Retro Brighthing

edited July 2017 in Hardware
I have known about retro brigthing for a long while, but I didn't do it mainly because all the computers I had before were difficult to take apart, and often required removing all of the internal components and as such it was not worth all that work just to make something look nicer.

However due tot the design of the pack-mate III I think I am going to retrobright it, as the entire case is one pice, including the front panel.This means I can retro bright the whole thing without having to do any part removal or deal with any annoying front panels.

I've heard that retro bight just needs to be hydrogen peroxide, and oxi clean, and creamy.

I am thinking of using:

- Hydrogen Peroxide,
- Oxi Clean,
- Corn Startch

I am also lucky that my dad is big into gardening, and as such has his own UV light, which he is not using at the moment, so I can put the case cover under the UV light for even exposure, instead of outside where I'd have to worry about sun position and weather.

I will also retro-bight the IBM monitor, but of course, I am not going to take a part a crt, I'll just cover up the screen, and then be careful when applying the retro bight cream to the back, where the power and vga ports are.

If you'd like, when the project is over, I will upload a comparison picture of how it looked when I first got it, and how it looks *now*.

Comments

  • That's a fine thing to do, but remember that the effect of RetroBright doesn't last forever. Over time, the plastic will begin to yellow again. This is due to the way the plastic was made. The cases of old electronics are typically laced with bromine. This is to make the plastic more durable and fire-retardant. However, a side effect is that the case will yellow over time, and any exposure to sunlight will dramatically speed up the process.
  • Well of course, it will re-yellow over time.

    However, in the years in the future, it can just be retro brighted again, and do to the case cover being all one piece, it should be easy.
  • It just goes to show that not everything was made better in the old days, plastic sure wasn't.
  • Erito17 wrote:
    How about this video by The 8-bit Guy? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VU7vXMezW_I

    I've watched that, apparently hydrogen peroxide on it's own works, but if you want to get it across a large surface, you need to make it gel like so you can "paint" it on to your surface.
  • I am now testing my 30% Hydrogen Peroxide on my "5.25 floppy face plate. From about one hour ago until dark.

    The "Salon Care 40" stuff he The8BitGuy shows in his video is actually 12% peroxide.

    Mine is obviously much, much stronger.

    I am planning to wake up early tomorrow, make the solution, apply it, and put it in the middle of my property (I have 5 acres) where there is lots of spots that never get ANY shade.

    Knowing the strength of the 30% Hydrogen Peroxide, one day should be more than enough, I'd think.

    30% I mean, that's bomb making material right there! My dad even told me to wear gloves and be extra careful or else it could burn my skin.

    EDIT: Well, it worked I certainly see a difference in the colour of the 5.25 floppy drive face plate. I will be putting ti back into the bag tomorrow, when I do the front panel of the case.
  • I did get the "Salon Care" Volume 40 stuff today. I tried to by Volume 50, but it's apparently a restricted product and since I didn't have a license, the highest they could sell me was 40.

    Anyways, I put it on just before 1PM EST today, and rinsed it, and put it on the case to see the difference, and it's pretty good, some yellow left, will be putting it back out tomorrow early in the morning to get as much strong sun as I can, but the progress for just a few hours, is amazing:


    Before:


    D81KDPr.jpg




    After just today:


    20245695_10210151405325789_8420696827475216409_n.jpg?oh=ac3618b9a885ee9d8ffb9230a71ba468&oe=59FA078F
  • edited July 2017
    Looks great already. I need to mix up a batch for my own PB case and monitor.

    Noticed the bezel on the 5.25" drive is still missing. Has it been fully RetroBrightened yet?
  • edited July 2017
    BigCJ wrote:
    Looks great already. I need to mix up a batch for my own PB case and monitor.

    Noticed the bezel on the 5.25" drive is missing. Is it safe to assume that it was being RetroBrightened and you forgot to replace it?

    yes, it's in a plastic bag full of 30% H202 right now. Tomorrow I will be sure to put some making tape over the black writing, as to prevent the color from being corroded, like what happened with the "III" today.
  • You may want to use something other than a flimsy plastic baggie. It could leak, and that'd cause serious problems.

    Real shame what happened to the "III". Guess that should serve as a lesson to all of us as to how strong this cleaner is. Some red paint and a very small brush might help.
  • BigCJ wrote:
    You may want to use something other than a flimsy plastic baggie. It could leak, and that'd cause serious problems.

    Real shame what happened to the "III". Guess that should serve as a lesson to all of us as to how strong this cleaner is. Some red paint and a very small brush might help.

    it would help. but i'd need someone who is good at that to do it for me, as my hand-eye co-ordination is decent but sucks for anything like that. lol.
  • The "5.25 Bezzle is back on, it seems this is it's original colour as I can see no lighter spots at all, and it's been in the peroxide for a long time.

    I didn't do the "3.5 bezzle at all, because it looks perfect.

    Just need to make the face plate slightly ligther tomorrow, there is a spot where you can see the original colour, and there is still a difference, but it's slight and you have to look especially for it. This means I'm almost there. I should be able to reassemble the machine and place it on the desk next to other desk where I am sitting at now, on my modern machine.

    The "Solar" will be going into storage until I want to deal with the sound card problem again.

    The Pack Mate III is currently stationed at a standing desk I made myself to go overtop my large CRT TV, and it'd be nice to have it somewhere where I can sit at it, and not have to stand all the time.

    Considering I have a P3 laptop runnign 9SE, which has both 1.44mb floppy drive, and does USB, I have all I need to make floppies without taking up any space. Just not "5.25 floppies, yet.

    anyways, here's how it looks for now, with the bezzle back in place:

    20246388_10210152179905153_715994140608215831_n.jpg?oh=537aa8f7c3ca2bd3ed94fcdc9191572e&oe=59F0B55E
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