Re: [M100] Dealing with yellowed case
Interesting approach - unfortunately, we're just entering fall here (PA, USA) and all the sunny is behind us for a while. If I don't do something else over the winter, I may try this come spring. Also, a previous message mentioned automotive vinyl and plastic paints. The brand on that paint was "SEM Color Coat", and the manufacturer's web site is https://www.semproducts.com/product/color-coattm-aerosols That's the part of the line that's in aerosol cans, they also make quarts and gallons for HVLP spraying. On Tue, Oct 13, 2020 at 7:33 PM Electronics Luckydip wrote: > > Howdy. An alternative that may be worth trying before any sprays or chemicals > is what I know as "airbriting" or "sunbrighting", which is literally just > leaving the plastic out to sunbake for an extended period. > > I do not have any experience with "sunbrighting" a M100 but in general I have > had very good success in restoring the color of all but the most stubborn > yellowed plastics by just baking the plastic in the sun for several days. For > example, this last month it took me ~8 sunny cloudless days to complete the > de-yellowing of a moderately-heavily yellowed compaq keyboard (including > keycaps), though I could see results after the first day or two. In a few > projects where "sunbrighting" has not completed the job for me it has at > least reduced the yellowing substantially. I have the benefit of the Aussie > Sun but it's not that much different to other parts of the world. > > The technique was recently covered on the Retro Recipes youtube channel at > https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8P1OVj0IcqY > > In that video there is also some mention of using LED lights to help prevent > the yellowing from returning, which I believe may apply to both retrobriting > and sunbrighting techniques. Incidentally, the room in which I keep my gear > does happen to have LED lights and I have not seen the yellowing return in > any of my items - though I have only been dealing with this for a short while. > > I've recently acquired an NEC 8201A and have been lurking here accumulating > info that will be of help when I get around to studying it, but thought I > should mention the possibility of "airbrighting" in case it is of use to you > or anyone in the same situation. > > Regards, > Ben > > > On Tue, Oct 13, 2020 at 10:13 PM Michael Kohne wrote: >> >> I've got an M100 with a severely yellowed upper shell, and I'm >> wondering what remediation possibilities I have. >> >> I've heard of retrobrite, but I've also heard that it can make >> plastics more brittle. For something that's a portable computer, >> brittle (even if only slightly more than original) sounds like a bad >> idea. >> >> Had anyone ever tried painting one of these shells? Are there paints >> that would hold up to actual use? It'd be like painting the case on a >> keyboard, and I'd worry that it was going to chip or rub off very >> quickly. >> >> I poked around the mechanical keyboard community and found references >> to using Krylon's Fusion paints, anyone have any experience with them? >> >> Also, does anyone know what kind of plastic the M100 shell is? I'd >> like to find some similar plastics to experiment with before I risk an >> M100 shell. >> >> -- >> Michael Kohne >> mhko...@kohne.org >> >> Anything real you do that's important will be scary. Having kids. >> Getting married. Donating a kidney. Writing a book. Do it anyway. - >> Neil Gaiman -- Michael Kohne mhko...@kohne.org Anything real you do that's important will be scary. Having kids. Getting married. Donating a kidney. Writing a book. Do it anyway. - Neil Gaiman
Re: [M100] Dealing with yellowed case
Howdy. An alternative that may be worth trying before any sprays or chemicals is what I know as "airbriting" or "sunbrighting", which is literally just leaving the plastic out to sunbake for an extended period. I do not have any experience with "sunbrighting" a M100 but in general I have had very good success in restoring the color of all but the most stubborn yellowed plastics by just baking the plastic in the sun for several days. For example, this last month it took me ~8 sunny cloudless days to complete the de-yellowing of a moderately-heavily yellowed compaq keyboard (including keycaps), though I could see results after the first day or two. In a few projects where "sunbrighting" has not completed the job for me it has at least reduced the yellowing substantially. I have the benefit of the Aussie Sun but it's not that much different to other parts of the world. The technique was recently covered on the Retro Recipes youtube channel at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8P1OVj0IcqY In that video there is also some mention of using LED lights to help prevent the yellowing from returning, which I believe may apply to both retrobriting and sunbrighting techniques. Incidentally, the room in which I keep my gear does happen to have LED lights and I have not seen the yellowing return in any of my items - though I have only been dealing with this for a short while. I've recently acquired an NEC 8201A and have been lurking here accumulating info that will be of help when I get around to studying it, but thought I should mention the possibility of "airbrighting" in case it is of use to you or anyone in the same situation. Regards, Ben On Tue, Oct 13, 2020 at 10:13 PM Michael Kohne wrote: > I've got an M100 with a severely yellowed upper shell, and I'm > wondering what remediation possibilities I have. > > I've heard of retrobrite, but I've also heard that it can make > plastics more brittle. For something that's a portable computer, > brittle (even if only slightly more than original) sounds like a bad > idea. > > Had anyone ever tried painting one of these shells? Are there paints > that would hold up to actual use? It'd be like painting the case on a > keyboard, and I'd worry that it was going to chip or rub off very > quickly. > > I poked around the mechanical keyboard community and found references > to using Krylon's Fusion paints, anyone have any experience with them? > > Also, does anyone know what kind of plastic the M100 shell is? I'd > like to find some similar plastics to experiment with before I risk an > M100 shell. > > -- > Michael Kohne > mhko...@kohne.org > > Anything real you do that's important will be scary. Having kids. > Getting married. Donating a kidney. Writing a book. Do it anyway. - > Neil Gaiman >
Re: [M100] Dealing with yellowed case
I’ve done some painting of portable electronics (specifically an Alphasmart Neo) with good success. I followed the advice of using automotive spraypaints, designed for dashboards, upholstery, etc. I’m not intimately familiar with the chemistry, but allegedly the paint bonds with the plastic for better longevity, and is slightly pliable, so it’s less likely to chip off. I’ve had two Neos painted this was for years now, and they both look great. Here’s an example of what I used: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/4678615243/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 CAM -- C.A. Magaret Sent from my newfangled mobile technogizmo. Please forgive any typos, inelegant brevity, or nonsensical auto-corrections. > On Oct 13, 2020, at 05:25, Erik van der Tier wrote: > > Hi, > > I’ve done the retrobrite on my T102 with some success. I have no idea if it > really made the plastics more brittle, but it didn’t get rid of all the > yellow although it was a huge improvement. But two weeks ago, I’ve gone > another direction with it and spray painted it mat-black. I’m very happy with > the results. I had actually sent a mail to this list, but it never seemed to > have gotten through. I used basic ’Spectrum spray paint’ and Spectrum primer. > After about 2 weeks of regular work I haven’t seen any degradation of the > paint job so far (I did go for many layers). Anyway, I can recommend this > approach as for me, I’m very happy with the result. The T102 looks like a > completely new machine. You do lose the decals below the function keys (not a > problem for me…). > > Erik > > > > >> On 13 Oct 2020, at 13:13, Michael Kohne wrote: >> >> I've got an M100 with a severely yellowed upper shell, and I'm >> wondering what remediation possibilities I have. >> >> I've heard of retrobrite, but I've also heard that it can make >> plastics more brittle. For something that's a portable computer, >> brittle (even if only slightly more than original) sounds like a bad >> idea. >> >> Had anyone ever tried painting one of these shells? Are there paints >> that would hold up to actual use? It'd be like painting the case on a >> keyboard, and I'd worry that it was going to chip or rub off very >> quickly. >> >> I poked around the mechanical keyboard community and found references >> to using Krylon's Fusion paints, anyone have any experience with them? >> >> Also, does anyone know what kind of plastic the M100 shell is? I'd >> like to find some similar plastics to experiment with before I risk an >> M100 shell. >> >> -- >> Michael Kohne >> mhko...@kohne.org >> >> Anything real you do that's important will be scary. Having kids. >> Getting married. Donating a kidney. Writing a book. Do it anyway. - >> Neil Gaiman >
Re: [M100] Dealing with yellowed case
Hi, I’ve done the retrobrite on my T102 with some success. I have no idea if it really made the plastics more brittle, but it didn’t get rid of all the yellow although it was a huge improvement. But two weeks ago, I’ve gone another direction with it and spray painted it mat-black. I’m very happy with the results. I had actually sent a mail to this list, but it never seemed to have gotten through. I used basic ’Spectrum spray paint’ and Spectrum primer. After about 2 weeks of regular work I haven’t seen any degradation of the paint job so far (I did go for many layers). Anyway, I can recommend this approach as for me, I’m very happy with the result. The T102 looks like a completely new machine. You do lose the decals below the function keys (not a problem for me…). Erik > On 13 Oct 2020, at 13:13, Michael Kohne wrote: > > I've got an M100 with a severely yellowed upper shell, and I'm > wondering what remediation possibilities I have. > > I've heard of retrobrite, but I've also heard that it can make > plastics more brittle. For something that's a portable computer, > brittle (even if only slightly more than original) sounds like a bad > idea. > > Had anyone ever tried painting one of these shells? Are there paints > that would hold up to actual use? It'd be like painting the case on a > keyboard, and I'd worry that it was going to chip or rub off very > quickly. > > I poked around the mechanical keyboard community and found references > to using Krylon's Fusion paints, anyone have any experience with them? > > Also, does anyone know what kind of plastic the M100 shell is? I'd > like to find some similar plastics to experiment with before I risk an > M100 shell. > > -- > Michael Kohne > mhko...@kohne.org > > Anything real you do that's important will be scary. Having kids. > Getting married. Donating a kidney. Writing a book. Do it anyway. - > Neil Gaiman
[M100] Dealing with yellowed case
I've got an M100 with a severely yellowed upper shell, and I'm wondering what remediation possibilities I have. I've heard of retrobrite, but I've also heard that it can make plastics more brittle. For something that's a portable computer, brittle (even if only slightly more than original) sounds like a bad idea. Had anyone ever tried painting one of these shells? Are there paints that would hold up to actual use? It'd be like painting the case on a keyboard, and I'd worry that it was going to chip or rub off very quickly. I poked around the mechanical keyboard community and found references to using Krylon's Fusion paints, anyone have any experience with them? Also, does anyone know what kind of plastic the M100 shell is? I'd like to find some similar plastics to experiment with before I risk an M100 shell. -- Michael Kohne mhko...@kohne.org Anything real you do that's important will be scary. Having kids. Getting married. Donating a kidney. Writing a book. Do it anyway. - Neil Gaiman