Retr0bright Support Thread

[rkauer]

Just use matt lacquer to keep the Amiga look & feel and you'll be set.

[mikem]

Hello,

I have a slightly yellowed A500 that i'd like to retr0bright, but I'm not sure what to do about the Commodore stick on top. Can I just leave it be and cover it with retr0bright, or should I cover it with some masking tape, or can it be removed easily?

Thanks for any guidance you all can provide!

[Merlin]

Paper stickers will probably bite the dust, but screen printing and painted logos are fine. The commodore logo is aluminium and will be attacked by the peroxide solution - either cover it with masking tape, or something waterproof like candle wax that you can remove later.

[mikem]

Thanks! So I found some 40 volume peroxide at a Sally's beauty supply store and bought it yesterday. I think it had two other ingredients: water and phosphoric acid. Here's a link to it:

http://www.sallybeauty.com/40-Volume...efault,pd.html

Hopefully it'll be ok?

So once I picked up the peroxide, I went on the hunt for a UV lightbulb. I found UVA and UVB bulbs for pet lizards at a pet supply store. Do I need both UVA and B? It sounds like UVA is the ticket, but not sure if there is any benefit to having both.

Thanks again for all your help!

[mikem]

I replied to this earlier today, but my post seems to have disappeared somehow so I'm reposting (sorry if I missed something or broke one of the rules?)

I picked up some hydrogen peroxide from Sally's beauty supply: "Salon Care 40 Volume Developer". It contains water, H2O2 and phosphoric acid. Any concern about the phosphoric acid? I think this is the same product that many folks on here are using but I want to be sure!

Also, I was curious about the UV light needed. Is it only UV A that's required, or does the reaction also need UV B? I found both types of bulbs at a pet supply store, but the UV B is a lot more expensive than the UV A.

Thanks again for all your help!

[rkauer]

I replied to this earlier today, but my post seems to have disappeared somehow so I'm reposting (sorry if I missed something or broke one of the rules?)

No rule broken, mate: it's just your post count that was too low to show on the forum as it have a link on it.

Now fixed.

_____________________

Now for the peroxide: the one you got is too strong, dilute it with tap water prior to use it.

{Kenobi voice} UV-A is the one you are looking for.

[Merlin]

Don't worry about the phosphoric acid content. It's only there to stabilise the peroxide solution for storage and it gets neutralised by the percarbonates and perborates in the Oxy when you add it to the mixture.

@ mikem

Daylight is really the best, as UV bulbs don't give out a lot of energy at the frequency we actually need. UV light can penetrate cloud layers so you could get a surprise when you try it.

[mikem]

Now for the peroxide: the one you got is too strong, dilute it with tap water prior to use it.

Thanks for the info re: UV A light.

How much should I dilute it? Also, what volume should I buy next time so that I don't need to dilute? They had 10, 20 and 30 in stock as well all quite inexpensive.

Thanks!

---------- Post added at 09:58 ---------- Previous post was at 09:53 ----------

Don't worry about the phosphoric acid content. It's only there to stabilise the peroxide solution for storage and it gets neutralised by the percarbonates and perborates in the Oxy when you add it to the mixture.

@ mikem

Daylight is really the best, as UV bulbs don't give out a lot of energy at the frequency we actually need. UV light can penetrate cloud layers so you could get a surprise when you try it.

Agreed re: using real sunlight, however there is a 95% chance of rain here for the next 6 months (I live near Vancouver, Canada). I'm planning to give this a shot on the weekend, so hopefully the weather will co-operate.

Thanks!

[rkauer]

10% is the desired concentration, but you can do some calculation, as tap water is almost free and diluting is easy.

[mikem]

So I whipped up a batch of retr0bright today, and it just happened to be a nice sunny day. The machine has been outside in the sun for about two hours now and it's amazing how much better it already looks! I covered it with cling wrap to prevent the solution from drying out, and it is still nice and moist. Will give it another 30 minutes then bring it in for a wash down.

I'll post some pictures when it's cleaned off (I have some before, during & after for all).