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Added 2019-04-29 21:50:13 +0000 UTC*** I'm wrapping up the video today, Thursday, if you have any final test updates to share ππΉοΈ ***
Dear Patrons of a certain tier!
I'm working on a very interesting retrobrighting discovery.
In brief the hypothesis is as follows:
- Diffuse sunlight through window glass, plus fluorescent lighting and air oxidation, over the course of years, causes slow yellowing.
- Bright direct sunlight, over the course of hours, makes the degraded & sensitive material less yellow.
This photo is from putting a keyboard in the sun on just one overcast day. The right half had a cloth over it. Notice how the other half has brightened and de-yellowed?! π€―
Here's similar results on the Omnibot:
And the Macintosh:
Notice the bottom picture shows less yellow? One day of sun folks, that's it.
They're out to sunbathe again today - see my Patreon Lens clip!
If you have something yellowed I'd like to invite you to just put it outside. Cloud cover doesn't matter. Just keep in it line of sight of the UV-A from the sun.
I'd like to include your results so be sure to take before and after photos in identical lighting (I like to use a hallway with no sunlight interference).
Feel free to share interesting results, and the weather conditions, in the comments below! And thanks so much. Happy "Lightbrighting"!
Your friend in retro, Perifractic
Comments
Interesting ideas. funnily enough I already did that experiment and heat without peroxide causes the plastic to darken whereas UV causes it to lighten. You should find the video very interesting. There aren't any rabbits in it but there are plenty of puppies.
Perifractic's Retro Recipes
2019-05-02 19:05:53 +0000 UTCMethinks you are chasing the wrong rabbit. You can heat up ABS in water and it will yield a result. Every plastic professional agrees that UV light damages plastic. My guess is that the plastic is reacting to heat and humidity in the air to lighten up.
Josh Tordsen
2019-05-02 19:04:25 +0000 UTCOk, i do a test tommorrow on my balcony
Torsten StΓΌtz
2019-05-02 19:02:59 +0000 UTCIt's our hypothesis that it's a mix of those factors. I'll present it more clearly in the video. It should be very interesting! ππΉοΈ
Perifractic's Retro Recipes
2019-05-01 17:09:13 +0000 UTCBut what causes the yellowing? Is our own electric light is really a cause (or part of the cause)? Very interesting.......
Marc Burkhardt
2019-05-01 17:07:16 +0000 UTCI think it is not so strange just to use sunlight. Over ages people bleaches clothes or bedsheets in the sun. So why shouldnβt this also work with retro computers?
Marc Burkhardt
2019-05-01 17:04:24 +0000 UTCSadly can't wait as the video needs to be ready Thursday for you fine folks! π
Perifractic's Retro Recipes
2019-04-30 22:25:19 +0000 UTCIf you can wait until this weekend Iβve an IBM Model M keyboard clone I can leave outside for a day or two. Forecast says sunny but then this is England.
Tim Hugall
2019-04-30 22:16:20 +0000 UTCThanks Nicole! What were the weather conditions? Try again tomorrow, this may take a few days, then again after 30 years yellowing I'm okay with that ππΉοΈ
Perifractic's Retro Recipes
2019-04-30 21:16:17 +0000 UTCThis is 7.5 hours; looks like despite my best efforts the lighting was a little different in the later picture; I'll leave it to experts in white balance adjustment to determine if it's different <a href="https://nicole.express/other/before.jpg" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://nicole.express/other/before.jpg</a> <a href="https://nicole.express/other/after.jpg" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://nicole.express/other/after.jpg</a>
Nicole Express
2019-04-30 21:13:37 +0000 UTCOh yes! Noticable difference!!
Perifractic's Retro Recipes
2019-04-30 17:34:40 +0000 UTC<a href="https://drive.google.com/open?id=14GezoXAqQgtV9TTbw8VcHtZsAExyYqcQ" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://drive.google.com/open?id=14GezoXAqQgtV9TTbw8VcHtZsAExyYqcQ</a>
Richard Farrell
2019-04-30 17:33:27 +0000 UTC<a href="https://drive.google.com/open?id=1eJFdPysv6UUEEqsrJPtU504S-97fAv0V" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://drive.google.com/open?id=1eJFdPysv6UUEEqsrJPtU504S-97fAv0V</a>
Richard Farrell
2019-04-30 17:33:08 +0000 UTCGood job! Incredible isn't it? Looking forward to those photos! ππΉοΈ
Perifractic's Retro Recipes
2019-04-30 16:06:24 +0000 UTCπ€
Perifractic's Retro Recipes
2019-04-30 16:05:55 +0000 UTCNo, direct sun is better but clouds are fine too.
Perifractic's Retro Recipes
2019-04-30 16:05:08 +0000 UTCI left a Atari 65XE Keyboard outside today ( UK - Sunny ) with discoloured keys and after a day in the sun ( 7 hours ) the variance between the keys has diminished. Not totally gone but the difference between them is less. colour me surprised I just need to take the photo at the end after I put it outside tomorrow for a second dose.
Richard Farrell
2019-04-30 15:32:16 +0000 UTCI've got an old Famicom suspended in front of my window now for the cause... though given it's rainy and very cloudy, I don't expect much change
Nicole Express
2019-04-30 13:30:05 +0000 UTCWhere should I put stuff when there isnβt clouds? Do I need some sort of portable UVA filter? (A window?)
Thomas Fuchs
2019-04-30 12:05:24 +0000 UTCHaha, well, you don't need direct sun, cloud cover is fine. And you don't need peroxide either. It sounds crazy but try it! ππΉοΈ
Perifractic's Retro Recipes
2019-04-30 05:58:43 +0000 UTCIf only I had sun... here in Norway! (and a place to put stuff... and buying hydrogenperoxide without getting flagged as a terrorist as a private person ^_^)
Anders Enger Jensen
2019-04-30 05:50:05 +0000 UTC
