Giving IBM 2 piece keys a nice simple green bath

[jaynoon]

Any reason not to separate 2 piece IBM caps when giving them a simple green bath?

Since the key profiles are uniform row to row, it doesn't seem like I need to keep the stem & covers in pairs. I want to separate them all out and give them a bath, but don't want to have to worry about keeping them in pairs.

While I'm at it, is a 1:10 ratio of simple green : water strong enough?

[ynih]

When you mean bath, do you mean dump the keys in bucket with the solution and shake it around? or wet a microfiber cloth with a mixture of Simple Green and wipe them across the keys, 1 at a time?

I've done a simple mixture of simple green 1:1 on surface keys, and it works out quite well.  For key grime that was stuck in deep any my towel couldn't reach, I dumped those keys with a mixture of denture cleaning tablets (I remember reading someplace here as that was what a member recommended) for ~10 minutes and then rinsing them in clean water after they are done "fizzing."  

Denture tablets were cheap, $3 USD for like 40 tablets, I recall.

[wanabe]

i just did the denture tablet thing on some old keys that i had sitting around just to test.  It works well, i think i may go that route in the future instead of doing a simple green soak.

[jaynoon]

My plan was to dump them in a bucket. This Model M is a rescue from a local salvage operation, so it's got some pretty deep grime.

[wanabe]

oh to get back to your original post...I think the only downside may be that water between the stem and keycap may take forever to dry.  It's pretty easy to remove the keycaps, so i usually do it anyways.  you dont need to keep the stem-caps pairs, they can be swapped.

[jaynoon]

I'm not convinced that water won't get in there anyway, so it seems like the right thing to do is separate them. Thanks for the advice.

There are some pictures of the grimy beast here: http://geekhack.org/showthread.php?t=13765

[Azuremen]

Like so?

[jaynoon]

Ahh! Exactly like so. Did you use 1:10 SG:Water or did you just throw some of each in there?

[Azuremen]

Ahh! Exactly like so. Did you use 1:10 SG:Water or did you just throw some of each in there?

Not sure what the ratio was. I've used Simple Green so much I just tend to eyeball it. Probably 1:10 to 1:20 ratio. Doesn't take much to clean most things I've found, from Keys to Bongs.

I usually just let them sit a day or two, then strain the solution off, rinse and strain a few times, then put the caps in like a towel and kind of shake the excess water off. Then laid them out across a towel to let them finish by air drying. It does take a while, especially for the insides of the stems to the bottom half of the key pieces.

I actually blew excess water out of the stems so they'd dry a bit faster.

[Shawn Stanford]

I run mine through the dishwasher. Bottom rack in a colander with a lid of some sort bungied in place. Works like a champ.

[8_INCH_FLOPPY]

Simple green is way to expensive to be used like that.  Denture tablets are the way to go.  you can get 100 of them for about $2.

[ynih]

Simple green is way to expensive to be used like that.  Denture tablets are the way to go.  you can get 100 of them for about $2.

Oh, I don't kno about price, but I chose Denture tablets only because it was way easier.  Pop in a dozen tablets in a bowl, sit for 10 minutes, swirl it around, rinse and you're done!

[jaynoon]

Yeah the denture tablets sound good too, but I already have a gallon of simple green sitting here

It's not really very expensive. I paid 10 bucks for 10 gallons of solution, once diluted at the strongest strength.

[stuiees]

Not sure what the ratio was. I've used Simple Green so much I just tend to eyeball it. Probably 1:10 to 1:20 ratio. Doesn't take much to clean most things I've found, from Keys to Bongs.

You use simple green to clean your bongs?  I have always used rubbing alch with salt or rice.  Does simple green work better?  Do you let it soak or do you fill up the bong and shake it around?

Thanks

[Azuremen]

You use simple green to clean your bongs?  I have always used rubbing alch with salt or rice.  Does simple green work better?  Do you let it soak or do you fill up the bong and shake it around?

Thanks

I just let a strong-ish solution soak for a day or two. I usually just do it because soaking something in rubbing alcohol tends to cost more (I think)

It works pretty damn well provided you don't let them get too gnarly. I also like it because it is very unlikely to stress any plastics, etc that may have been used, and its non-toxic, whatever that means

Ripster, the SG with Bong water to clean keys makes for osmotic delight

[stuiees]

I just let a strong-ish solution soak for a day or two. I usually just do it because soaking something in rubbing alcohol tends to cost more (I think)

It works pretty damn well provided you don't let them get too gnarly. I also like it because it is very unlikely to stress any plastics, etc that may have been used, and its non-toxic, whatever that means

Ripster, the SG with Bong water to clean keys makes for osmotic delight

Thanks for the tips!  Although I only use glass, I will try and soak one of my bowl pieces to test it out.

My only concern is I have some original Jerome Baker Designs from the early 2000's with their stickers still on them.  If I soak them they will obviously be ruined and affect the collector’s value of each piece.


@Ripster
In all seriousness, I often pack down my bowls while I'm smoking with my pointer finger.  I will then suck/lick the ash off my finger and wipe it off before going back to my computer/using my keyboard.
/end confession

[jaynoon]

This thread has gone completely sideways and I love it.

stuiees - I would guess that using those JBDs probably lowers their value more than anything.

[stuiees]

This thread has gone completely sideways and I love it.

stuiees - I would guess that using those JBDs probably lowers their value more than anything.

People want them no matter what.  As long as you clean them really well and change the downstem you wouldnt even be able to tell they had been used.  I am kicking myself for selling a mothership to someone in New York about 4 years ago.  But he paid $650 for it.  Now they are even more rare and I am sure the same peice could now fetch closer to $1k.  Oh well, I still have 3 originals 2000 TB-11, 2000 TB-12, 2002 TB-19.  I also have some other colector glass, but not as noteworthy as the JBD's.