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In message <> , Peter Huebner
wrote:

> No drinks allowed within 1/2 a metre of my keyboard or above the computer.

No food or drinks in my office full stop.

Somewhere on teh intarwebs AD. wrote:
> On May 5, 11:27 am, bruce.sincl...@NOSPAMORELSEagresearch.NOTco.NOTnz
> (Bruce Sinclair) wrote:
>> I recall an old Massey computer instruction sheet which had on it
>> somewhere (IIRC) ...
>>
>> If you are going to pour coffee on your keyboard, please don't put
>> sugar in it.
>
> That must've been my saviour - when I did this the full cup of coffee
> had no sugar or milk in it.
>
> Mind you - after soaking into the keyboard it went on to soak right
> through the guts of the ThinkPad R51 that belonged to that keyboard.
>
> After quickly yanking out the battery, then cleaning and drying all
> the bits I could take apart - the machine still worked and is still
> going strong years later (although I'm starting to want a faster one
> these days).
>
> Apologies to anyone whose already heard about that one before

ThinkPads are bloody well made... Well, at least up to 2006 / 2007 when the
last of the IBM-designed machines were still available.

If that R51's getting a bit too slow for you now I suggest that you keep
your eyes on some Trademe auctions for T60s. They're the last of the 'real'
ThinkPads (4:3), (in fact some very knowledgable folks seem to think that
they are / were the best ThinkPad ever made) are dual-core and can be had
very cheaply right now if you get the right auction.

(I got one for a mate last week for $200. Core Duo 1.83GHz, Intel graphics
but lacking a battery and adapter. An adapter's only another ~$50 or so, if
that....)
--
Shaun.

"He who fights with monsters might take care lest he thereby become a
monster. And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also
into you." Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche

In article <>, Msgr Scooter <aqc.zwoau@fshccqg.123> wrote:
>On , , Wed, 04 May 2011 23:27:44 GMT, Re: Spilt a hot lemon drink over my
>keyboard, (Bruce Sinclair)
>wrote:
>>In article <>, nospam
> <> wrote:
>>>I've spilt a hot sticky lemon and honey drink over my keyboard.
>>>Actually I managed to collect two keyboards coz one was leaning up
>>>against my computer on the floor.
>>>
>>>Is there any way to clean this up? Will the keyboard work if I let it
>>>dry out or are they now junk?
>>>
>>>(It was Barkers lemon and barley fruit syrup. (with Vitamin C))
>>
>> I recall an old Massey computer instruction sheet which had on it
>>somewhere (IIRC) ...
>>
>>If you are going to pour coffee on your keyboard, please don't put sugar in
>>it.
>
>I was asked once to fix a keyboard that had had milk poured onto it on Friday
>morning and nothing done until Tuesday morning.
>It was like yoghurt and what appeared to be lactic acid had etched the copper
>tracks on the film under the keycaps.

Plenty of sugar in milk ... largely lactose.
Don't know what made the etched like marks.

In article <bcd0d0eb-08fe-4b51-8b23->, "AD." <> wrote:
>On May 5, 11:27=A0am, bruce.sincl...@NOSPAMORELSEagresearch.NOTco.NOTnz
>(Bruce Sinclair) wrote:
>> I recall an old Massey computer instruction sheet which had on it
>> somewhere (IIRC) ...
>>
>> If you are going to pour coffee on your keyboard, please don't put sugar =
>in
>> it.
>
>That must've been my saviour - when I did this the full cup of coffee
>had no sugar or milk in it.
>
>Mind you - after soaking into the keyboard it went on to soak right
>through the guts of the ThinkPad R51 that belonged to that keyboard.
>
>After quickly yanking out the battery, then cleaning and drying all
>the bits I could take apart - the machine still worked and is still
>going strong years later (although I'm starting to want a faster one
>these days).
>
>Apologies to anyone whose already heard about that one before

... and my other half spilt maybe 3 mL of coffee on a cell phone ... which
immediately stopped working !

I see recent adds for water resistant ones ... and am amazed that people
stand for this sort uselessness by design in the 'leaks like a sieve'
department ! Guys, that's broken.

On , , Sun, 08 May 2011 23:47:30 GMT, Re: Spilt a hot lemon drink over my
keyboard, (Bruce Sinclair)
wrote:

>In article <>, Msgr Scooter <aqc.zwoau@fshccqg.123> wrote:
>>On , , Wed, 04 May 2011 23:27:44 GMT, Re: Spilt a hot lemon drink over my
>>keyboard, (Bruce Sinclair)
>>wrote:
>>>In article <>, nospam
>> <> wrote:
>>>>I've spilt a hot sticky lemon and honey drink over my keyboard.
>>>>Actually I managed to collect two keyboards coz one was leaning up
>>>>against my computer on the floor.
>>>>
>>>>Is there any way to clean this up? Will the keyboard work if I let it
>>>>dry out or are they now junk?
>>>>
>>>>(It was Barkers lemon and barley fruit syrup. (with Vitamin C))
>>>
>>> I recall an old Massey computer instruction sheet which had on it
>>>somewhere (IIRC) ...
>>>
>>>If you are going to pour coffee on your keyboard, please don't put sugar in
>>>it.
>>
>>I was asked once to fix a keyboard that had had milk poured onto it on Friday
>>morning and nothing done until Tuesday morning.
>>It was like yoghurt and what appeared to be lactic acid had etched the copper
>>tracks on the film under the keycaps.
>
>Plenty of sugar in milk ... largely lactose.
>Don't know what made the etched like marks.

It is the only thing I can think of.
The gunge had a yoghurt like smell and consistency.
It had been there for four days, the tracks were black and when I scratched at
them there was no copper tracking left and the remaining tracks at the end of
the damage were coppery.
The child swore and declared it was only milk but then it didn't tell her mother
at all, it wasn't until the mother found the damage that the child came up with
that explanation.

--
"The law, in its majestic equality, forbids the rich as well as the poor
to sleep under bridges, to beg in the streets, and to steal bread."
Anatole France.

In article <>, Msgr Scooter <aqc.zwoau@fshccqg.123> wrote:
>On , , Sun, 08 May 2011 23:47:30 GMT, Re: Spilt a hot lemon drink over my
>keyboard, (Bruce Sinclair)
>wrote:
(snip)
>>>I was asked once to fix a keyboard that had had milk poured onto it on Friday
>>>morning and nothing done until Tuesday morning.
>>>It was like yoghurt and what appeared to be lactic acid had etched the copper
>>>tracks on the film under the keycaps.
>>
>>Plenty of sugar in milk ... largely lactose.
>>Don't know what made the etched like marks.
>
>It is the only thing I can think of.
>The gunge had a yoghurt like smell and consistency.
>It had been there for four days, the tracks were black and when I scratched at
>them there was no copper tracking left and the remaining tracks at the end of
>the damage were coppery.
>The child swore and declared it was only milk but then it didn't tell her
> mother
>at all, it wasn't until the mother found the damage that the child came up with
>that explanation.

Yes, fermentation products are acidic, but that much damage in 4 days ?
Was it in the sun ?

On , , Tue, 10 May 2011 23:09:08 GMT, Re: Spilt a hot lemon drink over my
keyboard, (Bruce Sinclair)
wrote:

>In article <>, Msgr Scooter <aqc.zwoau@fshccqg.123> wrote:
>>On , , Sun, 08 May 2011 23:47:30 GMT, Re: Spilt a hot lemon drink over my
>>keyboard, (Bruce Sinclair)
>>wrote:
>(snip)
>>>>I was asked once to fix a keyboard that had had milk poured onto it on Friday
>>>>morning and nothing done until Tuesday morning.
>>>>It was like yoghurt and what appeared to be lactic acid had etched the copper
>>>>tracks on the film under the keycaps.
>>>
>>>Plenty of sugar in milk ... largely lactose.
>>>Don't know what made the etched like marks.
>>
>>It is the only thing I can think of.
>>The gunge had a yoghurt like smell and consistency.
>>It had been there for four days, the tracks were black and when I scratched at
>>them there was no copper tracking left and the remaining tracks at the end of
>>the damage were coppery.
>>The child swore and declared it was only milk but then it didn't tell her
>> mother
>>at all, it wasn't until the mother found the damage that the child came up with
>>that explanation.
>
> Yes, fermentation products are acidic, but that much damage in 4 days ?
>Was it in the sun ?

It was summer and the keyboard was in the sun.

--
"The law, in its majestic equality, forbids the rich as well as the poor
to sleep under bridges, to beg in the streets, and to steal bread."
Anatole France.

(Bruce Sinclair) wrote:

> Yes, fermentation products are acidic...

BTW, it's the products of oxidation that are typically acidic.
Fermentation products may be, too, but typically less so, though I
suppose alcohols might add to corrosiveness.

Regards, John

In article <230fa2b5-826d-4931-b229->, John Little <> wrote:
>(Bruce Sinclair) wrote:
>
>> Yes, fermentation products are acidic...
>
>BTW, it's the products of oxidation that are typically acidic.
>Fermentation products may be, too, but typically less so, though I
>suppose alcohols might add to corrosiveness.

Alcohols usually add penetration ... meaning the acidic bits can get where
they ought not to be.

"In the sun" is not a good idea for milky keyboards.
To the OP ... has the cleaned up keyboardf recovered ?

On , , Wed, 11 May 2011 23:24:45 GMT, Re: Spilt a hot lemon drink over my
keyboard, (Bruce Sinclair)
wrote:

>In article <230fa2b5-826d-4931-b229->, John Little <> wrote:
>>(Bruce Sinclair) wrote:
>>
>>> Yes, fermentation products are acidic...
>>
>>BTW, it's the products of oxidation that are typically acidic.
>>Fermentation products may be, too, but typically less so, though I
>>suppose alcohols might add to corrosiveness.
>
>Alcohols usually add penetration ... meaning the acidic bits can get where
>they ought not to be.
>
>"In the sun" is not a good idea for milky keyboards.
>To the OP ... has the cleaned up keyboardf recovered ?

A new keyboard was purchased.

--
"The law, in its majestic equality, forbids the rich as well as the poor
to sleep under bridges, to beg in the streets, and to steal bread."
Anatole France.