Collaborate Disseminate
It’s true that this TRS-80 Model 4P “luggable” was in better shape than many of the vintage machines that pass through the hands of [Drygol], but that doesn’t make the …read more Continue reading TRS-80 Luggable Gets Fresh Face, New Gear
Considerable effort is often required to rejuvenate the yellowed and grungy plastic cases of retrocomputing gear. One generally does well to know their enemy in order to fight it, though, which is where this guide to the chemistry of plastic …read more
Continue reading A Deep Dive into the Chemistry of Retrobright
If you work on old radios, electronics is only one of the skills you need. The other is wood or metal working to restore the cabinets and chassis. However, more recent electronics have plastic and old plastic tends to turn yellow. [Odd Experiments] shows how to whiten plastic using a …read more
Your fancy white electronic brick of consumer electronics started off white, but after some time it yellowed and became brittle. This shouldn’t have happened; plastic is supposed to last forever. It turns out that plastic enclosures are vulnerable to the same things as skin, and the effects are similar. Whey they are stared at by the sun, the damage is done even though it might not be visible to you for quite some time.
Photodegradation is nature’s way of saying you should be playing more video games indoors instead of being outside. The process is complicated and full of …read more
Continue reading Yellowing: the Plastic Equivalent of a Sunburn