Retr0bright Support Thread

Re: Retr0brite Support Thread

Re: Retr0brite Support Thread

gazuk said:

It just doesnt seem to be working for me.

Just to clarify a few points,

* I am using Hydrogen peroxide Liquid and not the creme/powders you can also get.
* My maplins UV Bulb is of the energy saving variety (link from EAB thread)
* I used a few old clear plastic chinese takeaway dishes for the yellowed keys to soak in.
* My Peroxide is 12%
* I get white blotches on my hands with any contact of peroxide (dont shout, I originally wore gloves but after messing about for days I got impatient)
* I have been soaking for 48+ Hours with very little change if any.

From the zero knowledge of chemistry I have, my guess is that the UV bulb is not good enough to act as a catalyst?

Click to expand...

Merlin and I spoke at length about this, worked out that you need a 60watt dark light (UV) bulb aproximately 18-24 inches away from the item.

this prevents overheating of and warping of the plastic.

Re: Retr0brite Support Thread

Re: Retr0brite Support Thread

@ Gazuk

1. Your bulb is 100% OK, I used the same bulb for my C64 experiment.

2. Try adding a small (1.4 teaspoonful) of "Oxy" to each tray. Use the laundry booster stuff, not the TAED I sent you, just in case something has changed with the TAED since I last used it.

3. Stop putting your bloody hands in there with no gloves on!! Peroxide doesn't just burn the outer layer of skin; as the chemical is so closely related to water, it can permeate the layers of skin and cause internal damage; that's you bloody told....

4. 12% peroxide should be no problem; Tezza over at VCF used 6% and it still worked.

5. Watch this space; I sent the almost complete write up to Harrison and Zetr0; I spoke to Z last night and he is going to add a few more explanatory piccies and then post it up on his project server, I am sure that it will be one off-site link that will be allowed.

Re: Retr0brite Support Thread

Re: Retr0brite Support Thread

I just had time to read through the PDF and it is a great write up. Very interesting and detailed. Very nicely done.

I will wait for Zetr0's finished version and then add it to the CA Wiki.

As one final step, would you be able to do me a quick step by step guide for the Wiki?

It needs two parts. A list of items needed to perform the process, and a bullet pointed run though of the procedure.

And if possible, one for the standard, and one for the gel version.

And do you have any pictures of the setup with the UV light etc to show it in progress? Would be a good picture to use for the project's page on the Wiki.

Great work.

Re: Retr0brite Support Thread

Re: Retr0brite Support Thread

@ H

OK, later this week I will write up the parts you need for the Wiki. I may be able to borrow enough pictures from the threads on the various forums. Tonyyeb had pictures of the liquid version and I already have pictures of the gel version at work from the C64 case I did as the extreme test and "colour chart".

Just to nail the science down once and for all, for the skeptics I know that are still out there. ABS can also degrade and oxidise all of it's own under sunlight, without the flame retardants present; there are lots of technical documents out there that describe the effect of light on ABS and how the polymer can degrade to the hydroperoxide of the butadiene. ABS is a complex beast and is actually an "alloy" of butadiene rubber, acetal and styrene.

The thing is though, the Retr0brite process doesn't work without UV light - Lorne tried it overnight in the liquid, and the parts just got wet, so that completely rules out light degraded ABS as the cause. The fact that UV has to be present for the process to work means it has to be the brominated flame retardants, as they are the only molecules present in the plastic that are reactive to UV light.

I ruled out the light degraded ABS theory ABS fairly early into the project during discussions with rkauer (who is a former plastics engineer, and we understood each other about the technical areas of plastics masterbatch formulations, cool, eh?) and I didn't write that up - until now.

Honestly, I could write a thesis about this, but I'm a bit old for a BSc these days.... and besides, I can do complex science, I just don't need the piece of paper to prove it... I think it's already been proved here.

:wink:

P.S.
Gazuk, Keep your bloody hands out of it, OK?

Re: Retr0brite Support Thread

Re: Retr0brite Support Thread

@Tonyyeb - I wont be back home now until the weekend but I will take some photos when i get back.

@Merlin - It came across that I was putting my hands in to test the stuff, but honestly I used tweezers to take the keys out and dropped a few of them. I used my fingers to pick them up, but seriously, point taken and will not be doing it again


Thanks for all your efforts so far, cant wait to read the wiki.

Re: Retr0brite Support Thread

Re: Retr0brite Support Thread

That's great. I'm looking forward to getting it into the Wiki to help everyone out.

I'm also going to be testing it out myself. I have loads of old yellowed plastic items so can use a couple as test subjects, and once I know that is working correctly I will then be subjecting a very orange A500 to the process. (I think some of you may have seen a picture of that one a long time ago). The A500 currently looks like someone has got some pure cigarette tar and painted it on the case it's so yellowy orange!

Re: Retr0brite Support Thread

Re: Retr0brite Support Thread

Stick a pic up H.

Re: Retr0brite Support Thread

Re: Retr0brite Support Thread

OK here you are:

Re: Retr0brite Support Thread

Re: Retr0brite Support Thread

now thats a Classic Amiga, with a Classic Sun Tan

Re: Retr0brite Support Thread

Re: Retr0brite Support Thread

mmmmm it's bordering David Dickinson isn't it.

But it's not been Tango'd like my A1200 was before I restored her.

How's that for orange H ?


TC :mrgreen:

A1200 Courtesy of G-H via Amibay recycle bin

Re: Retr0brite Support Thread

Re: Retr0brite Support Thread

May as well have an after piccie,
Although it did get the retr0brite treatment, I cant deny that a bit of paint was involved too.

TC :wink:

Re: Retr0brite Support Thread

Re: Retr0brite Support Thread

Fantastic! Looks as good as new.

Re: Retr0brite Support Thread

Re: Retr0brite Support Thread

Considering A1200/A600 plastic doesn't discolour as much as the older A500's that was one very orange A1200 indeed. Great job on the restoration too.

The A500 is more orange than it looks in that picture. I will take some proper pictures of it for a before and after comparision when i actually perform the process.

One question regarding stickers and logos... I assume that the process doesn't effect the lettering on keys at all? And how about the Amiga logos on the case? Do you all remove these before dunking the casing?

Re: Retr0brite Support Thread

Re: Retr0brite Support Thread

@ Harrison

I carefully removed the logo with a sharp scalpel prior to dunking, It got rid of most of the orange but then a quick burst with a spray gun finished her off.

TC :wink:

Re: Retr0brite Support Thread

Re: Retr0brite Support Thread

@ Harrison

The lettering on the keys is laser etched and doesn't come off during treatment. The case badge is Aluminium and we have seen cases where Aluminium has been attacked by the mixture. I would recommend taking the badge off or masking it off while it is being treated.

Re: Retr0brite Support Thread

Re: Retr0brite Support Thread

Some damned good results here!

Re: Retr0brite Support Thread

Re: Retr0brite Support Thread

I never removed any badge and no problems until today.

@H: what parts did you paint? I can see no difference at all?!?!

Re: Retr0brite Support Thread

Re: Retr0brite Support Thread

rkauer said:

@H: what parts did you paint? I can see no difference at all?!?!

Click to expand...

Huh? I think something has got lost in translation there. Nothing painted, just a pic of one of my A500's which is currently very orange and in need to some treatment.

Re: Retr0brite Support Thread

Re: Retr0brite Support Thread

Harrison said:

rkauer said:

@H: what parts did you paint? I can see no difference at all?!?!

Click to expand...

Huh? I think something has got lost in translation there. Nothing painted, just a pic of one of my A500's which is currently very orange and in need to some treatment.

Click to expand...

My bad! Was TC who painted something! So question is directed to him:

What parts did you paint? I can see no difference at all?!?!

Re: Retr0brite Support Thread

Re: Retr0brite Support Thread

Compare the pictures of his A1200 in the two posts (last post on page 2, and first on page 3). Is very obvious how different it looks before and after the restoration.