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How to remove yellowing from an old Atari case


mimo

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Go ahead and continue discussing plastics, but can we all just agree to not let that Billy Mays guy see this? I can only imagine the late night infomercials "oxycute-ing" all the old classics...

 

 

Billy Mays died in like 2009 dude.

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Go ahead and continue discussing plastics, but can we all just agree to not let that Billy Mays guy see this? I can only imagine the late night infomercials "oxycute-ing" all the old classics...

 

 

Billy Mays died in like 2009 dude.

 

Six months after the quoted post was written...

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  • 2 weeks later...

Dude! Why didn't anyone think of that earlier! Halogen bulbs (and only those, not ordinary light bulbs!) emit quite a bit of UV. That's why they got a glass screen in front of them that filters the UV light. Thinking of that, did anyone ever try a "black light"? Black_light_bulb.jpg

Late reply, but yes. It is a waste of time much better to use mother nature

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The last reply was from my phone collecting kids from school, so it was a bit brief.

I purchased both a normal and low energy black light bulbs when I first started this topic, and everything was in it's infancy. Ok, the bulbs do work, there is very little between the two types. Things took about 3 days to process, whereas wrapping everything in cling wrap and leaving it in the garden takes between 20 minutes and 5-6 hours depending on the amount of sunlight and the yellowness of the plastic being treated.

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Get a UV-B tube from the pet store. They are for reptile cages since reptiles need UV to survive. They work great for RetroBriting. And...they work when it's raining!!!!

 

How big of a UVB tube would be needed? I have a bearded dragon who has a 12" flourescent UV-B light over his cage.... would that be big enough to get fairly even exposure? How long would it likely take? We usually have plenty of sun here but I'm kinda curious.... and I have extra peroxide gel from my wife recently dying her hair..... and I already have the UVB light....

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Don't think the beardie would appreciate the peroxide gel.... or even breathing the fumes.

 

He'd probably hang out on the back of the machine if it was turned on though to warm up some. Would make for a good pic.... goes well the the 400's prehistoric computing image..... especially in a dark room on a dark table with a small heat lamp out of the pic above the 400 to provide some illumination.

 

But back to retrobriting..... the bulb is a 12% UVB 12" flourescent bulb.... and I have 30vol peroxide gel.... would this take all night or just a couple hours?

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How big of a UVB tube would be needed? I have a bearded dragon who has a 12" flourescent UV-B light over his cage.... would that be big enough to get fairly even exposure? How long would it likely take? We usually have plenty of sun here but I'm kinda curious.... and I have extra peroxide gel from my wife recently dying her hair..... and I already have the UVB light....

 

I'm pretty sure I got the 12" bulb and fixture, that or the next size up.

 

But back to retrobriting..... the bulb is a 12% UVB 12" flourescent bulb.... and I have 30vol peroxide gel.... would this take all night or just a couple hours?

 

I did a 1200XL case with just the creme peroxide (I think it was 40%, if not, 30%) and it did a great job after about 4 hours. I am planning on getting a second fixture and lamp to supply more coverage. I use aluminum foil underneith and up the sides to help reflect the light with a single fixture.

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Go ahead and continue discussing plastics, but can we all just agree to not let that Billy Mays guy see this? I can only imagine the late night infomercials "oxycute-ing" all the old classics...

 

 

Billy Mays died in like 2009 dude.

 

Six months after the quoted post was written...

 

LOL! I started checking dates on threads I'm replying to in recent years because of sticky threads and people drudging up old threads and if your not careful, your a dollar short and a day late on your comments.

Edited by Gunstar
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Go ahead and continue discussing plastics, but can we all just agree to not let that Billy Mays guy see this? I can only imagine the late night infomercials "oxycute-ing" all the old classics...

 

 

Billy Mays died in like 2009 dude.

 

Six months after the quoted post was written...

 

LOL! I started checking dates on threads I'm replying to in recent years because of sticky threads and people drudging up old threads and if your not careful, your a dollar short and a day late on your comments.

 

Oh Wow. lol this is a large thread...

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  • 1 month later...

Well I've finally decided to give this a try. I've been lurking here for some time. Not quite sure if I wanted to risk it. But after retrieving an unbelievably filthy 130XE and XF551 off ebay, I could not let them anywhere next to my main machines until I had restored them to some kind of decent condition.

 

Right now they are sitting in warm soapy water. At least the tops are. I don't want to destroy the manufacture's sticker on the bottom so for right now they are high and dry. Is there someway to loosen them off? Also the keycaps on the 130XE keyboard..... do they just pop off. Never took one apart that far. :)

 

DSC_1392.jpg

 

 

 

DSC_1388.jpg

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Also the keycaps on the 130XE keyboard..... do they just pop off.

 

They should just pop off, however... some are a real pain to get off.

 

I use a screwdriver which I shove under the caps from the side, starting with the ESC key (I'm left handed so you may have to start with the BREAK key :-) ) Screwdriver is at the bottom end of the key, so below the center. Carefully lift the screwdriver while pressing a finger to the top-side part of the key to keep the key in a straight position will do the trick.

 

It's seems harder to explain then actually doing it...

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Well I've finally decided to give this a try.

 

Just carefully paint the peroxide around the label on the underside of the case. Getting it a bit wet when you rinse the case won't matter too much. And you MUST mask or remove the aluminium badge on that XE - the peroxide will destroy it. If you remove it, heat the whole thing up with a hairdryer to soften the adhesive tape underneath. My preference would be to mask it off with electrician's tape or blu-tac.

 

Best Electronics may still have spare 130XE case badges. I believe Brad ran out of 65XE badges a couple of years ago.

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Also the keycaps on the 130XE keyboard..... do they juist pop off.

 

They should just pop off, however... some are a real pain to get off.

 

I use a screwdriver which I shove under the caps from the side, starting with the ESC key (I'm left handed so you may have to start with the BREAK key :-) ) Screwdriver is at the bottom end of the key, so below the center. Carefully lift the screwdriver while pressing a finger to the top-side part of the key to keep the key in a straight position will do the trick.

 

It's seems harder to explain then actually doing it...

I have done a load of these, and by far the quickest and easiest way to deal with the keyboard is by removing the back plate (lots of little screws), taking out the mylar and removing the silicone cups. In the past I removed all the key caps, but that is a real pain, literally

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