Help! How to tidy up ratty rat fur?

[Jean-Luc Pickguard]

My 1212L has had a hard life, and like a fool I never bothered getting a roqsolid cover for it.

 

The rat fur is living up to its name and is now rather ratty. It has pilled up in some areas like an old woolly jumper, and seems to have grabbed it’s weight in dust, fluff, hair, and other detritus. If it was tolexed or had a tuffcab finish it would probably clean up with a wipe of a damp cloth, but the rat fur is not so easy to clean. Ideally I’d like to strip off the rat fur and tuff-cab it, but that is probably more of an involved process than I can undertake at the moment so I want to spruce it up—and then once it is clean & tidy I’ll order a roqsolid cover.

 

Any tips for cleaning it up from anyone who has done similar?
 

I’m planning to hoover it first, maybe after brushing it with a semi-soft brush, then use the sticky side of some gaffa tape like a lint roller to get more stubborn dirt/dust out of it, then a wipe down with a damp cloth.—Does that sound like a reasonable way to approach the job? How should I tackle the pilled areas? Would something like a JML Bobble-off shaver for jumpers work?

Edited August 27, 2022 by Jean-Luc Pickguard

[Dan Dare]

Rat fur was originally a carpet material developed for the auto industry (the original product name was Ozite). Ozite itself was hardwearing and durable and would clean up well. It is often attached to cabs with tough 2 part adhesive, making it difficult to remove. Many cab manufacturers used cheaper copies of it, which is not such good news. Really cheap versions did not have a vinyl backing beneath the fur. They can be a real nightmare to remove and leave bits of fur and glue all over the cab, so cleaning/refurbing rather than replacement is sensible unless you have endless patience.

 

Your plan - hoover after brushing (I'd try a stiffish carpet brush), then use the sticky side of some gaffa tape like a lint roller to get more stubborn dirt/dust out of it - sounds a good way to go. You can use even wet carpet cleaner and a scrubbing brush on decent quality rat fur once you have removed the surface dirt, but obviously it would be sensible to remove drive units, wiring etc first and allow to dry thoroughly before re-assembling.

 

You have little option other than to shave pilled areas. With luck, it won't leave them looking too threadbare unless the pilling is really severe. Have fun.

[yorks5stringer]

I usually just put mine though the washing machine on the delicates setting....

Edited August 27, 2022 by yorks5stringer

[PaulThePlug]

Cheapy hair trimmer?

[Downunderwonder]

Dunno if they still make them but once upon a time there were medieval torture devices disguised as hair trimmers that consisted of a handle and comb guard which took a standard safety razor blade.

[binky_bass]

One word for you.

 

Debobbler. 

[BassBod]

Nylon washing up brush, small circular sweeps, leave it for ten minutes.  Repeat as much as you can stand.  This works for old SWR's pretty well but may not be so good for cheaper versions of rat fur...