cleaning up a computer to sell

I found another vintage computer, an IBM PS/2 Model 50 Type 8550021. Its a bit rough on the out side but inside is complete but very dusty.

I did not get the keyboard or monitor, just the box, I'll post a photo tomorrow,

How do you clean up the inside circuit boards without doing any damage, I have seen several references about static damaging things.

I am trying to decide whether to scrap, part it out or try to sell it whole.



thanks again

I got a ps/2 at a garage sale for $2, sold on ebay for $99 inc. shipping. The thing was working great, although the inside was really dusty. I chose not to touch a thing, took pictures, made a note about the condition and sold it as-is. From my experience, there is a very good chance of messing up something inside if you choose to clean it. People buying this stuff know what to expect. If its working just sell as-is. If its not working I would sell it whole as parts/not working, or part it out. I dont think i would just scrap it, but at least you know that you can make a couple bucks doing that as well!

Bear, on other posts, suggested setting up a test station so you know if they work or not, I don't know if this one works or not, I could list it as untested.

I'll have to see if I can come up with some compatable monitor, keyboard. etc

i take dusty ones outside and stick an airhose to em, dust em out good! ; )
mid age boxes using ps2 keyboard and mouse are most common. Older ones usually need a Ps1(larger round plug) keyboard and a serial db9 pin plug mouse (just a couple things needed occasionally for testing/checking older ones out. Most any 15 pin monitor will work on most any IBM compatible computer. These few things will get you through about 90% of computers you'll likely run across

where you're concerned with static just always, when going inside one, stick your finger first to a bare metal part of the computer chassis, before touching anything else. This equalizes any static charges between you and the box. There really isn't much of anything inside there to worry with, even when it's running, unless you have the top off the power supply, but who'd try such a thing? I've poked around in thousands of them plugged up and running, looking for noisy fans, hard drives etc

The only problem with an air hose is if you don't drain the compressor, I have seen them spray like a squirt gun. as long as you don't plug it in for awhile after you blow it out you'll be fine. The other option is caned air (not cheap).

haha, i've always thought it wise not to let that happen, not even when using air tools. The newer ones, since about the mid 50s, have a dandy little drain cock under the tank to drain it with ; )

In the early '90's i was taking apart and cleaning a lot of computers for a company that did that type of thing. It was amazing the failure rate on some of them that had a lot of dirt/dust inside. In fact we came across a bunch that had a "blanket" over the board, sort of like a thick layer of lint from your dryer. Evidently the components couldnt handle the change in operating temperature when we cleaned it, and would fail. I'm sure there are a ton of technical reasons for this, but basically i've learned that if its not broke, dont fix it. Especially if your potential buyer doesnt care anyway.

Of the hundreds and hundreds and hundreds I've done this way, not one single failure. Not sure what was going on at your place, maybe they should have drained the tank?
I also noted many of the filthiest computers, came from some of the "cleanest" offices. My analysis of this was due to the tower having been put under the desk, right straight into the carpet. Computers are designed to utilize very effective air flow patterns, not ignoring the fact that hot air rises, and this was effectively utilized by placing the power supply at the top rear of the unit, drawing the rising warmer air up from the bottom air inlets, and rearward from the front ones. So, the dust kicked up from the carpets all day by the station occupant, was basically sucked right into the computer, where it settled or stuck. Not to mention these computers were left on 24/7/365 so Windows could do it's daily or weekly maintenance at 3am on wednesdays etc. But getting back to the "cleanest offices" part, that wasn't half as bad as the fact a night cleaning crew came through there each and every evening running their vacuum cleaners all around it, and dumping the waste cans and shredded paper buckets right in front of it. ( that's just my theory haha!)

i somehow bumped one with a vac once, while the side cover was off, and the computer was running, the hose was all plastic, so not sure what happened, but it got crashed good

I use ink cartridges to buy compressed air in the can, then I don't feel bad wasting the money.

I was thinking that when i'm doing this on a much larger scale, I might get a proper compressor
and use it for power tools aswell as a dust blower.
think you can just attatch any type of thing onto them like a drill, or a cutter of some sort too.

mostly I want one for the screwdriver attachment, I want the hose hanging down over the bench
so when I want to screw I just pull it down, then release and it rolls back up and away.

In the job i was in we would take off the motherboard, soak it in an acid based chemical wash, then rinse with a "soap" like solution to neutralize the acid, then rinse with deionized water and blow off with an air hose the remaining moisture (we used to blow it off with freon, but ya know that changed lol). Then we would bake them in an oven at 120 degrees for 2+hours. 95%+ sucess rate on those. The old ones that had the massive layer of dust we would just blow off with air and they died like crazy. Go figure

that's all news to me, i never had one die after doing that, and i created some serious dust storms airing them off too, not sure why yours died and mine didn't

I do the same as Bear, never had a problem. I do this with the game consoles as well, 360 sucks in a ton of dust, probably why alot of them fail.

I have a little electric compressor, take them out on the porch, and stand downwind.