Making the Ultimate Retrobrighting Box
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- čas přidán 26. 04. 2021
- In this video I'll explain how top make this box for retrobrighting aka removing yellowing from plastic. More info of the actual retrobrioghting process can be found from this tutorial • How to remove yellowin...
Parts list at the bottom
First you need a box. Make sure it's as big as you will ever need. I recommend buying 2 of them (if it's transparent). This way you have the largest possible container to but your yellowed item in when you stack them inside each other. I always recommend using as small continer as possible, and especially one with the smallest possible surface area, this will minimize evaporation and save you some hydrogen peroxide.
The box is lined with aluminum tape to keep in the heat and light better. Aluminum tape is real metal so it is conductive, I used transparent tape to isolate my UV LED strip from the metal to reduce the risk of shorting. The strips were attached inside the box and the lid of the box with even spacing. Next the strips were soldered together and the strips on the lid were connected to the other strips with a long wire to allow enough movement for the lid.
Next I used W1209 temperature control board. It's a board which can be used to turn on and off heating/cooling devices based on temperature. here's a complete guide for the settings: www.kelco.rs/katalog/images/17...
The important settings are, P0, you need to choose H for heating. (you can use this to control AC or a fan and for cooling, thee you would choose C). For P1 I used the standard 2.0. This determines how much bellow of the target temperature the temperature need to go before the heater turn on. I set my target temperature for 50 degrees Celsius (ALL THE TEMPERATURES DISPLAYED ARE CELSIUS!). So with my settings when the temperature drops bellow 48 C it will start heating again and stop at 50 C.
In this setup I made 3 separate circuits. 1. LED lights, which are controlled by the green switch and the power input is on the left. I use 12V for that because that's what my leds are rated for. 2. Circuit for the heater. It goes from the middle power plug to the heating unit through the relay on the W1209 board (KO and K1 connectors) There is no switch because the relay will turn heating off when the power of the control board is off I use 12V power and 12V heater for this ( but the heater can easily be upgraded to one that uses mains power if needed). 3. Power for the control board. It goes from the rightmost power plug to the positive and negative terminals on the W1209 board. It's very important to only use 12V power on this one, higher voltage will break the board.
As mentioned for the heater I chose 12V submergeable heating unit. I felt this is the safest option as I only need to make sure it will stay in the solution to prevent it from over heating.
The bellow links are affiliate links and I get a small commission if you buy anything from the site after using the links. To support my channel you can do all your online shopping through these links.
Here is the parts list:
Aluminum tape: amzn.to/2S3C6s1
UV LED strip: amzn.to/3vogftL
Controller board (W1209): amzn.to/3aIpoWn
Heating element: amzn.to/3aLud0Z
Power source: amzn.to/32QMg1h
Power jack: amzn.to/3tX4udH
Switch: amzn.to/2PvnqRK
Pair Wire: amzn.to/3dSXNUi
Tools:
Electric screwdriver: amzn.to/2QsZf75
Soldering station: amzn.to/3xrpv25
Wire stripping tool: amzn.to/3u10E2F
Hydrogen peroxide: amzn.to/2K5OmTS
Flux paste: amzn.to/2R3Idfw
Hot glue gun: amzn.to/32RGlZQ
The Ducktor looks like he was going to a rave!
I'm not much into restoring and retrobriting stuff myself, but I'm totally making this for sous vide cooking, thank you!
It definitely works for that too. First I was thinking I would use one of those ready machines for this but decided to do this. Great to hear you came up with new use for it. That's ingenuity
I think you shouldn't cook stuff in hydrogen peroxide but I'm not a cook either so wathever.
@@Fellkragen oh no, I'll be using regular water xD
I suggest you to use melted ice, it works better 😬 anyway, for sous-vide cooking you need to circulate water, a controlled heat source is not enough
@@Odd_Experiments so is the heating element necessary? I have been using the sunlight to retro bright some items. But the time frame is just too long.
It must have been a nightmare to film with all that reflective tape, you did it like a champ! Very clever build and use of components👌 Thanks for sharing!🙏
or he put literally 10 different adjusted Pol-Filter on that Lens xD
@@slido-yt 🤣
I have only one word, he's the greatest!
@@ricardocapunay6459 Indeed he [Odd Tinkering] is, Ricky: He's the *greatest one* ever ✌️😁!
Your videos have inspired me to take up small electronic repair....I'm just getting started of course, but thank you for inspiring me :)
I'll call that the "Plastic Time Machine 2.0" since it turns yellowed plastic back to original color.
Dude, you are such a boss for handling tape and other adhesives while wearing latex /vinyl gloves: that must have been such a pain!
I was about ask how you keep the LEDs from shorting out in the water, but then saw you put a separate container inside the bigger one and was like...That makes more sense. :P
The moisture build up on them would surely cause a short, not something I would leave unattended really, or touch accidentally by lifting out anything. Imo you can just buy waterproof led strips that would be better :)
i made mine with tinfoil and clear packing tape...i didn't cut the light and have it looped all over...lit on the bottom instead of the lid...took me 5 minutes and it works like a charm
Ok this is the best invention I have seen. I used your first retro bright technique and worked wonders. Now I am wanting to try this process however I am not good at wiring etc. however this looks like it makes it a lot quicker for you. Very creative technique and I say patent this technique. Also I bet you can make a lot of money if you decide to create this and sell it. I would be first to buy it to be honest with you.
The brighter. The better. I always say.
Looks like i have another project to do. Thank you for this tutorial my friend.
NICE! I been waiting for this one. Very nice Ret0Brite setup you made and Thank you for sharing!!!!
hey dude, I’m doing this build myself and the part you have linked as the controller board is actually just the case for it, which I realized after it arriving. The actual part ships faster than the case itself funnily enough so I’m cool on that part, but I wanted to let you know so you could fix it for anyone else who tries this build.
RIP i wish i would have read this before buying all that stuff, I just went through the exact same thing.
I made my own off the back of this, awesome guide by the way. I used a single 360W power supply to power both the LEDs and the heater all at once, a much more elegant solution in my opinion, even if it does involve a big ugly steel box with a fan bolted to the side of the storage crate. I also wired up the aquarium pump that I saw down here in the comments, it circulates the hydrogen peroxide nicely and gets a more even temperature.
This is, literally, the best thing under the sun. ;D
I would add a small aquarium\water fountain pump to the mix to keep the temperature more even in the liquid. Great job!
Outstanding work
Greatest content ever, I love this!!!!
Really really cool idea!
My first retrobrite "box" was a literal cardboard box with foil taped inside and a led strip bent around it, it did work but had to replace the foil once (I only retrobrited about 8 things) as the led strip wasn't exactly flat against the sides it came unstuck and stuck to the plastic items so when lifted tearing it. so far the only things that have reyellowed using that is a Nes and Snes controller which is probably not a coincidence. I then got a led floodlight and retrobrited a white saturn from nicotine white to looking brand new and rather than leaving it in at least a day it only took about 8 hours! I have now made a new box out of a large plastic container and due to it being easier to tape the foil and using a floodlight I expect great results.
Build a box myself with just led strips and aluminiumfoil but this is gonna be a nice upgrade for my summer holiday 😂 building a uv box when there is enough outside 😂
Very cool. Love your channels.
That's very handy to have, my UV tape is always a mess to try to rewind on the spool. I might steal this idea. :)
It is really really serious revolution.
The best channel ever❤❤❤✌🏼✌🏼✌🏼✌🏼✌🏼👍🏻👍🏻🔥🔥🔥
3:15 That transition, though.
Just ordered the who set... My Commodore 64, Amiga and GameCube really need some love. Greetings from the Netherlands
Looks simple enough. Wonder if I can make a drawer into "The time machine" so I can leave it there. 😋
This is an awesome invention, I am literally waiting for all the parts now to do this myself... I do have one question relating top the condensation.. did it ever cause an issue with shorting the LED's?
I just came to comment on a sunbrighting video, and CZcams's algorithm suggested this video. It isn't mentioned in the video, but I'm guessing it takes about a day or so for the retrobrighting process to finish? I just left an very yellowed computer's front plastic outside in direct sun light for 3 hot days, and it's almost back to it's default beige color, so I'll leave it for 3 more days to see how far it goes. For those who don't mind a longer waiting time and/or prefer a cheaper (free?) method, it's definitely an alternative. I don't promise it will remove 100% of the yellowing, but it does work and doesn't expose the plastic to chemicals.
I bet The 8 bit guy would love something like this!
I might make me one of these soon.
Very cool I may build one.
Hey heads up the link you have for the W1209 temperature control board is a listing for just the acrylic box. I was waiting a few weeks for mine to arrive and when it finally did I realized what I had paid for was just the case. x.x I found another listing with a set of two boards, so hopefully I'll recieve them soon so I can start building my own retrobright box!
I am in the middle of making one of these myself - so far so good! I am opting to buy a thermostat controller and plug-in heating element instead of doing all the wiring and programming required for the temp controller, but I'm really hopeful about getting my old consoles looking nice. One note: Hydrogen Peroxide is EXPENSIVE! I was planning to retrobright an old Mac Classic, but I'd have to spend at least $150 on enough H2O2 for its shell, so maybe not...
Hi, great video!
I wanted to know if it was mandatory to use a heater?
Hello, thanks for the video. Can I use a simple sous vide device to hold the temperature?
You’re simply awesome.
Totally over the top build, I have being messing with retrobrighting for years.
My set-up is a large container like yourself, but I put the LEDs horizontal and did not need any soldering, because of the large crate I just did them in a spiral then fed the leads out the top for PSU. I always use hydrogen peroxide high strength cream, works every time. A pain in the ass tho brushing it on every surface.
Hello, first of all, i really enjoy your work. One question, do you think it's possible to get back thales of symphonia gamecube color's back ?
Thanks a lot for your advise.
Can you please walk those of us who want to build this exact setup through the wiring process? Thanks.
Great build and job. Id like to build this, can you tell me what 3 PSU`s you used please.
Great project; I plan on doing it as an art therapy project and getting going with toy restoration with it. I had a question though. Would using aluminium paint still provide the same reflective surface, or do I need to use the tape?
Also if I did use the tape, could I hit it with a clear coat to act as a reasonable insulator?
Finally, how much current is the water heater drawing?
I'm wondering if it and the strip light have a combined current draw of 10A, in which case, I could run the entire thing on mine off a single power outlet.
Like the design, building one myself currently. I am looking for the black control box and having zero luck! Where did you get that from? Thanks again!
Adding this to my "highly satisfying videos for no reason at all" list.
Great project! I think that, It would be better to connect led strips in parallel not in series. Less voltage drop, easier to connect.
No entiendo nada pero fascina ver como construye la caja suprema exterminadora del color amarillo
Can you reuse the hydrogen peroxide after the 24 hour treatment or does it lose its oxidizing power to clarify another plastic parts batch?
I have had really good results with just 2 big "100W" LED lamps overhead. No wiring. The plastics float at the top unless I put glass jars on them to pin them down.
I literally just made one of these myself earlier today, except that I put the LED tape on the outside facing in through the clear plastic container, then put foil around the outside of that so that I could use the container itself as the liquid holder.
The biggest difference between what you made and I'm doing is I read that using a small amount of oxidizing catalyst (like that found in OxiClean) helps boost the process and can replace the need for additional heat. In addition, I have access to 15% Hydrogen Peroxide so I'm using that instead; it seems to go much faster, though only time will tell if this is as safe for the material.
I decided to do it like this so I can use only as small container as possible to reduce loss of hydrogen peroxide from evaporation
@@Odd_Experiments That certainly makes sense. If I wasn't doing such large computer case pieces and didn't have access to several gallons of H2O2, then I'd probably be in the same boat. I love seeing different ways of tackling the same problem. Thanks for the video!
@@Odd_Experiments plus hydrogen peroxide is hard to find now adays
@@Odd_Experiments Do you recycle the peroxide?
Great 👍
Love the content! Question about Retrobrightening: does it work on consoles that are colored or only those that are white/transparent? I have a "purple" Gamecube that looks quite sad, could the Retrobrightening help restore the original color you think?
If I remember correctly he's done a retrobrighting of a colored semi-translucent N64. The best visual results come from white/gray/transparent plastics but it can still work well on plastics regardless of color.
This is a fantastic build! Very Impressive! Don't leave so much length on your tinned leads tho, you only needed like half of that. Clip em!
Thanks for the content man, super cool!
It was very cool
What should be the ratio of water combined with hydrogen peroxide (12%)?
What is the black box you're using for the switches? Also is there a specific amperage of power supply that should be used for this?
That's definitely better than spray painting to remove yellowing.
I'm thinking about making this, I have a bunch of retro console equipment with quite a bit of yellowing. very nice design. I have a few questions if that's okay:
1. Roughly how long would you say does one full treatment take?
2. Does it work on all color plastic or just white/grey ones? I have N64 controllers in green, blue, black and other colors. Does it just restore discoloration or also attack plastic colors?
Question sir! Is there a risk with H202 like taking fire or gas evaporate? I mean is it safe if i use this process at home? Thank you!
Could you use an aquarium heater and thermostat for this?
Where did you get the plastic shell to use for the control box? That's the last aspect I'm missing. I could make it more basic and simply plug all my tools in, but would love to have a control unit like that!
I'm building a retro bright box like this. However, my question is how did you calculate the spacing for the LED strips?
Would retrofitting an aquarium work? Or building an aquarium out of mirror glass?
@Odd Experiments Are you sure the LEDs on the sides do anything? It seems to me that you could totally skip the LEDs on the side walls of the container, both in this version and in the previous one, where you put the LED strips on the outside...
UV permeates the container walls in a neglible way, so most of the work is done by the LEDs on the lid. The visible part of the spectrum does shine through the plastic walls and contributes to freeing the oxygen atoms, but I doubt any UV does.
Did you try to turn off everything but the lid light and compare the time?
The clear tape you use for the leds, you mentioned that you might want to use extra adhesive to keep them down. Would double sided clear tape be a good solution? that way no additional adhesive needed? The clear tape works for both keeping it from touching the aluminum and allow for extra adhesive for the light strips?
I have a question. I'm going to do the same stuff as you did in your vids for my old SNES and N64, and possibly my old gamecube, it needs it ngl heh
Well...do you dilute the hydrogen peroxide in water ? D'you put all of it in that container ?
And how many liters to you dilute it with ?
I'm determinated to do the same thing, theses are my childhood's gift, i want to make them work again.
Thank you for motivating us to take care for our games, consoles, and many other stuff.
I purchased almost everything you linked, but you didn't link what that black plastic box you put the switches into was, or what sort of bit you used for the drill on that plastic box.
Great video! Do you know if i can also use a fish tank heater instead of the one you made?
Yeah I wanted to give this a go too, the issue is the 50” water temp, lol that would fry any fish so good chance you won’t find one
It's possible use wood bulb (2x 26W) for uv? I use oxiding emulsion 40% vol. Thank's
Hello planning on making a retrobrighting box. I have a question for the power supply did you use three different power supplys or one? Please let me know, thank you very much.
do you have a detailed explanation of how the switch box is wired up?
3:33 such a beauty *_*
What do you think about using a combination of the set you made before and this one? Without heater and using the led strips around?
In the previous one the leds heat the liquid more because they are closer so it has partially the same idea. This just has more flexibility and is a bit easier to use. Just make sure it heats up the liquid a little because very yellowed parts take a long time if there is no heat
It works with yellow musical keytops? Thanks very much
I’m currently trying to make this and there are some things missing I didn’t see you include in the description :/
Do I need the clear tape insulation when doing it with the aluminum tape? Can i just put the led strips on top of the aluminum tape?
Hi there ! I want to venture into retrobrighting and repairs in general and I have questions for you. Where did you get the thermometer that goes into the H2O2? Would you recommend a specific one? what about the smallblack box where you intalled the three jacks and the two buttons? Can you reuse the H2O2? if not, how can you dispose of it for minimum eco impact?
I love both of your channels and think you do a great job in repair editing and explaining what is going on. Thank you for sharing
The sensor comes with the W1209 board. I posted a link for a 2 pack on Amazon. The small black box he used is called a "Project Box." You can find them in many different sizes on Amazon. You most certainly can reuse your solution, just be sure to funnel it back into its container with the lid on tight.
Hey, Odd. Please tell me what size your container is. Can this method be applied to metal things whose paint has turned yellow? Thanks a lot for your help
the leds you use are the waterproof ones? i just bought 60w non-waterproof uv leds
Hey there,
Do you have any other options for the control board to swap another in? The link in the video does not have one attached to it anymore. Thanks for your time!
If I didnt do the heater, how long does it take from experience for video game plastics? I would never use it for anything else besides that
Man I am really eager to make this and I know you have a simple wiring schematic but do you have this wiring schematic somewhere in detail?
Out of curiosity what's the size of the container you used?
I am dying to know why not all plastic seems to turn yellow. I've seen SNES consoles on your and other channels where the entire outer shell part is a dark yellow, but a top and side bit look like new and unaffected. Why is that? Different material? Treated with some coating?
@Odd Experiments, I finally have a separate 12v 5A, 75w power supply. Is it normal for the plug going into the heater side to get toasty along with the relay on the w1209? Both are pretty toasty and I’m still 10 degrees off from hitting my target temperature of 40 C
Wanting to do this project but it seems the controller board w1209 you linked in the description only comes up as box only, so no board or anything, do you happen to have a link to the board itself?
How long do you typically need to expose a part? I know there are many factors, but for example your GameCube front panel restoration. About how many hours did that take?
Something like 8-24h is usually enough. I'm not constantly looking at it so I don't know for sure. I think the front plate was in for 12h or a little more but I don't constantly check on it but just leave it be so I don't know exact times
you don't even need a blacklight LED strip, I tried with normal white strip I have at home and it worked!!! I'm honestly shocked at the result, I just wrapped it around the yellowed piece of plastic, I also used a homemade retrobright gel made from liquid laundry oxi bleach, aloe vera gel and potato starch
Great invention! :-)
Have you ever tried the process for removing the discolouration of other tones of plastic, or will it just whiten/eliminate the yellowing of white plastic?
He does the same process on some Nintendo Gameboy and N64 shells that are clear/colored on the main channel
It works best on white and grey. Be especially careful with anything red as it can fade.
I'm currently building one similar and have seen this updated version of his previous one and just wanted to say - looking at the comments this build really isn't a beginners project, don't simply follow the video and build one yourself and have no risks. So I wanted to add -
First you MUST connect this to an RCD adapter, when running anything around water it is vital that the power will cut off with a short, don't rely on your house breakers to cut it off for you, especially in the USA where usually there is no RCD for separate sockets etc.
Water + Electricity = Use an RCD.
Second - you can't leave this unattended, so for example say you have made this in your flat or house and have this running in a back room or whatever, overnight.. - don't, make sure you check your power supply and everything is all ok during its first few runs! And not to leave it on carpet. It must be placed on either a concrete floor or tile/slate that can help take the heat off that ground spot, especially the power supply if it is a power brick (recommended). There are TOO MANY cheap power supplies out there online that you can't rely on that may say they are suitable, but when it comes to heating elements running for hours at a time it is not worth having that risk in your home or soldered joints becoming loose etc
Some modifications I would do would be to have the waterproof led strips, and where you have to solder the connections use clear silicone to seal the connections so no moisture can cause a short on the strips inside the box.
And finally then you could avoid the heat element completely if you buy a sous vide device, you could attach this to the side of the box, set temperature and it would also circulate the water around but make sure that the heater element doesn't rest on the plastic. The downside would be that you would need a lot of fluid so that the sous vide can work at the right depth, but you can use water and hydrogen peroxide mixed together - it just will take longer.
Have you had any luck with fixing yellowed nontransparent color plastic like teal or purple gameboy color or blue play it loud gameboy?
I’ve found that even with the submerge method the whitening doesn’t last. Less than a year after treatment the yellow has returned, even for items that have been stored in a dark, temperature-controlled environment.
Hey I’ve noticed that ever since you started using this box the things don’t come as bright as they used to. Maybe I’m wrong but is it because you don’t let them sit as long?
Am I right in thinking that the hole you drilled in the box is for the LED lights? As there are 2 cables using the hole I guess the lid and base are wired separately? Does the heater wiring go through another hole? You didn't really show that bit.
Great build, thanks for sharing! :) I always wonder how long lasting retrobrighting is... Did the yellowing ever reappear after you restored something?
I think the ultra yellowed sega dreamcast is the only project that has shown noticeable yellowing so far. E.g. when I compared the first gameboy I restored on a video and the second one which was done over a year later they were pretty much the same color so lot of the time it holds the color well
I want to build this even though I really have no need for it
i’ve got an old xbox 360 controller which i restored but it’s very yellowed so this should help it look like nee
Wouldn't it also be possible to use a rescue blanket instead of tape? It isolates and reflects really well and i would actually say that it would be more effective.
What is the name of the clay-like rubber used to attach the bolts to the parts in the video?
I'm having an issue with a single 12v DC 5A power supply to power both. When I set it to heat, the relay clicks on and immediately off. Most likely, 5A is not enough.
So I bought everything on your list, but when I hooked up the heater it burnt up the U2 chip. Did you have any circuit from the heater to the thermostat l?
I'm getting some issues here too. When the relay is closed all is fine, but when the relay is opened (connecting k0 and k1) it keeps restarting. It's like a something is shorting. Any help on this?