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NEC TG-16/TE/TurboDuo => TG-16/TE/TurboDuo Sales & Trades => Topic started by: Deletion on July 29, 2012, 11:55:39 AM
Title: White PC Engine should be white
Post by: Deletion on July 29, 2012, 11:55:39 AM
Had great success whitening my PC Engine, CD-ROM2 and IFU-30. I went with Arkhan's method of using just hydrogen peroxide and light instead of the various Retr0bright recipes. And I used artificial light instead of natural sunlight because I wanted a more controlled environment. First I made trips to my neighborhood pet supply, beauty supply and dollar stores and came home with a canopy light fixture (normally used atop reptile terrariums), UVB bulbs, many bottles of hydrogen peroxide, and various plastic food and storage containers. Here's a rundown.
MATERIALS: [ul][li]Exo Terra Compact Top Terrarium Canopy, 17.7 x 3.5 x 7.8-inch, Max 26W spiral, Max 25W tube, PT-2226 (http://www.exo-terra.com/en/products/compact_top.php)[/li][li]2x Exo Terra Repti Glo Tropical Terrarium Lamp, 5.0 UVB Compact, 26W, PT-2187 (http://www.exo-terra.com/en/products/compact_fluorescent_bulbs.php) (Power should be in the 300-350nm wavelength)[/li][li]Salon Care 40 Volume Clear Developer 32 oz. (http://www.sallybeauty.com/40-Volume-Developer/SLNCAR67,default,pd.html?cm_vc=SEARCH) (Hydrogen Peroxide)[/li][li]Plastic food or storage containers[/li][li]Rubber or latex gloves (hydrogen peroxide burns skin so these are a must)[/li][/ul]
The RAU-30, which is in its original super-bright white condition, is used as a point of comparison. I recorded the Serial Numbers and removed the stickers with Goo Gone. Then I disassembled and cleaned the consoles with dish washing liquid and an old electric toothbrush.
All of the plastic pieces float so I weighed them down with small rolls of pennies. The larger pieces had rolls of pennies taped to their undersides, while smaller pieces were taped to rolls of pennies. The pieces were completely submerged. The tape would come loose so I checked on the consoles periodically, dried the pieces, and re-applied tape as needed.
These types of containers are perfect if you need to whiten the edges. NOTE: This photo was taken after the process. Make sure you don't see a DIN connector or power switch when you pour in the hydrogen peroxide! #-o
The Super System Card is quite yellowed and was not put through the process allowing you to see the change in color of the consoles quite clearly. The white tray of the IFU-30 was also whitened although it's not as easy to tell in these photos.
Wow that is great I wonder how long it will stay like that.
I did one of my whities too several years ago, and it still is white as it just came out the box :)
altough I didn't use any of those UV equip. but some bleach stuff usually for cleaning the bath etc. it worked perfectly.
Title: Re: White PC Engine should be white
Post by: Kaijuboy on July 29, 2012, 01:42:19 PM
Impressive! :clap: What about controllers though? Would you leave the little overlay sticker thing on? Or is it fairly easy to remove/reattach?
Title: Re: White PC Engine should be white
Post by: kazekirifx on July 29, 2012, 01:51:26 PM
Haha. Super System Card is still yellow...
I'm still looking for a yellow one. I'm willing to pay up to and including 500 yen for a loose one. Right now I have a Core Grafx 1 hooked up to my yellow CD unit, which doesn't match since it's black and doesn't yellow at all. Hooray for old yellowed systems!
Title: Re: White PC Engine should be white
Post by: Deletion on July 29, 2012, 02:56:30 PM
I was thinking of sealing that sliver of space between the bump-out and the Hucard with something like super glue. I may still try it, but I'm in no rush.
Title: Re: White PC Engine should be white
Post by: GohanX on July 29, 2012, 03:39:30 PM
Wow, that's fantastic! Especially the CD-ROM, since the old bleaching method doesn't work on those.
Title: Re: White PC Engine should be white
Post by: Samurai Ghost on July 29, 2012, 03:40:35 PM
Man, looks great!! Should have sent a bright white system card to match it, maybe I could swap it out for you?
That would be awesome, but not necessary. Or... perhaps the next time I purchase some turbob from you (and I'm sure I will), we can swing a deal 8)
Yeah I have a bright white System 3.0 card that should work fine. Should only cost a dollar or so to mail it so let me know if you want to swap it out so you have an even better looking system!!
Title: Re: White PC Engine should be white
Post by: Deletion on July 29, 2012, 04:27:45 PM
Yeah I have a bright white System 3.0 card that should work fine. Should only cost a dollar or so to mail it so let me know if you want to swap it out so you have an even better looking system!!
Samurai Ghost, you are awesome. I cannot decline your generous offer and will send you an email.
Title: Re: White PC Engine should be white
Post by: Frank_fjs on July 29, 2012, 04:35:28 PM
Fantastic write-up & result!
Thanks for sharing. :)
Title: Re: White PC Engine should be white
Post by: turbokon on July 29, 2012, 05:17:43 PM
Awesome result!! Thanks to Arkhan for simple rescipe!
Impressive! :clap: What about controllers though? Would you leave the little overlay sticker thing on? Or is it fairly easy to remove/reattach?
Hey Kaijiboy, I did this myself not to long ago. I left the overlay on the controllers and it turns out just fine.
Title: Re: White PC Engine should be white
Post by: Deletion on July 29, 2012, 05:29:16 PM
Good to know, turbokon. I would lean towards leaving the overlay on as well as the hydrogen peroxide did not appear to affect strong adhesives. The two small felt pads that the CD-ROM lid rests on when in the closed position stood up fine and remained in place.
Title: Re: White PC Engine should be white
Post by: SignOfZeta on July 29, 2012, 05:44:41 PM
Please get back with us in a year to let us know how it looks then. Mine re-yellowed quite a bit.
Title: Re: White PC Engine should be white
Post by: Samurai Ghost on July 29, 2012, 06:49:33 PM
Good to know, turbokon. I would lean towards leaving the overlay on as well as the hydrogen peroxide did not appear to affect strong adhesives. The two small felt pads that the CD-ROM lid rests on when in the closed position stood up fine and remained in place.
It's good to know the process worked on the CDROM2 unit as well. I had heard the plastics are different and it doesn't work the same way, but yours seemed to have gotten quite a bit whiter.
Title: Re: White PC Engine should be white
Post by: Drakon on July 29, 2012, 11:26:47 PM
Wow that's excellent this thread should be in the repair section. You're all going to call me crazy but I think the white pce and cd drive look better when they're yellowed.
Title: Re: White PC Engine should be white
Post by: esadajr on July 30, 2012, 04:48:21 AM
Great job dude.
Title: Re: White PC Engine should be white
Post by: RegalSin on July 30, 2012, 05:02:32 AM
I don't know, about doing that to my PCE unit. The PCE logo looks faded, along with the CD-rom logo which is swiped off a bit. It is not yellow but it is not white either. If I did that, I think the print on the system would fade away, as well.
I am just looking at the pictures, in comparison. That looks godlike compared to my PCE unit. I am just glad I can still play cds after leaving the cd running for more then three days straight. I will show you a picture after I get my MSR in the mail.
Title: Re: White PC Engine should be white
Post by: Necromancer on July 30, 2012, 08:26:50 AM
Looks dang nice. I hope it lasts years and years before re-yellowing, if at all. 8)
Title: Re: White PC Engine should be white
Post by: esteban on July 30, 2012, 04:09:54 PM
There's the LaserActive with NEC PAC and the Sharp X1 Twin computer (photos (http://cgi.ebay.com/itm/150861654327)) that has a PC Engine built into it. And perhaps the Vistar (http://nfggames.com/games/vistar/) but it might be a very dark gray.
Title: Re: White PC Engine should be white
Post by: Arkhan on July 31, 2012, 04:11:36 AM
Toldddddd you so :D
Did you find it way easier to deal with than making the Retrobrite paste recipe?
Nice job using that plastic container too. I almost always use fishtanks and leave them out in the driveway.
Title: Re: White PC Engine should be white
Post by: Duo_R on July 31, 2012, 05:01:20 AM
so the retrobright recipe doesn't work with the CD-Rom?
Title: Re: White PC Engine should be white
Post by: Duo_R on July 31, 2012, 05:01:33 AM
Also what was the salon stuff all about?
Title: Re: White PC Engine should be white
Post by: Deletion on July 31, 2012, 05:16:13 AM
The Salon Care 40 Volume Clear Developer is hydrogen peroxide. That's the brand that is readily available at Sally Beauty Supply, a large chain of beauty supply stores in America. From what I've read, 40 volume (or V40) equates to 12% strength.
Title: Re: White PC Engine should be white
Post by: Frank_fjs on July 31, 2012, 05:44:19 AM
Quick qu, how long did you leave them in there for and did you do a single or multiple applications?
Title: Re: White PC Engine should be white
Post by: Duo_R on July 31, 2012, 05:46:44 AM
thanks! Yeah I was wondering why I didn't see regular hydrogeon peroxide in the photos. That stuff is stronger I assume?
The Salon Care 40 Volume Clear Developer is hydrogen peroxide. That's the brand that is readily available at Sally Beauty Supply, a large chain of beauty supply stores in America. From what I've read, 40 volume (or V40) equates to 12% strength.
Title: Re: White PC Engine should be white
Post by: Deletion on July 31, 2012, 05:18:07 PM
Quick qu, how long did you leave them in there for and did you do a single or multiple applications?
It took me two weeks to whiten everything. The first attempt was on the PCE and that lasted 4 hours. There was a marked improvement and I didn't notice any ill effects, so I left them in longer. I did it only when I was around and able to check the pieces every few hours. As I became confident that the process worked and didn't hurt the plastic, I left them in when I was at work and over night. Towards the end of the two weeks, I left the pieces in for whole days at a time.
Title: Re: White PC Engine should be white
Post by: Deletion on July 31, 2012, 05:35:11 PM
thanks! Yeah I was wondering why I didn't see regular hydrogeon peroxide in the photos. That stuff is stronger I assume?
The Retr0bright recipes recommend a maximum strength of 15%. The strongest I found at Sally Beauty was 12% (40 volume) and it worked great. Lower strengths were also readily available at Sally's. Also, I used the liquid version (called Clear Developer) and not the cream or gel version (called Creme Developer).
Title: Re: White PC Engine should be white
Post by: Frank_fjs on July 31, 2012, 06:03:02 PM
Thanks for the info!
Currently whitening a yellowed HuCard case but I'm relying on sunlight at the moment, of which there isn't much around in my part of the world. Has been a day so far and the case has improved but it's still yellow. I also only have 20 vol peroxide which doesn't help.
Title: Re: White PC Engine should be white
Post by: Kaijuboy on July 31, 2012, 07:04:08 PM
Title: Re: White PC Engine should be white
Post by: meka on August 17, 2012, 10:01:02 PM
I used the RetroBright method (Lorne's Variant Recipe) on my SNES about a year ago and it still looks like it did when it was new.
There's a few different recipes at: http://retr0bright.wikispaces.com/Retr0Bright+Gel
Title: Re: White PC Engine should be white
Post by: Keith Courage on August 17, 2012, 10:44:53 PM
This is a good write up. I've always just used bleach on pce systems as well as the controllers and it works great. However, it never works for CD drives. I will have to remember this when I come across a yellow CD drive in the future.
Title: Re: White PC Engine should be white
Post by: Frank_fjs on August 18, 2012, 03:37:37 AM
I did a half-arsed version of this and it worked quite well, all things considered. I only used 20 vol cream peroxide and very little sunlight as it's the end of winter where I am.
...I did this myself not to long ago. I left the overlay on the controllers and it turns out just fine.
Is that what you did to the one I got from you? I have another non-turbo and a turbo white pad, and they need to be whitened.
The ones you sold me looked pretty good. I sold a PCE unit to T2Kfreeker and did the bleach thing to that one. It looked a LOT better than before. I only left it in the bleach for an hour or two, in addition to scrubbing it with an old toothbrush in dish soap before hand.
Title: Re: White PC Engine should be white
Post by: xelement5x on August 21, 2012, 04:04:05 AM
Looks great! Two questions though!
1) Did you just pour the hydrogen peroxide in the container, there's no mixing with water or anything else?
2) What did you do with the solution when you were done? Just dump it in the back yard?
Title: Re: White PC Engine should be white
Post by: Deletion on August 21, 2012, 05:23:49 AM
1) Did you just pour the hydrogen peroxide in the container, there's no mixing with water or anything else?
Yes, I used only hydrogen peroxide. There was no water or other ingredients added. I originally planned to make Retr0bright, but decided to try just hydrogen peroxide first because it was simpler and cheaper.
Quote
2) What did you do with the solution when you were done? Just dump it in the back yard?
I poured the hydrogen peroxide back into the original containers for later use. For disposal it should be safe to pour down the drain.
Title: Re: White PC Engine should be white
Post by: wilykat on August 21, 2012, 11:28:27 AM
2) What did you do with the solution when you were done? Just dump it in the back yard?
I poured the hydrogen peroxide back into the original containers for later use. For disposal it should be safe to pour down the drain.
In some communities at some concentration it's not allowed in drain so check the label and your local ordinance. The one I've used is only 3% and is usually OK at that level.
If you have septic tank and no sewer hookup, take it somewhere else as well.
Title: Re: White PC Engine should be white
Post by: Deletion on August 21, 2012, 01:17:09 PM
Yeah, what wilykat said. This is the first time I've worked with hydrogen peroxide and never had to dispose of it. Based on what I found online it should be disposed of properly. See if your town's Dept of Public Works (or similar facility) accepts it. My town has two days every year in which residents can drop off hazardous waste.
Title: Re: White PC Engine should be white
Post by: Necromancer on August 22, 2012, 02:54:10 AM
Or let it sit out in the open for a week or two and let it naturally decay into plain old water and oxygen.
Title: Re: White PC Engine should be white
Post by: xelement5x on August 22, 2012, 08:42:27 AM
So is the hydrogen peroxide still usable to whiten something else after it's been used once? It sounds like if it breaks down after a week (during which was probably used to whiten anyway), you could probably just dump it in your back yard.
Title: Re: White PC Engine should be white
Post by: Arkhan on March 20, 2013, 04:47:26 AM
So is the hydrogen peroxide still usable to whiten something else after it's been used once? It sounds like if it breaks down after a week (during which was probably used to whiten anyway), you could probably just dump it in your back yard.
I did a marathon bleaching session once. I used 5 bottles of peroxide and a fish tank.
I bleached 5 Commodore 64 1541 floppy drives, two C64s themselves, a 1581, and a mouse.
All with the same fishtank full of liquid, out in my driveway.
When I was done, I just dumped the peroxide all over a group of kids walking by.
Just kidding. I dumped it on the ground and blasted it with the hose and let it dry.
Title: Re: White PC Engine should be white
Post by: turboswimbz on March 20, 2013, 06:23:38 AM
So is the hydrogen peroxide still usable to whiten something else after it's been used once? It sounds like if it breaks down after a week (during which was probably used to whiten anyway), you could probably just dump it in your back yard.
The peroxide will contimue to OXIDIZE (in this case bleaching) until it has become all Water and Oxygen. Although as time goes on this will be less and less effective. Becuase of this Higher level conctations of Peroxides should be disposed of in a proper method, (i.e. not straight down the drain or into a water source, and never mixed with other chemicals) let it sit for a period of time and mix it with large amounts of water if you have and concerns (hosein it down is fine as ark said).
Title: Re: White PC Engine should be white
Post by: RyuHayabusa on March 24, 2013, 09:36:55 AM
I'm trying this out on a yellowed PC Engine I got with a boxed interface I recently bought. Tried using straight bleach first but it didn't do the job. I saw a little tutorial over at superpcenginefx about using bleach and while it helped slightly it didn't do the job. So, I cleaned it all up real good and now the plastic is sitting in a bucket of 3% hydrogen peroxide. Hoping it turns out nice and white. Have to admit I was kinda nervous about using the HP, especially after using the bleach. I cleaned everything up good but still don't want to risk making a cloud of toxic fumes and dying.
Title: Re: White PC Engine should be white
Post by: turboswimbz on March 24, 2013, 01:55:35 PM
I'm trying this out on a yellowed PC Engine I got with a boxed interface I recently bought. Tried using straight bleach first but it didn't do the job. I saw a little tutorial over at superpcenginefx about using bleach and while it helped slightly it didn't do the job. So, I cleaned it all up real good and now the plastic is sitting in a bucket of 3% hydrogen peroxide. Hoping it turns out nice and white. Have to admit I was kinda nervous about using the HP, especially after using the bleach. I cleaned everything up good but still don't want to risk making a cloud of toxic fumes and dying.
3% might not work well - you should go to a beauty store and get developer or look at a pharmacy for at least 10%-15%. While peroxide of this strength is more dangerous it is necessary to reduce the Oxygen to Hydrogen in the ABS plastic. Basically your creating conditions in which the unfavorable reaction can run. Also throw in 1/4 teaspoonful of "Oxy" laundry booster for every pint of H2O2 you use.
Also I can't say enough for not using bleach for this as hypochlorite contains CL. which is highly reactive: "Chlorine is higher up in the Group VII (Halogen) elements than Bromine and can displace Bromine; the downside is that you are essentially peppering the surface with tiny holes, as the Bromine is bigger than the Chlorine that has replaced it. This translates into the plastic becoming brittle as the lattice is no longer completely filled. You also haven’t really gained anything, since Chlorine can also pull Oxygen from the air and hold onto it, making the plastic change colour, although not as pronounced as before." - Taken from the retrobight site.
Title: Re: White PC Engine should be white
Post by: Tatsujin on March 24, 2013, 03:18:51 PM
Wow, you know the stuff, swimbz :)
Title: Re: White PC Engine should be white
Post by: Keith Courage on March 25, 2013, 12:22:14 AM
Bleach has always worked perfect for me. I use straight bleach with no added water. Let it sit for at least 12 hours. I generally let it sit over night in a small bucket in my bathroom. Then I wipe any marks left over off with a MR Clean Magic Eraser.
Title: Re: White PC Engine should be white
Post by: ApolloBoy on March 25, 2013, 04:15:28 AM
Bleach has always worked perfect for me. I use straight bleach with no added water. Let it sit for at least 12 hours. I generally let it sit over night in a small bucket in my bathroom. Then I wipe any marks left over off with a MR Clean Magic Eraser.
Doesn't pure bleach damage the plastic though?
Title: Re: White PC Engine should be white
Post by: esteban on March 25, 2013, 05:59:43 AM
Bleach has always worked perfect for me. I use straight bleach with no added water. Let it sit for at least 12 hours. I generally let it sit over night in a small bucket in my bathroom. Then I wipe any marks left over off with a MR Clean Magic Eraser.
Keith will get back to you as soon as he can--it turns out he bleached his computer keyboard and the keys literally disintegrated a few minutes ago as he tapped a response to your question.
By the way... Keith says, "Hi!" and "TTYS :("
Title: Re: White PC Engine should be white
Post by: Black Tiger on March 25, 2013, 06:28:01 AM
I bleached another white PCE in 2012 and it looks brand new now. I didn't even soak it for very long or expose it to sunlight. I did scrub it with a tooth brush though.
Title: Re: White PC Engine should be white
Post by: esteban on March 25, 2013, 06:53:04 AM
I bleached another white PCE in 2012 and it looks brand new now. I didn't even soak it for very long or expose it to sunlight. I did scrub it with a tooth brush though.
MEDIUM SOFT BRISTLES, naturally. (http://junk.tg-16.com/images/pcgs.png)
Title: Re: White PC Engine should be white
Post by: Keith Courage on March 25, 2013, 08:14:05 AM
I've never had it damage any plastic or make it brittle as far as I can tell. Then again I've never tried breaking a case on purpose to see if it's just as strong after bleeching or not.
Title: Re: White PC Engine should be white
Post by: RyuHayabusa on March 25, 2013, 09:08:12 AM
Interesting. I let my yellow PCE sit in bleach for over 24 hours and it barely did anything. It's a little whiter but not by much. The heavily yellowed parts were hardly phased at all. I then let it set in 3% hydrogen peroxide overnight outside and nothing. Albeit it was cloudy all day but nothing seems to have much of an effect on this thing. I was expecting an nice white PCE but no dice. :?
Title: Re: White PC Engine should be white
Post by: Black Tiger on March 25, 2013, 09:21:35 AM
Interesting. I let my yellow PCE sit in bleach for over 24 hours and it barely did anything. It's a little whiter but not by much. The heavily yellowed parts were hardly phased at all. I then let it set in 3% hydrogen peroxide overnight outside and nothing. Albeit it was cloudy all day but nothing seems to have much of an effect on this thing. I was expecting an nice white PCE but no dice. :?
Maybe some are genuinely stained while others just experience that side effect of the plastic composition?
Title: Re: White PC Engine should be white
Post by: Bernie on March 25, 2013, 09:34:24 AM
Instead of bleach, why not just try straight chlorine mixed with water?
Title: Re: White PC Engine should be white
Post by: RyuHayabusa on March 25, 2013, 09:44:03 AM
Interesting. I let my yellow PCE sit in bleach for over 24 hours and it barely did anything. It's a little whiter but not by much. The heavily yellowed parts were hardly phased at all. I then let it set in 3% hydrogen peroxide overnight outside and nothing. Albeit it was cloudy all day but nothing seems to have much of an effect on this thing. I was expecting an nice white PCE but no dice. :?
Maybe some are genuinely stained while others just experience that side effect of the plastic composition?
Nah, this isn't a stain. It's yellow on the entire back and right side as well as around the controller port. It looks like you'd expect from ABS yellowing. I guess I could try to get a higher concentration of hydrogen peroxide but I hate having to mess with all these potent chemicals. Makes me nervous.
Title: Re: White PC Engine should be white
Post by: esteban on March 25, 2013, 09:45:18 AM
Interesting. I let my yellow PCE sit in bleach for over 24 hours and it barely did anything. It's a little whiter but not by much. The heavily yellowed parts were hardly phased at all. I then let it set in 3% hydrogen peroxide overnight outside and nothing. Albeit it was cloudy all day but nothing seems to have much of an effect on this thing. I was expecting an nice white PCE but no dice. :?
Maybe some are genuinely stained while others just experience that side effect of the plastic composition?
PRO-TIP FOR SOILED CONSOLES: Instead of using weak-ass chlorine or bleach, you should use hydrocholoric acid to take the yellow (and residue) off of your soiled consoles.
Title: Re: White PC Engine should be white
Post by: Necromancer on March 25, 2013, 10:02:11 AM
Instead of bleach, why not just try straight chlorine mixed with water?
elemental chlorine + water = hydryochloric acid
Stop listening to esteban. :P
Title: Re: White PC Engine should be white
Post by: Bernie on March 25, 2013, 10:09:57 AM
I understand that, but you can control the concentration of chlorine by buying pure chlorine.
Title: Re: White PC Engine should be white
Post by: TheOldMan on March 25, 2013, 10:13:48 AM
Where would you buy pure chlorine?
Title: Re: White PC Engine should be white
Post by: Necromancer on March 25, 2013, 10:17:53 AM
You'd just end up with diluted hydrochloric acid, which still sounds like a bad idea to me.
Title: Re: White PC Engine should be white
Post by: Bernie on March 25, 2013, 10:22:31 AM
You can get 99 percent chlorine in most hardware stores. Same stuff they put in wells when first dug too. The granules I buy for my pool are 99 percent pure as well. I've had chunks of it that didn't dissolve literally bleach the blue lining solid bright white in spots, happens when the kids mess with the dispenser.
Title: Re: White PC Engine should be white
Post by: Necromancer on March 25, 2013, 10:31:07 AM
Those granules (dichlor or a hypochlorate) are not pure chlorine. That's why they're granules - pure chlorine is a gas at room temperature.
Title: Re: White PC Engine should be white
Post by: Bernie on March 25, 2013, 10:44:27 AM
Well, yeah you're right. But still more than what ya get in bleach.
Title: Re: White PC Engine should be white
Post by: TheOldMan on March 25, 2013, 10:48:53 AM
Quote
....pure chlorine is a gas at room temperature.
And extremely toxic. That's why I wondered where he was buying it from.
Title: Re: White PC Engine should be white
Post by: Bernie on March 25, 2013, 11:17:10 AM
They actually make it at the plant I work at. Had two spills in the last couple years. Hangs low and moves with the wind. Nasty stuff.
Title: Re: White PC Engine should be white
Post by: TheOldMan on March 25, 2013, 12:05:56 PM
Note to self: Stay away from where bernie works :)
Had a neighbor over-chlorinate their pool once, drawing out lots of firemen and cops. They thought it was a chlorine leak. Nothing I want to mess with :)
Title: Re: White PC Engine should be white
Post by: turboswimbz on March 25, 2013, 01:38:35 PM
Interesting. I let my yellow PCE sit in bleach for over 24 hours and it barely did anything. It's a little whiter but not by much. The heavily yellowed parts were hardly phased at all. I then let it set in 3% hydrogen peroxide overnight outside and nothing. Albeit it was cloudy all day but nothing seems to have much of an effect on this thing. I was expecting an nice white PCE but no dice. :?
Maybe some are genuinely stained while others just experience that side effect of the plastic composition?
Nah, this isn't a stain. It's yellow on the entire back and right side as well as around the controller port. It looks like you'd expect from ABS yellowing. I guess I could try to get a higher concentration of hydrogen peroxide but I hate having to mess with all these potent chemicals. Makes me nervous.
IF you really don't want to mess with chemicals. Looking back at the work I was doing with H2O2 3% changed ever few days with constant sunlight should whiten your PCE in about 6-8 months.
And you guys have it all wrong for the best oxidation results, literally bleaching your PCE in minutes: Step 1: go to food store Step 2: Buy (ferrious iron) - yeah this is available there but no I won't tell you what product see step 7 Step 3: Buy High concentration H2O2 Step 4: Pile shavings of Iron in glass container Step 5: throw in ABS Step 6: Add H2O2 Step 7:
SERIOUSLY DON'T TRY THIS AT HOME!
Title: Re: White PC Engine should be white
Post by: esteban on March 26, 2013, 04:20:38 PM
Interesting. I let my yellow PCE sit in bleach for over 24 hours and it barely did anything. It's a little whiter but not by much. The heavily yellowed parts were hardly phased at all. I then let it set in 3% hydrogen peroxide overnight outside and nothing. Albeit it was cloudy all day but nothing seems to have much of an effect on this thing. I was expecting an nice white PCE but no dice. :?
Maybe some are genuinely stained while others just experience that side effect of the plastic composition?
Nah, this isn't a stain. It's yellow on the entire back and right side as well as around the controller port. It looks like you'd expect from ABS yellowing. I guess I could try to get a higher concentration of hydrogen peroxide but I hate having to mess with all these potent chemicals. Makes me nervous.
IF you really don't want to mess with chemicals. Looking back at the work I was doing with H2O2 3% changed ever few days with constant sunlight should whiten your PCE in about 6-8 months.
And you guys have it all wrong for the best oxidation results, literally bleaching your PCE in minutes: Step 1: go to food store Step 2: Buy (ferrious iron) - yeah this is available there but no I won't tell you what product see step 7 Step 3: Buy High concentration H2O2 Step 4: Pile shavings of Iron in glass container Step 5: throw in ABS Step 6: Add H2O2 Step 7: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-V27uNpGR6c
SERIOUSLY DON'T TRY THIS AT HOME!
STATUS: Fenton, of course, went on to establish the mighty PopRocks Candy empire...
Title: Re: White PC Engine should be white
Post by: Tatsujin on March 26, 2013, 06:44:48 PM
(http://www.thegforum.ch/images/smilies/3eye.gif)
Title: Re: White PC Engine should be white
Post by: xelement5x on March 28, 2013, 10:38:07 AM
Interesting. I let my yellow PCE sit in bleach for over 24 hours and it barely did anything. It's a little whiter but not by much. The heavily yellowed parts were hardly phased at all. I then let it set in 3% hydrogen peroxide overnight outside and nothing. Albeit it was cloudy all day but nothing seems to have much of an effect on this thing. I was expecting an nice white PCE but no dice. :?
Maybe some are genuinely stained while others just experience that side effect of the plastic composition?
Nah, this isn't a stain. It's yellow on the entire back and right side as well as around the controller port. It looks like you'd expect from ABS yellowing. I guess I could try to get a higher concentration of hydrogen peroxide but I hate having to mess with all these potent chemicals. Makes me nervous.
IF you really don't want to mess with chemicals. Looking back at the work I was doing with H2O2 3% changed ever few days with constant sunlight should whiten your PCE in about 6-8 months.
And you guys have it all wrong for the best oxidation results, literally bleaching your PCE in minutes: Step 1: go to food store Step 2: Buy (ferrious iron) - yeah this is available there but no I won't tell you what product see step 7 Step 3: Buy High concentration H2O2 Step 4: Pile shavings of Iron in glass container Step 5: throw in ABS Step 6: Add H2O2 Step 7: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-V27uNpGR6c
SERIOUSLY DON'T TRY THIS AT HOME!
That was pretty awesome. Could you actually speed up the whitening process by using iron in there? It would be fun to try with like an old yellowed PC mouse on camera. 5 minutes and a brand new looking mouse!
Title: Re: White PC Engine should be white
Post by: turboswimbz on March 28, 2013, 01:31:39 PM
That was pretty awesome. Could you actually speed up the whitening process by using iron in there? It would be fun to try with like an old yellowed PC mouse on camera. 5 minutes and a brand new looking mouse!
Yeah in theory you could if you were especially using nano iron, however the heat it gives off warps the plastic. You can't believe the heat it gives off. I tried with a mouse and the plastic melted, So I'm not sure how much whiting it did. I'm still working on it though for poops and chuckles. For a much safer way, you can use the tried and true OXY - activating laundry powder and good ol' UV, . as the same principal that whiten the clothes, whitens the ABS, and get results in hours. - actually much cooler, scientist are using it clean up oil, dyes, and other contaminates by Oxidizing the lethal substances.
Here is a very nicely done science project showing the principal:
Also I forgot to mention, I checked this out because of Dan's thread. this reaction Hates to be Basic or highly acidic. In fact it can bring it to a point where whiting won't really occur. A little Vitamin C may decrease the whiting time in this reaction, but i'll need to find some more brown ABS and get some lab time to try again.
Title: Re: White PC Engine should be white
Post by: xelement5x on March 29, 2013, 11:53:06 AM
Ahh, that makes sense about the heat released, I didn't even think about that aspect. Once it gets a bit sunnier I plan to throw out my old SNES and get this going.
Title: Re: White PC Engine should be white
Post by: Keith Courage on March 29, 2013, 11:55:04 AM
I just came across one pc engine where bleach did not work to remove the yellow. First time I have ever encountered that. Anyways, I was able to remove the one yellow stain by using some very fine sand paper. It just rubbed it right off.
Title: Re: White PC Engine should be white
Post by: turboswimbz on March 29, 2013, 12:01:37 PM
I just came across one pc engine where bleach did not work to remove the yellow. First time I have ever encountered that. Anyways, I was able to remove the one yellow stain by using some very fine sand paper. It just rubbed it right off.
Yes this will work - if your not overly sensitive about your stuff (same with bleach as long as you don't go crazy with it.) you just take off the browned area of the plastic as the Hydrogen to Oxygen reaction can only occur on the surface of the plastic, this is kinda like exfoliating the skin. other good candidates for exfoliating your ABS include Magic Erasers, Brillo, nail files, and "tough" sponges.
Title: Re: White PC Engine should be white
Post by: mbannick on April 03, 2013, 06:10:26 PM
So, now that I have everything setup I'm thinking about using some hydrogen peroxide (3% and some oxyclean) to remove the yellowing on my pcengine. It's only slightly yellow on about 55% of the top (looks a little uneven) so I heard the 3% method should produce okay results. The only thing I'm worried about is the logo on the top and the serial number on the bottom. Will this fade the logo? (I'm thinking the serial number will probably be toast so I'll have to find a way to cover it or take it off beforehand.)
Title: Re: White PC Engine should be white
Post by: turboswimbz on April 04, 2013, 05:55:42 AM
the stickers will come off ... somewhere is a thread where Arkhan describes how to get this back on . . . .
Title: Re: White PC Engine should be white
Post by: Arkhan on April 04, 2013, 07:05:40 AM
if you don't want to screw with taking the stickers off, use that blue painters tape to cover that area up to protect it.
Just make sure you've got it covered tightly so it doesn't come off once submerged. That would kinda blow.
Another way you can do it is to use playdough, or any of those other goofy, malleable things. I'd be careful with sticky tak or silly putty though, it might strip the text off the label.
Title: Re: White PC Engine should be white
Post by: ApolloBoy on August 23, 2013, 03:01:40 PM
Just tried this today on a whim with my somewhat yellowed PCE. I didn't get it quite as whitened as I would've liked (I put it outside in a glass pan for a couple of hours and didn't have quite enough developer to totally submerge everything), but I'm real pleased with the results! I'm gonna have to pick up an old fish tank and do a marathon whitening Arkhan-style.
EDIT: Here's the aftermath: (http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b144/ApolloBoy/PC Engine Collection/th_DSCN0879_zps917e6a61.jpg) (http://s18.photobucket.com/user/ApolloBoy/media/PC Engine Collection/DSCN0879_zps917e6a61.jpg.html)
Title: Re: White PC Engine should be white
Post by: roflmao on August 23, 2013, 04:10:40 PM
Looks great, Apollo! I'm tempted to do this myself.
Title: Re: White PC Engine should be white
Post by: wolfman on February 09, 2014, 11:54:47 PM
I am re-opening this thread and asking everyone who tried the bleaching methods on their experience.
Does the bleaching effect last? Did the plastic get brittle in any way or start to peel off/break away? Or did yellow again?
Since I am thinking of trying this on my CDROM², I am interested in long-term experience of others.
Thanks!
Title: Re: White PC Engine should be white
Post by: Black Tiger on February 10, 2014, 04:08:15 AM
I live in Europe, so I´d be happy about recommendations from E.U. members since we usually don´t have U.S. brands available...
I just use regular bleach sold for washing floors. Even just a few seconds submerged melts off all the dirt and such on everything. The last time I did it, I didn't really expose it to the sun and didn't leave it in that long and it transformed from noticeably discolored to looking brand new.
The pics don't show just how white that system really looked in the end, but it was physically worn. The last one I bleached was in nice condition, so that may help it take less time, since it doesn't have to soak into scratches or anything.
Title: Re: White PC Engine should be white
Post by: Keith Courage on February 10, 2014, 11:53:07 AM
Bleach works just fine for a PCE. However it does nothing for a yellow PCE CD drive. I think they are made out of a different type of plastic.
I've used regular bleach with great results. I just let it soak over night and rinse off the next day.
Title: Re: White PC Engine should be white
Post by: EvilEvoIX on February 10, 2014, 12:09:04 PM
That looks amazing, I'm going to try that with my SNES.
Title: Re: White PC Engine should be white
Post by: wolfman on February 10, 2014, 09:21:15 PM
You know, that's really just good advice in general. :D
Thx for the hint, but you were too late. Unfortunately I don´t have hands anymore to put them on...
ps: writing those lines wiht my nose right now.
Title: Re: White PC Engine should be white
Post by: esteban on April 11, 2014, 10:05:43 AM
Just mix bleach and chlorine in a well-ventilated room.
Title: Re: White PC Engine should be white
Post by: IrishNinja on April 11, 2014, 10:22:08 AM
fantastic work here in the OP! if my Duo-R ever starts to yellow out, would the process be about the same?
Title: Re: White PC Engine should be white
Post by: Keith Courage on April 11, 2014, 01:45:19 PM
I tried the 40 vol method from Sally beauty supply. It works great but it takes patience. I didn't bother with saran wrap like some youtube videos show. I just re-applied the cream every 12 hours or so. Took at least 72 hours under a UV reptile lamp to turn a really yellow CD drive white again. And I mean a really really yellow drive. One that is slightly yellow may take only a day or two.
Title: Re: White PC Engine should be white
Post by: Trenton_net on April 12, 2014, 04:57:49 PM
I tried the 40 vol method from Sally beauty supply. It works great but it takes patience. I didn't bother with saran wrap like some youtube videos show. I just re-applied the cream every 12 hours or so. Took at least 72 hours under a UV reptile lamp to turn a really yellow CD drive white again. And I mean a really really yellow drive. One that is slightly yellow may take only a day or two.
I would love to see the results!
Title: Re: White PC Engine should be white
Post by: Arkhan on April 14, 2014, 09:47:52 AM
I tried the 40 vol method from Sally beauty supply. It works great but it takes patience. I didn't bother with saran wrap like some youtube videos show. I just re-applied the cream every 12 hours or so. Took at least 72 hours under a UV reptile lamp to turn a really yellow CD drive white again. And I mean a really really yellow drive. One that is slightly yellow may take only a day or two.
Which bulb did you use? Depending which one you use, you get better results.
I use the ones for tropical lizards (5.0 UVB).
But usually I just use real sunlight outside because that crap is like, 1 hour or less.
30 mins of real sun = ~ 8 hours of pretend bulb.
Title: Re: White PC Engine should be white
Post by: warpig227 on April 14, 2014, 02:52:25 PM
wow should see if that works on the SNES loll
Title: Re: White PC Engine should be white
Post by: Keith Courage on April 14, 2014, 05:52:37 PM
I tried actual sun and it was taking a long time as well. Maybe the CD drive I used was too yellow to begin with. I removed all of the CD drives internals so no you shouldn't just wipe the stuff on leaving it all put together.
The 40 vol hair product was really cheap. 2.99 on sale Hah They also had a 50 vol at my local store but decided to try the 40 instead because the 50 was $2 more and I wasn't sure how well it was going to work so I didn't want to spend any extra money.
The cream sticks to the plastic a bit and requires some rubbing with water to remove it. Not just a simple rinse.
Title: Re: White PC Engine should be white
Post by: ApolloBoy on April 15, 2014, 07:42:03 AM
I didn't use cream when I did my PCE, I used the clear stuff so all you have to do is submerge it, no rubbing stuff on needed.
Title: Re: White PC Engine should be white
Post by: esteban on April 15, 2014, 07:47:43 AM
I didn't use cream when I did my PCE, I used the clear stuff so all you have to do is submerge it, no rubbing stuff on needed.
If you don't use cream, I suggest flan instead.
Title: Re: White PC Engine should be white
Post by: Ghudda on May 12, 2014, 05:39:53 AM
I just got done whitening my CD2 unit as well as the bottom tray of my IFU unit and am extremely pleased with the results. I followed the steps exactly as Deletion did and used all of the same materials including the reptile lamp (my apartment gets no direct sunlight). I had the console under the lamp for about 12 hours total spread out across 2 days and the IFU tray for about 5-6 hours. It really does not take long to see a drastic improvement but the longer the better.
A couple of noteworthy things that I encountered: [ul][li]I noticed zero fading of the labels on the unit itself so I wouldn't worry about the labels getting damaged in the process [/li][li]Putting the plastics too close to the UV lamp may cause too much heat and therefore cause slight warping. When whitening my IFU tray, I had the top of the tray a bit too close to the UV bulbs and it looks like it may have warped in the SLIGHTEST bit (I wouldn't even say it's noticeable). [/li][li]I had a hard time keeping the CD2 shells submerged and ended up using a ton of taped penny rolls in order to keep them submerged. I initially tried using lead fishing weights to try and keep it sunk but the peroxide seemed to deteriorate or act aggressively with the lead so I don't advise that.[/li][/ul] I didn't end up whitening my PCE unit itself since I am content with it as is but I may put it through the whitening process again in the near future.
Overall, following the exact same steps Deletion took, I can confirm that the process works great for whitening the CD2 unit as well as the IFU tray. My pictures don't give a 100% accurate color representation of the console but it should give you an idea of the end result.
Let me know if anyone has any questions and i'd be happy to give you some answers!
Thanks again Deletion for the informative guide!
(CLICK TO ENLARGE) (http://i.imgur.com/pc3a4zxl.jpg) (http://i.imgur.com/pc3a4zx.jpg)
Title: Re: White PC Engine should be white
Post by: Necromancer on May 12, 2014, 05:53:02 AM
Putting the plastics too close to the UV lamp may cause too much heat and therefore cause slight warping.
That's known 'round here as The Bernie Effect.
Title: Re: White PC Engine should be white
Post by: xelement5x on May 12, 2014, 10:44:36 AM
Heh, it's funny you bumped this as I just did something similar with a Saturn pad over the weekened. I actually just put rocks on them to prevent them from floating and it seemed to work okay. I'll have to try the penny trick.
It makes sense about the weights though, didn't someone post a link a couple pages back about doing it with ferrous iron and it's like crazy reactive?
Title: Re: White PC Engine should be white
Post by: Ghudda on May 12, 2014, 04:00:19 PM
Heh, it's funny you bumped this as I just did something similar with a Saturn pad over the weekened. I actually just put rocks on them to prevent them from floating and it seemed to work okay. I'll have to try the penny trick.
It makes sense about the weights though, didn't someone post a link a couple pages back about doing it with ferrous iron and it's like crazy reactive?
I had a similar thought though my main concern with putting something on top was that it'd maybe leave an imprint since the UV light wouldn't hit the covered spot or did you tape the rocks to the bottom? And yeah, i'm certainly no chemist so I went and used the first logical thing that came to mind, fishing weights. They were bubbling heavily and after removing them, had deteriorated and were smoking. Hydrogen peroxide is pretty wild.
Title: Re: White PC Engine should be white
Post by: Keith Courage on May 12, 2014, 09:07:04 PM
if you use the cream then you don't have to worry about anything floating.
Title: Re: White PC Engine should be white
Post by: xelement5x on May 13, 2014, 04:34:59 AM
if you use the cream then you don't have to worry about anything floating.
I will swing by Sally supply on the way home. Did you mix OxyClean in with your cream stuff? I just did straight peroxide no oxy, but it seems like the oxy intensifies the reaction?
Title: Re: White PC Engine should be white
Post by: xelement5x on February 10, 2015, 07:59:02 AM
Bumping this back up.
I've done the whitening several times outside but the weather is a bit less regular now and I'd like to do this indoors. Any suggestions on what people used for UV lights when doing this inside?
Title: Re: White PC Engine should be white
Post by: Necromancer on February 10, 2015, 08:07:05 AM
I've done the whitening several times outside but the weather is a bit less regular now and I'd like to do this indoors. Any suggestions on what people used for UV lights when doing this inside?
I used a lamp for a half-grown red-footed tortoise. You can get affordable UV lamps and heavy duty bulbs at pet supply stores which specialize in reptiles.
Title: Re: White PC Engine should be white
Post by: xelement5x on February 10, 2015, 01:23:20 PM
Thanks for the input! So, would a bulb like this work? http://www.amazon.com/Exo-Terra-Repti-Glo-Fluorescent-Terrarium/dp/B00101GDIG/
It looks like it would fit in a regular lamp socket though from what I can see. I could easily rig an existing lamp up or something with this pointing down I think.
Title: Re: White PC Engine should be white
Post by: Keith Courage on February 10, 2015, 01:26:51 PM
Probably, I went with the 20inch longer style myself
Honestly even with a good bulb it takes twice as long as just using normal outside sunlight.
Title: Re: White PC Engine should be white
Post by: xelement5x on June 02, 2015, 05:24:31 AM
I just another bleaching the other day and thought I would post results
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8758/18360641966_6c53a7598e_c.jpg) Super Famicom Peroxide Treatment by xelement5x, on Flickr
I recently did a peroxide treatment on an extra Super Famicom I had laying around as I continue to try and perfect the process. This one was kind of moderately yellowed in the beginning, but nothing overly atrocious.
I used a small transparent plastic storage container, plus 1 gallon water and 32oz 40vol Peroxide from Sally Beauty, then soaked each half for about 2 hours on a nice sunny Colorado day.
The final result is quite nice in my opinion, it looks practically new except for a couple scratches on it that are barely noticeable.
Title: Re: White PC Engine should be white
Post by: Necromancer on June 02, 2015, 05:38:16 AM
Did you get excited and jizz all over it in the before pic?