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geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: klennkellon on Thu, 14 January 2016, 10:51:57

Title: Preventing Yellowing on old keyboards?
Post by: klennkellon on Thu, 14 January 2016, 10:51:57
I recently bought an old Focus keyboard, It's in pretty pristine condition with no yellowing at all.

I live in a pretty bright house, and live in California, so if I wanted to increase the longetivity, would it be feasible to buy a clear UV Resistant coating to spray on the key caps and the keyboard?

http://www.krylon.com/products/uvresistant-clear-coating/

   
Title: Re: Preventing Yellowing on old keyboards?
Post by: merlin64 on Thu, 14 January 2016, 11:15:42
I doubt it would yellow anytime soon. Probably in a few years.

I see that you're somewhat new, hopefully by then you'll have a larger collection of keyboards which you'll be swapping in/out, so this board won't get too much sun.
Title: Re: Preventing Yellowing on old keyboards?
Post by: VinnyCordeiro on Thu, 14 January 2016, 11:54:54
I recently bought an old Focus keyboard, It's in pretty pristine condition with no yellowing at all.

I live in a pretty bright house, and live in California, so if I wanted to increase the longetivity, would it be feasible to buy a clear UV Resistant coating to spray on the key caps and the keyboard?

http://www.krylon.com/products/uvresistant-clear-coating/

 
That should work. The yellowing occurs in the presence of two components: oxygen and UV light. Cut one of them and you protect your ABS from yellowing.
Title: Re: Preventing Yellowing on old keyboards?
Post by: Melvang on Thu, 14 January 2016, 12:16:30
UV coating on windows?  This would also protect your eyes while in the house, along with helping to keep flooring and walls from fading due to the same process.
Title: Re: Preventing Yellowing on old keyboards?
Post by: phosphoric on Thu, 14 January 2016, 12:27:21
wouldn't the layer of the coating start peeling pretty badly after a while? especially considering that it is something that is constantly being rubbed against with one's fingers
Title: Re: Preventing Yellowing on old keyboards?
Post by: chyros on Thu, 14 January 2016, 13:54:20
Does you 2001 have the dust cover? In which case it's an easy answer ;) .
Title: Re: Preventing Yellowing on old keyboards?
Post by: Vittra on Thu, 14 January 2016, 14:02:26
Keep in mind coating the keys will affect the feel, and I'm sure the oils on your fingertips will wear away coating over time anyway. I would just get something opaque to cover it when it isn't being used. This can be anything from a simple cloth to a fancy keyboard cover.

Keep in mind the opaque component. A translucent plastic dust cover isn't going to be all that effective at blocking UV.
Title: Re: Preventing Yellowing on old keyboards?
Post by: MeltingTeeth on Thu, 14 January 2016, 14:28:45
Armor-All should work.
Title: Re: Preventing Yellowing on old keyboards?
Post by: chyros on Thu, 14 January 2016, 14:50:21
Keep in mind the opaque component. A translucent plastic dust cover isn't going to be all that effective at blocking UV.
This is irrelevant. Unless the opacity is achieved with some foreign material, which is not the case, opacity would cause dispersion, not reflection or absorption. Besides, short-wave UV is blocked by most plastics, regardless of their opacity. Thickness would be a more important factor (and as it happens, the 2001 dust cover is comparatively very thick).
Title: Re: Preventing Yellowing on old keyboards?
Post by: Vittra on Thu, 14 January 2016, 16:12:07
Point taken on opacity, thanks for correcting me on that.
Title: Re: Preventing Yellowing on old keyboards?
Post by: klennkellon on Thu, 14 January 2016, 19:47:47
I think I'll do the shell of the keyboard, but not the keycaps.
Title: Re: Preventing Yellowing on old keyboards?
Post by: tp4tissue on Thu, 14 January 2016, 20:53:48
Here's what you want to do.

Vacuum seal it inside an aluminum FOILED plastic bag,  foil is an oxygen barrier,

Then you line the inside of a thick cardboard box with 2 layers of Gold foil.

Then you put the keyboard inside the box.

Then you put that box inside m0re foiled plastic bags, and vacuum seal that box..

Then you take that box and put it inside another regular box.

Finally, you take the completed keyboard-dumpling and put it on a gentle thick fluffy towel on the high shelf, and Never dare to look at it ever again..


/Tp4 solving problems ALL DAY... (http://www.cute-factor.com/images/smilies/onion/th_103_.gif)



Title: Re: Preventing Yellowing on old keyboards?
Post by: saxophone on Fri, 15 January 2016, 05:03:35
Move your entire workspace and computer setup along with the keyboard to the basement instead. Cover any windows allows light to reach into the basement. Go ahead and name it "the mancave" while you're at it.
Title: Re: Preventing Yellowing on old keyboards?
Post by: tp4tissue on Fri, 15 January 2016, 06:05:25
Move your entire workspace and computer setup along with the keyboard to the basement instead. Cover any windows allows light to reach into the basement. Go ahead and name it "the mancave" while you're at it.

yea, but any light source in the room still produce a minute amount of ultraviolet which will yellow the board..

Also, i mentioned the gold foil to shield it from cosmic gamma radiation..

Title: Re: Preventing Yellowing on old keyboards?
Post by: jacobolus on Fri, 15 January 2016, 07:15:59
yea, but any light source in the room still produce a minute amount of ultraviolet which will yellow the board..
You need to move your workstation into a photographic darkroom (remove all the sinks and chemicals though), and work under those dim orange darkroom safelights.
Title: Re: Preventing Yellowing on old keyboards?
Post by: phosphoric on Fri, 15 January 2016, 17:52:30
op can just paint the keyboard yellow... in that case, i wouldn't yellow any more than it already is.  :thumb:
Title: Re: Preventing Yellowing on old keyboards?
Post by: 1391406 on Fri, 15 January 2016, 18:37:35
Move your entire workspace and computer setup along with the keyboard to the basement instead. Cover any windows allows light to reach into the basement. Go ahead and name it "the mancave" while you're at it.

yea, but any light source in the room still produce a minute amount of ultraviolet which will yellow the board..

Well, he could do what some museums are doing and use high quality LEDs to offset the degradation associated with most light sources.

Title: Re: Preventing Yellowing on old keyboards?
Post by: invariance on Sat, 16 January 2016, 01:09:52
Get a cloth keyboard cover to slip  over it when not in use, then every time you take it off it is like an unveiling.  It may even produce a little rush of excitement  :p

It would probably take many years (like a decade or more) to produce appreciable yellowing under 24/7 fluorescent lighting.

Just keep it away from direct sunlight (ie not near a window with the sun beating in), or if it is near a window with hard light coming in on reflective surfaces then shut the blind  ;)

Bottom line: cover it up.
Title: Re: Preventing Yellowing on old keyboards?
Post by: Connly33 on Sat, 16 January 2016, 01:20:07
Move your entire workspace and computer setup along with the keyboard to the basement instead. Cover any windows allows light to reach into the basement. Go ahead and name it "the mancave" while you're at it.

yea, but any light source in the room still produce a minute amount of ultraviolet which will yellow the board..

Well, he could do what some museums are doing and use high quality LEDs to offset the degradation associated with most light sources.

I was going to say, LED bulbs are at the point where there are very few real excuses not to use them, i've been running middle of the road warm white LED's in my track lighting for a couple years now and the the light temperature is almost identical to the halogen bulb's they replaced. Same with my main overhead lights.

Though i believe most people in this thread are getting a bit ridiculous :p
Title: Re: Preventing Yellowing on old keyboards?
Post by: 1391406 on Sat, 16 January 2016, 05:57:31
If you're really concerned about indoor lighting, applying an over the counter sunscreen to the case should do the trick.
Title: Re: Preventing Yellowing on old keyboards?
Post by: jaffers on Sat, 16 January 2016, 06:37:42
If you're really concerned about indoor lighting, applying an over the counter sunscreen to the case should do the trick.

Geekhack 2016: Recommending coating your keyboard in sunscreen
Title: Re: Preventing Yellowing on old keyboards?
Post by: swimmingbird on Sat, 16 January 2016, 07:57:57
If you're really concerned about indoor lighting, applying an over the counter sunscreen to the case should do the trick.

Geekhack 2016: Recommending coating your keyboard in sunscreen

Great day for a tan keycap cancer
Title: Re: Preventing Yellowing on old keyboards?
Post by: Connly33 on Sat, 16 January 2016, 23:19:41
Do i apply suntan lotion if i want a darker color ?
Title: Re: Preventing Yellowing on old keyboards?
Post by: katushkin on Sat, 16 January 2016, 23:22:06
Don't smoke around your PC.
Title: Re: Preventing Yellowing on old keyboards?
Post by: Connly33 on Sat, 16 January 2016, 23:28:14
Don't smoke around your PC.

Cleaning smoke stained peripherals and PC's is absolutely horrible, ... i'm having flashbacks from when id repair PC's that i had to take outside and bathe them in rubbing alcohol before touching them.