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ChipMusic.org / Forums / Posts by arfink
No, it should not do so. In my experience this method does not affect decals or such. However, paper labels, stickers, and such will get some damage just from being wet.
This method, to be clear, is not a paint, dye, or bleach method. It's a special chemical reaction that removes only the bromine that makes the plastic yellow.
One other thing to be noted: some people have asked me about disposal of the solution when you get done- it's safe to just water it down alot and pour down the drain, since the peroxide will have essentially all reacted off and you'll be left with soapy water (from the oxi-clean) with very trace amounts of bromine ions inside. I have this on very good authority from a chemical disposal expert who works with my sister.
OK, so your old Greyboy isn't grey anymore? Your C64 looks like it just exited the Cheetos factory? Atari ST got a nasty looking tinge of yellow? Chances are, any old plastic cases you have are beginning to turn yellow, or already are quite yellow indeed. The UV degrades the plastic, making it brown/yellow and ugly. BUT, it is reversible! And it's pretty easy to do, cheap, and (if you use your head) safe for the plastics.
You will need:
-hydrogen peroxide- the 3% concentration found at most drug stores is the kind you want. Don't use the stronger stuff used for bleaching hair, as it will destroy the plastic
-Oxi Clean cleaning powder, or something that works the same.
-a sunny spot outside
-a clear container big enough to hold the plastic pieces to be de-yellowed
-water
So, step 1 is to clean you plastic parts and take all electronic guts/whatever was in them out. If there are metal bits attached to the plastic case, those need to be removed. You don't want anything but plastic going in. So, screws, metal case badges, etc. should not go in. Also beware that the plastics will get wet, and the solution will probably break down adhesives, so remove labels etc. On the gameboy, it's probably best to remove the screen lens too. Did I say to clean them? Use soap and water and make sure all the soap is off before you put them in to the solution.
Step 2, place all plastic parts into the container. It doesn't matter if they're unequally yellowed or different colors (like a gameboy's case and buttons) just throw 'em all in. Then pour enough hydrogen peroxide over the parts to cover. If it doesn't quite cover them, you can add a little water. So long as it's still pretty much all hydrogen peroxide.
Step 3, place the container in the sunny spot, and add the Oxi Clean powder. I add about a tablespoon per gallon of liquid, use less if your batch is smaller. No mixing is required, the reaction is quite rapid. It will foam and fizz and eventually turn clear. At this point, just leave it for about 6-8 hours in the sun. The UV in the sun reacts with the Oxi and hydrogen peroxide, which liberate bromine atoms from the plastic. (the bromine is what makes the plastic yellow) It will make alot of bubbles the entire time it's exposed to sunlight.
http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/Jz … directlink
Step 4, remove the plastic when it looks like the yellow is all gone. You might need to repeat the process with a fresh batch of solution if your plastic is really badly yellowed.
Lastly, wash your pieces again, and reassemble and enjoy that wonderful, non-yellow look! If you want to protect against future yellowing you should apply a plastic protection product like Armor All or 303 Aerospace Protectant.
http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/fQ … directlink
Some notes:
-I have not noticed any fading of printed labels on things like Gameboys before, but sometimes stick-on labels will become bubbly or lift on the edges from being wet. Just so you know.
-Using higher concentrations of hydrogen peroxide or a ton of Oxi Clean can cause your plastics to be damaged. You have been warned.
-If you live in a part of the world where the sun is very hot, you should be careful it doesn't get hot enough to melt or deform your plastics. If you live in the desert, you might want to do this on a cloudy day, or inside under a UV lamp. I live in Minnesota, where it pretty much never gets very hot. I did this project on a partly cloudy day, with a little rain in the afternoon, so low levels of sun should not be an issue, you just might need more time in the sun.
-Finally, this process has been tested by me and I think it works reasonably well. But you should be careful all the same, and be aware that, just like working with Rit Dye, there is a possibility of wrecking your beloved greyboy case. But it worked for me, so you should have no problems with it.
AND as a final note, my method is derived from this sites method:
http://retr0bright.wikispaces.com/
I find my method to be cheaper, easier, and safer for the plastics, at the cost of a little more time being needed to remove the yellow.
Speaking of which...
I still have your shirt Low-Gain. And no, it's not been abused by my other laundry, as I have sheltered it from other abusive bully t-shirts. 
I'm in the process of having this guy make an Ntrq cart for me, I just have to send him the donor cart and label file:
http://www.nesreproductions.com/It's going to be $25 (plus a donor cart and shipping).
Any reasons I shouldn't, anyone?
reasons why:
1- it won't be upgradable
2- it won't have the multi SRAM bank
3- he won't be helping Neil with his charity fundraiser
4- he doesn't have Neil's permission to duplicate his COPYRIGHTED work (me and MuteCity are the only guys who have asked him, to my knowledge)
However, if 1 and 2 don't matter to you (and that's your call) you should get one from Mute City, who will make them with love etc. but with fewer expensive features.
Huoratron? I don't know if he considers himself chip or not... anymore at least, but certainly chip inspired. Check this:
OK, parts are all ordered up for the prototype, woot! I also have lined up a great supplier for the most expensive/obnoxious part, the EPROMs. Just so you all know, most EPROMs are no longer manufactured anymore, so finding a good quality stock at a good price is hard to do. Buying new-old-stock EPROMs can get very expensive, and even if you can find some, you usually can't find enough to do a proper production run, maybe 10 pieces here, 8 there, etc. You can buy in big lots if you get them used, but then you have to be careful because you can wind up with chips that have begun to get UV degradation, bent pins, verification errors, and sometimes they have leftover solder or flux on them, and sometimes old glue from the window covers.
But as luck would have it, I have found a supplier who has just oodles of NOS 27C020 chips at a fabulous price, so that's probably what I'll use. If any of you are really upset to have to go for a slightly smaller amount of ROM space (2 megabits is still WAY overkill) then I might be convinced to do some customs with the more expensive 27C040 chips.
arfink wrote:I mean, how can a guy with cured meat in his avatar possibly be a criminal?
Meat n00b.
It's actually not cured meat, but Falukorv.
Yes, but the wikipedia article informs it's salted and smoked. Is this not curing? So Falukorv, bacon, ham, summer sausage, etc. are all cured meats. And I must be a meat noob, because I asked you earlier if it was Canadian Bacon. hahahaha!
I'm just gonna say, I was not expecting this level of interest. Thanks guys!
I mean, how can a guy with cured meat in his avatar possibly be a criminal?
But in all seriousness, I wouldn't just dick around with Jose... sure he blows a lot of hot air, but if he does sue you a court will not look favourably on your unauthorized access, whether you did anything wrong with it or not. There is a reason why people were moving to get out of 8bc, and it was because Jose was becoming unstable and liable to throw an almighty legal hissy fit.
EDIT: One other thing, take my words with a grain of salt if you will, but I don't trust our US legal system to do what's right but to do what suits them.
So, he calls in his dad on you? Geez. This is why I never go to 8bc anymore. It's just despicable the depth to which Jose is willing to sink.
Analog: yes, you will. I believe in you!
Heosphoros: Uhh, you can have a special edition blank cartridge casing? I could sign it? Or draw something like a moose on it maybe? I did autograph a special "Anniversity Edition" cartridge for Kitsch and his GF when I did the Glitchnes carts.
meotojite: not sure yet, but I was thinking somewhere in the $50-$65 range, depending on how R&D works out.
Kitsch: is she just a girlfriend still, or is she your wife yet? hehe!
Well, I should have specified: mine is an NVSRAM, which is considerably different from other kinds of NVRAM out there. For all I know, he might be using flash. It was kinda joke. But I am slightly concerned for making the NVSRAM I chose fit the space, since it's a DIP package chip but is quite a bit taller. Fortunately it won't require a socket, so that'll pull some height off.
Bump! This release is getting completely ignored over at 8bc. I didn't work a year on this to have it drop off everyone's radar so immediately-- help combat such injustices and give this album a jam!
~Josiah
It's 8bc, what did you expect?
Well, if he had texture instead of cross-hatching...
sorry if this has been answered already, but will these be reflashable?
if so, I'd be interested in one as well.
Well, yes and no. Yes in that with the proper equipment you can reprogram the cartridge. No in that I'm using EPROMs instead of flash chips, and so technically you can't "flash" it regardless. 
arfink wrote:NVSRAM > SRAM
Nice!
If I remember correctly, that's what the "Infinity Cartridge" for Gameboy will be using.
I wonder how Jose&CO are planning to fit an NVRAM into a GB cart, there wouldn't be enough room. Those suckers are quite large, and I think it'll be a tight squeeze inside a NES cartridge.
ChipMusic.org / Forums / Posts by arfink
