Retr0bright Support Thread

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What have I done wrong? The keys aren't that bad compared to some of the manky things I've seen so surely they would be easier to bring back?

Probably you grabbed a fake UV lamp! Some of those are just common energy saving lamps painted to resemble a real UV one.

Try again exposed to direct sunlight or a real UV lamp. BTW: xanthan gum is only a thickener agent to use the mixture "painted" directly over large surfaces. The very same for glycerine.
 
I used that exact bulb from Maplins, the 75W incandescent "UV" bulb.

It didn't work, and heck, it didn't even make any of my white clothes glow, or reveal the hidden things in my 10 and 20 quid notes. It too has a painted sort of coating.

I guess that sort of bulb just filters out most visible light, only allowing the UV through, but it doesn't seem to do a very good job and was just weaksauce in general.

I ended up borrowing a money-checking light from a friend's shop, and that seemed to do it. The keys are much lighter now, but even after being left overnight in a 10% peroxide/Oxi bath,there's still some yellowing to get rid of.

I'll be returning my incandescent bulb and seeing if the energy-saving fluorescent alternative they have is any better. (y)
 
We need a definitive answer to this.....are the bulbs from Maplin's good for retrObright or not?

@ Pedro

Try it and see but if it fails to make the grade then take it back and tell them they are selling bogus UV bulbs and you want a refund
 
^
It's already set up in the cupboard so we'll see if it does anything...but if d0pefish says that exact bulb didn't work then I'm not hopeful.

If it doesn't work I will take it back but it's still a pain in the proverbial.

Just as an FYI: The first bulb I bought was from a site called The Glow Company. One of the flouro ones at a tenner. It seems to be one of the 'fake' ones that's just painted. Don't buy them!
 
I'm sorry to dishearten you mate, I was frustrated by this too. They should take it back without much fuss, statutory rights and all that. I kept the box and receipt as I was wary when I bought it.

We could do with a confirmed list of working bulbs and their sources. I think I read someone had used the Maplin energy saving version, which should work as it's a fluorescent tube, I think anyway. Am by no means an expert on this at all... :(
 
Energy saver lamps usually are UV ones. What I cannot get is why they use fluorescent powder inside and then paint it externally!

Common sense just tells me to use crystal clear glass and no internal powder cover at all!
 
Guys,

I've used both the incandescent and energy-saving bulbs from Maplins and they both work; the original Naksha mouse house experiment on the Wiki was done using an incandescent bulb.

If your test isn't working I would look into the preparation of the parts - you get better results if the parts are put through a dishwasher on a cool cycle or are manually washed beforehand.
 
I used the energy saving bulb from Maplins, and to be honest I had much *much* better results from 2 hours in springtime sunlight than I did with 2 days with the Energy saver UV lamp.

Not surprising given the relative power of the lamps in question, I guess ;)
 
Another possible culprit can be the peroxide itself: if you have a marble desk near you, a simple test can be done: let a drop of peroxide hit the marble surface, it instantaneously will form a bit of foam. Clean the drop after the test to avoid stains.

If no signal of foaming, the peroxide is spent and so no use.
 
Hi all,

I use the incandescent UV bulb from Maplins. It did the job very well.
See my post on EAB

http://eab.abime.net/showpost.php?p=617896&postcount=487

4122547690_cfc6ff5477_b.jpg
 
Wow! :) Well, I guess I'll give it another shot.

Every one of my keys were scrubbed clean before treating them, but maybe my 10% peroxide needed more time.

They're very nearly there, they just need the last tiny bit of yellowing out. :D
 
Id rather save time and buy a ready to use solution in a brown coffee jar from someone who knows what he (or she) is doing and has tested all substances with positive results.
My poor 1200's, 500's, Acorn's, Apple's, etc. Are crying for it.

IT CAN BE DONE SO HELP ME PLEASE!!! :(
 
Id rather save time and buy a ready to use solution in a brown coffee jar from someone who knows what he (or she) is doing and has tested all substances with positive results.
My poor 1200's, 500's, Acorn's, Apple's, etc. Are crying for it.

IT CAN BE DONE SO HELP ME PLEASE!!! :(

I second that mate, Id love a pre-made solution as Im crap at making up this sort of thing (that and the risk of being arrested for buying chemicals :D LMAO!)
 
Hmmm....I might live to regret this, but.....

OK, I'd be prepared to post out some pre-mixed powdered TAED and Oxy powder along with some Xanthan Gum to those that need it, however, you would have to get the hydrogen peroxide locally.

You can't put a pre-made solution in a coffee jar once you've added the Oxy, as it creates gas that will burst the jar. Also, the Royal Fail don't allow hydrogen peroxide to be sent by post, so that idea's a non-starter.

How does that offer sound? Post in here first then PM me if this is what you want, along with an idea of what items you intend to treat, so I can work out how much you need. I don't have unlimited amounts, so the first 10 people to post in here saying they want some ingredients sent to them will get some.

If your front doors get kicked in at 5am by people with guns, wanting to know why little packets of white powder are being posted to you, don't blame me....:whistle:
 
What would be useful to me would be a recommendation of what I can buy easily from a supermarket that would fit the bill. I've no idea about TAED on Xanthan gum, but if someone could come out with a list of products to mix together, that'd be awesome.
 
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