geekhack
geekhack Community => Keyboard Keycaps => Topic started by: kilogeek on Thu, 30 January 2014, 10:26:24
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After a very bad idea, all old yellowed keycaps of a vintage keyboard in a bath with bleach, the best and successfull solution I've found to remove white ugly (how do you say "tāches" in english ?) stain was to use very thin water-sand paper. Now they look much better but they would need either polishing paste or a glossy or mate clear.
Is there any good clear on the market (spray) that don't dammage plastics and are still very strong so they won't go away with time and typing ?
retrObright worked very well on the yellowed shell but almost not on keycaps, any advice also for a good retr0bright method or cocktail for these keycaps ?
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A quick search has yielded the following suggestions:
- Peroxide hair bleach (http://www.hardwarezone.com.sg/feature-how-whiten-your-yellowed-plastic-gadgets)
- Whitening toothpaste and Mr Cleaner magic eraser (http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=1248266)
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Thx but I've already seen these pages and there is nothing more than what you may find on the retrObright website.
retrObrighting keycaps is much harder due to the shape of these parts, max peroxyde concentration is 40 vol (100 vol is now forbidden, in France at least), and these bottles sold for hair bleach contain a not translucid creamy liquid, this is bad for UV penetration, mainly if you want to put all your keycaps in a peroxyde bath...
Anyway, I was not asking for that but for clear spray products for plastics that are strong enough not to fade away after months of keyboard use.
Some clears are very strong but they only can be used on specific paints or metals, they will damage plastics.
If someone already used such clear with success, let me know, otherwise I'll pursue googleing^^
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Do not clear coat your keycaps. :(
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So I'll use polishing paste^^ thx.
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Do not clear coat your keycaps.
Any surface film will wear off or peel off over the long term.
Many users like surface texture and dislike shiny keys, but it must be consistent to look good.