Advice on getting cig tar off Atari vinyl

Wolfsbora

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I have tried Dr. Bronner's peppermint cleaner, and it cleaned the first few layers off but not the yellow. Am I screwed or is that just temporary until the right cleaner comes along?
 

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I've come to use Greased Lightning and a Magic Eraser on just about everything arcade. I find it works very well. I used to used Formula 409 and Simple Green, and they also work fine, but I believe Greased Lightning to be a little better (and they have it for $8 a gallon at my local Home Depot, which is cheaper than the others).

You just have to be careful with the erasers, as they can scratch things like soft plexi and some paints, but just test a small spot if you aren't sure. (And usually the scratching/hazing can be reversed with a wax or polish in most cases I've found, if you do get a little too aggressive.)

I used this to clean my Tempest cab, which had been through a house fire, and had oily black soot bonded to it. So nicotine tar is no problem.
 
Post it if you find something that works. I have tried everything on one of my Centipedes and nothing will touch the yellow. Funny thing, there is a bright white spot on it, that apparently a previous owner had used something that worked, I have tried everything mentioned with no luck.



ps, GO Pens!! Go Steelers!! GO Pirates!!
 

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I would try Simple Green and a melamine foam eraser (magic eraser).
 
I've come to use Greased Lightning and a Magic Eraser on just about everything arcade. I find it works very well. I used to used Formula 409 and Simple Green, and they also work fine, but I believe Greased Lightning to be a little better (and they have it for $8 a gallon at my local Home Depot, which is cheaper than the others).

You just have to be careful with the erasers, as they can scratch things like soft plexi and some paints, but just test a small spot if you aren't sure. (And usually the scratching/hazing can be reversed with a wax or polish in most cases I've found, if you do get a little too aggressive.)

I used this to clean my Tempest cab, which had been through a house fire, and had oily black soot bonded to it. So nicotine tar is no problem.
I picked up some Mean Green from the Kmart that is closing near me. It was only a dollar, plus some Mr. Clean Magic Erasers that were only $2 for a 4 pack.

Hi Have you tried simple green or purple power. I use them both they work pretty good you can find them at Walmart .
I'm finding that the Mean Green that I bought isn't being too effective. I have a big bottle of Simple Green concentrate on its way from Amazon that is supposed to be the strongest kind. I just don't want to harm the artwork, so I'll only be using it on the white-tarred surface.

Post it if you find something that works. I have tried everything on one of my Centipedes and nothing will touch the yellow. Funny thing, there is a bright white spot on it, that apparently a previous owner had used something that worked, I have tried everything mentioned with no luck.



ps, GO Pens!! Go Steelers!! GO Pirates!!
Wow, that is a clean spot!! I wonder what the previous owner had used.

And yeah! GO Pens! GO Steelers! But, sorry, GO Cubs!! (I've been a Cubs fan since I was able to talk).

I would try Simple Green and a melamine foam eraser (magic eraser).
I'll be giving that a go soon. I'll post the results.

The Mean Green is at least helping to eliminate the grey rubbed area at the bottom. I was surprised that the leaves are almost intact. It's taking a ton of elbow grease to get it done. You can see the grey before I attacked it in the pic.
 

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Please, no one try this without using it on an inconspicuous spot first, but..

I found, years ago, that Goof Off cleans Atari screened sideart well, somehow without attacking the inks. Yes, the nasty Goof Off that's a strong solvent and will run you out of the room, not the gentle Goo Gone. I doubt you can remove all of the yellowing, though, as I think the white vinyl has actually yellowed some.
 
I've heard of Goof Off working on some cabs, it does make me nervous since the stuff can eat through a lot of different materials. I've also heard that it will continue to dissolve long after using it if it isn't thoroughly wiped off.

Since this is, and will always be, an original Millipede, how bad is it to swap out the original side art? That is, if I decide that I want it "like new". Is it a personal preference or will it hurt the authenticity of the cab?
 
I almost stopped at the Dollar Tree (it is right next door to the Kmart that is closing). I'll try the Simple Green which is arriving today. It's the "Heavy Duty" kind.
This is the link for it:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00103U3WQ/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

If that doesn't work, I'll grab the LA Awesome.

I actually use Awesome for most of my cleaning. I mix it about 50/50 (water). It will clean your car tires and I used it in a rental carpet cleaner. Turns motor oil purple (I clean car engines with it). Cleans cosmoline off Russian rifles. After using it I always wipe down the thing I cleaned with water.
 
I've heard good things about Awesome. I'm really hoping this Simple Green Heavy Duty does the trick.

Btw, I went to the link in your sig, really impressive lineup! I broke the rules when I brought 2 home... Oh well. I really want to get myself a Nintendo cab.
 
I've heard good things about Awesome. I'm really hoping this Simple Green Heavy Duty does the trick.

Btw, I went to the link in your sig, really impressive lineup! I broke the rules when I brought 2 home... Oh well. I really want to get myself a Nintendo cab.

I'm thinking my next restore is going to be the Playchoice-10 cab. It is so big and heavy I am dreading moving it out of the garage and into the shop.
 
There may be a Playchoice-10 available in town. I'm not sure what he would want for it, but it would be pretty awesome to have. It still has the classic Nintendo shape.
 
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