hevangel2 Posted October 6, 2003 Posted October 6, 2003 Hi, I have read that the plastic of Yamato valkyire will eventually turn yellow. Is there any way we could stop this process? First of all, we have to ask what makes the plastic turn yellow? Is it sun-light or other causes? Quote
rocco_77 Posted October 6, 2003 Posted October 6, 2003 It's actually the composition of the plastic itself that causes yellowing over time.... If you try to keep your valks relatively clean, don't smoke in the room with your valks in it, and try to limit their exposure to direct sun light, then you should have nice shiny WHITE valks for years to come. Quote
UN Spacy Posted October 6, 2003 Posted October 6, 2003 I think it'd be safer to keep your Valkyries out of direct sunlight (espically if they're just gonna sit there in Fighter Mode for weeks on end). I have mine on top of a shelf but they're way on the other side of the room (out of direct sunlight, garlic cloves, and iron crosses). Quote
JsARCLIGHT Posted October 6, 2003 Posted October 6, 2003 People have always told me it is a combination of the oils from your hands reacting with the plastic when exposed to lots and lots of sunlight. Best bet to prevent yellowing: don't handle your toys that much, if you do clean them up occasionally and store the toys away from direct sunlight. I keep almost all of mine in UV coated glass cabinets in the living room just in case. Better safe than sorry. Then again we are talking about plastic toys.. plastic, unlike metal, will not last forever so enjoy the toys while you can! Quote
pfunk Posted October 6, 2003 Posted October 6, 2003 Knowing the composition of Styrenes (ABS and others) the base plastic is very UV unstable, for example on cars they use addatives in the plastic to make it UV stable and heat resistant, obviosly toys are not. Like said earlier any UV source of light will cause yelowing and in some cases the upper surface (skin) will flake and craze. Even lightbulbs will eventually turn it yellow, so a protective layer (like a cabinet stated above) will be the ONLY protection. Playing with them wont hurt them as the oils in your skin wont penitrate into the plastic. Another thing to keep them away from is petrolium products, that WILL penitrate the outer layer of the plastic and cause problems. Quote
Uxi Posted October 6, 2003 Posted October 6, 2003 Buy a Low-Vis Valk? That's what I 'm talking about. I wish Yamato would do more Low-Viz schemes. At least a 1J. Maybe a different squadron (different emblem instead of the jolly rogers... i'm leaning on an eagle) in both 1A and 1J. Quote
Skull-1 Posted October 6, 2003 Posted October 6, 2003 I would just like them to UV protect the plastics like cars.... Quote
Murphy Posted October 6, 2003 Posted October 6, 2003 i got a question my room has 2 walls that have windows and 3 skylights, the skylight have blinds but my windows dont. i try to keep my valks out of direct sunlight but sometimes the reflection of sunlight hits my valks at certain times of the day does the reflection of sunlight still hurt my valks? Quote
wingcommander Posted October 6, 2003 Posted October 6, 2003 well if they are uv sensitive just rub on some sunblock. ALEX Quote
Veifwan Es Posted October 7, 2003 Posted October 7, 2003 I really don't buy into the "sunlight" theory.... Toys from my childhood that I have kept in a room with plenty of windows are still white as ever.... However, toys that I stored in a dark but HOT attic with 100% no light exposure are bright yellowish-tan. I think it's heat, not sunlight, that is the main contributor to yellowing of plastic. The only thing I've seen sunlight do to my toys is fade the bright colors! (and this is all over a 20 yr+ timespan in the very bright, very hot state of Texas) Quote
Nitrous Posted October 7, 2003 Posted October 7, 2003 Hi guys Actually, the plastic turns yellow when it is exposed to UV, which on Planet Earth, comes together with sunlight. However, although sunlight cannot penetrate opaque surfaces (like a cabinet), UV still can penetrate a layer of opaque surface. Thus if u keep ur toys up on the attic (roof), it will still be exposed to UV and turn yellow, although sunlight cannot go through. The better way is to coat your glass cabinets with UV reflecting coating (like sunglasses) just like what JsARCLIGHT has done, or else you still can bury your toys 6 feet below... hehehe Oh yea, heat and moisture play a part in causing the plastic to turn yellow and brittle over time.... Hope this helps.... Quote
Skull-1 Posted October 7, 2003 Posted October 7, 2003 (edited) I left my Valks in Texas, too. They were upstairs, in a house that often was not air conditioned on the second floor to save energy. The only parts on my Valk that turned yellow were the ones exposed to the sunlight, which was indirect and through white curtains. Thus, I do not believe heat to be a cause. When I customized these toys I peeled the decals off. Beneath the decals the toys were bone white. Also the sections of the arms, wings, and legs that were in the "shadow" of the light source were white. Experiment: Take a Valk you plan to custom and swing the wings back. Stick the sucker in direct sunlight for 30 days. Swing the wings out. The parts not exposed will be white, the rest yellow. I believe it is light-related, not heat-related. As for an attic, there's no way that UV will penetrate all the layers of material on a roof (shingles, plywood, insulation, etc.) to any degree that would hurt a plastic Valkyrie. Keep them out of the light. Edited October 7, 2003 by Skull-1 Quote
Skull-1 Posted October 7, 2003 Posted October 7, 2003 This Valk sat in fighter mode in the heat. Note the areas covered up from sunlight are still white. Quote
Murphy Posted October 7, 2003 Posted October 7, 2003 where do you buy the uv coating stuff? can you buy like a spray of something to put on the glass? or do you have to buy aready coated glass? Quote
pfunk Posted October 7, 2003 Posted October 7, 2003 where do you buy the uv coating stuff? can you buy like a spray of something to put on the glass? or do you have to buy aready coated glass? I'm pretty sure they dont sell a coating that you can cote the glass with, but UV glass isnt that expensive. As far as them producing toys with UV stabalized and Highheat ABS is pretty slim. The cost of the material is exactly double and it doesnt flow the same in the tool (likes thicker parts) plus adding anything to the base material will decrease the strength of it and its other charictoristics. It sucks, but thats life. One way is to paint the model, not clear it. Quote
BoBe-Patt Posted October 7, 2003 Posted October 7, 2003 how come nobody has mentioned about air? From what I heard and read on the old boards, air plays a major factor in the plastic turning yellow. So I guess another way to protect the valk is if you seal it in a air tight display case or air tight room, with no windows and the walls are made out of lead. Now that would be taking it to the extreme! Quote
Draykov Posted October 7, 2003 Posted October 7, 2003 i'm leaning on an eagle Something like this, maybe: Quote
Skull-1 Posted October 7, 2003 Posted October 7, 2003 Guys, if air were the factor the Valk in the picture above would be uniformly yellow. It isn't! The parts in shadow are white! SUNLIGHT SUNLIGHT SUNLIGHT SUNLIGHT. Quote
do not disturb Posted October 7, 2003 Posted October 7, 2003 you can always hit it with a thin layer of matt clear coat spray...it could help. i know smoking doesn't help, and direct sunlight definitely doesn't help....and thats a fact, jack! i bought a ionic breeze from sharper image(can't say enough good stuff about it) and that keeps 98% of the crappy air and dust off my stuff and absorbs a majority of all the different "smokes" in my house...if you know what i mean. also i have everything in a shaded section of my home office where i KNOW sunlight doesn't reach. otherwise no one has solved this problem...other than the car companies. Quote
BoBe-Patt Posted October 8, 2003 Posted October 8, 2003 you can always hit it with a thin layer of matt clear coat spray...it could help. i know smoking doesn't help, and direct sunlight definitely doesn't help....and thats a fact, jack! i bought a ionic breeze from sharper image(can't say enough good stuff about it) and that keeps 98% of the crappy air and dust off my stuff and absorbs a majority of all the different "smokes" in my house...if you know what i mean. also i have everything in a shaded section of my home office where i KNOW sunlight doesn't reach. otherwise no one has solved this problem...other than the car companies. so that sharper image ionic breeze thing actually takes off all the dust? I have a problem dust and was looking into buying one of these bad boys. Can you give me some more feedback on this thing? Thanx Quote
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