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Amiga computer related discussion => General chat about Amiga topics => Topic started by: Franko on February 22, 2011, 09:35:42 PM

Title: Anyone Here Tried Retr0Bright...
Post by: Franko on February 22, 2011, 09:35:42 PM
Has anyone here tried making that Retr0Bright stuff for de-yellowing Amiga keyboards, cases etc...

Retr0Bright (http://retr0bright.wikispaces.com/)

I have been trying it myself and the results were diddly squat... :(

I bought some Hydogen Peroxide (6% vol) from the chemists and soaked some old A1200 yellow keys in it for the past 2 days, but it made no difference, they're still as yellow as ever... :(

I didn't want to make up a messy paste like it tells you on the RetroBrite site and thought it would work if I just soaked the keys in pure Hydrogen Peroxide with a little Oxy Cleaner thrown in but after 2 days, nowt... :(

I also didn't use a UV light, just sat them outside in the single ray of sunshine we get here... :(

Has anyone had any success with it and if so could you please share your "recipe" for the best results... :)

PS:found a place where I can buy Hydogen Peroxide at 17.5% or 30% vol, just wondering if it's worth having another go with a stronger mixture... :)
Title: Re: Anyone Here Tried Retr0Bright...
Post by: desiv on February 22, 2011, 09:44:32 PM
Haven't done this yet, but it's on the list..
I'd be careful with the higher percentage..  Too high and you can "burn" the cases (a "bloom" pattern is the usual description) and that can't be fixed (well, paint...)..

From what I hear, the sunlight (UV) is very important...

There was someone who used Vanish (Napisan??) with no peroxide and got pertty good results...

desiv
Title: Re: Anyone Here Tried Retr0Bright...
Post by: mfilos on February 22, 2011, 09:48:43 PM
Retr0bright rox...
Tried it a couple of times and worked like a charm both times :)

Some testing here:
http://www.amibay.com/showpost.php?p=72256&postcount=222
Title: Re: Anyone Here Tried Retr0Bright...
Post by: brianb on February 22, 2011, 09:50:51 PM
From what I recall from discussions on other boards...  Decent sunlight and heat (not hot but can't be cold either) were very important.  With one person commenting they had no success in the winter months with little bit of sunlight.
Title: Re: Anyone Here Tried Retr0Bright...
Post by: Franko on February 22, 2011, 10:01:44 PM
Quote from: mfilos;617292
Retr0bright rox...
Tried it a couple of times and worked like a charm both times :)

Some testing here:
http://www.amibay.com/showpost.php?p=72256&postcount=222


Pretty impressive results from your pictures... :)

Bit surprised you didn't remove the keys from the keyboard first though. Reckon the main problem I had was not enough UV from the very poor sunlight here...

What strength was the Hydrogen Peroxide you used ?

Does anyone know if you need a proper UV light, like the ones used in aquariums that your not meant to look directly at or will one of those "blacklight" lamps used in clubs and things do... :)
Title: Re: Anyone Here Tried Retr0Bright...
Post by: ognix on February 22, 2011, 10:24:52 PM
Hello Franko!
I still did not try the Retr0Bright recipe (but I will this spring with a Commodore VIC-20), but I managed to get good results with water peroxide only (8% if not wrong) BUT with sunlight (during a summer afternoon, here in northern Italy... :D  )... with what? A key for a C-64C keyboard!  :)

So UV is the key to make the reaction run! (energy itself)
BY!
Title: Re: Anyone Here Tried Retr0Bright...
Post by: Franko on February 22, 2011, 10:54:53 PM
Cheers everyone... :)

Seems that UV light is one of the most important factors involved here, I think I'll buy one of those "black light" fluoerescent light bulbs as I don't fancy having to buy and wear some special UV goggles that you need for a proper UV light... :)

Gonna order the 17.5% vol Hydrogen Peroxide and give it a try with the black light and see what the results are, hopefully it will work got 4 A1200 keyboards, 2 A1200 cases , 4 C64s and 3 Vic 20s that badly need reviving... :)
Title: Re: Anyone Here Tried Retr0Bright...
Post by: RMK305 on February 22, 2011, 10:59:40 PM
Hi Frank,

I tried it and it worked a charm. I used Creme peroxide 12% 40 VOL that I bought from Sally Salon Services. I just poured some into a bowl and aded some oxy and gave it a stir before applying it to the A1200 case. I did mine over winter and the first application was done outside but due to the cold I brought it in. Now here is where my experience differs from the others...I did mine in the laundry room which has no windows and therefore no UV light! Despite this it worked brilliantly and the A1200 looks as good as new. My guess is you're not using the correct concentrate of peroxide.
Title: Re: Anyone Here Tried Retr0Bright...
Post by: XDelusion on February 22, 2011, 11:08:31 PM
Save money, soak your case in urine. Usually your first urination of the day is the strongest.

Also this works for teens with achne.
Title: Re: Anyone Here Tried Retr0Bright...
Post by: Franko on February 22, 2011, 11:21:16 PM
@RMK305

I had read somewhere that some folk had used it without any UV light and it had worked, but the strongest Hydrogen Peroxide I could get from Boots the chemist was only 6% vol, think this was to weak myself.

I'm going to buy either the 12% or 17.5% stuff online (5Ltr for about £25 to £30) as it's much cheaper that way and buy one of those "black light" bulbs for my desklamp and try out various combinations along with the oxy of course... :)

Looked at that "Sally Salon Services" myself but wasn't sure what stuff to buy as they have so many different products. Some sites said you must use pure Hydrogen Peroxide as some of those hair products contain stuff that damages the plastic, so I guess I'll just have to try again and see what produces the best results... :)
Title: Re: Anyone Here Tried Retr0Bright...
Post by: desantii on February 22, 2011, 11:23:37 PM
I've used Hydrogen peroxide solution at 20% with no other ingredient and it worked great. Although I did mess up one keyboard as I left it too long, the enter key and other "darker" areas developed a swirl effect
Title: Re: Anyone Here Tried Retr0Bright...
Post by: RMK305 on February 22, 2011, 11:45:01 PM
Quote from: Franko;617314
@RMK305

I'm going to buy either the 12% or 17.5% stuff online (5Ltr for about £25 to £30) as it's much cheaper that way and buy one of those "black light" bulbs for my desklamp and try out various combinations along with the oxy of course... :)

Looked at that "Sally Salon Services" myself but wasn't sure what stuff to buy as they have so many different products. Some sites said you must use pure Hydrogen Peroxide as some of those hair products contain stuff that damages the plastic, so I guess I'll just have to try again and see what produces the best results... :)



Be sure to get the 40VOL. Here is the one I used:

http://www.sallyexpress.com/viewProduct.aspx?pid=515713

Try it with the oxy before forking out £25 for 5 litres of the stuff along with a black light. I never experienced any blooming on my case and I did apply the stuff before going to work in the morning so it was on for over 8 hours at a time.
Title: Re: Anyone Here Tried Retr0Bright...
Post by: tone007 on February 22, 2011, 11:45:20 PM
Quote from: desantii;617315
Although I did mess up one keyboard as I left it too long, the enter key and other "darker" areas developed a swirl effect


I think you sent me that one! ;)

But the H2O2 definitely works, I've used it a bunch of times.  Never had much luck with UV bulbs, I waited for the good old sun to come out and stuff whitened in hours.  I got the clear liquid 40#, diluted it 50% or so with water, and submerged the items I wanted to whiten in the liquid and left it all out in the sun.

Here's the only example I can find at the moment.

http://cbmvax.com/jungle/128d/128d.htm
Title: Re: Anyone Here Tried Retr0Bright...
Post by: XDelusion on February 22, 2011, 11:53:29 PM
I'm telling ya! Urine will set you straight!
Title: Re: Anyone Here Tried Retr0Bright...
Post by: tone007 on February 22, 2011, 11:55:23 PM
Keep your piss to yourself!
Title: Re: Anyone Here Tried Retr0Bright...
Post by: Franko on February 22, 2011, 11:59:09 PM
Quote from: RMK305;617322
Be sure to get the 40VOL. Here is the one I used:

http://www.sallyexpress.com/viewProduct.aspx?pid=515713

Try it with the oxy before forking out £25 for 5 litres of the stuff along with a black light. I never experienced any blooming on my case and I did apply the stuff before going to work in the morning so it was on for over 8 hours at a time.


Thanks for that info, I would have bought the wrong one... :)

I'll buy that first and give it a try, one last question if I may, did you just steep the stuff in it with the oxy or did you make the paste and brush it on... :)
Title: Re: Anyone Here Tried Retr0Bright...
Post by: Franko on February 23, 2011, 12:05:34 AM
@ Xdelusion

Are you taking the piss here or giving it away... ;)

@ tone007

If I do need some UV light there's not much chance of finding it from the sun here in Scotland (summer or winter). Gonna pick up one of those UV blacklights anyway, they only cost about 6 quid so it's quite cheap... :)

Who knows, maybe even get a wee bit of a sun tan from it or shrivel up altogether... :)
Title: Re: Anyone Here Tried Retr0Bright...
Post by: XDelusion on February 23, 2011, 12:06:55 AM
Quote from: tone007;617327
Keep your piss to yourself!


You don't have to use my piss, anyone's piss will do. Trust me, it will not add more yellow to your case and it WILL work. The Natives used to use this technique. It's all natural.
Title: Re: Anyone Here Tried Retr0Bright...
Post by: TheBilgeRat on February 23, 2011, 12:07:55 AM
I use piss to whiten the corners of buildings or the occasional whitewall tire.
Title: Re: Anyone Here Tried Retr0Bright...
Post by: RMK305 on February 23, 2011, 12:21:13 AM
Quote from: Franko;617331

I'll buy that first and give it a try, one last question if I may, did you just steep the stuff in it with the oxy or did you make the paste and brush it on... :)


It's a thickish paste out of the bottle and after adding the Oxy I just layed the parts out on an old towel and brushed it on - I did not add Xanthan gum or Glycerine, it was thick enough as is. It would "foam" after being left for a few hours, but I presume this was the reaction with the oxy.
Title: Re: Anyone Here Tried Retr0Bright...
Post by: tone007 on February 23, 2011, 12:24:13 AM
Quote from: Franko;617335
If I do need some UV light there's not much chance of finding it from the sun here in Scotland (summer or winter).


Yeah, the sun's a real pain in the ass around here, I've gotten a sunburn on the top of my head and I'm not even bald!
Title: Re: Anyone Here Tried Retr0Bright...
Post by: Franko on February 23, 2011, 12:46:37 AM
Quote from: RMK305;617345
It's a thickish paste out of the bottle and after adding the Oxy I just layed the parts out on an old towel and brushed it on - I did not add Xanthan gum or Glycerine, it was thick enough as is. It would "foam" after being left for a few hours, but I presume this was the reaction with the oxy.


Cheers mate, just ordered a bottle of each of the cream & liquid stuff. I'll try pasting the cream on the cases and big stuff and try soaking the keys and fidely bits in the liquid... :)

No idea though how long it take them to deliver as nothing is mentioned on the website about delivery times...

@tone007

You could try some on your head then and see if it takes the redness away, or failing that move to Scotland and within a year you'll be as white as a ghost... :)
Title: Re: Anyone Here Tried Retr0Bright...
Post by: AmigaEd on February 23, 2011, 12:57:40 AM
Quote from: Franko;617335

If I do need some UV light there's not much chance of finding it from the sun here in Scotland (summer or winter).

Hey Franko, if you're not in a hurry, send the parts over here! I'm sure that in 4 more months there will be enough sun light to get the job done. (Provided I don't over sleep, blink or forget to schedule that day on my calendar.):cool:
 
<------ P.S. Just noticed that this is my post number 444, that's kind of significant like 666 only 222 less!
Title: Re: Anyone Here Tried Retr0Bright...
Post by: stefcep2 on February 23, 2011, 02:27:02 AM
Quote from: Franko;617288
Has anyone here tried making that Retr0Bright stuff for de-yellowing Amiga keyboards, cases etc...

Retr0Bright (http://retr0bright.wikispaces.com/)

I have been trying it myself and the results were diddly squat... :(

I bought some Hydogen Peroxide (6% vol) from the chemists and soaked some old A1200 yellow keys in it for the past 2 days, but it made no difference, they're still as yellow as ever... :(

I didn't want to make up a messy paste like it tells you on the RetroBrite site and thought it would work if I just soaked the keys in pure Hydrogen Peroxide with a little Oxy Cleaner thrown in but after 2 days, nowt... :(

I also didn't use a UV light, just sat them outside in the single ray of sunshine we get here... :(

Has anyone had any success with it and if so could you please share your "recipe" for the best results... :)

PS:found a place where I can buy Hydogen Peroxide at 17.5% or 30% vol, just wondering if it's worth having another go with a stronger mixture... :)


http://www.amiga.org/forums/showthread.php?t=51985&highlight=retrobrite
Title: Re: Anyone Here Tried Retr0Bright...
Post by: Franko on February 23, 2011, 02:30:55 AM
Quote from: AmigaEd;617360
Hey Franko, if you're not in a hurry, send the parts over here! I'm sure that in 4 more months there will be enough sun light to get the job done. (Provided I don't over sleep, blink or forget to schedule that day on my calendar.):cool:
 
<------ P.S. Just noticed that this is my post number 444, that's kind of significant like 666 only 222 less!


Think it's the sun that caused the yellowing in the first place, all my own miggies are still white but all the stuff I bought of eBay are yellowed to one degree or another... :(

They must get sunlight down south in England... :)

(PS: if I did sent them maybe I could hide in the package and get a free holiday to the states, do you have Fish & Chip shops there... :))

(PPS: You've been here since 2004 and only posted 444 times, what ya doin, I post that many times in a month... ;))
Title: Re: Anyone Here Tried Retr0Bright...
Post by: AmigaEd on February 23, 2011, 03:05:22 AM
Quote from: Franko;617370

They must get sunlight down south in England... :)
 
I'm guessing that's not all that they get considering things tend to roll down hill. :)
 
Quote from: Franko;617370
(PS: if I did sent them maybe I could hide in the package and get a free holiday to the states, do you have Fish & Chip shops there... :))
 
We have fish, but you have to bait your own hook! Chip shops went the way of the dinosaur, but there is always Digikey or Sparkfun.
 
 
Quote from: Franko;617370
(PPS: You've been here since 2004 and only posted 444 times, what ya doin, I post that many times in a month... ;))
[/QUOTE]
 
Well, when it comes to catching up with you, I've got two things working against me...
 
1. Most of my posts, I drafted up way back in 1987 but didn't have an internet to post them on. So I quit writing any more posts in 1994.
 
2. I read too many of your posts. ;)  (Perhaps, a new support group is needed.)
Title: Re: Anyone Here Tried Retr0Bright...
Post by: Franko on February 23, 2011, 03:22:22 AM
Quote from: AmigaEd;617374
I'm guessing that's not all that they get considering things tend to roll down hill. :)


Yup that's where all our oil went, ruddy tea leafs the lot of em... :(

Now we just flush our lavies and let that roll downhill instead... :D
 
Quote from: AmigaEd;617374
We have fish, but you have to bait your own hook! Chip shops went the way of the dinosaur, but there is always Digikey or Sparkfun.


Tried fishing once with me squirrels, but the poor buggers nearly drownded... :(
Still, once I tossed them on the camp fire they soon dried out... :)

Do Digikey or Sparkfun do salt'n'vinegar on there chips, cant have chips without loads of salt and vinegar... :)

Quote from: AmigaEd;617374
Well, when it comes to catching up with you, I've got two things working against me...
 
1. Most of my posts, I drafted up way back in 1987 but didn't have an internet to post them on. So I quit writing any more posts in 1994.
 
2. I read too many of your posts. ;)  (Perhaps, a new support group is needed.)


1. What did you write them on in 87, was it a stone tablet... :)

2. So you're the one who reads all this rubbish... ;)
Title: Re: Anyone Here Tried Retr0Bright...
Post by: AmigaEd on February 23, 2011, 03:40:28 AM
Quote from: Franko;617375

Tried fishing once with me squirrels, but the poor buggers nearly drownded... :(
Perhaps some hip waders or a boat would have helped.
 
Quote from: Franko;617375

Still, once I tossed them on the camp fire they soon dried out... :)
I find that putting them in a nice pie helps them to avoid getting a chill.
 
Quote from: Franko;617375

Do Digikey or Sparkfun do salt'n'vinegar on there chips, cant have chips without loads of salt and vinegar... :)
Hmmm... I think they do and even provide an MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet) with each shipment. I'm fairly sure salt and vinegar would be considered a corrosive substance.
 
Quote from: Franko;617375

1. What did you write them on in 87, was it a stone tablet... :)
Yes, but it was the most advanced stone tablet of it's time. (A1K)
 
Quote from: Franko;617375
2. So you're the one who reads all this rubbish... ;)
I'm guessing I'm not the only one, but at least there is somewhere that I can turn to for help.:nervous:
Title: Re: Anyone Here Tried Retr0Bright...
Post by: Franko on February 26, 2011, 04:21:27 AM
Got the Hydrogen Peroxide in cream form (hair bleach) and a low energy 11W "BlackLight" tube for my desk lamp... :)

Tested some old very yellowed Amiga keys yesterday, just brushed them with a mixture of the cream & some OXI laundry cleaner. Sat them for 10 hours with no UV light. Result... Nothing... not even a slight change whatsoever... :)

So tonight Im testing the same mixture but this time with the UV/BlackLight... :)

The pics below show an old and very, very yellowed VIC 20 case I got from eBay last week and some key caps from and old A1200 I also got from eBay, which once again was very yellowed. The A1200 trapdoor panel in the picture is from one on my own A1200s and is just to show how the colour of the plastic should be... :)

Start of Test... Normal Light
(http://i995.photobucket.com/albums/af79/frankosamiga/Misc/Retr0BrightTest01a.jpg)

Start of Test... With UV/BlackLight on...
(http://i995.photobucket.com/albums/af79/frankosamiga/Misc/Retr0BrightTest01b.jpg)

Gonna give it another 8 to 10 hours and see if I get any results this time...:nervous:
Title: Re: Anyone Here Tried Retr0Bright...
Post by: magnetic on February 26, 2011, 05:59:02 AM
franko

cool looking forward to results pics
Title: Re: Anyone Here Tried Retr0Bright...
Post by: AmigaEd on February 26, 2011, 06:03:58 AM
Quote from: Franko;618041
Result... Nothing... not even a slight change whatsoever... :)

This is really surprising to me... I would have thought that the oxy-peroxy cream would have done the job even without the UV lamp.
 
Thank you Franko for sharing your results. I want to give this try on a couple of yellowed Amigas and a Tandy Color Computer that I have.
Title: Re: Anyone Here Tried Retr0Bright...
Post by: Franko on February 26, 2011, 06:23:48 AM
I'll take some pics after the 8 or 10 hours is up and post the results here. The first test I did without the UV light were for the biggest part of the time sitting in daylight but as I say it made no difference to the keys at all... :(

I noticed that after the UV light had been on for only 15 minutes on the second test that there was a lot more foaming of the mixture. So hopefully this time it'll do something but I'm not sure as the peroxide is only 12% and I reckon I should have gone for the 30% stuff... :)

Only time will tell... :)
Title: Re: Anyone Here Tried Retr0Bright...
Post by: tone007 on February 26, 2011, 10:57:35 AM
I've tried a blacklight and a more expensive "lizard lamp" UV bulb, neither worked with my 50/50 water/40# H2O2 mixture whereas the sun would do it in a few hours with the same mixture.  I think the only way I got results indoors was using the 40# solution straight, and even then the results weren't the best.
Title: Re: Anyone Here Tried Retr0Bright...
Post by: Franko on February 26, 2011, 01:47:04 PM
Ok... The results are in...

After a 10 hour soak in the Retr0Bright mix and under the "BlackLight", this time there has been quite a difference... :)

Results of a very badly yellowed VIC20 case (right half only)
(http://i995.photobucket.com/albums/af79/frankosamiga/Misc/Retr0BrightResults01a.jpg)

Result of some very yellowed A1200 key caps
Notes:
The N key is how all keys looked originally ...
The 9 key is taken from a brand new keyboard from AmigaKit for comparison purposes...
(http://i995.photobucket.com/albums/af79/frankosamiga/Misc/Retr0BrightResults01b.jpg)

While there has been quite a difference the results aren't the best, could be the mix wasn't strong enough or due to lack of not using direct sunlight (bit of a problem here, cos we only had about 1 hour of sunlight today).

Myself I reckon I need to make a better "paste" as the foaming action was very patchy and inconsistent. It's quite difficult to get the Oxy powder to dissolve properly without watering it down too much and thus weakening the whole solutions strength.

Having said that I did choose the worst cases I could find (pun intended). Going to try mixing up another batch and try this time to get a more consistent foaming action and redo the above pieces and see if things can be improved a wee bit... :)
Title: Re: Anyone Here Tried Retr0Bright...
Post by: tone007 on February 26, 2011, 02:26:10 PM
I've had the best results using a tub full of liquid H2O2 allowing complete submersion of the items being lightened, I think it's the easiest way to make sure you don't get any unevenness or streaking.  Lining the bottom of the tub with aluminum foil (shinier side up) also helps bounce the light around.

Finding a suitable tub can be an issue, I recall using a cardboard box lined with a trash bag so I could submerge an A1200 top and keyboard (yes, I didn't bother pulling the keycaps off, but removed the metal and the membrane first.)
Title: Re: Anyone Here Tried Retr0Bright...
Post by: AmigaEd on February 26, 2011, 02:39:45 PM
Well, those are some pretty good results. Not quite to "New" standards yet, but certainly much better.
 
Franko, you said the foaming action was not too good. Just a thought, could temperature be an issue? I know you guys like it cold and drafty over there, but perhaps you could spare a wee bit o' warmth for the poor old computers.
Title: Re: Anyone Here Tried Retr0Bright...
Post by: Franko on February 26, 2011, 03:00:42 PM
@ Tone007

I bought a litre of liquid H202 as well (12%/40Vol) as I preferred the idea of submerging items myself rather than the paste method. The daft thing is like you say, trying to find a shallow tub that's big enough to submerge things in without having to use too much H202 and allowing enough UV light to get to all the parts...

(although it would be pretty costly to try and submerge the computer cases...:()

Still looking around the house just now to find something suitable... :)

@ AmigaEd

Yeah, not perfect yet, gonna try mixing the Oxy powder with almost boiling water this time to try and get it to dissolve better, but the hotter you make the water the quicker the oxygen evaporates and thus kinda mucks things up a wee bit... :(

Believe it or not even being a miserable tight fisted Scotsman I left the heating on all night as I had considered the temperature issue...:)

Ah well, time for another go and see what results I get this time... :)
Title: Re: Anyone Here Tried Retr0Bright...
Post by: krashan on February 26, 2011, 06:24:31 PM
I have to try it some day on some nice keyboards I have (Dell stuff from 1990 with "hard click"). I have a lamp made of two 27 Watts black fluorescent tubes, done for making PCB's with UV-sensitive photo emulsion. It worked great for that purpose... I also have a Mitsumi PC keyboard from 1995 with exactly the same internal design as A1200 keyboards. Contact elements are identical, not sure for springs - A500 had steel wire springs, this Mitsumi kb has rubber "wine glass" shaped elements. Keys are also identical in shape, but the style of letters is different.

BTW a strong source of UV is an electric arc from welding. I've tried this with succes one day (for PCBs), just found an old, steel car wheel rim and massacred it with welder for 20 minutes. The only problems are electricity consumption and possibility of sparks hitting retrobrightened plastic parts...
Title: Re: Anyone Here Tried Retr0Bright...
Post by: AmigaEd on February 26, 2011, 06:46:12 PM
Quote from: Krashan;618115

BTW a strong source of UV is an electric arc from welding. I've tried this with succes one day (for PCBs), just found an old, steel car wheel rim and massacred it with welder for 20 minutes. The only problems are electricity consumption and possibility of sparks hitting retrobrightened plastic parts...

 
LOL! ... I've earned myself a sunburn or two in the past while welding.
 
You know I just read an article about thunderstorms creating antimatter.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-12158718
 
I wonder if this happens (on a much smaller scale) with welding?
 
Anyway, I think it would be best if we keep Franko away from anything that might potentially generate antimatter.:)
Title: Re: Anyone Here Tried Retr0Bright...
Post by: krashan on February 26, 2011, 08:43:14 PM
Quote from: AmigaEd;618117
LOL! ... I've earned myself a sunburn or two in the past while welding.
I was wearing a welding mask obviously + gloves + clothes covering my body :).
Title: Re: Anyone Here Tried Retr0Bright...
Post by: Franko on February 26, 2011, 11:12:29 PM
@ Krashan & AmigaED... :)

You shouldn't really give me ideas you know... :D

(http://i995.photobucket.com/albums/af79/frankosamiga/Funny/TheFrank0BrightProject01.jpg)
Title: Re: Anyone Here Tried Retr0Bright...
Post by: AmigaEd on February 27, 2011, 01:40:49 AM
Quote from: Franko;618149
@ Krashan & AmigaED... :)
 
You shouldn't really give me ideas you know... :D
 

 
Franko, I thought that was very nice of you to put together a nice pictorial, until I got to the bottom and realized that was my house burning down.  :flame:
Title: Re: Anyone Here Tried Retr0Bright...
Post by: gertsy on February 27, 2011, 10:32:14 AM
Quote from: XDelusion;617326
I'm telling ya! Urine will set you straight!


Hey XDelusion, I heard its a good way to clean Amiga power supplies too.  You need to leave them turned on and direct the steam onto the underside. See how you go.

(o:
Title: Re: Anyone Here Tried Retr0Bright...
Post by: Franko on February 27, 2011, 11:03:59 AM
Just a quick update on how things are going... :)

(http://i995.photobucket.com/albums/af79/frankosamiga/Misc/RetrobriteResults01c.jpg)

The 9 key is from a brand new keyboard, The N key is how all the keys looked at the start...

The L,S and Enter Keys are after a 10 house coating

The 1, - and Spacebar keys are after a second 10 hour coating and are as good as new again... :D

Reckon so far it really depends on just how yellowed the keys are in the first place. The paste mixture seems to work well and it really just seems to be more a matter of time before you see the results... :)

(Still testing various mixes etc... post more results soon... :))
Title: Re: Anyone Here Tried Retr0Bright...
Post by: smerf on February 27, 2011, 01:56:40 PM
Hi,

@Franko,

Why you all doing it the hard way, I am using a dremel tool with 320 grit sand paper on my keyboard, works great. Bought a little bit of black paint to put the letters back on .

Don't believe the piss routine, works on teeth only. Just rinse your mouth with it for 60 seconds each day. Works better than the dentist.

smerf
Title: Re: Anyone Here Tried Retr0Bright...
Post by: AmigaEd on February 27, 2011, 05:06:28 PM
Franko, Very Impressive Results! Those keys look brand new after the second 10 hours.
 
I think you've sold me on this idea. As soon as the snow melts away from my front door, I'm going to go seek out necessary goods.
 
Regards,
AmigaEd
Title: Re: Anyone Here Tried Retr0Bright...
Post by: Franko on February 28, 2011, 03:12:40 AM
Well I think I've got the mixture that works for me... :)

Here's a quick pic of the old VIC20 case after its second 10 hour coating of Retr0Bright... :)

(http://i995.photobucket.com/albums/af79/frankosamiga/Misc/Retr0BrightResult01d.jpg)

No patches or swirling or marks of any kind, looks just like it did when it was new... :)

The results that worked best for me were...

Mix the OXI powder with boiling hot water from a kettle adding the water a tiny bit at a time using one of those ink cartridge refill syringes just enough at a time to dissolve the OXI powder but leaving it as a thick paste and not runny at all.

Wait for the OXI mix to cool down a good bit then add the Creme Peroxide and mix thoroughly (at least twice the amount of Creme Peroxide compared to the amount of OXI mix). leave for about 5 minutes and mix thoroughly once again before applying the past with a paintbrush.

Lay out all the pasted components on a flat even surface and switch on the UV/BlackLight, leave to stand for 8 to 10 hours. It helps to either rotate the pieces or the lamp a few times during the process in order to make sure the UV light reaches all sides/faces of whatever you're trying to de-yellow.

The more yellowed the components are then you may need to repeat the process again until a satisfactory result is achieved. What I did notice though during all of this was that, the mix seem to become ineffective after somewhere between 8 & 10 hours and leaving the coated pieces for any longer does not give any better results.

This is I think due to the chemical reaction having worn off or gone from the mix after this time and so a new coat needs to be applied again (if necessary).

Got to be honest, after my first attempt at just immersing stuff in the Peroxide and showing no results, I did think this whole thing may have been just a wee bit over hyped but now after using the right mix and most importantly (I found) having a source of UV light. I'm now a true believer in Retr0Bright... :)

Got  loads of stuff that need treated now, old Amigas, VIC20s, C64s, SNES consoles and quite a few other bit's n bobs that are about to be given that "new look" once again... :)

Thanks to every one who helped out here with advice and tips and a special thank you to the guys at the Retr0Bright homepage who discovered this wee miracle in the first place... :D


The Stuff I Used...

(http://i995.photobucket.com/albums/af79/frankosamiga/Misc/MyRetr0BrightIngredients.jpg)

11Watt Low Energy Blacklight (http://www.lightbulbs-direct.com/product/2447/pl-s-low-energy-11w-blacklight-blue-g23-2-pin/)

Creme Peroxide 12% 40vol (http://www.sallyexpress.com/viewProduct.aspx?pid=515713)

Vanish Oxy-Action (http://groceries.asda.com/asda-estore/search/searchcontainer.jsp?trailSize=1&searchString=vanish&domainName=Products&headerVersion=v1&_requestid=308585)

Cheers... :pint:

Franko
Title: Re: Anyone Here Tried Retr0Bright...
Post by: klx300r on February 28, 2011, 04:13:44 AM
@ Franko

impressive results ..thanks for posting:)
Title: Re: Anyone Here Tried Retr0Bright...
Post by: Franko on February 28, 2011, 01:36:47 PM
Been scouring the net looking for the strongest Peroxide cream I could find, everywhere I looked the max strength was 12% 40Vol stuff, then on eBay if found this stuff 18% 60Vol... :)

Pro Cream Proxide 18% 60Vol 1Ltr (http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=280466517918&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT#ht_1375wt_1141)

Ordered a couple of bottles as I now prefer to use the cream/paste method (especially for cases) as opposed to immersing items in the liquid stuff. With a bit of luck this stronger stuff will prevent the need for two coatings (hopefully) although it may still require two goes for very badly yellowed items... :)

Only time will tell but anything that can help cut down the amount of time taken can only be a good thing... :)
Title: Re: Anyone Here Tried Retr0Bright...
Post by: hektic on February 28, 2011, 02:53:19 PM
Franko! Awesome, i''m gonna try it on my A1000 :)

I'm just wondering how much you are actually mixing, water / oxi etc?

Cheers
Title: Re: Anyone Here Tried Retr0Bright...
Post by: Franko on February 28, 2011, 03:05:33 PM
Quote from: hektic;618410
Franko! Awesome, i''m gonna try it on my A1000 :)

I'm just wondering how much you are actually mixing, water / oxi etc?

Cheers


The only water added is just enough to turn the OXI powder into a paste, hence the reason for using the syringe... :)

Don't add any other water to the mix at all or you'll end up with something that wont stick and stay in place like a paste and will most likely just make the solution much less effective... :)
Title: Re: Anyone Here Tried Retr0Bright...
Post by: motrucker on February 28, 2011, 05:03:33 PM
Quote from: XDelusion;617326
I'm telling ya! Urine will set you straight!

That does it! You sir, get shot on sight.
Your urine fixation has done you in :quickdraw:
Title: Re: Anyone Here Tried Retr0Bright...
Post by: Franko on February 28, 2011, 05:06:45 PM
Quote from: motrucker;618456
That does it! You sir, get shot on sight.
Your urine fixation has done you in :quickdraw:


:lol:

I've been thinking lately that perhaps XDelusions avatar is a real photo of when he or she was younger... :)
Title: Re: Anyone Here Tried Retr0Bright...
Post by: nicholas on February 28, 2011, 07:16:12 PM
I'm going to try wrapping a fish tank in kitchen foil (Shiny side facing inwards), fitting two UV strip lights at the top, lining the lid with foil and using it as a chamber to leave cases inside whilst being treated with Franko's paste formula.

I think I'll give the cases a good scrub in the bath with hot water and biological washing powder first (works wonders on the removable bits of your oven too btw), followed by half an hour in the dish washer for good measure.

Will post photos before and after each stage.
Title: Re: Anyone Here Tried Retr0Bright...
Post by: Franko on February 28, 2011, 08:05:10 PM
Quote from: nicholas;618478
I'm going to try wrapping a fish tank in kitchen foil (Shiny side facing inwards), fitting two UV strip lights at the top, lining the lid with foil and using it as a chamber to leave cases inside whilst being treated with Franko's paste formula.

I think I'll give the cases a good scrub in the bath with hot water and biological washing powder first (works wonders on the removable bits of your oven too btw), followed by half an hour in the dish washer for good measure.

Will post photos before and after each stage.


Be waiting to see the results... :)

Yup good old soap powder is excellent for cleaning plastic cases, even monitor screens and DVD/Video recorder fascias and the like... :)

But this stuff from ScrewFix is the best thing ever to keep all the above and much much more looking like new and in tip top condition, (it gives it that squeaky clean feel and the smells like you've just opened something brand new for the first time from an airtight sealed package)...:)

ScrewFix UPVC Cleaner...
(http://i995.photobucket.com/albums/af79/frankosamiga/Misc/p4753085_l.jpg)
Title: Re: Anyone Here Tried Retr0Bright...
Post by: Franko on March 14, 2011, 01:17:54 PM
Thought I'd post a before and after shot of one of the A1200s that I gave the Retr0Bright treatment. The case wasn't too badly yellowed but the keyboard was, I'm very impressed and happy with the results... :D

Before...
(http://i995.photobucket.com/albums/af79/frankosamiga/Misc/Retr0BrightTest06.jpg)

After...
(http://i995.photobucket.com/albums/af79/frankosamiga/Misc/Retr0BrightTest06a.jpg)
Title: Re: Anyone Here Tried Retr0Bright...
Post by: RMK305 on March 14, 2011, 07:21:30 PM
Good job Franko. My A1200 looks like new after giving it a treatment.
Title: Re: Anyone Here Tried Retr0Bright...
Post by: Franko on March 14, 2011, 07:23:58 PM
Quote from: RMK305;621770
Good job Franko. My A1200 looks like new after giving it a treatment.


Nice to hear that, pretty amazing stuff eh... :D

Did you have to use a UV light or did you just use day/sunlight ???
Title: Re: Anyone Here Tried Retr0Bright...
Post by: RMK305 on March 14, 2011, 07:29:49 PM
Used neither. I did it in the laundry room which has no windows and it still worked a charm.
Title: Re: Anyone Here Tried Retr0Bright...
Post by: Franko on March 14, 2011, 07:32:34 PM
I never got any results using indoor lights or even daylight the magic only happened when I used the UV light, dunno why but I'm just happy it works... :)
Title: Re: Anyone Here Tried Retr0Bright...
Post by: tone007 on March 14, 2011, 07:54:52 PM
Frank0Bright!
Title: Re: Anyone Here Tried Retr0Bright...
Post by: Franko on March 14, 2011, 07:57:23 PM
Quote from: tone007;621792
Frank0Bright!


Can't take credit for this one I'm afraid it's all down to the guys who came up with this amazing little gem on the various forums... :)
Title: Re: Anyone Here Tried Retr0Bright...
Post by: TheGoose on March 14, 2011, 08:14:19 PM
Quote from: Franko;618488
Be waiting to see the results... :)


ScrewFix UPVC Cleaner...
(http://i995.photobucket.com/albums/af79/frankosamiga/Misc/p4753085_l.jpg)

LOL, They were fresh out of "wee bit silly cleaner" Cause I bought it all.

Nice work, nonetheless
Title: Re: Anyone Here Tried Retr0Bright...
Post by: LordSpunky on March 19, 2011, 10:40:15 PM
Quote from: Franko;618397
Been scouring the net looking for the strongest Peroxide cream I could find, everywhere I looked the max strength was 12% 40Vol stuff, then on eBay if found this stuff 18% 60Vol... :)
Pro Cream Proxide 18% 60Vol 1Ltr (http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=280466517918&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT#ht_1375wt_1141)

So, have you tried this e&ay product yet? I think it is time the good Lord tried some of this shit out, I have many yellowed retro in need of some beaching.
Title: Re: Anyone Here Tried Retr0Bright...
Post by: Franko on March 19, 2011, 10:57:22 PM
Quote from: LordSpunky;623177
So, have you tried this e&ay product yet? I think it is time the good Lord tried some of this shit out, I have many yellowed retro in need of some beaching.


Yup tried and tested, I'd say it works a wee bit faster than the 12% stuff but you have to be a bit more careful with it on the "brown" keys (Function, Ctrl keys etc..)

As if you leave it too long on these keys it can cause some cloudy extra light marks on the keytops (but not the sides for some reason)... :(

I't really good for heavily yellowed keys and case's but if you want to play safe stick with the 12% stuff as I never had any problems with it just takes an extra couple of hours to work compared to the 18% stuff... :)
Title: Re: Anyone Here Tried Retr0Bright...
Post by: LordSpunky on March 19, 2011, 11:06:02 PM
Hmmmm okay cool, did you get the 12% stuff off ebay? Got some spare A1200 keys to practice on first ;)

Ah....found this http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ReOxide-Cream-peroxide-12-40vol-250ml-/220750885347?pt=UK_Health_Beauty_Hair_Care_Hair_Colouring_Dyes_PP&hash=item3365c731e3
Title: Re: Anyone Here Tried Retr0Bright...
Post by: Franko on March 19, 2011, 11:34:39 PM
Quote from: LordSpunky;623185
Hmmmm okay cool, did you get the 12% stuff off ebay? Got some spare A1200 keys to practice on first ;)

Ah....found this http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ReOxide-Cream-peroxide-12-40vol-250ml-/220750885347?pt=UK_Health_Beauty_Hair_Care_Hair_Colouring_Dyes_PP&hash=item3365c731e3


That's the same brand as the 18% stuff I got from eBay and it worked fine, it's also cheaper than the Sally Express stuff I bought originally... :)

Creme Peroxide 12% (http://www.sallyexpress.com/viewProduct.aspx?pid=515713)
Title: Re: Anyone Here Tried Retr0Bright...
Post by: spaceman88 on March 28, 2011, 05:24:58 PM
I want to clean up some of my yellowed Amigas and have the H2O2 and Xantham gum. The local stores have "Oxi Clean" brand cleaner which the label says contains Sodium percabonate and Sodium Carbonate, but doesn't mention TAED which the Retrobright website talks about. Before I mix up a big batch, has anyone tried the "Oxy Clean" brand? Maybe all the Oxy brands contain TAED, but don"t list it on the label?
Thanks, Len
Title: Re: Anyone Here Tried Retr0Bright...
Post by: Franko on March 28, 2011, 05:41:23 PM
@ Spaceman88

While haven't a clue what "TAED" is, I tested two different brands of Oxi Clean and both worked fine and there was no mention of TAED on the label... :)

I will say this though only use a very small drop of OxiClean as after many different tests the best results are obtained by not using too much... :)

If you use too much of the Oxi then during the long hours of coating it actually froths up too much and lifts the mixture away from the object then goes hard and crusty and thus not actually doing it's job... :)
Title: Re: Anyone Here Tried Retr0Bright...
Post by: lauri.lotvonen on March 28, 2011, 07:10:28 PM
Thank you very, very much for this thread!
I never realised that there is a cream peroxide available.
Now I don't have to make a mess with peroxide + wallpaper paste allthough that works too =) :

(http://aijaa.com/v.php?i=003487779328.jpg)(http://i3.aijaa.com/t/00348/7779328.t.jpg) (http://aijaa.com/v.php?i=003487779328.jpg)
(http://aijaa.com/v.php?i=003487779328.jpg)
Title: Re: Anyone Here Tried Retr0Bright...
Post by: nicholas on March 28, 2011, 07:20:33 PM
Quote from: Franko;625331
@ Spaceman88

While haven't a clue what "TAED" is, I tested two different brands of Oxi Clean and both worked fine and there was no mention of TAED on the label... :)

I will say this though only use a very small drop of OxiClean as after many different tests the best results are obtained by not using too much... :)

If you use too much of the Oxi then during the long hours of coating it actually froths up too much and lifts the mixture away from the object then goes hard and crusty and thus not actually doing it's job... :)


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tetraacetylethylenediamine

From that description I can tell you that Vanish Oxi-Action contains it.

Karlos or Bloodline are our resident chemists though.
Title: Re: Anyone Here Tried Retr0Bright...
Post by: Franko on March 28, 2011, 08:04:04 PM
@ Lauri.lotvonen

Neither did it and didn't fancy trying to make the gunk up myself (would never have thought about wallpaper paste though, neat idea) but it was thanks to RMK305 who told everyone about the creme peroxide... :)

@ Nicholas

Ahh... so that's what it stands for... used the Vanish Oxi Action stuff myself and there were no bad results... :)
Title: Re: Anyone Here Tried Retr0Bright...
Post by: lauri.lotvonen on March 30, 2011, 10:02:49 AM
I just love this stuff! Whitened my one of my A600's using it :) :

(http://i8.aijaa.com/t/00986/7788130.t.jpg) (http://aijaa.com/v.php?i=009867788130.jpg)

The difference isn't amazing, but the A600 wasn't that badly yellowed afterall. I like my every retro gear good as new.

*humming - like a virgin, touched for the very first time* :lol:
Title: Re: Anyone Here Tried Retr0Bright...
Post by: Franko on March 30, 2011, 12:31:47 PM
Quote from: lauri.lotvonen;625954
I just love this stuff! Whitened my one of my A600's using it :) :

(http://i8.aijaa.com/t/00986/7788130.t.jpg) (http://aijaa.com/v.php?i=009867788130.jpg)

The difference isn't amazing, but the A600 wasn't that badly yellowed afterall. I like my every retro gear good as new.

*humming - like a virgin, touched for the very first time* :lol:


It's brilliant isn't it... :)

I've been Retr0Brightning every thing in sight for weeks now from my old VIC20s, C64s & Amigas to (believe it or not) the heating radiators in my house, makes everything look like it's brand new and just came out the box... :D
Title: Re: Anyone Here Tried Retr0Bright...
Post by: LordSpunky on March 30, 2011, 10:17:05 PM
@Franko - before I order this stuff what do you think of this? http://www.toolstation.com/shop/Lighting/Energy+Saving+CFL+Stick+Lamps/Low+Energy+Ultra+Violet+Lamp+11W+BC/d220/sd3283/p58036
want a fitment I can use.......and I'm going for that 12% ebay stuff.....I gotta brighten my A4000 case up so I can put it back on ;).....then I have a whole stack of retro to do!
Title: Re: Anyone Here Tried Retr0Bright...
Post by: Franko on March 30, 2011, 11:34:17 PM
Quote from: LordSpunky;626085
@Franko - before I order this stuff what do you think of this? http://www.toolstation.com/shop/Lighting/Energy+Saving+CFL+Stick+Lamps/Low+Energy+Ultra+Violet+Lamp+11W+BC/d220/sd3283/p58036
want a fitment I can use.......and I'm going for that 12% ebay stuff.....I gotta brighten my A4000 case up so I can put it back on ;).....then I have a whole stack of retro to do!


The only reason I went for the 2 Pin G23 bulb was that it fitted the kind of desk lamps I use, if those ones fit yours then go for them... :)

Should say though that it's best to have two of them as if you place the lamp directly above the case the sides don't get done (discovered that though trial and error)... :)

Best to have 2 lamps placed so that the UV light hits all surfaces of the objects being done, otherwise you have to remember to turn them every couple of hours to get the UV light to affect each surface... :)

I did try at first reflecting the UV light with mirrors and tin foil but the results were poor... :(

PS:The 12% stuff works fine compared to the 18% stuff (only about an hour to an hour and a half soaking time difference)... :D
Title: Re: Anyone Here Tried Retr0Bright...
Post by: lauri.lotvonen on March 31, 2011, 06:37:38 AM
Quote from: Franko;626112

PS:The 12% stuff works fine compared to the 18% stuff (only about an hour to an hour and a half soaking time difference)...

Thats great news for me, because the hairdresser shop's here dont/wont sell any peroxide over 12% to me :biglaugh:...
Title: Re: Anyone Here Tried Retr0Bright...
Post by: magnetic on March 31, 2011, 06:49:35 AM
lauri

you must have really bad social engineering skill :)
Title: Re: Anyone Here Tried Retr0Bright...
Post by: Franko on March 31, 2011, 06:57:13 AM
Quote from: lauri.lotvonen;626199
Thats great news for me, because the hairdresser shop's here dont/wont sell any peroxide over 12% to me :biglaugh:...


I know they only sell the 12% stuff to the public which is a bit daft when you can buy the stronger stuff on aBay... :)

(only wish it would work on the post above... :D)
Title: Re: Anyone Here Tried Retr0Bright...
Post by: LordSpunky on March 31, 2011, 05:17:35 PM
Ah I see Franko! Well done that man I'll be in touch when all the parts are ready to mix ;)
Title: Re: Anyone Here Tried Retr0Bright...
Post by: Tripitaka on March 31, 2011, 08:32:31 PM
Quote from: lauri.lotvonen;626199
Thats great news for me, because the hairdresser shop's here dont/wont sell any peroxide over 12% to me :biglaugh:...


It gets harder and harder to find good chemicals with a world full of health and safety nuts. Crazy IMHO, any first year degree chemist can make all sorts of fun with the stuff under the kitchen sink.
This company http://www.readyreagents.co.uk sell 250ml peroxide at 35% for £5, they sell on ebay too (dilute with distilled water for lesser strength). I've dealt with them before and they are a very good company.
Title: Re: Anyone Here Tried Retr0Bright...
Post by: spaceman88 on March 31, 2011, 10:26:15 PM
Quote from: Franko;625331
@ Spaceman88

While haven't a clue what "TAED" is, I tested two different brands of Oxi Clean and both worked fine and there was no mention of TAED on the label... :)

I will say this though only use a very small drop of OxiClean as after many different tests the best results are obtained by not using too much... :)

If you use too much of the Oxi then during the long hours of coating it actually froths up too much and lifts the mixture away from the object then goes hard and crusty and thus not actually doing it's job... :)


OK, I tried the mixture. I see what you mean by using too much OxiClean :-(. The mouse I tried came out very nice after about six hours in the sun. The A3000 front looks better than it did, but it has a couple of white spots/streaks on the front. Will these go away if I try again? My keyboard is a little bit ugly. Can you pry all the keys off without breaking them or is it hard to do?
I just have to wait until the sun comes back (I do live in "New Scotland" Nova Scotia after all)
Thanks Len
Title: Re: Anyone Here Tried Retr0Bright...
Post by: Franko on March 31, 2011, 10:51:48 PM
Quote from: spaceman88;626370
OK, I tried the mixture. I see what you mean by using too much OxiClean :-(. The mouse I tried came out very nice after about six hours in the sun. The A3000 front looks better than it did, but it has a couple of white spots/streaks on the front. Will these go away if I try again? My keyboard is a little bit ugly. Can you pry all the keys off without breaking them or is it hard to do?
I just have to wait until the sun comes back (I do live in "New Scotland" Nova Scotia after all)
Thanks Len


I only had the white spots bother once on an A1200 "brown" keys (ie:function keys, return key etc...)... :(

It was down to a combination of using too much Oxi and it causing the mixture to lift away unevenly from the surface as it foamed up too much. It only happened to the keytops and not the sides of the keys, under close inspection with a microscope the keytops have a clear coating of some kind to protect the lettering and it seems that the white spots mainly occur where the mixture manages to get under this coating and is trapped there... :(

You can try again without the OXY this time and less time soaking to remove the white spots but the results can vary from making it better to making it worse, it's very hit & miss once you have these white spots... :)

Best results I've found are for every 100ml or about 2.7Fl oz of creme peroxide you should add just under half a level teaspoon of Oxi powder, stir vigorously until you get a smooth mixture, leave for 5 minutes to froth up them stir vigorously once more before applying... :)

Never had any bad results on any of the Amigas, Vic20s or C64s creme coloured plastics but you have to be a wee bit careful on the slightly darker/brown coloured plastics... :)

I pry off all the keys before coating them as it's easy enough to do (just remember not to loose any of the springs underneath)... :)

Also it's best to thoroughly clean anything your about to do beforehand to remove any oily fingerprint residue or just years of dirt & grime that you cant really see before coating. For this I use UPVC cleaner which removes all such dirt and grime first and produces the best results... :)
Title: Re: Anyone Here Tried Retr0Bright...
Post by: LordSpunky on March 31, 2011, 10:54:51 PM
Quote from: Franko;626378
Best results I've found are for every 100ml or about 2.7Fl oz of creme peroxide you should add just under half a level teaspoon of Oxi powder, stir vigorously until you get a smooth mixture, leave for 5 minutes to froth up them stir vigorously once more before applying... :)

Never had any bad results on any of the Amigas, Vic20s or C64s creme coloured plastics but you have to be a wee bit careful on the slightly darker/brown coloured plastics... :)

I pry off all the keys before coating them as it's easy enough to do (just remember not to loose any of the springs underneath)... :)

Also it's best to thoroughly clean anything your about to do beforehand to remove any oily fingerprint residue or just years of dirt & grime that you cant really see before coating. For this I use UPVC cleaner which removes all such dirt and grime first and produces the best results... :)

Uh-huh.....hmmm.....yes.....good :) Wait for the postman...and get some UV on the go!
Title: Re: Anyone Here Tried Retr0Bright...
Post by: Franko on March 31, 2011, 10:57:49 PM
Quote from: LordSpunky;626379
Uh-huh.....hmmm.....yes.....good :) Wait for the postman...and get some UV on the go!


Got my eBay peroxide in two days flat... :)

(Perhaps the postie's doing his hair... :D)
Title: Re: Anyone Here Tried Retr0Bright...
Post by: lauri.lotvonen on April 01, 2011, 08:30:25 AM
Quote from: Franko;626378

Also it's best to thoroughly clean anything your about to do beforehand to remove any oily fingerprint residue or just years of dirt & grime that you cant really see before coating. For this I use UPVC cleaner which removes all such dirt and grime first and produces the best results... :)

Dishwasher does this job also very effectively... Just pop the case/whatever you are retr0bight'n into the machine once before, and two times after the peroxide treatment. Just don't use the longest/hottest program as I did and melted away some A500 Psu's :rolleyes:...
Title: Re: Anyone Here Tried Retr0Bright...
Post by: Iggy on April 01, 2011, 01:26:32 PM
I tried Retr0Bright, but it isn't doing anything for my teeth and it gives me an upset stomach.
Title: Re: Anyone Here Tried Retr0Bright...
Post by: nicholas on April 01, 2011, 08:27:51 PM
Quote from: lauri.lotvonen;626477
Dishwasher does this job also very effectively... Just pop the case/whatever you are retr0bight'n into the machine once before, and two times after the peroxide treatment. Just don't use the longest/hottest program as I did and melted away some A500 Psu's :rolleyes:...


The trick is to put the plastic cases only on the top shelf of the dishwasher, never put them on the bottom shelf.

A thirty minute quick wash on a low temperature setting is best and NEVER use rinse aid liquid, just use a soap tablet.
Title: Re: Anyone Here Tried Retr0Bright...
Post by: nicholas on April 01, 2011, 08:28:55 PM
Quote from: Iggy;626516
I tried Retr0Bright, but it isn't doing anything for my teeth and it gives me an upset stomach.


Forgot to take them out first eh? ;)
Title: Re: Anyone Here Tried Retr0Bright...
Post by: zipper on April 01, 2011, 08:36:01 PM
I could give you a helping hand

Z,  dentist
Title: Re: Anyone Here Tried Retr0Bright...
Post by: Iggy on April 01, 2011, 08:39:57 PM
Quote from: nicholas;626628
Forgot to take them out first eh? ;)

They don't come out. Are they supposed to?
Title: Re: Anyone Here Tried Retr0Bright...
Post by: lauri.lotvonen on April 01, 2011, 08:51:18 PM
Quote from: Iggy;626516
I tried Retr0Bright, but it isn't doing anything for my teeth and it gives me an upset stomach.

Actually peroxide is used by dentist's to whiten theeths, so it should work =)...
Title: Re: Anyone Here Tried Retr0Bright...
Post by: Franko on April 01, 2011, 08:55:48 PM
There was a rumour once that there was a Dentist somewhere in Scotland, but it was just a rumour... :D

(toothbrush sales aint very big here... :))
Title: Re: Anyone Here Tried Retr0Bright...
Post by: motrucker on April 01, 2011, 08:59:25 PM
Quote from: lauri.lotvonen;626199
Thats great news for me, because the hairdresser shop's here dont/wont sell any peroxide over 12% to me :biglaugh:...

I just bought a bottle of 18% from a local supply store with no trouble. They don't even have any 12%. Now I need a nice yellow case....
Title: Re: Anyone Here Tried Retr0Bright...
Post by: Franko on April 01, 2011, 09:01:05 PM
Quote from: motrucker;626643
I just bought a bottle of 18% from a local supply store with no trouble. They don't even have any 12%. Now I need a nice yellow case....


Leave it in the sun for about 10 years... that should do the trick... :D
Title: Re: Anyone Here Tried Retr0Bright...
Post by: Franko on April 01, 2011, 09:19:45 PM
A bit of topic I know but...

Could some take a peek in Adz Coffee House Thread "Funny Pics" and see if that picture of the half chewed rat by ddniUK is gone yet... :nervous:

DON'T GO HERE IF YOUR EATING SOMETHING !!! (http://www.amiga.org/forums/showthread.php?t=56893)

I threw up all over me keyboard this morning when I saw it and me squirrels have been traumatized... :(
Title: Re: Anyone Here Tried Retr0Bright...
Post by: lauri.lotvonen on April 01, 2011, 09:57:17 PM
Quote from: Franko;626651
A bit of topic I know but...

Could some take a peek in Adz Coffee House Thread "Funny Pics" and see if that picture of the half chewed rat by ddniUK is gone yet... :nervous:

DON'T GO HERE IF YOUR EATING SOMETHING !!! (http://www.amiga.org/forums/showthread.php?t=56893)

I threw up all over me keyboard this morning when I saw it and me squirrels have been traumatized... :(

It's edited so there's only a link to the GIF...That was really nasty, especially for funny pictures thread. How can that mouse still swim up to the surface with half of it's body left in the turtle's mouth:confused:
Title: Re: Anyone Here Tried Retr0Bright...
Post by: actung_bab on April 01, 2011, 10:34:10 PM
Quote from: desiv;617290
Haven't done this yet, but it's on the list..
I'd be careful with the higher percentage..  Too high and you can "burn" the cases (a "bloom" pattern is the usual description) and that can't be fixed (well, paint...)..

From what I hear, the sunlight (UV) is very important...

There was someone who used Vanish (Napisan??) with no peroxide and got pertty good results...

desiv
i was going to suggest napisan nappy care we use for are sons and i used on the carpet aslo and brought out the carpet like new in small areas l cleaned with it
I chould try as l have one yellow top case here free to try it out franko
Title: Re: Anyone Here Tried Retr0Bright...
Post by: actung_bab on April 01, 2011, 10:37:44 PM
Quote from: Franko;626639
There was a rumour once that there was a Dentist somewhere in Scotland, but it was just a rumour... :D

(toothbrush sales aint very big here... :))
Id thought locals just went to pub got drunk feel down knocked there own teeth out
Or better still did what my realtives apprently did go local pub if choudint find fight
they used have brawl with each other hehe that was here in new zealand damm

just look that singer of the pogues

here my teeth are yellow can u fix them tension/ or franko
Title: Re: Anyone Here Tried Retr0Bright...
Post by: Franko on April 28, 2011, 05:25:59 PM
Just thought I'd post a quick update on the old VIC 20 that I started this wee project on... :)

Before: when I had done the first test on half the case to see if it worked...
(http://i995.photobucket.com/albums/af79/frankosamiga/Misc/Retr0BrightResult01d.jpg)

After: One brand new looking VIC 20... :)
(http://i995.photobucket.com/albums/af79/frankosamiga/Misc/VIC20AfterRetr0Bright01.jpg)

(http://i995.photobucket.com/albums/af79/frankosamiga/Misc/VIC20AfterRetr0Bright02.jpg)

Noticed an odd thing under the UV light, I didn't do the keyboard with RetroBright but under the UV light some of the keys are a lighter brown colour in comparison to the normal almost black colour that your eyes would see under normal light conditions, As can be seen from the picture below in comparison to the pics above... odd that... :)

(http://i995.photobucket.com/albums/af79/frankosamiga/Misc/VIC20differentColouredKeysUnderUV.jpg)

[youtube]d4fAgiSSHJY[/youtube]

Just thought those different coloured keys were interesting... :)
Title: Re: Anyone Here Tried Retr0Bright...
Post by: Damion on April 28, 2011, 07:19:56 PM
The keys normally have a hint of brown under the right light - all mine do anyway.

Nice job on the VIC 20 - looks great.
Title: Re: Anyone Here Tried Retr0Bright...
Post by: nicholas on April 28, 2011, 10:56:37 PM
Nice job on the VIC Franko, looks good as new!

My UV Black Light bulbs came today so I'm all set to have a go at this using my A4000 front fascia for the first attempt.

I have 12% Cream Peroxide, Vanish Oxi-Action powder, latex gloves and a tooth brush.

Having honed this down to a fine art, pretty please tell me what is your recommended procedure/chemical mix to get results like you achieved on the VIC-20?
Title: Re: Anyone Here Tried Retr0Bright...
Post by: Franko on April 28, 2011, 11:12:23 PM
@ Nicholas

I haven't made accurate measurements but for example to do a complete VIC 20 or A1200 case I do the following...

PS:Before doing anything I give everything a good clean first with the ScrewFIX UPVC Cleaner to remove all surface dust, oily fingerprint etc...

50ml of Creme Peroxide
Half a teaspoon of Vanish Oxi Powder
Mix thoroughly and leave to stand for 5 mins
after 5 Mins it should have frothed up a wee bit
Another quick & thorough mix
Then apply with a paintbrush

Then sit under the UV light for preferably 10 hours, no point in leaving it any longer than that as by this time the chemical reaction seems to have dissipated and for heavily yellowed items another fresh coating and 10 hour soak should do the trick... :)

Managed to get meself a job lot of 15 UV lights on eBay for 16 quid (£5 less than I paid for the single bulb I bought at first) now Scotlands got it's own permanent source of UV light, getting a nice tan from it... ;)

Still find it amazing how well this stuff works and I reckon you'll be pretty amazed too when you see the results for yourself... :)

PS:Gloves are for cissies be a man and use bare hands like I do, just remember not to pick your nose or rub your eyes till you've washed them though... :D
Title: Re: Anyone Here Tried Retr0Bright...
Post by: nicholas on April 28, 2011, 11:17:19 PM
Quote from: Franko;634239
@ Nicholas

I haven't made accurate measurements but for example to do a complete VIC 20 or A1200 case I do the following...

PS:Before doing anything I give everything a good clean first with the ScrewFIX UPVC Cleaner to remove all surface dust, oily fingerprint etc...

50ml of Creme Peroxide
Half a teaspoon of Vanish Oxi Powder
Mix thoroughly and leave to stand for 5 mins
after 5 Mins it should have frothed up a wee bit
Another quick & thorough mix
Then apply with a paintbrush

Then sit under the UV light for preferably 10 hours, no point in leaving it any longer than that as by this time the chemical reaction seems to have dissipated and for heavily yellowed items another fresh coating and 10 hour soak should do the trick... :)

Managed to get meself a job lot of 15 UV lights on eBay for 16 quid (£5 less than I paid for the single bulb I bought at first) now Scotlands got it's own permanent source of UV light, getting a nice tan from it... ;)

Still find it amazing how well this stuff works and I reckon you'll be pretty amazed too when you see the results for yourself... :)

PS:Gloves are for cissies be a man and use bare hands like I do, just remember not to pick your nose or rub your eyes till you've washed them though... :D

Cheers mate.  I've given it a 30 minute blast in the dishwasher to get rid of dirt, dust and grime before applying the paste.

ps The gloves (along with a new toolbox and a combination lock) are the result of me being totally unable to walk into B&Q and only buy the one thing I went in for in the first place (Which was Lye in this case).

Anyone else suffer from this debilitating condition? :lol:
Title: Re: Anyone Here Tried Retr0Bright...
Post by: Franko on April 28, 2011, 11:30:41 PM
Quote from: nicholas;634240
Cheers mate.  I've given it a 30 minute blast in the dishwasher to get rid of dirt, dust and grime before applying the paste.

ps The gloves (along with a new toolbox and a combination lock) are the result of me being totally unable to walk into B&Q and only buy the one thing I went in for in the first place (Which was Lye in this case).

Anyone else suffer from this debilitating condition? :lol:

When I go to B&Q my sister follows me these days to prevent me picking up "Bargains" when I'd only gone in for a tap washer or bag of screws... :D

(got a habit of buying LED torches these days for some reason, last count I had somehow managed to buy 11 of em so far... :))
Title: Re: Anyone Here Tried Retr0Bright...
Post by: nicholas on April 29, 2011, 12:14:58 AM
Quote from: Franko;634244
When I go to B&Q my sister follows me these days to prevent me picking up "Bargains" when I'd only gone in for a tap washer or bag of screws... :D

(got a habit of buying LED torches these days for some reason, last count I had somehow managed to buy 11 of em so far... :))


Good to hear it's not just me! :)
Title: Re: Anyone Here Tried Retr0Bright...
Post by: Franko on April 30, 2011, 07:27:05 PM
Just thought I'd post the pics of my old VIC 20's before and after the Retr0Bright treatment as I'll need to pack them away for now as I'm running out of space for doing my A1200's... :)

Unfortunately I only managed to take this one pic before I started of the first one I tried. This was the worst case of yellowing I had ever seen on anything... :eek:

This one was made in England and seems to be made from a different plastic from the German made ones below which are less prone to yellowing and the English one when done comes up almost white in comparison to the German ones that come up the more usual creme colour... :)

English made VIC 20 Before...
(http://i995.photobucket.com/albums/af79/frankosamiga/Retr0Bright/VIC20EngBefore01.jpg)

English made VIC 20 After...
(http://i995.photobucket.com/albums/af79/frankosamiga/Retr0Bright/VIC20EngAfter01.jpg) (http://i995.photobucket.com/albums/af79/frankosamiga/Retr0Bright/VIC20EngAfter02.jpg)

German made VIC 20 Before...
(http://i995.photobucket.com/albums/af79/frankosamiga/Retr0Bright/VIC20GrmBefore01.jpg) (http://i995.photobucket.com/albums/af79/frankosamiga/Retr0Bright/VIC20GrmBefore02.jpg)

German made VIC 20 After...
(http://i995.photobucket.com/albums/af79/frankosamiga/Retr0Bright/VIC20GrmAfter01.jpg) (http://i995.photobucket.com/albums/af79/frankosamiga/Retr0Bright/VIC20GrmAfter02.jpg)

And here they all are together...
(http://i995.photobucket.com/albums/af79/frankosamiga/Retr0Bright/VIC20sAfter01.jpg) (http://i995.photobucket.com/albums/af79/frankosamiga/Retr0Bright/VIC20sAfter02.jpg)

As you can see the English made one had the biggest difference to it after the Retr0Bright but the German ones also came up looking how they should, it just doesn't show up in the photos that well, but when you see them with your own peepers the difference is amazing... :D

Now for the rest of me miggies... :)
Title: Re: Anyone Here Tried Retr0Bright...
Post by: RMK305 on May 01, 2011, 05:50:22 PM
Franko,

Would be interested in seeing pictures of your entire computer collection :)
Title: Re: Anyone Here Tried Retr0Bright...
Post by: nicholas on May 01, 2011, 06:14:30 PM
I did exactly as you said Franko but it made no difference at all. :(

Perhaps the bulb is the wrong sort?  It's a 75W UV Black Light.
Title: Re: Anyone Here Tried Retr0Bright...
Post by: Franko on May 02, 2011, 01:14:09 PM
@ Nicholas

Surprised & sorry to hear that... :(

The only time I didn't get any results was when I first tried it without the "UV" black light. I'm only using 11W & 9W fluorescent energy saving bulbs and have had perfect results since doing so... :)

Only thing I would say if the room in which your doing it is on the cold side then the results are not so good and usually require another treatment (or more). Could be the bulb you're using is not a real "Balck light" and just one of those cheaper purple coated ones that give out the same light effect but doesn't actually give off UV rays... :(

this is the type I use.... it's an 11W energy saving type that fit in desk lamps you can buy from Argos (or it can use the 9W ones I bought on  eBay) ... :)

(http://i995.photobucket.com/albums/af79/frankosamiga/Misc/MyRetr0BrightIngredients.jpg)

PS:If the stuff glows like in this pic then the bulb you're using is ok...

(http://i995.photobucket.com/albums/af79/frankosamiga/Misc/Retr0BrightTest01b.jpg)

@ RMK305

I'll post some pics of my full collection after they're all Retr0Brighted, but there are plenty of folk here with far bigger & better collections than I have... :)
Title: Re: Anyone Here Tried Retr0Bright...
Post by: nicholas on May 02, 2011, 09:22:07 PM
I did a fresh coat of paste and left it for another 10 hours.

Same result again. :(

Just had a look at the auction i bought the bulbs from and noticed they are those cheap purple ones, need to buy some proper bulbs instead.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=140531482895
Title: Re: Anyone Here Tried Retr0Bright...
Post by: nicholas on May 02, 2011, 09:24:08 PM
This looks the ticket.... http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/BLACKLIGHT-BC-15W-UV-BULB-ULTRA-VIOLET-BLACK-LIGHT-/160576752417?pt=UK_ConElec_LightingLEDsStrobes_RL&hash=item25631ecb21
Title: Re: Anyone Here Tried Retr0Bright...
Post by: Franko on May 02, 2011, 09:32:51 PM
@ Nicholas

Yup looking at the first ones you bought they're just the purple coated type that only give off a filtered normal light... (it even says so in the listing)... ;)

The second ones look like they should do the job just fine... :)
Title: Re: Anyone Here Tried Retr0Bright...
Post by: Pentad on May 02, 2011, 10:52:13 PM
Quote from: Franko;634578
Just thought I'd post the pics of my old VIC 20's before and after...


Franko,

That is absolutely amazing!  They look like they just rolled off the assembly line @ Commodore.

Do you use anything to protect them from going yellow again?  Is that possible?


Cheers!
-P
Title: Re: Anyone Here Tried Retr0Bright...
Post by: Franko on May 02, 2011, 11:10:52 PM
Quote from: Pentad;634968
Franko,

That is absolutely amazing!  They look like they just rolled off the assembly line @ Commodore.

Do you use anything to protect them from going yellow again?  Is that possible?


Cheers!
-P


I do actually (forgot to mention that) I give them a good polish up with CAR WAX just make sure it's the kind that has UV protection in it and it should help to prevent UV (yellowing) damage from reoccurring again in future... :)

Still find it amazing myself just how well this stuff works it's like you say they look like they've just shipped out the factory... :D
Title: Re: Anyone Here Tried Retr0Bright...
Post by: brownb2 on May 04, 2011, 03:56:44 PM
Quote from: Franko;634974
I do actually (forgot to mention that) I give them a good polish up with CAR WAX...

You should set up a business cleaning these things since the UK postal service doesn't allow the strength of chemicals in retrobright to be shipped without notification.

With the amount of sun you're getting in Scotland atm I hope you aren't using that black lamp ;)
Title: Re: Anyone Here Tried Retr0Bright...
Post by: Franko on May 04, 2011, 04:28:54 PM
Quote from: brownb2;635329
You should set up a business cleaning these things since the UK postal service doesn't allow the strength of chemicals in retrobright to be shipped without notification.

With the amount of sun you're getting in Scotland atm I hope you aren't using that black lamp ;)


The peroxide I bought from the hairdressing company had to be sent via a special courier service that has a licence to ship hazardous materials but the stuff I bought from ebay which was stronger was posted via royal mail... :confused:

The sun may be out but it's still too cold here for it to have any effect, so right now I've got five Black Lamps on doing one of my A1200 cases... :)

As for setting up a service to RetroBright things for others, no thanks it's a long slow process and takes up a lot of space just doing your own stuff, plus to be honest it pretty damn boring... ;)