Any way to make yellowed hucards white again?

Golgo13 · 05/29/2007, 05:11 PM

see topic, I have 1 or two games like this and I was wondering what if anything can be done about it. I think its probably from sunlight, kinda like the old Super Famicom and SNES would get.

Nazi NecroPhile · 05/29/2007, 06:11 PM

You could try the bleach solution that many have performed on the PC Engine, CD, DuoR, and Duo-RX (search for the related thread - I'm too lazy). Just make sure that you tape off the contacts and eeprom area really well, and brush the solution on rather than submerge it.

Seldane · 05/29/2007, 06:14 PM

/paintbucketyz6.jpg

Keranu · 05/29/2007, 06:50 PM

I don't think I have any HuCards that have actually yellowed. I do, however, have some HuCards sleeves that have a nasty yellowish tint.

offsidewing · 05/29/2007, 07:06 PM

Quote from: Keranu on 05/29/2007, 06:50 PMI don't think I have any HuCards that have actually yellowed. I do, however, have some HuCards sleeves that have a nasty yellowish tint.

to me, this is the grossest thing in all of video gamedom. I'm a fairly manly man, but nasty hucard sleeve gross me out. Smell of rotting animal carcas, ok. Getting stitches without novicane, got that t-shirt. Sleeping in a football stadium port-a-pottie, hell yeah. Drinking a beer with cigarette butts in it (accidentally), I'm that guy. But nasty yellowed hucard sleeves, eew!

Seldane · 05/29/2007, 07:41 PM

Hucard sleeves? Why use them when there's universe?

esteban · 05/29/2007, 08:05 PM

Quote from: guest on 05/29/2007, 06:11 PMYou could try the bleach solution that many have performed on the PC Engine, CD, DuoR, and Duo-RX (search for the related thread - I'm too lazy). Just make sure that you tape off the contacts and eeprom area really well, and brush the solution on rather than submerge it.

Indeed. And, if you want to be cautious, just do a "spot check" and keep trying multiple applications / stronger bleach : water mixtures. I would avoid the printed graphics on the front of the HuCard, myself, but everything else is fair game. Just avoid the black area + pins completely.

Keranu · 05/29/2007, 08:14 PM

Quote from: Seldane on 05/29/2007, 07:41 PMHucard sleeves? Why use them when there's universe?

It's nice to use the sleeves so the HuCards don't jump around like it's a party inside the case when you pick them up

. American cases are especially nice as they have the little arm band that holds the HuCard firmly in place.

nat · 05/29/2007, 08:19 PM

Quote from: Golgo13 on 05/29/2007, 05:11 PMsee topic, I have 1 or two games like this and I was wondering what if anything can be done about it. I think its probably from sunlight, kinda like the old Super Famicom and SNES would get.

I honestly didn't know that HuCards could yellow like that. Seriously.

I know certain types of plastics are susceptible to this phenomenon, but I had no idea HuCards were made of that plastic. I've never seen a HuCard anything less than pearly white. Are you sure they aren't just dirty?

TurboChips, on the other hand....

MrFulci · 05/29/2007, 09:23 PM

Awesome informative article about plastic yellowing, http://www.vintagecomputing.com/index.php/archives/189

nat · 05/29/2007, 10:17 PM

Quote from: MrFulci on 05/29/2007, 09:23 PMAwesome informative article about plastic yellowing, http://www.vintagecomputing.com/index.php/archives/189

Fascinating.

it's worth noting my SNES looks exactly like his "bad" one. I've always wondered why the top has yellowed and the bottom hasn't. It just sort of happened one day, not that long ago either. I pulled the ol' SNES out for a spin and found that sometime between 2003 and now half the console decided to change colors on me.

You could say my SNES is now 50% new.

offsidewing · 05/29/2007, 10:24 PM

Quote from: nat on 05/29/2007, 10:17 PMYou could say my SNES is now 50% new.

It's creeping into other threads...

Golgo13 · 05/30/2007, 03:07 AM

The games I have that yellowed are in fact american "Turbo Chips" one is bonks revenge, the other is keith courage, these are the games that I had since 94 or 95, when I lived at home, I had a room facing the west which got alot of sunlight, I would leave my video game stuff hooked up at once, and the turbo at that time I never played often, but I left it at the bottom shelf, with a turbo chip inside, it was this sun exposure that I think made the real half of the turbochip yellow.

Golgo13 · 05/30/2007, 03:22 AM

Quote from: nat on 05/29/2007, 10:17 PM
Quote from: MrFulci on 05/29/2007, 09:23 PMAwesome informative article about plastic yellowing, http://www.vintagecomputing.com/index.php/archives/189
Fascinating.

it's worth noting my SNES looks exactly like his "bad" one. I've always wondered why the top has yellowed and the bottom hasn't. It just sort of happened one day, not that long ago either. I pulled the ol' SNES out for a spin and found that sometime between 2003 and now half the console decided to change colors on me.

You could say my SNES is now 50% new.

I got my first SNES in Christmas of 92, that was the original set with mario world and 2 controllers, in 95 my SNES broke, actually the only system I ever had stop working on me, this one had already yellowed after 3 years although not so bad as the one in the picture.

So in 95 I bought a replacement SNES, this was the "Play it Loud" set, which was just a normal control set with nintendo's "Play it loud" marketing propaganda. This one still works to this day, and it did not yellow, with the exception of the plastic pieces where the controller ports are, Its almost as if nintendo still had older plastic controller port pieces from 92 and used them.

nat · 05/30/2007, 10:52 AM

Quote from: Golgo13 on 05/30/2007, 03:22 AM
Quote from: nat on 05/29/2007, 10:17 PM
Quote from: MrFulci on 05/29/2007, 09:23 PMAwesome informative article about plastic yellowing, http://www.vintagecomputing.com/index.php/archives/189
Fascinating.

it's worth noting my SNES looks exactly like his "bad" one. I've always wondered why the top has yellowed and the bottom hasn't. It just sort of happened one day, not that long ago either. I pulled the ol' SNES out for a spin and found that sometime between 2003 and now half the console decided to change colors on me.

You could say my SNES is now 50% new.
[...]
in 95 my SNES broke, actually the only system I ever had stop working on me, [...]

I'm sure every video game system is a victim of random electronic failure at one point or another.

The only system I've ever had stop working on me was my first TurboGrafx-16 in like 1997. It lasted me a good 6-7 years, but there's no reason it should have stopped working. One day it just didn't turn on anymore. (No, it wasn't the AC adapter.)

I still have it though with the hopes that I one day might be able to fix it.

Keranu · 05/30/2007, 03:40 PM

Quote from: MrFulci on 05/29/2007, 09:23 PMAwesome informative article about plastic yellowing, http://www.vintagecomputing.com/index.php/archives/189

Thanks a lot for the link, that was a fantastic article!

MrFulci · 05/30/2007, 05:04 PM

Yeah, when I first read the article it explained a lot of thigns to me. Flame retardants....

Some SNES' did not take long to yellow. I had one that seemed to yellow after 5 years or so. It was moved around the house often, and from what I recall it never received much direct sunlight, though one room it was in for a period of time had large windows.

The yellow never bothered me much. I wondered about it, that's about it.

Seldane · 05/30/2007, 05:42 PM

It seems like only american and japanese SNES systems get yellowed like that. I've yet to see a (significantly) yellowed PAL SNES. My personal PAL consoles are perfectly gray, good as new.

My american SNES has a yellowed bottom, but the top looks fine.

ASSEMbler · 05/31/2007, 06:09 AM

I know a few ways, but it is a temporary fix and damages the plastic.
You'd have to clearcoat it afterwards too.

Kitsunexus · 12/21/2007, 04:39 AM

QUIT PEEING ON THEM.

Tablet · 12/21/2007, 06:13 AM

Quote from: Seldane on 05/30/2007, 05:42 PMIt seems like only american and japanese SNES systems get yellowed like that. I've yet to see a (significantly) yellowed PAL SNES. My personal PAL consoles are perfectly gray, good as new. My american SNES has a yellowed bottom, but the top looks fine.

My PAL SNES has yellowed on top, then again i did buy it off a friend and it was already pretty bad at that point.

nat · 12/21/2007, 11:14 AM

My SNES is the opposite- it yellowed on the bottom. It just happened one day. Literally, I woke up one day to go play it and the bottom was yellow. True story.

PCEngineHell · 12/21/2007, 03:26 PM

Invasion of the SNES Snatchers.

Tablet · 12/21/2007, 06:39 PM

Is it strange that my little brothers dreamcast has yellowed in streaks on top? I havent heard of dreamcasts doing it before? Also my Tenokoe 2 has yellowed to a browny colour and my flap door thing on my nes is starting to yellow.

Good thing most sega consoles are black ;)

nat · 12/21/2007, 06:48 PM

Quote from: Tablet on 12/21/2007, 06:39 PMIs it strange that my little brothers dreamcast has yellowed in streaks on top? I havent heard of dreamcasts doing it before? Also my Tenokoe 2 has yellowed to a browny colour and my flap door thing on my nes is starting to yellow.

Good thing most sega consoles are black ;)

Any grey/white/platinum plastic has the potential to yellow over time. It has to do with a chemical breakdown at the molecular level. I'm sure the same breakdown happens with black plastics, you just can't see it.

There are certain factors that determine if/when it will happen, namely the type and quantity of flame-retardants used in the manufacturing process.

I've also heard that certain types of light, specifically sunlight and fluorescent, cause a reaction that jump starts and expedites this breakdown.

Also, the reason you get different pieces of say, a console yellowing at different rates and times is because the different pieces are manufactured in different places by different processes. Some of these processes add more of the necessary chemicals to the plastic than others.

Tablet · 12/22/2007, 01:19 PM

I really ought to take a pic of my little bros dreamcast actually i think i will:

/imag0013copymc6.jpg

Right as you can see there's yellow streaks on the lid, they also continue on the left to the lid, just thought it looked weird that it's yellowed all patchy, mine's older than his and i still have it boxed so it hasnt been exposed to much sun light, just on a note i've noticed that my dreamcast has little rubber legs on the underside to tilt the console forward, is that normal? I havent seen it on any other dreamcast before.

Kitsunexus · 12/22/2007, 02:15 PM

I got Benj to fix this article (it wasn't showing up yesterday), so here you go!

http://www.vintagecomputing.com/index.php/archives/189

CrackTiger · 12/22/2007, 08:12 PM

Here's a guide that I haven't gotten around to linking into my site yet-

http://superpcenginegrafx.com/cleaning_a_pcengine.html

Turbo D · 12/23/2007, 03:19 AM

WARNING!: plastic tends to age faster after being exposed to bleach. The whitening may only be temporary and lead to an even yellower console. Experiences may vary. Bleach your console at your own risk!

Kitsunexus · 12/23/2007, 03:21 AM

People tend to get whiter after being exposed to Bleach as well, fucking otaku.

MissaFX · 12/23/2007, 09:10 AM

Quote from: turbo D on 12/23/2007, 03:19 AMWARNING!: plastic tends to age faster after being exposed to bleach. The whitening may only be temporary and lead to an even yellower console. Experiences may vary. Bleach your console at your own risk!

Is this true or a joke? I just don't know sometimes on this board.

If it is true, do you know a safer way to whiten a console? (not using paint).

Turbo D · 12/23/2007, 03:08 PM

I'm not joking around, I'm serious. A friend of mine used bleach to clean the white plastic pickguard on his guitar and a month later it was super yellow. I was just warning people so that it wouldn't happen to them. It is known that bleach ages plastic, so do it at your own risk.

guyjin · 12/23/2007, 03:16 PM

yeah, bleach is actually naturally yellow. This is what bluing is for - when you've bleached something too often, you add blue to hide the yellow.

Wonder if that would work on plastic, though?

nat · 12/23/2007, 06:42 PM

Quote from: guest on 12/22/2007, 08:12 PMHere's a guide that I haven't gotten around to linking into my site yet-

http://superpcenginegrafx.com/cleaning_a_pcengine.html

Hey Justin, you really need to do a site update. It seems like you have tons of good shit that hasn't been linked into the site yet.

Nazi NecroPhile · 12/24/2007, 09:28 AM

Quote from: turbo D on 12/23/2007, 03:19 AMWARNING!: plastic tends to age faster after being exposed to bleach. The whitening may only be temporary and lead to an even yellower console. Experiences may vary. Bleach your console at your own risk!

All true. Would applying a clear coat after bleaching stop the yellowing?

Turbo D · 12/24/2007, 03:31 PM

I really don't know.

Ceti Alpha · 12/24/2007, 04:19 PM

QuoteDrinking a beer with cigarette butts in it (accidentally), I'm that guy.

Haha! That has to be the worst evar. The taste is bad enough, but the feeling and texture stays with you for days.

spenoza · 01/01/2008, 12:22 PM

Bleach is a really caustic chemical and will not do anything good for your plastic console equipment or games. There's just no way around this. You'll have to find a different solution if you want something even remotely healthy for your equipment.