Cleaning bare aluminum front panel

[ruairi]

Hi all,

I have an Eico 1030 high voltage tube power supply that works beautifully.  Before it came to me it was stored in a dusty environment and someone tried to wipe it down with some kind of damp cloth, maybe water or alcohol.  The dirt and dust has streaked across the bare aluminum panel.

What's the best approach to clean this?

[floobydust]

I think you clean this in a few passes. You do not want to wreck the silkscreen ink and this probably has a clear-coat over top.

I would use mild dishsoap and warm water and a wet/damp micro-fiber rag to gently wipe off as much dirt as possible. Use (soap+water soaked) q-tips to gently scrub. A used soft toothbrush is also OK, if you make a little puddle and gently scrub an area. Go with the grain of the brushed aluminum finish. Go easy on the lettering and silkscreen.

After that, if needed I use isopropyl alcohol and q-tip to swab off any tough oil/grease remaining stains, get in the nooks and tight spots on the knobs etc.
Try not to flood the switches or meters with water.

It's a nice HV power supply. I would replace the electrolytic capacitors as part of restoration.
https://www.radiomuseum.org/r/eico_1030_regulated_power_supp.html

[ruairi]

Thanks Flooby,

I'm not sure that it has any clear coat, it seems very raw.  Good advice though thanks.

I have a Schlumberger/Heathkit so this is surplus but it works beautifully, I will probably clean it up and sell it, maybe with a recap if needed as you say.