Hi everyone
Please share if you have a trick for cleaning NAD faceplates.
Base finish might be anodised, with white lettering.Dishwashing liquid and elbow grease has failed me
Two stain patterns:
1. Greasy halos around power buttons and pots (thick car-type grease)
2. Overspray (small spots from a solvent maybe?)
Appreciate any suggestions 😊👍
Please share if you have a trick for cleaning NAD faceplates.
Base finish might be anodised, with white lettering.Dishwashing liquid and elbow grease has failed me
Two stain patterns:
1. Greasy halos around power buttons and pots (thick car-type grease)
2. Overspray (small spots from a solvent maybe?)
Appreciate any suggestions 😊👍
Attachments
A tiny amount of dish soap and a damp cloth should lift most if not all of it with no finish damage.
Some solvents, or even heavy pressure, could abrade the silk screen lettering.
Try small amounts (on a soft cotton cloth) of vinegar, WD-40, or deoxIT.
Try small amounts (on a soft cotton cloth) of vinegar, WD-40, or deoxIT.
Thank you both
I will retry with dish soap, and also with vinegar. No magic bullet I guess 🤠
I might even try an hour in a warm bath
(It’s 100% stripped - just metal faceplate and plastic insert)
I wonder if faceplate marks are from the last repairer?
One of the primary stains is around “Tape Monitor” button!
Try a mild glass cleaner like Windex, use with a swab first, clean off residue immediately. Do a small patch, which is why the swab advised.
Some plastics are permanently marked by common solvents like rubbing alcohol and acetone.
Some plastics are permanently marked by common solvents like rubbing alcohol and acetone.
I wouldn't try acetone as it can be pretty harsh. What it looks like to me is someone pretty sloppy who doesn't wash their hands enough and you're seeing people crud. Long ago I worked in a high end audio repair shop and the boss wanted everything washed down. When your gear looks good there are far fewer complaints. We used lots of terry towels and Windex. Smokers were the worst as you would see yellowish goo around the knobs and switches. With the panel removed it will be quite easy to clean. I would be tempted to try the dishwasher but it might lift paints and such. At work I talked them into getting me a diswasher to wash PC boards from broadcast VTRs. The acid bleeds from electrolytic caps will eat the copper off the boards. The dishwaser neutralizes the acid and gets it from under other parts. The boards then got blown mostly dry with a 35 PSI air hose followed by 17 hours in a 120° food dehydrator to truly dry. The boards look new and work great. BTW Tektronix would do the dishwasher process on scopes in for repair recalibration.
G²
G²
Thank you everyone for the advice - much appreciated
I soaked it in warm soapy water for a few hours, intermittently scrubbing with a soft bristled brush.
No change unfortunately
Dishwasher is tempting.
Would you suggest running the dishwasher with:
A. water only (no detergent),
B. dishwasher tablet,
OR
C. dishwasher powder
(with enzymes).
Cheers!
I soaked it in warm soapy water for a few hours, intermittently scrubbing with a soft bristled brush.
No change unfortunately
Dishwasher is tempting.
Would you suggest running the dishwasher with:
A. water only (no detergent),
B. dishwasher tablet,
OR
C. dishwasher powder
(with enzymes).
Cheers!
Use a mild dish wash fluid, or liquid hand soap on a small patch, use a soft cloth soaked in the liquid to rub it gently. Even shampoo will do.
Rinse off immediately.
In the dishwasher, use a liquid detergent intended for woolen fabrics.
Rinse off immediately.
In the dishwasher, use a liquid detergent intended for woolen fabrics.
Krud Kutter is a very effective general purpose cleaner and surfactant. It comes in either a quart spray bottle premixed or a gallon bottle that can be diluted depending on the job...start with a mild mix like 1/2 cup to a gallon of water. It is well known for being able to clean antique furniture without harming delicate finishes like shellac so your silkscreened details should be safe.
Just thinking aloud: sometimes anodized panels get a final transparent varnish/enamel sprayed coat, which dries reasonably hard, precisely to protect anodizing itself, which is porous by definition.
When/if said transparent enamel becomes worn, it degrades or catches dirt , it´s not something you can "dissolve and wipe away" with anything.
Imagine a very scratched dirt encrusted glass window, you can never fully clean it.
You might "polish" it with some very fine abrasive paste but you risk damaging lettering.
When/if said transparent enamel becomes worn, it degrades or catches dirt , it´s not something you can "dissolve and wipe away" with anything.
Imagine a very scratched dirt encrusted glass window, you can never fully clean it.
You might "polish" it with some very fine abrasive paste but you risk damaging lettering.
Last edited:
I'd try the Krud Kutter first if there was a local source. Some products out there do live up to their promise and service advice is usually good because there is feedback from clients when they aren't happy with the results. However, I'm puzzled about replies here that refer to an anodized finish. When I first saw and touched this grey finish on NAD models (It seems like a lifetime ago) I immediately thought it was a paint finish, probably epoxy based and several coats applied, followed by curing in an oven then screen printing and a final sealer coat etc.
With a matt paint or powder coated finish though, you have to consider that the surface will have absorbed whatever chemical stain found its way onto it and that means you'll need to do more than just wipe the surface crud off. You'll also need to cut into the surface with an automotive finish cutting compound, followed by a less aggressive grade, so the uniform, matt finish is somewhat restored. If the stains persist, your only options are to repaint it or fit a replacement from a donor wreck.
This isn't going to be easy for a DIY - I'd look up someone well experienced in custom automotive finishes, where you do occasionally see matt or satin finishes. It's a lot harder than you may think to match colours that have a particular degree of matting so I'd give this some thought because "just trying it myself" is unlikely to be satisfactory where the printed labels also have to be masked.
With a matt paint or powder coated finish though, you have to consider that the surface will have absorbed whatever chemical stain found its way onto it and that means you'll need to do more than just wipe the surface crud off. You'll also need to cut into the surface with an automotive finish cutting compound, followed by a less aggressive grade, so the uniform, matt finish is somewhat restored. If the stains persist, your only options are to repaint it or fit a replacement from a donor wreck.
This isn't going to be easy for a DIY - I'd look up someone well experienced in custom automotive finishes, where you do occasionally see matt or satin finishes. It's a lot harder than you may think to match colours that have a particular degree of matting so I'd give this some thought because "just trying it myself" is unlikely to be satisfactory where the printed labels also have to be masked.
Try a small swab of iso propyl alcohol.
Butyl alcohol, used as screen printing solvent, will work, but it is very strong.
Paint thinners are a no no.
Seems dull anodized, or very thin paint layer judging from the scratch.
Butyl alcohol, used as screen printing solvent, will work, but it is very strong.
Paint thinners are a no no.
Seems dull anodized, or very thin paint layer judging from the scratch.
Sandblasting and repainting is possible, specially at an automotive paint shop, problem is labels need to be sikscreened or some way has to be found to reapply them.
Consider laser printed water decals.
Consider laser printed water decals.
Thanks again everyone - I’ve reassembled and it sounds surprisingly good.
It’s a Christmas present for a 19 year old - we decided it was okay as is (having chickened out on the dishwasher option)
Also, I’ve saved all the recommendations for future reference 😊👍
It’s a Christmas present for a 19 year old - we decided it was okay as is (having chickened out on the dishwasher option)
Also, I’ve saved all the recommendations for future reference 😊👍
One last, out of left field suggestion: dilute ethyl alcohol, commonly sold as vodka.
Use plain vodka, neat, not the flavored stuff, swab with a paper napkin.
Use plain vodka, neat, not the flavored stuff, swab with a paper napkin.
You can print the labels on a laser printer on to self adhesive sheets of PVC, also coated paper.
Somebody with experience in a drawing program like Auto Cad, or Corel Draw will find it easy.
Somebody with experience in a drawing program like Auto Cad, or Corel Draw will find it easy.
Looks like it's solved, but I had good results degreasing with rubbing alcohol. Contrary to earlier poster, I have never seen rubbing alcohol damaging plastics. Acetone, on the other hand can melt some plastics also can damage/remove some silkscreen printed labels.
Alcohols can can sometimes dissolve inks and damage silk screened printing so use with care. White spirits (AKA dry cleaning fluid) is an excellent solvent for grease and I have used it daily for a couple of decades servicing hifi equipment, electronics and musical instruments and have never had damage with paint, ink, timber, metal or plastic surfaces. It takes a few seconds to work and is best with a soft cloth and an old toothbrush to get into corners, cracks and crevices. Buff up afterwards with a soft dry cloth for a 'like new' sheen. Works well on the NAD dark grey paint finish.