Plastic Discoloration in Classic Machines
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Great article.
I wonder when the fire-retardant additives came into use? The reason I say this is that I have several 2-prong VIC-20s which are very white. My main VIC-20 which sits in a sun-porch is still quite white. Maybe the early VICs had no fire-retardant added, and therefore will yellow quite a bit more slowly.
However, I purchased a CR DIN style VIC last year, which was the YELLOWEST VIC-20 I have ever personally seen. It is quite a shock to see the two side by side.
Anyway, it seems that yellowing is really inevitable. I will just enjoy my VICs, keep them cared for, but not obsess about staving off what is impossible to stave off. When they yellow badly, I will just paint them as close as I can get to the original colour, and that should give them another 10 years before it becomes a problem again.
Also interesting side-bar about the Magic Erasers. I have found these AMAZING for cleaning up dirtly electronics. As long as you are careful, they really don't abrade the original plastic (and if they do you'd need to use them for hours on the same spot before you'd notice). It's good to know they work on the abrasion principle and don't actually contain any chemicals that would cause further yellowing.
I wonder when the fire-retardant additives came into use? The reason I say this is that I have several 2-prong VIC-20s which are very white. My main VIC-20 which sits in a sun-porch is still quite white. Maybe the early VICs had no fire-retardant added, and therefore will yellow quite a bit more slowly.
However, I purchased a CR DIN style VIC last year, which was the YELLOWEST VIC-20 I have ever personally seen. It is quite a shock to see the two side by side.
Anyway, it seems that yellowing is really inevitable. I will just enjoy my VICs, keep them cared for, but not obsess about staving off what is impossible to stave off. When they yellow badly, I will just paint them as close as I can get to the original colour, and that should give them another 10 years before it becomes a problem again.
Also interesting side-bar about the Magic Erasers. I have found these AMAZING for cleaning up dirtly electronics. As long as you are careful, they really don't abrade the original plastic (and if they do you'd need to use them for hours on the same spot before you'd notice). It's good to know they work on the abrasion principle and don't actually contain any chemicals that would cause further yellowing.
Last edited by ral-clan on Sun Jan 14, 2007 9:45 am, edited 1 time in total.
After reading this thread I had a look at my original VIC. I guess it is yellowing very slightly.
The strange thing, though, was that one section of the VIC was slightly more yellowed than the the rest....and this was the section of the VIC which was actually SHIELDED from the sun by a little ledge. Exactly where the ledge overhung the VIC and cast a shadow was where most of the yellowing was. So I wonder if in some cases the sun can bleach plastic, leaving shadowed areas looking more yellow?
You know what would be nice, if someone with a pristine, minty white VIC brought it into a paint store and had them use their special device to measure the exact colour. Then we would actually have a Maunsell(sp?) reference of the original VIC colour in order to repaint yellowed ones as close as possible.
The strange thing, though, was that one section of the VIC was slightly more yellowed than the the rest....and this was the section of the VIC which was actually SHIELDED from the sun by a little ledge. Exactly where the ledge overhung the VIC and cast a shadow was where most of the yellowing was. So I wonder if in some cases the sun can bleach plastic, leaving shadowed areas looking more yellow?
You know what would be nice, if someone with a pristine, minty white VIC brought it into a paint store and had them use their special device to measure the exact colour. Then we would actually have a Maunsell(sp?) reference of the original VIC colour in order to repaint yellowed ones as close as possible.
We should have a competion thread for cleanest & most discoloured Vic-20s.ral-clan wrote:I purchased a CR DIN style VIC last year, which was the YELLOWEST VIC-20 I have ever personally seen.
I picked up Vic-20 a couple months ago that was fifthly yellow.
I figured this might have been from a user who smoked.
However, there is no smell of used butts.
Mega-Cart: the ultimate cartridge for your Commodore Vic-20Just buy some UV filtering film and put it around the bulb. Conservation places (places that sell museum & archival supplies) provide this product. Even sleeves for flourescent tubes.Jeff-20 wrote:I keep all of my collection favorites in a glass case with a florescent bulb. I wish I could find a florescent bulb that will not yellow the plastics.