[Coco] OT: Amstrad Penpad... melting?

[Robert Gault]

Diego Barizo wrote:

> A few weeks ago, I noticed that my Amstrad Penpad seems to be melting.
> I guess that at some point it was cleaned with some product that should 
> not have been used, and now it's sticky, just as if the plastic material 
> was melting very slowly. Anyone has any suggestions about how to solve 
> this problem?
> 
> Diego
> 

Hard to say without knowing the type of plastic but incorrect cleaning is not 
required to produce this result. Many plastics will, with time, exude the 
plasticizers and become tacky. This can also happen with garden hoses. You can't 
clean off the material with soap and water because it is water insoluble. Any 
organic solvents like chlorinated solvents, paint cleaners, acetone, or benzene 
will probably also dissolve the plastic case. If you are very lucky isopropyl 
alcohol (rubbing alcohol) at 80-100% strength might remove the tackiness (it 
will not hurt the plastic) but probably not.

Paint thinner that is pure petroleum distillate would probably be the best 
choice for both cleaning off the goo and preservation of the plastic. Test it on 
a small part of the surface in question to be sure you won't cause more damage. 
Make you test where there is lots of ventilation and no flame or sparks.