Lesson learned, don't mix chemicals at random =P
Chemical burn, not a thermal burn. I've done this to a few of the fingers on my right hand when I got lazy and attempted to move a key that was covered in retrobright gel barehanded. I was using Clairoxide V40, which is apparently 12% H2O2, but the burn was not instantaneous. Invest in some cheap goggles and a pair of chemical resistant purple nitrile gloves. I believe that immersion is the way to go for whitening key caps.
Where's the excitement, where's the adventure, where's the inevitable 'I screwed up' thread?
Where's the excitement, where's the adventure, where's the inevitable 'I screwed up' thread?
True enough. What is life without these things?
Oxyclean is the catalyst. Not strictly needed but makes things go faster.
It makes it go faster.
Wimps.If we don't know should we go do some research?
Just think what a porn star has to go through.
It makes it go faster.
Almost makes me want to google it to find out what it really is they go through... mmmm nah.
Oxyclean is Sodium percarbonate (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sodium_percarbonate) which is, more or less, solid hydrogen peroxide.
So retrobrite is a pointless mix between two forms of the same component.
As already suggested a mix of 50% hydrogen peroxide and 50% of ammonia (two different kinds of oxidizers) is way more effective (and less expensive) solution.
I may Retrobrite this weekend. False_Dmitry_II bottom lined it down to pure hydrogen peroxide only. http://geekhack.org/showwiki.php?title=Island:9099&do=comments&page=3Am I misreading? Looks like False_Dmitry_II is advocating only Sodium Percarbonate at the link above.
Just watch one. It's brutal. Seeing only one was actually more than one too many for me. Icky-poo.
Am I misreading? Looks like False_Dmitry_II is advocating only Sodium Percarbonate at the link above.
Am I misreading? Looks like False_Dmitry_II is advocating only Sodium Percarbonate at the link above.
Is maybe the safest, most foolproof way (for keycaps) to put the hydrogen peroxide only and keycaps in a jar, close the lid and wait? Sun/no sun as an option?
No mixing, no sticking with tape, less to go wrong, blah, blah, blah.
He confirmed.
I'm getting Oxy-Clean only and trying it this weekend. I'll take before/after pics and report.
P.S. -Your sig has me screaming!!! lol
I just bought 6 pounds of Oxy-Clean for about $7. I have no idea how much to dissolve in water. Tomorrow as the fog clears (I live on the beach in California) I'll dump a bunch in a clear tub outside and see what happens. I'll take pics too.
I live on the beach in California
I just bought 6 pounds of Oxy-Clean
I just bought 6 pounds of Oxy-Clean for about $7. I have no idea how much to dissolve in water. Tomorrow as the fog clears (I live on the beach in California) I'll dump a bunch in a clear tub outside and see what happens. I'll take pics too.
I live on the beach in California
I just bought 6 pounds of Oxy-Clean
I have no idea how much to dissolve in water.
Tomorrow as the fog clears I'll dump a bunch in a clear tub outside and see what happens. I'll take pics too.
I'm afraid is not enough for all that water...:party:
What are you using it on? Most of the Retrobrite experiments I've seen are bleaching "classic" home computer gear cases back to the original beige, beige, beige, beige, beige, and infra-beige, :wink:
6 pounds of Oxyclean?
Good Luck!
What are you using it on? Most of the Retrobrite experiments I've seen are bleaching "classic" home computer gear cases back to the original beige, beige, beige, beige, beige, and infra-beige, :wink:
Funnily enough, I never had a beige PC /Home computer, since 1982.
TI99/4a, ZX spectrum, Sinclair QL, two Olivetti Envision were all blacks, then i bought only black cases and keyboards, with the exception of a couple of (great) Olivetti keyboards (shades of gray)
If someone has a guideline, or an idea, or a quarter to flip and decide....how much of a concentration should I make?
After having a TI 99/4A for my first computer, it took until probably about 2002 for me to have anything but beige computers and peripherals. By that point most cases that I considered decent were black. Still, if I could find cases like the Antec Solo in beige, I probably wouldn't have a black computer now.
If someone has a guideline, or an idea, or a quarter to flip and decide....how much of a concentration should I make?Take a lesson from xargos, getting it in the solution is easy, pulling out without getting burned is hard, :wink:.
Take a lesson from xargos, getting it in the solution is easy, pulling out without getting burned is hard, :wink:.
Security is here to deal with some of the usual protesters...Show Image(http://cdn.complex.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/bikini.jpg)
Tactoblacks ?
These pics are making someone in Heaven so happy!
Xargos? Oh, you mean Stumpy? Ya, I think he's coming over for as a safety consultant with a bottle of Jack Daniels and a video camera.
Input Nirvana, how did your yellow stuff turn out after a day in the sun?
Don't make it more complicated than you need:
-Oxy-Clean
-water
-sun (it was working while it was overcast)
-I don't know if temperature affects the reaction.
What is your guys story?
I used the peroxide and OxiClean mixture under florescent black lights (for a UV light source) to good effect.
From everything I've read regarding Retr0Bright, UV light accelerates the reaction and adding heat is not necessary. In fact, adding heat mostly increases the likelihood of causing the plastic to warp. This should also hold true for the water and OxyClean method since it works based on the same chemical reaction.
Now I just need something big enough to hold the keyboard casing in so I can treat it.
This has been a success. I will keep them in the solution for another day
I'm starting to think the OxyClean gets used up or reacted out the same as peroxide does. I even use my hands to stir the old barch and there's no skin drying like when I first made it and just a few drops got on my hands. That leads me to believe that the solution is less effective with time and/or sun. I don't have a good idea about how much effect the sun has on the process. My next test will be a tub of Oxy at night, check color change in the morning (after 10 hours) then put in sun that day and check color. This test may happen in a week.I don't have access to a tub of OxyClean at the moment, so can you tell me what the ingredients are? I know for a fact that some denture tabs provide both the catalyst and release hydrogen peroxide once they dissolve in solution.
So far, reviewing everything after the fact, I've determined this:
1-using Oxy Clean at 10x recommended strength and sun, worked in one day 95% or better on a medium yellowed case.
2-using Oxy Clean at 16x recommended strength and inconsistent sun worked in one or two days 90% or better on medium and heavily yellowed keys. Pulled color from dark plastic which is not desirable. Keys were in jar and had to be shaken to rotate keys to get light exposure.
3-Oxy gets weak after a day or two either from time, usage, and/or sun.
4-I believe sun plays a big role, but not sure yet. Oxy works with laundry inside a washing machine. Pretty dark in there.
I don't have access to a tub of OxyClean at the moment, so can you tell me what the ingredients are? I know for a fact that some denture tabs provide both the catalyst and release hydrogen peroxide once they dissolve in solution.
http://geekhack.org/showthread.php?19644-Dang...-peroxide-DOES-burn/page2Oh I see.
Oxyclean is chemically more complex than what The Solutor posted.
It's a catalyst.
You spelled RetrObrite wrong.
RetrObright isn't an English word.
Sooner or later I need to reach S.Francisco and have an English full immersion arguing endlessly with you :P
OxiClean's website has a FAQ. They say 6 hrs after mixing with water, then it is spent.
So basically after the first several hours, I've been soaking the parts for 3 days in soapy water. LolHah. Good to know, didn't even think to look there. I've got some keyboards that could certainly benefit from this, Dell w/ pink alps and a Northgate come to mind.
**** that's funny.
Come on down! I live next to the Defense Language Institute in Monterey. :)
Couple more questions:
1-Sun exposure, A) is it needed, or B) it just helps or C) has no effect?
The Solutor. I don't think you've been following the science here.
Wait, these guys might have been legit?
Every wonder why I know so much about nickel weights?
Experience Trumps Theory.
Washing machine as an analogy?
Is those one of those Italian Logic things?
These bad-asses are $400, and are really only worth it if you want to look super-creepy like you might be stashing corpses in your basement:
Was it sunny?[ATTACH=CONFIG]21195[/ATTACH]
(Attachment) 21190[/ATTACH]
Just turn the key or case over to see the original color.
WIKI INFO UPDATE: I guess we now know 10x recommended Oxy and water and sun does the trick. My next try will be with much less Oxy (5X?) to see how that will work.
Btw, didn't you suggest mixing bleach and ammonia earlier in the thread? Bad idea
I won't be putting ammonia in any of my mixes. I'm not brave enough to experiment with ADDING ingredients.
Yay I overkilled again!
So its just a matter of dumping keycaps, keyboard exterior in a bucket of peroxide and leaving it out in the sun until done?
It sounds much better/safer than the other method!
OxyClean alone + water under the sun has proven to work. The unknown is if OxyClean works without being under the Sun, and what is the minimum mix ratio. A professional chemist would be able to tell us. But we are just techies, so we experiment. If you don't care to know the most cost effective mix ratio, just use more than you think you need, put it under the sun, and be done with it. :)
Are you going to try it again?
Yaaayyy! A shipment of old keyboards!!!!!! :)
Anything interesting?
So what kind of scientific experiment is this if you guys don't do control samples with the original RetrObrite formula?
One is paste form, one is liquid form. Different options for different applications.
So what kind of scientific experiment is this if you guys don't do control samples with the original RetrObrite formula?
So what kind of scientific experiment is this if you guys don't do control samples with the original RetrObrite formula?
Also not sure it's any cheaper. The Hydrogen Peroxide gel hair stuff I used was $3 a 500ml bottle and people report good results just painting it on with a brush and putting out in bright light or better under a CFL so it won't dry out. For lots of keys the paste would be a PITA.[/FONT]
So, liquid for keys, paste for cases.
Gonna get some Vanish oxi clean to put with my 12% Developer and see magicShow Image(http://i.imgur.com/Hlf9W.jpg)
A lot of work for a Fujitsu Peerless.