Removing Adhesive From Caps

[MarkPharaoh]

Hey, just got a set of KBC PBTs in the mail, but while pulling them off of the Styrofoam backing they had a good amount of adhesive on the bottom of them.

What do you think is the best way to remove the adhesive?

[kmiller8]

Warm soapy water?

[TheSoulhunter]

Isopropanol (alcohol) or petroleum ether (lighter benzine)

[MarkPharaoh]

Soaked them in water and scrubbed at them with a nail filer. They're better but still very sticky. Rather annoying, but it doesn't affect the actual typing so whatever.

[cactux]

Acetone

[fohat.digs]

Naptha (old-fashioned cigarette lighter fluid) but be careful with it and wash with soapy water immediately afterward. This is best for getting most adhesives (eg price tags) off most everything, but, be warned, it can damage paint and some plastics.

Citrus oil based organic solvents work well, sometimes, too.

[MarkPharaoh]

Thanks for the info everyone, will hit the store sometime soon because between the adhesive and the spacebar being bent it's actually sticking on presses xD

[jabar]

Acetone

You should probably substantiate that that acetone messes ABS keycaps up, chief.

[kmiller8]

You should probably substantiate that that acetone messes ABS keycaps up, chief.

These are PBT

[jabar]

You should probably substantiate that that acetone messes ABS keycaps up, chief.

These are PBT

I know, in case someone else gets a bad idea concerning their ABS keys.

[AKIMbO]

WD40....I use it on old IBM boards all the time.  Coat the residue in WD40 and let it sit for 10 minutes.  Then wipe it off with some soapy water.

[terran5992]

Uppp, currently facing this problem as well , what I am doing us using my fingernails to scrape off the residue , don't know how much longer I can endure , this is a 104 set.

[terran5992]

Foud the cure to this problem,
Scotch Tape.
Able to get rid of the adhesive effortlessly

[fohat.digs]

Tape can be the easiest way, if your tape and the the residue are of similar composition. Also, it usually only works if the residue is fairly fresh.

Often, it seems to me that old keyboards have old residue on them, and that is the hardest to remove.

A chemist once told me that it is easy to get an adhesive to stick, but it is much harder to get it to stick and release. And, over time, some turn to dust, while others become ferocious and etch themselves into the surface.

[JoeC]

Citrus based cleaners CAN and most likely WILL discolor plastics. Especially after exposure to sunlight.  Please use caution.  I like acetone, though it is also dangerous to use, but perhaps less so.  Another thing to use is charcoal lighter fluid (yep, the stuff you use at the company picnic bbq).  I still like to test it for color safety.  Be careful with flammable liquids, please.  Fire in designated location = good... fire in your keyboard = bad. 

[deltr]

You should probably substantiate that that acetone messes ABS keycaps up, chief.

These are PBT

I know, in case someone else gets a bad idea concerning their ABS keys.

I ended up in this thread from seeking ideas to remove the lettering from the keys on my CM Storm QF (ABS), do you just saved me some trouble!