![]() ![]() So another Retr0bright treatment may be required 5, 10, 15 or 20 years from now. In time, with exposure to UV light it will react as it did over the past few decades and re-yellow the plastic. It works very well, but Bromine still exists in the case plastic. Just a note, This is not a permanent solution to de-yellowing plastic. I have read you need to be careful with higher concentrations. With my 3% concentration of H2O2 I had no issues with the screening coming off. Once the plastic has reached a point you are happy with it, rinse it off well with water, getting into all the little nooks and crannies (see drying warning above).īoth the Classic II and the Plus bezels have a silk screened model name. If you let it dry on the case it will discolour the plastic pertinently. VERY IMPORTANT - Keep applying the Retr0bight until the case has reached the desired de-yellowfication. Time will vary based on the amount of discolouration to correct, UV amount, H2O2 %, etc. The whole fun in the sun process took approx. ![]() I applied the concoction to the case plastic using a narrow paintbrush, rotating the case and bezel regularly for even sun exposure. It's just nicer to work outside when it's nice out. You don't actually have to have a fully cloudless sky, UV penetrates the cloud layer no problem. I opted to wait for a nice sunny day and use the sun as my UV light source instead of buying a specialty UV light bulb. It's easily removed by pressing a paperclip through the hole in the rear of the bezel, directly behind the apple badge. It is made of metal and held in place with a little glue. I popped off the multi-coloured apple badge from the front bezel. The one here worked well for me, you may find others that work even better. Search the web for more recopies and ideas. Start applying in the sun or under a UV light. Pour 473ML Hydrogen peroxide into a container you plan to make this in. Make the goop like this: Safety glasses and gloves on. Ingredients: - Oxi Clean (powder, not liquid) - 3% Hydrogen peroxide - Glycerine - Xanthan gum - Container to mix it all up in The now platinum Classic II bezel on the right was originally the same yellowish colour as the Plus bezel on the left. You can see the before/after comparison in the side-by-side image of the two case bezels. ![]() I applied the Retr0bright to the Classic II case first, as it was the more expendable test subject then the Mac Plus case I really wanted. To restore the case to it's near original colour, I experimented with several percentages of the ingredients and found the following recipe worked well. It is caused by UV light reacting with the chemical Bromine which was added to plastic as a fire retardant. This is common in all vintage case plastic. :)Īfter locating the vintage computer, the first thing you'll notice is that it looks more like a refuge from the Simpsons then the original colour in your memory. Bonus points for naming the game the Step 1 title is referencing (no searching). This can b fixed by making and applying a simple concoction you can search for on the internet called Retr0bright.Įxtra. ![]() Now, pretty much all electronics from the 1990's, 80's and even 1970's, the once pristine plastic cases have turned a hideous smokers cough yellow due to UV light reacting with the fire retardant chemical Bromine. Perfect!īeing an quasi-antique, not to mention a piece of art, I really wanted to avoid altering the case in anyway that involved physically cutting or destroying parts of it, inside or out. I noticed a Mac Plus in the corner which he agreed to sell me for $40. I met with the seller who actually had a basement full of vintage computers, from TRS80's to Amiga's and even a few Unisys Icons. We made made a trip of it, visiting friends in the area. 1991 is a little 'modern' for my taste, but beggars can't be choosers. I have seen these machines at garage sales from time to time, so it took a bit of digging but I finally found a person selling a non-working Classic II (circa 1991) in Ottawa for $10 (about a 3 hour drive each way). The first step was to find a suitable 68K compact Mac to serve as host for the modern components.Ī quick search of Kijiji and eBay will reveal hundreds of available machines, most of which are priced around the same as when they were new in the 1980's. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |