Fun with Retr0bright

[DragonmasterDan]

I recently obtained a very inexpensive Famicom. Unfortunately it was quite, quite yellowed to a point where it was nearly brown. Determined to correct this and restore it to it's original beauty I set out to obtain the ingridients to make the legendary de-yellowing gel known as Retr0bright and here are the results.

This is after having basically washed up the Famicom but before having applied any Retr0bright.



Here it is after one approximately three hour treatment.



Here it is after a second roughly 11 hour treatment (two coats of Retr0brite were applied)




Third treatment completed. This was two coatings. Left it out in the sun approximately 11 hours.




Treatment #4 Completed




Treatment #5 completed.



And after treatment #6 which will be the final treatment




It's pretty close to looking good as new. Unfortunately I'm getting diminished returns with every subsequent treatment so I've finished with this Famicom for now. Anyone else have any good Retr0bright projects?

[esteban]

Are these old pics from Thanksgiving?

[Tatsujin]

A yummy FC you have there

[DragonmasterDan]

Are these old pics from Thanksgiving?

Yes, I celebrate like the Pilgrims and Native Americans did on the first thanksgiving. By retr0brighting a Famicom.

[majors]

I messed with some DIY Retr0bright on a Astro speaker panel. I did it in the winter and it was over cast so I never had the power of the sun. I plan to try again in the summer. Your results give me hope.

From what I have read, after you clean up the yellow, it will revert back in 5-6 years, oxidation I guess.

[Arkhan]

You would have only had to make one treatment if you just submerge the entire thing in 40vol clear developer. 

it also would have been a lot more uniform in it's results.

Making all that goopy nonsense is a waste of time.   If you have no access to sunlight, use a bulb made for reptiles.   I'd go with a tropical one (5.0 UVB).   They make highly reflective domes for these bulbs that you can use to blast the magical sunrays all over the plastic.

~8hrs of lightbulb = ~30mins of sunlight.

[DragonmasterDan]

You would have only had to make one treatment if you just submerge the entire thing in 40vol clear developer. 

it also would have been a lot more uniform in it's results.

Making all that goopy nonsense is a waste of time.   If you have no access to sunlight, use a bulb made for reptiles.   I'd go with a tropical one (5.0 UVB).   They make highly reflective domes for these bulbs that you can use to blast the magical sunrays all over the plastic.

~8hrs of lightbulb = ~30mins of sunlight.

I would have submerged but I wanted to and did keep the stickers on my famicom.

[turboswimbz]

I messed with some DIY Retr0bright on a Astro speaker panel. I did it in the winter and it was over cast so I never had the power of the sun. I plan to try again in the summer. Your results give me hope.

From what I have read, after you clean up the yellow, it will revert back in 5-6 years, oxidation I guess.

Depends on the plastic.  In most cases, it is a lot longer.  I've been working with plastics a lot n my grad program .  Simple treatments with armor all or other plastic protecter and keeping it out of sunlight can prolong the oxidation quite a while. To prevent it altogher just apply some sort of clear coat.

[Arkhan]

I would have submerged but I wanted to and did keep the stickers on my famicom.

You could have removed them, got a uniform bleaching, and then re-stuck them on with some adhesive. 

[DragonmasterDan]

You could have removed them, got a uniform bleaching, and then re-stuck them on with some adhesive. 

Ehh, wasn't going to risk damaging the stickers in removal or reapplication. I have a bottom half of a yellowed Super Famicom I may do the submersion technique with.

However, that Famicom was so yellow it was practically brown. I think it would have required a few submersions to get to where it is. It was BAD.

[Arkhan]

You could have removed them, got a uniform bleaching, and then re-stuck them on with some adhesive. 

Ehh, wasn't going to risk damaging the stickers in removal or reapplication. I have a bottom half of a yellowed Super Famicom I may do the submersion technique with.

However, that Famicom was so yellow it was practically brown. I think it would have required a few submersions to get to where it is. It was BAD.

I doubt it. Those stickers are easy to slide off.  You just put a little goo-gone around the edges and jiggle it around til they slide off.  They're goofy clear plastic.


If you do the submersion technique correctly, it takes 1 submersion.  This is because you can see when the thing is done.  Don't take it out from under the light until it's the color you want it.

I used to do marathon C64 bleachings out in my driveway with a fishtank.

[esteban]

NOTE: I have taken my pristine Famicom and used it as a spitoon for my chewing tobacco (a bad habit, I know--I'll kick the habit before my kids are too old).

Anyway, all that nicotine-infused-spittle has affected my Famicom:



Any suggestions on what I can do with my Famicom?

[Deletion]

I had intentions of trying Retr0bright, but went with Arkhan's simpler recipe when whitening a PCE last year. Details on the setup and results are here.

[Arkhan]

Yeah.  It works a lot better, based off my experience.   Retrobrite usually ends up with non-uniform results, and it is honestly a giant pain in the ass to mix all the goop together and put it on.

[DragonmasterDan]

F*** the liquid method.