De-yellowing your VIC-20 case

History and Preservation Issues

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vicassembly
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De-yellowing your VIC-20 case

Post by vicassembly »

I found the following site and was intrigued. Perhaps someone on here may want to try it or already has....

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

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

Regards,

Jonathan
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orion70
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Post by orion70 »

Excellent! I'd try it, if I knew the Italian equivalent of Oxi Magic and Arrowroot... :?
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tokra
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Post by tokra »

There's lots of more information here:

http://retr0bright.wikispaces.com/
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nbla000
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Post by nbla000 »

wow :shock:

Btw for my Vic-20s I've used another product (For industrial use only) that without prepare any paste gives similar result with a little bit of elbow grease but not too much. :wink:

I do not remember the name of the product, it's a yellow liquid btw I will check the name and if possible take a photo.
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orion70
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Post by orion70 »

Yes please nbla!!!
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akator
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Post by akator »

orion70 wrote:Yes please nbla!!!
I'm interested as well, nbla :)

Retrobrite works, but I've had uneven and unpredictable results with the paste. Immersion in liquid has worked much better, but large quantities of hydrogen peroxide are required for larger items. Gallons of H2O2 are not cheap :(
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nbla000
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Post by nbla000 »

I 've taken the photos but I've not copied them from the camera to my pc yet :?

and before you ask I'm not at home at the moment :wink:
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Pedro Lambrini
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Post by Pedro Lambrini »

Hey, are at home yet nbla000? :P

I'd be interested to know what this product is. I have tried the Retr0bright method a couple of times but haven't had much luck...
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a4000bear
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An alternative to Retr0brite

Post by a4000bear »

I have heard reports that a strong sodium percarbonate solution will remove yellowing from plastic too.

I tried it for myself and it works very well.

In Australia, sodium percarbonate can be purchased in supermarkets as an 'oxy booster' for laundry use. Brand names include 'Nappi-San' and 'White King 5 in 1 oxy-lift booster'

These boosters appear to be different to the ones specified in the Retr0brite site as their boosters contain 'tetra acetyl ethylene diamine'.

According to Wikipedia, sodium percarbonate releases hydrogen peroxide when dissolved in water. Its quite likely that tetra acetyl ethylene diamine is also present in the products I tested, though in trace amounts, and were not specified on the label. This would make it "retr0brite in a can"

I used it by mixing half a bottle (500 grams) of Nappi-San into 5 litres of warm water in a large shallow tray. My orange coloured VIC-20 case was submerged in the solution and placed outside in the sun. I checked progress about every 30 minutes. After an hour of hot Aussie midday sun, the yellowing was half gone. But then the clouds rolled in.... Despite this, by the end of the day, the yellowing was 99% gone.

From what I can see, the performance is similar to Retr0brite, but the big advantage is that sodium percarbonate is so cheap and readily available.

One small hint, before submerging your item in the solution, clean it thoroughly and remove any grease or fingerprints with methylated spirits.
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Pedro Lambrini
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Post by Pedro Lambrini »

I'll need to give that a try - once the sun comes out again! Have you mentioned this over at the Retr0bright forum thread? I'm sure they'd be interested to know. :)
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nbla000
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Post by nbla000 »

Pedro Lambrini wrote:Hey, are at home yet nbla000? :P
I was very busy last month btw I've taken some photos of the product so as soon as I find time, I will post them someware and update this thread.
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nbla000
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Post by nbla000 »

OK as promised this is the product that I use with excellent results and a bit of work :wink:

http://postimage.org/image/2uueiqf50/

Image
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Schema
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Post by Schema »

Does it just clean or does it actually de-yellow the plastic itself?
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nbla000
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Post by nbla000 »

Schema wrote:Does it just clean or does it actually de-yellow the plastic itself?
The second you said but with a bit of work :wink:
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orion70
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Post by orion70 »

Good to know, thanks! Where did you find it (in Italy)?
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