cleaning is definitely something to do though. I need to investigate the magical peroxyde solution everybody use to make their plastics un-yellowed.

[Zoe Robinson]

My heart was in my throat when I saw you dunk electronics into water. I'm so glad the CPC seems to still be working but oh my goodness I would never do that, I just couldn't. 

[Bryce]

Submerging a disk drive in soapy water isn't controversial, it's just plain stupid.  You'll have done untold damage to the motor and removed all the required grease in the process too. It might work at the moment, but you have seriously shortened it's life by doing this. Cleaning a PCB and drying it with air is fine, but the air on the drive will just have pushed the water further into the motor.

Bryce.

[dodogildo]

I admire what you did with the keys!

[1024MAK]

For those that think electronic boards may be damaged by washing with water, modern components are designed to be washed with water. I do recommend that boards are rinced off with clean water. Or if you live in a hard water area, use demineralised, distilled or deionised water. Then dry for 48 hours at a 60 to 70 degree angle in a warm place.

Yes, on some older boards that have components with paper or card used as insulators, separators etc, these cannot be washed. So don't for example wash a loud speaker.

I agree with Bryce regarding the disk drive. By all means (if practical, I've never tried) seperate out the PCB and wash it. But it is not a good idea to wash the motors with soapy water. And the same goes for bearings. Gears etc you can normally re-grease. But with a lot of motors, the bearings are difficult to get to. Also, the motor brushes may not properly dry out, so will stick rather than slide as they wear. And they may wear faster if they retain some moisture.

I always find deal cleaning keyboards time consuming and relentlessly boring. And it is amazing what you find in the crud in a keyboard. When cleaning one keyboard (not an Amstrad), I once found a rusty drawing pin that was the cause of one key not working (unable to fully depress it)!

Mark

[CraigsBar]

Great job. On the keys, my 3 inch drives will never get that treatment tho.

Sent from my A3-A30 using Tapatalk

[Bryce]

For those that think electronic boards may be damaged by washing with water, modern components are designed to be washed with water. I do recommend that boards are rinced off with clean water. Or if you live in a hard water area, use demineralised, distilled or deionised water. Then dry for 48 hours at a 60 to 70 degree angle in a warm place.

Yes, on some older boards that have components with paper or card used as insulators, separators etc, these cannot be washed. So don't for example wash a loud speaker.

I agree with Bryce regarding the disk drive. By all means (if practical, I've never tried) seperate out the PCB and wash it. But it is not a good idea to wash the motors with soapy water. And the same goes for bearings. Gears etc you can normally re-grease. But with a lot of motors, the bearings are difficult to get to. Also, the motor brushes may not properly dry out, so will stick rather than slide as they wear. And they may wear faster if they retain some moisture.

I always find deal cleaning keyboards time consuming and relentlessly boring. And it is amazing what you find in the crud in a keyboard. When cleaning one keyboard (not an Amstrad), I once found a rusty drawing pin that was the cause of one key not working (unable to fully depress it)!

Mark

All valid points, but what's the point in washing a PCB in the first place? It's not like it's going to work any better because it's clean. A decent clean using a soft paint brush and some isopropanol is a lot safer. The problem isn't usually the water, but what's in it. Especially in the case where people decide to wash PCBs in a dishwasher. Dishwasher salt is extremely corrosive and ALWAYS present, even when the salt is supposedly empty.

Bryce.

[Token]

Very surprised with the floppy drive. Well I prefer to clean it with isopropanol.
I never put a motor or a PSU into water.
I liked the work you did on the metal keyboard plate.
The keys seems to be retrobrited without sun for a long time, is it a better tech?

[Querubin]

Thanks for the comments. I am happy some of you found not only negative methods. I assume the critics.

Sure I won't make it again with a floppy. I will let you know when the floppy failed

[pelrun]

Motors and water are surprisingly compatible; you can even run motors whilst submerged if you want to.


As long as *all* the water is removed shortly after cleaning you're pretty safe; the problem is water loves to get wicked up into fine gaps and stay there, and it'll start corroding if it's left for long enough. Which means either baking the parts in an oven at low heat for a while to force it all to evaporate, or (much easier) flushing with lots and lots of alcohol. Methylated spirits works well, since it's usually cheaper and more plentiful than isopropyl.

[Bryce]

Motors and water are surprisingly compatible; you can even run motors whilst submerged if you want to.


As long as *all* the water is removed shortly after cleaning you're pretty safe; the problem is water loves to get wicked up into fine gaps and stay there, and it'll start corroding if it's left for long enough. Which means either baking the parts in an oven at low heat for a while to force it all to evaporate, or (much easier) flushing with lots and lots of alcohol. Methylated spirits works well, since it's usually cheaper and more plentiful than isopropyl.

The CPC drive motors are stamped steel, so they are pretty rust prone. The motor is crimped closed with no openings other than the shaft and they contain plastic parts, so rinsing or baking aren't really options and the motor is a real lobster trap for water.

Bryce.