Preventing Yellowing on old keyboards?

[klennkellon]

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/

   

[merlin64]

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.

[VinnyCordeiro]

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.

[Melvang]

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.

[phosphoric]

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

[chyros]

Does you 2001 have the dust cover? In which case it's an easy answer .

[Vittra]

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.

[MeltingTeeth]

Armor-All should work.

[chyros]

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).

[Vittra]

Point taken on opacity, thanks for correcting me on that.

[klennkellon]

I think I'll do the shell of the keyboard, but not the keycaps.

[tp4tissue]

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...

[saxophone]

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.

[tp4tissue]

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..

[jacobolus]

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.

[phosphoric]

op can just paint the keyboard yellow... in that case, i wouldn't yellow any more than it already is. 

[1391406]

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.

[invariance]

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 

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.

[Connly33]

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

[1391406]

If you're really concerned about indoor lighting, applying an over the counter sunscreen to the case should do the trick.

[jaffers]

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

[swimmingbird]

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

[Connly33]

Do i apply suntan lotion if i want a darker color ?

[katushkin]

Don't smoke around your PC.

[Connly33]

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.