kanedaestes Posted June 16, 2005 Share Posted June 16, 2005 i have a question, is it direct sunlight that causes yellowing or just prolonged exposre to outdoor light. see i light to have my blinds open in my room, and i am worried that over time my 1/48 my start yellowing, but the dont get direct sunlight so if it is sunlight then they should be fine right? oh and go see batman begins Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kanedaestes Posted June 16, 2005 Author Share Posted June 16, 2005 nevermind, i found some slightly helpful tips using search. but still if someone has something to say its fine as well Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luclin999 Posted June 16, 2005 Share Posted June 16, 2005 Yellowing can be caused by several factors. 1. UV light: such as sunlight can cause this. 2. Chemical reactions: sometimes the plastic in the toy will react with the fumes slowly released by other types of plastic in the same package (Like the clear plastic window on the toy's display box or fumes from the decals). 3. Pollutants in the air, such as tobacco smoke will also contribute to the yellowing of a toy. 4. Oxidation, the plastic or some substance in the plastic could react with the oxygen in the air causing the material to break down and discolor. The only way to completely prevent this from happening is to remove the toy from it's package. Place it in an airtight case made of an inert substance and then pump out all of the air and replace it with a non-reactive gas like nitrogen. If you do this the toy should remain in perfect condition for a century or two. However for most of us, simply removing the toy from the package and displaying it in a smoke-free home in an area free of sunshine should be sufficient. I have a wing assembly from an old, extremely yellowed Jetfire (Bandai VF-1S Valkyrie) which I have been experimenting on over the years in order to see just what helps and hurts this type of plastic. I have found that treating the plastic with the following will do nothing to "whiten" up the yellowed plastic: Bleach Oxiclean Peroxide Toothpaste Hot water Cold Water Freezing Sunlight Soap Laundry Detergent (Tide, Era & Cheer have been tried) The only thing which I have used which lightened the yellowing at all was ZAP Restore solution, but this makes sense as it is a combination of Hydrocloric and Phosphoric acids and basically ate away some of the yellowed plastic. Obviously I would not advise using this product to "De-age" a Valkyrie as exposure to harsh acid can only damage the plastic further and potentially cause it to age at a much faster rate after being exposed to it. Simply buffing the plastic with a rubbing compound or very fine grade sandpaper would acheive the same result without the chemical stress to the plastic. Other than that about the only thing I can see to do to whiten a yellowed valk is to paint it. Ultimately, prevention is really the only way to keep these things white. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Agent-GHQ Posted June 18, 2005 Share Posted June 18, 2005 Luclin999; thanks for well thought explanation on oxidation/yellowing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
myk Posted June 19, 2005 Share Posted June 19, 2005 LOL. I had wrapped, in an airtight bag no less, one of my Bandai Strike Valkyries and stuffed it under my bed for countless years. A few days ago I checked on it, only to see that it too is starting to yellow...Yellowing happens, it's just a matter of time and circumstance... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kensei Posted June 20, 2005 Share Posted June 20, 2005 Hope I got my conditions right. Cheeck this out and point out any errors: -Humidity low -No direct sunlight -lightly tinted glass windows -lights never on for more than 5 minutes at a time, if at all -temperature range 16 to 24 degrees celcius Anything else I missed, can improve on? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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