Cleaning yellowed white plastic...any good solution?

[Valk009]

Nloticed that some of my older toy collection, especially white plastic parts have started to yellow slightly

I know this is due to the nature of the plastic in reaction with UV light etc. but was wondering if it could be removed as I believe this is only on the surface and not throughout the entire piece. Can it be either bleached or carefully polished off with very fine sandpaper or polishing compound?

I am open to all comments and solution

[jenius]

Unfortunately there is no fix, you can only conceal it. You could theoretically rub off the affected area but it'd produce an uneven finish unless you did that to the whole toy. The best bet is paint... it's time to start making some customs!

[Kyp Durron]

Thus far, I haven't heard of any of the 1/48's going yellow yet, could that be due to better treatment of the plastic?

-Kyp

[izzyfcuk]

ask michael jackson?

Nah, there has been several methods available on several forums including hydrogen peroxide, bleach etc, do note that they DO work to "certain" extend but will never restore toys to immaculate condition

sum it up, there's no way to reverse the effect.

and yes 1/48 do yellow too

Edited April 15, 2008 by izzyfcuk

[jenius]

Thus far, I haven't heard of any of the 1/48's going yellow yet, could that be due to better treatment of the plastic?

You need to look closer! Every now and then you'll see some for sell with mild yellowing. Otherwise, yes, the manufacturing process does have a lot to do with how quickly the plastic yellows. Any sort of contaminant in the creation process will lead to the plastic breaking down quicker. Yamato's 1/60 efforts are clearly inferior specimens to the 1/48 line as I've seen much worse yellowing on them. Usually when I see a yellow 1/48 it's yellowed because of direct sun exposure... the 1/60s frequently have irregular yellowing due to some pieces of plastic being better quality than others (the landing gear doors on my TRU never saw sunlight and yet still yellowed).

Edited April 15, 2008 by jenius

[Wicked Ace]

the landing gear doors on my TRU never saw sunlight and yet still yellowed.

Please excuse my ignorance, but if "TRU" means "ToysRUs," then what else was an exclusive besides the brown/tan "cannon fodder" release?

[Hiriyu]

Please excuse my ignorance, but if "TRU" means "ToysRUs," then what else was an exclusive besides the brown/tan "cannon fodder" release?

I think that the TRU 1A (which is indeed, ToysRUs") was the only exclusive in the original 1/60 line. The only reissue in the original 1/60 line was the Hikaru 1J, repackaged with the GBP, which included some of the later "super" changes, such as the different arms and collapsing handle on the gun.

[Sumdumgai]

My 1/48 VF-1A Max has some mild yellowing. Makes me sad. Oh well, I'll just consider it to be weathering.

[odr78]

I am open to all comments and solution

Yes... It's time to stop smoking....

Don't expose your walk on sunshine too..

Sorry for that.... But I have many collection's toys since 20 years and I noticed something.... The toys that I clean up every month ( with coton soaked with water ) are not yellowed.... but the other yes... I'm sure it's the grease, the dust with the sun year after year.. It's yellowed the plactic... So clean up your plastic with light cleansing to preserve the plastic...

If the plactic is already yellowed.... sorry but it's too late... Time to make a custom....

[do not disturb]

i heard that whitening toothpaste works but i've never tried it myself.

from what i understand, theres really is no way to reverse the effects of yellowing once it starts.

heres a link to my favortie article in regards to yellowing plastics...

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

i've linked this several time in the past but its a interesting read.

[jenius]

Please excuse my ignorance, but if "TRU" means "ToysRUs," then what else was an exclusive besides the brown/tan "cannon fodder" release?

It's the TRU CF, the landing gear doors are white.... well, were white, now two of the four are yellow on mine

[Wicked Ace]

It's the TRU CF, the landing gear doors are white.... well, were white, now two of the four are yellow on mine

Ah. I was confused for no apparent reason.

[Valk009]

Thanks guys for all the help, will give a few a try!

[izzyfcuk]

valk009

u're better off NOT doing anything

any slight discoloration will be virtually invisible to the human eye,

by the time u DO pick it up....the effect would have already taken months/years to develop and u're most likely not gonna get it off........

Unless u want to dip your valks in hydrogen peroxide every six months

[eugimon]

can someone explain to me how/why hydrogen peroxide/bleaching will help with yellowing? Yellowing, afaik, happens because UV damages/destroys the pigments in plastics... so why would bleaching do anything? Yellowing isn't like other types of discoloration where a foreign pigment is coloring the original material.

[jenius]

I think it's because those harsh chemicals actually eat away at the plastic itself. Toothpaste is a fine grit sand paper, hydrogen peroxide when rubbed could be similar, bleach is just dag nasty to everything.

[Vegas]

heres a good read about plastic yellowing http://www.vintagecomputing.com/index.php/archives/189

[MacrossMan]

can someone explain to me how/why hydrogen peroxide/bleaching will help with yellowing? Yellowing, afaik, happens because UV damages/destroys the pigments in plastics... so why would bleaching do anything? Yellowing isn't like other types of discoloration where a foreign pigment is coloring the original material.

Yep, UV rays actually change the composition of the plastic which causes the discoloration. The color is not residue that can be "cleaned" off. The only option is to re-paint or sand down to the "white meat" of the plastic. Just keep your out of direct sunlight and use UV treated glass!

[mechaninac]

Unfortunately, UV is not the only culprit. Oxygen in the air will cause the plastic to oxidize and yellow, although at a much slower pace than direct sun light; as Jenius commented, the early 1/60 VF-1s will yellow regardless of UV exposure... my Hikaru 1A has severely yellowed landing gear doors just sitting inside a dark drawer.

Also, flat finishes yellow faster from atmospheric interaction than gloss ones due to their larger surface areas. Gloss is achieved by highly polishing the mold tool cavities and matt comes from the molds having less polish or some type of surface etching that produces an irregular surface finish that scatters light

The only real way to absolutely prevent yellowing for certain is to put your toy in a hermetically sealed, UV proof, container filled with some noble gas like Nitrogen.

[Wicked Ace]

The only real way to absolutely prevent yellowing for certain is to put your toy in a hermetically sealed, UV proof, container filled with some noble gas like Nitrogen.

Everyone is not already doing this?

[jenius]

Everyone is not already doing this?

LOL. My toy collection is worth $10K, the chamber in which I keep them cost $20K to build. It's just so sad I never get to visit my toys after they go in.

[MacrossMan]

LOL. My toy collection is worth $10K, the chamber in which I keep them cost $20K to build. It's just so sad I never get to visit my toys after they go in.

You're kidding right???

00

[MacrossMan]

Everyone is not already doing this?

Like, yeah?!?!

00

[jenius]

Oh yes, I'm definitely kidding. I've got no noble gasses keeping my toys safe... They're just in big plastic tubs in storage

[eugimon]

Unfortunately, UV is not the only culprit. Oxygen in the air will cause the plastic to oxidize and yellow, although at a much slower pace than direct sun light; as Jenius commented, the early 1/60 VF-1s will yellow regardless of UV exposure... my Hikaru 1A has severely yellowed landing gear doors just sitting inside a dark drawer.

Also, flat finishes yellow faster from atmospheric interaction than gloss ones due to their larger surface areas. Gloss is achieved by highly polishing the mold tool cavities and matt comes from the molds having less polish or some type of surface etching that produces an irregular surface finish that scatters light

The only real way to absolutely prevent yellowing for certain is to put your toy in a hermetically sealed, UV proof, container filled with some noble gas like Nitrogen.

right, so in that regard, bleaching via hydrogen peroxide would actually worsten yellowing, right?

[miriya]

I know that it was mentioned in a previous thread at some point but what kind of light is best for collection displays and not yellowing? Was it that florescent lights were bad for yellowing or better? And what kind of bulbs were best to use to slow yellowing?

[eugimon]

I know that it was mentioned in a previous thread at some point but what kind of light is best for collection displays and not yellowing? Was it that florescent lights were bad for yellowing or better? And what kind of bulbs were best to use to slow yellowing?

florescent/halogen/metal halides = high UV output. flourescent and metal halides are used in aquariums for growing plants and corals... GE says that their halogen bulbs are UV coated, shrug.

halogen and metal halides have high radiant energy output as well.

LED is probably the safest.

[CAIN MKII]

I have a question: does yamato 1/48 VF came perfectly white or sligtly off white??

[miriya]

florescent/halogen/metal halides = high UV output. flourescent and metal halides are used in aquariums for growing plants and corals... GE says that their halogen bulbs are UV coated, shrug.

halogen and metal halides have high radiant energy output as well.

LED is probably the safest.

Thank you! I was actually thinking of rigging up my display with battery powered LED lights especially for the Dioramas. Do you know of a good online source? Pointable or coved would be sweet.

[miriya]

I have a question: does yamato 1/48 VF came perfectly white or sligtly off white??

I am pretty sure that they are off white. My VF-1S looks off white to me but I may be off so not positive.

[mechaninac]

right, so in that regard, bleaching via hydrogen peroxide would actually worsten yellowing, right?

Anything that affects the surface texture by making it rougher will invariably make it more susceptible to oxidation down the road. While the bleaching, or sanding, or peroxide may whiten the surface somewhat by removing the offending layer, it can also make it more vulnerable in the future... unless you take it upon yourself to either polish the new exposed areas or coat them in varnish. The problem is that even if you paint or clear coat, unless you use automotive paint or another kind of color fast mix, they will eventually yellow too.

--//--

Another culprit in yellowing is you, the owner. The more you handle the toy, the more hand oils, salts, acids you deposit on the surface. Even though the effect is minor, it is cumulative. Unless you wear gloves when touching your toys, or you wipe them down after each and every time you play with them, your own greasy self will cause some yellowing of the plastic.

Unfortunately toys, even the collector variety, specially if molded in light tones (white is the absolute worst for this, hence how poorly the original pristine white 1/60 VF-1A fares), are perishable items.

Edited April 16, 2008 by mechaninac