Retr0bright Support Thread

[Khondar]

Well... this is the result of my first attempt. Can this be salvaged, or should I count my losses?

I applied the Retr0bright about 4 times - the first three times with a fairly thin layer @ 8 hours each under UV-Light. The last application I used a thick layer, hoping to even out the spots @ 12 hours. However, no success...

 

[Merlin]

Hmmm.... that doesn't look like 'bloom' to me, that looks more like flow marks made by the plastic polymer as it flowed through the mould, or possibly a badly mixed masterbatch of plastic.

@ rkauer

Rogerio mate, what's your opinion on these photos?

@ Khondar

I could be the bearer of bad news here . Those marks aren't likely to be removable if they are what I think they are. My best suggestion is to pop down to the local auto parts shop and see if they have any Ford Sahara Beige acrylic paint, as that is probably the best match for the A500 plastics and acrylic paint will be the most compatible with ABS plastic.

 

[Khondar]

Hi Merlin,

thank you for your feedback, I appreciate it.

I will try to save the case as per your suggestion and get the acrylic paint.

But of course I would be most interested in ideas how this happened... I guess it all started with the several attempts of beeing to cheap with the gel :dry:

I will try again on the weekend with a Commodore 64....

Thanks again!

Khondar

 

[rkauer]

Did you bought which kind of peroxide?

Did only used a teaspoon of oxy pre-diluted in hot water?

Those stains are common only in way too concentrated formulas, both on the peroxide side or the Vanish/Oxy/TAED.

When using the formula, please remember that slow is always better, so a low concentrated gel is better than a way too strong one.

 

[Khondar]

Hi, and thanks for your input!

I am using Merlin's original recipe from the wiki...

I used 15% hydrogen peroxide from the pharmacy.

I did not dilute the oxy in hot water - is that recommended? How much water should be used to dilute?

And yes, I may have used too much oxy... half a teaspoon (not 1/4) each. Would that already be considered "way too concentrated"?

 

[rkauer]

That's not too much Oxy, but you need to pre-dilute it in a bit of hot water.

Chances are the Oxy didn't diluted well in the cold peroxide and landed over the plastic, causing that bloom effect. But I doubt it.

What kind of peroxide you bought? You still have the flask where it came? Can you post the contents of the formula?

 

[nkarytia]

Khondar
Did you wash it before retr0brighting? Usually lots of dirt brings unpredictable results in the process. I had tried it on my dirty A500 and had exactly the same result.

 

[Khondar]

What kind of peroxide you bought? You still have the flask where it came? Can you post the contents of the formula?

I bought Vanish Oxy Action. Will check the ingredients tonight and let you know.

Did you wash it before retr0brighting?

Yes, I had in the dishwasher, "bio-setting", full cycle - but took it out before the drying process started.

 

[Tajmaster]

Hi all

OK, Im going to attempt to retrobright an A1200 case today lol

Ive got:

Oxyaction
600ml (approx) of 9% peroxide
Xanthum gum
Sunshine (for now!)

Im going to put around half a teaspoon of oxyaction into the peroxide (Ill do this in a bucket or something) then add the xanthum gum.

2 questions however:

1) is the amount of Oxyaction correct?
2) How much xanthum gum to I add to the mixture?

Thanks

Taj

 

[Khondar]

I think the problem was indeed that the oxy did not dissolve properly in the gel and therefore had different concentrations. Also, applying the gel 4 times was probably not a good idea. Now that I found a good and cheap supply for H2O2, I don't have to be too cheap with the gel

My best suggestion is to pop down to the local auto parts shop and see if they have any Ford Sahara Beige acrylic paint, as that is probably the best match for the A500 plastics and acrylic paint will be the most compatible with ABS plastic.

Well, I found the EXACT original beige colour by chance and the result was amazing. (see pics). Now I am only waiting for the keys to be done and then the final result should be acceptable. (of course I will post a pic, because we love them).

Next project: C64.

- Khondar

 

[Merlin]

@ Khondar

Was the colour of the paint you used actually Ford Sahara Beige? If not, what is the exact shade of paint you bought (car model and name of colour)?

My Dad had a Ford Escort in Sahara Beige back in the late '70s. I remember the colour well and it was my best guess as to the closest match to A500 plastics, as they would have been originally moulded. I'm interested to find out how close my guess was.

We know that Austin Rover Old English White is the best match to A1200 / A600 plastics so this information would be really useful for a FAQ.

Nice paint job, by the way!!

Thanks

 

[clueless]

@ taj,
I found the cream peroxide loads easier to work with and I have some knocking about still if you wish to pick it up.

 

[Khondar]

@ Khondar

Was the colour of the paint you used actually Ford Sahara Beige? If not, what is the exact shade of paint you bought (car model and name of colour)?

You can see the acryllic spray paint in my picture - "Dupli Color - Auto Color". The name of the color doesn't show anywhere... it was simply shown by the color of the cap. After spraying 2 layers you cannot see the difference between the inside/backside of the top cover (which never had any yellowing) and the top side. It looks like new. Of course I started with a primer for plastics (also seen on my pic), then 2 thin layers of paint, followed by 2 thin layers of transparent acryllic varnish. Had I not scrubbed the surface too hard, it would also feel like just out of the box. Now its a bit rough, but I actually like it. Once the keys are finished (takes forever!) I will put up a pic of the final and complete unit.

I will also check the bottle for any article number and let you know.

 

[Tajmaster]

@ taj,
I found the cream peroxide loads easier to work with and I have some knocking about still if you wish to pick it up.

Thanks for the offer Craig But I decided to take the plunge and give it a go, the mixture came up pasty enough to cover an A1200 casing....then the bloody sun went in Anyway.. Its been outside since about 4pm and I took "before" pics so we will see If its sunnier tomorrow Ill just use whats left of the mixture to give it another go

 

[Merlin]

Thanks Khondar. There may be an inkjet code on the domed bottom of the can; if there is, please post it and I'll find out which one it it.

 

[Tajmaster]

I got some retrobrite on my thumb and finger, its left a white mark like super glue sometimes leaves but the one on my thumb is stinging :help: I tried to wash it off with soap but it doesnt wanna come off even if I scrub it. How can I get this blotch off my skin?

BTW, Ill post before and after pics of the GVP HD8+ and the A1200 casing I have put the retrobrite on Weve got lovley strong and bright sunshine here in Bradford today and the cases already look better after almost 4 hours

 

[Amigarobbo]

So who was it on Rock Radio (Manchester) talking about Retr0-bright then?

 

[Merlin]

That was me on 106.1 Rock Radio (is there any other radio station?), although Steve Berry didn't seem to be that interested to be honest...it all got rushed as they were pushed for time...

@ Taj

Leave the blotch alone - the peroxide has bleached your skin. As hydrogen peroxide is so closely related to water, it can easily penetrate layers of skin and burn them from below the surface; this is why we warn people to wear gloves - you did wear gloves, didn't you....?? :wooha:

The blotch will fade over the next couple of days. If you have any baking soda handy, it may help soothe the stinging if you put your thumb into a dilute solution of baking soda.

 

[Tajmaster]

Thanks Merlin Yeah I wore gloves but like an idiot I forgot to put them on when re-applying some of the paste after it had dried.

I can see the results already, the A1200 case looks totally different although there is still some slight yellowing (its still in the sun though). The GVP hard drive casing looks brilliant! Ill upload pics once they are all ready Thanks again Merlin and thanks for making this stuff so our old skool hardware can be its rightful colour

 

[Khondar]

Thanks Khondar. There may be an inkjet code on the domed bottom of the can; if there is, please post it and I'll find out which one it it.

Hi Merlin. Here are the pics with the article code of the spray paint. Code is on top of the cap.

@ Tajmaster

Welcome to the club. I don't think there is any serious Retr0bright-Master without peroxide stains on their fingers Its nasty stuff - and just as you think you have the routing and know what you're doing, it still gets to you. ALWAYS wear gloves and safety glasses


Khondar, who is still waiting for the bloody keys to be clean....