[WP-34S] Protecting stickered keys

[Marcel Samek]

The sticker overlays for the WP-34S are nice quality and the surface itself seems quite tough. However, over time mine have shown a tendency to wear a bit from the edges (where they were cut) and on occasion lift up a bit from the key if I am sloppy with how I drag my fingers.

A couple of months ago, as an experiment, I carefully applied clear nail-polish to the + key on my WP-34S calculator. My goal was to see how well it would hold protect the sticker over time. I was especially interested to see if I made sure to cover the edge of the sticker, how well it would behave over time. It did very well.

So, a few weeks ago, after a bit of research into the difference between base coat, clear nail polish, and top coat, I applied multiple layers of top-coat to an entire row of keys on the WP-34S.

First I used a black sharpie to color the edges of the stickers and any scratches. Then I applied a layer of top coat, making sure it beaded over the edge of the sticker (to protect the edge) but did not drip down the side of the key. After letting it dry for a few hours, I repeated the process for 3 layers.

I wish I had gone to the nail salon and had them do it because the surface is not as smooth as professionally done nails. Nevertheless, now that I have used it for a while, I am very happy with the results. Previously the stickers had a tendency to show a bit of white at the edges, and you could definitely feel a bit of friction if you dragged your finger along the edge of the sticker. Now, the buttons feel smooth with the edge of the sticker being well protected. There have been no scratches or wear to those keys at all.

The one thing to be careful of, I found out, is that the top coat seems to dissolve the sharpie. If I dragged too much from the edge of the button towards the center when applying the top coat, I got a little bleeding of black. Next time I will experiment with other markers to see if I can find one that does not dissolve.

I just got a new WP-34S (with Harald's board) and intend to take it to a nail salon and have them do a professional job painting multiple layers on all the keys for me.