HP-35 cleanning

[teenix]

Good job, it looks great.

I have touched up some Classics using the same method as well. I usually clean the casing with a soft cloth lightly soaked with warm soapy water, followed by plain warm water. When dry, I use tape to mask any black plastic areas that the pen tip might accidently touch. I then lightly scuff the silver area with a small piece of very fine grit emery paper. Light application doesn't damage the plastic and can help remove any tiny ridges where the original silver may have peeled off. It also gives a dull surface for the new paint to adhere to. This is followed by a quick wipe of the prepared surface with a dry soft cloth with just a hint of isopropyl alcohol on it.

I have found that to get the best results, you should prepare yourself to draw one continuous line on the surface that is being touched up. If you try to stop and start drawing small lines across the surface, the paint is applied unevenly and can give a messy blobby appearance. The paint pen nib is wide enough to retouch the sides and bottom areas in one pass, and maybe two passes are required for the wider top bar under the display.

Sometimes a repeat is required after drying as any originally exposed black plastic areas might still show through.

The paint is not as hardy as the original silver coating, but it still creates a nice appearance.

cheers

Tony