best way to clean out dust from cabinet?

playthegame119

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I just bought a space invaders deluxe cabinet and the insides have a good coat of dust inside. Its my first cabinet and I don't know the right wrong ways. After taking out the boards I'm not sure what is a safe product to use. I'd guess those multisurface cleaning wipes but would the corner attachment for a vaccine be safe? Thanks for the help
 
Compressed air, a vacuum and a damp rag or swiffer cloth are what I normally use to dust out the inside of my cabinets.

Keep in mind that cleaning the game board is a different story. I use compressed air, contact cleaner and a small brush. I've read a lot in the forum of people using Simple Green or the dishwasher to clean their PCB but, I've never tried them myself.
 
Thanks, I will try cleaning it a bit tonight but, like you said, ill be a lot more careful with the boards when cleaning them
 
first thing i do is vacuum the bottom of the inside of the cab (use the bristle brush attachment for your vac if you still have it) then blast the entire cab outside with my air compressor (with the main pcb removed if possible), and definitely the monitor chassis (use low psi 40-60 imo). Then once inside many rags, with water or simple green/pinesol then water, clean the monitor with glass cleaner, wipe the plastic pieces down with a damp rag as well.

Cabinets with non painted interiors don't come out quite as well but you can still use the same method, just do the dry ways of cleaning the interior a little more thoroughly (air compressor, vacuum).

here's some before and afters. (that 1st one is a non painted interior after pic is pre wiping down with a damp cloth about 20 times).

on the bare wood interior cabs i hear breaking out the sander does wonders.
 

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Leaf blower.

I hope it not a bad for an arcade game, but every new game I get. Put it outside, then I open the the coin doors, marquee area, back panels up, and use a leaf blower on it. So far, none of my games have problems from doing this.
 
Depends on the cabinet, but I use pledge on a lot of the insides of cabinets. Just do it in a well ventilated area.
 
+1 for the most original idea!!!


Leaf blower.

I hope it not a bad for an arcade game, but every new game I get. Put it outside, then I open the the coin doors, marquee area, back panels up, and use a leaf blower on it. So far, none of my games have problems from doing this.
 
first thing i do is vacuum the bottom of the inside of the cab (use the bristle brush attachment for your vac if you still have it) then blast the entire cab outside with my air compressor (with the main pcb removed if possible),

Anyone else using full size air compressors? Cheaper than buying cans of air all of the time?

Also why do you take out the PCB? To put in the dish washer?
 
Anyone else using full size air compressors? Cheaper than buying cans of air all of the time?

Also why do you take out the PCB? To put in the dish washer?

it keeps all the dust i blow around with the compressor off the pcb out of chips and sockets (well it keeps extra from getting on there i guess), i blow that off separately.
 
The best way is of course to hire this person to do it for you...

images
 
No matter what, NEVER vacuum a PCB because you will destroy it in short order. Most of use use Shop Vacs for cleaning cabinets out, and with the high air flow through the plastic nozzle, a strong static charge builds up.

For bare wood interiors, I've got a DeWalt random orbit sander and a Shop Vac attached to it's dust collection port in place of the catcher. The light sanding removes the grime on the surface of the wood, and the vacuum draws the dust through the holes in the sanding pad so there's no mess afterwards.
 
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