Yellow Keyboard

[o0002]

Hey everyone,

Finally got myself some mechanical keyboards 

Anyway I have a Dell AT102w and it is really quite yellow. I read an old thread and keyboards that were made in the last couple of decades shouldn't be permanently yellowed but I don't know how to restore the original colour. I've tried soaking it dish washing detergent over night to very little if any effect.

Anybody got any tips?

Thanks

[chyros]

The yellowing isn't a layer on top of the keyboard that can be scrubbed off - it's degradation of the actual plastic itself, mostly under influence of UV. ABS and particularly PS are vulnerable to this; PBT is resistant. Washing with soap or any solvent will not work AT ALL. I guess you could whiten it with some H₂O₂. If you want it done quick, use an initiator with it as well, should be quite fast. Don't over-bleach it or the plastic might become brittle.

Also congrats on your keyboards! Are you liking them?

[o0002]

Thanks Chyros! Will give it a try.
The dell is awesome (just don't like the yellow lol). I might follow your video on cleaning the Alps switches next. Haven't tried the Chicony yet because I need an AT to PS2 convertor, but I'm looking forward to it.

[munch]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Retr0bright

this stuff apparently works wonders, I haven't tried it myself but it is somewhat known so there should be plenty of tutorials on how to use it properly.

[jacobolus]

Do a search on geekhack and deskthority for retrobright. There are a bunch of threads about it.

[chyros]

Haven't tried the Chicony yet because I need an AT to PS2 convertor, but I'm looking forward to it.

Do you know what switches it has yet?

[o0002]

Lol. Not yet I know it's one out of 4 possibilities including cherry MX blues.

[o0002]

Apparently Retro Bright does exactly what Hydrogen Peroxide does but you need extra ingredients in order to make it. Unless someone's tried both and there's a real improvement. Chyros what is an initiator (maybe you could do a video )?

[chyros]

Apparently Retro Bright does exactly what Hydrogen Peroxide does but you need extra ingredients in order to make it. Unless someone's tried both and there's a real improvement. Chyros what is an initiator (maybe you could do a video )?

An initiator is a compound you would use to accelerate the formation of radical species. Outside of the lab, they are found in certain cleaning formulae. It would appear RetroBright is actually a ready to go mixture of hydrogen peroxide and an initiator so it's more or less exactly the same as what I advised xD .

[chyros]

Apparently Retro Bright does exactly what Hydrogen Peroxide does but you need extra ingredients in order to make it. Unless someone's tried both and there's a real improvement. Chyros what is an initiator (maybe you could do a video )?

[Daniel Beardsmore]

Lol. Not yet I know it's one out of 4 possibilities including cherry MX blues.

Black Alps … it won't be anything else.

[Nover]

Lol. Not yet I know it's one out of 4 possibilities including cherry MX blues.

Black Alps … it won't be anything else.

Think he was talking about one Chicony keyboard he got along with the Dell (which will be Black Alps, yes).

[o0002]

Specific switches confirmed found in KB-5191 and KB-5192 keyboards:

    Mitsumi miniature mechanical, Cherry MX keycap mount, PCB switch mount[1][2]
    Cherry MX mount Futaba clicky switch[3]
    Aristotle Cherry MX clone[4]
    Cherry MX Blue[5]
(taken from Deskthority)

[Nover]

Well, Daniel basically IS the DT wiki.  )

[hwood34]

Apparently Retro Bright does exactly what Hydrogen Peroxide does but you need extra ingredients in order to make it. Unless someone's tried both and there's a real improvement. Chyros what is an initiator (maybe you could do a video )?

Retr0bright is a little faster, but you'll get the same results with just hydrogen peroxide. Just make sure to get a high concentration, the stuff you'll find for cuts and stuff is too low. you can find stronger stuff at beauty or hair places for dyeing hair

[rowdy]

Awww I saw "yellow" in the title and thought

[fohat.digs]

but it is somewhat known so there should be plenty of tutorials on how to use it properly.

I think that the hydrogen peroxide is the active ingredient, but the other stuff makes it a goopy gel.

My understanding is that it only works while wet, so you have to have something to keep it from drying out.

I paint it on the keyboard and wrap it in saran wrap then put it in the sun. If you are lucky, it will stay wet for half an hour.

[Snowdog993]

Isn't that like mixing Hydrogen Peroxide with OxyClean or something like that?  Like Fohat said, I think sunlight speeds up the process of it.  I think you have to rub the mixture onto the plastic like a layer or something.  It takes some hours for it to work.  Some people say from 24 hours to a week!
I've seen some results of this, and some of them look like brand new!  It's amazing! 

[hwood34]

Isn't that like mixing Hydrogen Peroxide with OxyClean or something like that?  Like Fohat said, I think sunlight speeds up the process of it.  I think you have to rub the mixture onto the plastic like a layer or something.  It takes some hours for it to work.  Some people say from 24 hours to a week!
I've seen some results of this, and some of them look like brand new!  It's amazing!

I'm not sure I've ever heard of someone taking an entire week for retr0bright to work. I don't think I've seen anyone take more than a day for that matter. And UV light is was makes the entire process happen, not just a way to speed it up

[Snowdog993]

I'm not sure I've ever heard of someone taking an entire week for retr0bright to work. I don't think I've seen anyone take more than a day for that matter. And UV light is was makes the entire process happen, not just a way to speed it up

Yeah it's been a long time since I read about it.  I do recall someone restoring a Nintendo controller and a Commodore 64.  Both looked amazing after they were done.  There's some pictures on the internet somewhere on it.  I never done it myself, but it looks amazing what the results are.

[chyros]

Isn't that like mixing Hydrogen Peroxide with OxyClean or something like that?  Like Fohat said, I think sunlight speeds up the process of it.

yes, both the OxyClean and sunlight speed it up. Shouldn't take that long though, especially higher strength H2O2 with an initiator in the sun I'd expect to take under an hour Oo . Again though, watch out - the more aggressive the conditions, the more likely I'd estimate it to weaken the plastic.

[o0002]

So basically the best way, in order to ensure no degradation, to do it is patiently like this guy:

He's only using low strength (35%) H₂O₂ and sunlight (the sunlight might be a problem these days) but it took him a couple of days.

[Findecanor]

Isn't that like mixing Hydrogen Peroxide with OxyClean or something like that?

Yep. Oxy Clean contains more hydrogen peroxide (in a powder that turns into it when it gets wet) and the initiator.
The initiator is called TAED, and allows h202 to work in room temperature.

To bleach keycaps, you use only hydrogen peroxide and oxy clean - no thickener. You don't want the detergent to foam too much.

UV light makes h202 work. It is in sunlight. How much time it takes depends on how yellow it is and how strong h2o2 solution you have.

35% h202 is NOT low strength - that is very high.  Low strength is using a hair bleaching kit that is 6% or so.
If you bleach it too much, some plastic will turn white - which you don't want.

Do use gloves and eye protection when using h2o2. When diluting, always pour the concentrated solution into water - not the other way around: if it would splash, the splashed droplets will be water, not concentrated h2o2.

[chyros]

So basically the best way, in order to ensure no degradation, to do it is patiently like this guy:

He's only using low strength (35%) H₂O₂ and sunlight (the sunlight might be a problem these days) but it took him a couple of days.

35% is REALLY not low-strength, reagent grade, for use in a lab, is 30% which is VERY reactive and will bleach even your skin to a pure white colour very quickly if you get small droplets on it. I worked a lot with it, and had those small white spots on my hands or arms every so often. I can get 50% solutions too but they are so reactive that they have to be stabilised. If you're going to use anything above household (4-6% H₂O₂), use gloves and safety specs. You might also want to use white or expendable clothes. It's not nice what happens to you when you get it in your eyes, trust me.

Relatively speaking it's not all that dangerous though. I've got stuff in the lab that would whiten the caps in minutes xD .

[Lastpilot]

Awww I saw "yellow" in the title and thought

(Attachment Link)

Exactly what I thought!

[fohat.digs]

To bleach keycaps, you use only hydrogen peroxide and oxy clean - no thickener.

I need to try that. I have had better luck with cases than key caps, but I thought it was because it is so hard to keep the caps upright in the sunlight and wet.

Are you saying that this will work in the dark?

Certain caps (Northgates, for example) seem much more stubborn than others.

[hwood34]

So basically the best way, in order to ensure no degradation, to do it is patiently like this guy:

He's only using low strength (35%) H₂O₂ and sunlight (the sunlight might be a problem these days) but it took him a couple of days.

It's actually really hard to find much higher concentrations of that stuff

[fohat.digs]

It's actually really hard to find much higher concentrations of that stuff

The cheap stuff at Wal-Mart for $2 per liter is about 3%. You can boil it down to 1/4 its original volume.

Hair-bleaching level at Sally's Beauty Supply or such is 10%-15% and this is what it takes to do the trick.

Do be careful with your eyes.

[hwood34]

Do be careful with your eyes. everything

[chyros]

The cheap stuff at Wal-Mart for $2 per liter is about 3%. You can boil it down to 1/4 its original volume.

Yeah let's please ABSOLUTELY NOT DO THAT under any circumstances shall we? 

H₂O₂ is a SELF-SUSTAINING EXPLOSION HAZARD so please don't come near it with heat or attempts to concentrate it.

[fohat.digs]

Yeah let's please ABSOLUTELY NOT DO THAT under any circumstances shall we?

H₂O₂ is a SELF-SUSTAINING EXPLOSION HAZARD so please don't come near it with heat or attempts to concentrate it.

Really? What is the problem?

I have done this several times, with no problems at all, and the only thing I read was to use aluminum pans rather than stainless steel.

[chyros]

Yeah let's please ABSOLUTELY NOT DO THAT under any circumstances shall we?

H₂O₂ is a SELF-SUSTAINING EXPLOSION HAZARD so please don't come near it with heat or attempts to concentrate it.

Really? What is the problem?

I have done this several times, with no problems at all, and the only thing I read was to use aluminum pans rather than stainless steel.

Well, because it's goddamn ROCKET FUEL for one thing.

It can also decompose when heated, releasing lots of heat while doing so, resulting in a runaway reaction. Metals, such as aluminium, can accelerate this decomposition. Please do not do this - ever.

I did an experiment with this once in my first year, heating it at 80 deg C overnight. I knew something might happen so I took appropriate measures, using a blast shield and everything. I'm glad I did, blew the top of the reaction vial clean off during the night.

[fohat.digs]

I did an experiment with this once in my first year, heating it at 80 deg C overnight.

This happened while concentrating 3% to 12% ?

[chyros]

I did an experiment with this once in my first year, heating it at 80 deg C overnight.

This happened while concentrating 3% to 12% ?

Haha, no, we can't stock it that low. Still, I wouldn't recommend it - who knows what would happen if you forgot to take it off in time for instance?