doublebuffer wrote on 2023-07-13, 12:18:
I searched the internet and youtube for methods for getting that yellowed plastic look out, there seems to be a lot of different methods which all claim to be the best. So what do you think, what's your preferred method, or do you think the vintage look is part of the charm? I heard there might be some downsides, such as brittlening the plastic, is that a true issue? I have some hydrogen peroxide and ready to try my first batch, all advice welcome.
Hello,
Threads like these show up from time to time, but they're becoming less frequent. There's a reason for that.
A good few years have gone by since these type of experiments became more common knowledge thanks to YouTube. And that has allowed everyone who actually did them to realize that eventually, from 6 months to maybe a year and a half, the yellowing always comes back. It doesn't matter the retrobrighting method that you used, where you live and its climate, whether afterwards you leave the treated stuff on display or store it in a cold and totally dark place, if you repeatedly sprayed the item with UV protectant, that's just how it is, the yellowing will come back. Probably to a very slightly lighter shade than it was before, but it will.
Also, you have to consider that there are several types of plastic compositions, textures, treatments and finishes, and they are almost never the exact same between them, even from the same product company / manufacturer. That makes it very hard to predict the risks of exposing the plastics to the hydrogen peroxide without previous experiences with that exact object that you want to treat. Problems like the marbling effect were discovered using the cream method as you may know, but that may also happen with the submersion method. And for the latter method there's also the percentage of the hydrogen peroxide to factor in, as it varies in commercial availability from country to country, and if it's too high of a value and you leave it to work too long it can totally bleach the plastics beyond repair, visually and materially. But whatever the circumstances do know that retrobrighting definitely weakens the plastics.
I have made several experiments with a lot of different plastic types, objects and methods. A few victims were the back part of a Dreamcast controller that is different from the front part's plastic in color and composition, and ended up marbling slightly by submersion. Or a Logitech Deluxe Access Keyboard's key caps which were totally bleached and broke when I reinserted them into the main body. As for non victims, well, apart from the yellowing eventually coming back, it went fine at the time.
The only thing that I treated that is still white or close to that today is a XBox 360 controller, why that's the case I have no idea. I don't know if it's yellowing very slowly due to the newer plastics, or if there's any other reason. It was the only occurrence like that in dozens and dozens of different treatments.
So, is retrobrighting totally useless? For the most part yes, but in the right context it can be useful. What it can do is even out irregular patches of yellow all around the object. It will re-yellow again, sure, but it will do so to a slightly lighter shade of yellow than before (although not much) and that tone will likely be better distributed throughout the object, removing the more intense color stains. I treated a Genius Net Scroll mouse that had that problem and now it's much more even throughout even if it re-yellowed from the treated white tone, and now it has a light cream tone all over that I actually really prefer to the original white. From my experiences this is the scenario in which retrobrighting can make sense, and if the object is so badly and unevenly yellowed then it's not too much of a risk anyway, as probably any result will be better than its current state, but do take the precautions, checking on the object and not leaving it for too long, etc. Also clear silicon objects like the protection pouches that we used to have for our MP3 / MP4s can be treated without much consequence, just don't do it too many times.
The "new" method that is considered the safest, easiest and most economical is the vapor brighting method. It can be seen in this video from RMC who demonstrates it, noting that it's someone else's method. RMC pretty much did every method in his trash to treasure episodes along the years: https://youtu.be/InoGKNFwPJs?t=1367
If you really must do it, it's the only method I would be willing to propose right now. But I must reiterate, there's always a risk element to this. It's easy to be captivated by the results shown in these types of videos, but as they were made at the time the true long term results can't be documented.
All in all, if you already bought some product and want to experiment I wouldn't want to discourage you, just be aware of the risks and that it will most likely re-yellow back again. But for most cases in the long haul, in order to spare you the immense hassle, and to keep you from wasting your time and money, my advice would be to just don't bother with it. Clean up your stuff the best you can, keep it away from direct sunlight and enjoy the patina for what it is. In many cases it's way better visually and it has more character than the treated results, trust me.
Best of luck!