Retr0bright

[Jmneuv]

Reading about the foam problem I did some Oxi pretesting:

1/3 teaspoon powder dissolved in 100ml almost boiling water, then filled up to 500ml with tap water.
The solution stays somewhat cloudy and some of the powder settles and doesn't dissolve.
Now i'm wondering if that's going to be clearer with actual H2O2 and whether the lime in the water adds to the effect.

[Input Nirvana]

I've done a more simple version of Retrobrite.... Oxy Clean (or an equal product). I used the strongest "formula" which if for washing clothes and various things,then put in the sun. Cheap. Easy. Can repeat anytime. No health hazard.

[Jmneuv]

Interesting. Some wiki reading hints at H2O2 being segregated from sodium percarbonate during use of Oxi bleach, so it probably is still retr0bright in the end.

Unfortunately my turn is on hold due to shit weather the whole week.

[Halvar]

1/3 teaspoon powder dissolved in 100ml almost boiling water, then filled up to 500ml with tap water.
The solution stays somewhat cloudy and some of the powder settles and doesn't dissolve.
Now i'm wondering if that's going to be clearer with actual H2O2 and whether the lime in the water adds to the effect.

I had the same problem, the solution stayed milky, but in my case the powder dissolved eventually after enough stirring and time. Since I used cream developer instead of a pure H2O2 solution from the beginning, the whole thing was never clear anyway but more yoghurty or whatever similar analogy you prefer.

I guess if you use a clear H2O2 solution then the whole solution will be pretty much translucent too.

[matt3o]

I'd advice using clear h2o2 and liquid vanish. they turned out working very well together. but I guess these solutions all works if you get a decent UV source

[Jmneuv]

Finally my attempt is underway.

Managed to get my oxi powder solution clear this time by doing 2 things:
.used distilled water at ~80°C (we have a fair amount of lime in the tap water)
.ground the powder finer on a piece of paper with a tool handle (just a quick pass)
this also helped to dissolve it pretty much instantly
(was too stingy to buy liquid vanish)

[Jmneuv]

Retr0bright is good for you!
.. after 2 mornings (~4 hours) in the plastic bottle in direct sunlight (and the rest of the first days in the shade).
First day removed the yellowing, 2nd was for good measure.

P1040434.jpg (228.39 KiB) Viewed 6673 times

P1040442.jpg (256.4 KiB) Viewed 6673 times

[Muirium]

Always amazing to see it in action.

But does it last?

[Jmneuv]

Of course this will not be tried.
Caps remain in a box while i continue using my RD.

[domin8r]

Just saw this "lifehack" at Cracked, anyone tried this on keyboards?

[002]

I would take anything you read on cracked.com with a generous pinch of salt. There doesn't seem to be any explanation accompanying this picture on that article and couldn't find anything else mentioning lemon juice to reverse the effects of ABS plastic yellowing. I reckon it's BS.

[ne0phyte]

Lemon juice + sun does brighten (people use it to brighten their hair) but I doubt it works that good on plastics.

[matt3o]

do the same with just h2o2. I paid 1lt 130vol €1.20...

[Jmneuv]

strooong and cheeeaap ... you got it from the wood bleachers?

As to whether the retr0 will last.. i don't plan to put any abs plastics into direct sunlight since i know about the yellowing problematic.
I have one key of the set in use, keeping a close eye on it every day.

[Muirium]

Thanks, Jmneuv. It's for science!

[matt3o]

yes, it comes from a wood bleacher

it's 20 or even 30 yo plastic... of course it won't last as it were new but I would be happy even if it holds for 2-3 more years.

[collector of junk]

my "experiments" so far are .
half a litre of warm (hard) water and 2 scoops of oxy powder (asda own brand) >30% bleaching agent in two days of goodish sun (east of England) really cleaned half my set of tulip double shots and they where very yellow . yes the mixture did go cloudy but soon settled out .

next tried hydrogen peroxide 200ml ( 6% 20vols) and 1 scoop of oxy but only really had half a day of sun and seems nothing happened .now been outside in cloudy weather for at least 3 days

so it seems oxy and sun seems to work best
wonders if the warm water helped !
what about a light well ???

will update

[mr_a500]

I've been aware of retrobrighting since it was first suggested back in 2008 - but I never had a pressing need to try it until now. I just got a keyboard that looked white in pictures, but ended up being fairly "banana-like".

Always amazing to see it in action.

But does it last?

After all my dreams of "de-yellow-ifying" all my vintage stuff, I saw this page and all my hopes came crashing down like a Chinese amusement park:

http://www.classic-computers.org.nz/blo ... porary.htm

[matt3o]

I'm also running an experiment. I retrobrighted a set of caps last year and photographed with reference white. Time to check the current status.

@collector of junk, you are doing something wrong, maybe peroxide is a bit old?

[collector of junk]

still after four years not bad !!
I've got to do a case etc yet so we'll see
and like I say one tub of oxy £3 worth a try

[Muirium]

After all my dreams of "de-yellow-ifying" all my vintage stuff, I saw this page and all my hopes came crashing down like a Chinese amusement park:

http://www.classic-computers.org.nz/blo ... porary.htm

Funny you should mention that. I linked to it last year:

http://deskthority.net/keyboards-f2/ret ... t6084.html

Halvar's post at the bottom of the page is the most coherent explanation for what could be happening. Retrobright isn't magic, at best it is a patch.

[matt3o]

I took back the keycaps I retrobrighted last year. If it's sunny tomorrow I'll take the same reference pictures. At first sight I wouldn't say they re-yellowed much (if at all).

[Muirium]

Good sign. There's definitely a lot of variables at play. Especially whether the treated plastic has been kept out of UV light, and heat. I'd keep your experiment running for several years if it's not inconvenient, to get a sequence of pictures.

[matt3o]

Good sign. There's definitely a lot of variables at play. Especially whether the treated plastic has been kept out of UV light, and heat. I'd keep your experiment running for several years if it's not inconvenient, to get a sequence of pictures.

I believe it's all down to how much they are yellowed to begin with, but anyway I'll keep the experiment going for the years to come. I have no use for those keys (they are the spares I won't use from an ALPS set).

[Halvar]

I believe it's all down to how much they are yellowed to begin with,

I think so, too. We had an earlier thread about the re-yellowing effect where we theorized about it:

http://deskthority.net/keyboards-f2/ret ... t6084.html

[002]

I'm sure I read somewhere that it would be possible to use some sort of sealant coating to prevent or reduce the re-yellowing. I wonder if you reapplied retr0Bright enough times it would eventually eliminate most of the bromine (and hence yellowing) but leave your keyboard case/caps a combustible hazard?

[mr_a500]

I'd be willing to risk spontaneous combustion to have an un-yellowed keyboard.

[woody]

I'm sure I read somewhere that it would be possible to use some sort of sealant coating to prevent or reduce the re-yellowing. I wonder if you reapplied retr0Bright enough times it would eventually eliminate most of the bromine (and hence yellowing) but leave your keyboard case/caps a combustible hazard?

I think the bromine remains intact, it is not eliminated.
Maybe UV coat?
Anyway, take all this with a grain of oxy powder.

[matt3o]

If it's sunny tomorrow I'll take the same reference pictures.

ps: of course today is raining...

[Halvar]

I'm sure I read somewhere that it would be possible to use some sort of sealant coating to prevent or reduce the re-yellowing.

Yes:

To permanently prevent the yellowing from returning, just coat the parts with a clear acrylic varnish.

The yellowing needs oxigen from the air, so it should theoretically be sufficient to shield the surface from air. But who wants to put a layer of varnish on his keyboard or even keycaps?