what's best to clean grime off 70s/80s synth panels?

[controlvoltage]

I'm talking 30 yrs worth of fingerprints around the dials and the dust adhered to it, without damaging the old paint silkscreened onto the metal panels. Specifically my MS-10 and Jupiter 6... any recommendations?

Thanks!

[Reptil]

diswashing soap, soft cloth.

[teamsterjim]

Sorry I respectfully disagree. Solvent that disappates, without removing paint.
PC mechanics get the 99.9% Alchocol at Frye's or other Electronics outlets.
It's like either as you can apply it lightly and watch it disappate.
Cotton Balls are also good becasue they can help act as a scrubber without scrathing.
I can remove Artic Silver from my CPU with this stuff effortlessly....

[W-W-Int]

Originally Posted by teamsterjim

Sorry I respectfully disagree. Solvent that disappates, without removing paint.
PC mechanics get the 99.9% Alchocol at Frye's or other Electronics outlets.
It's like either as you can apply it lightly and watch it disappate.
Cotton Balls are also good becasue they can help act as a scrubber without scrathing.
I can remove Artic Silver from my CPU with this stuff effortlessly....

you can also remove old oxidized paint with any alcohol content greater than 70% effortlessly too. as in the question at hand. never use alcohol to clean the painted areas of an old keyboard you can seriously remove paint with that stuff.

what reptil said is the best way. dish soap and water. what i'd like to add however is do that after a complete teardown

keys; take all of them out and soak in a bucket of warm (not hot) soapy water. then wash them individually and rinse and let stand overnight to dry.

wood case elements; murphy's oil soap (follow directions on bottle) then completely dry off. either oil the wood or sand lightly and blow off and varnish/stain varnish etc...

metal case parts; wash with warm soapy water and a 100% cotton rag/towell/old t-shirt etc... do not let water sit on bare metal. dry off thoroughly. sand off any rust spots on bare metal and apply light coat of oil to prevent future rust. another handy trick is sand rust spots on internal bare metal and clean off all rust and spray with cheap areosol hair spray (it'll form a thin vinyl coating)

[Altitude909]

Simple green works great for all sorts of funk and is gentle enough never to hurt anything. I'd be super careful with solvents, test them on a part that is not visible. Made that mistake and messed up a 606 with some electroincs grade IPA

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[Futureman84]

Baby wipes!

Serious.. They are great at removing crud, and are gentle too.

[LoGiCa]

When I service any synth I buy I dismatle it completely and wash the Case, keys and any non electronic parts in the bath with dish washing soap (fairy liquid in the U.K.). Then repolish any plastic parts withy Novus plastic polishes.