The actual reason to do this is not because it makes sense financially, but because old systems (whether consoles or home computers) decrease in numbers and will never increase again, so it makes a lot of sense to preserve them, within reasonable and mildly seemingly unreasonable expense. A Super Nintendo or even a Dreamcast is no longer a consumer item, they are collector items and people keep becoming collectors, but they barely ever quit. This also means the worth of well-preserved items is going to increase, which makes preserving classic consoles sensible. I'm not sure whether processing the part makes them less brittle - i don't see why it would be the case. Both active components are effectively bleach. PVC for example is naturally brittle, and gets plasticisers besides fire retardants added to it in production, but at no point are you adding plasticisers back in. However with SNES which yellowed on the inside, probably it's not PVC but ABS, and it's not necessarily naturally brittle, and something else is going on there, and i'm not sure what.
Tried a variation of this with amazing results. Reminding back to the little I learned about science and chemicals, I know that if you have a solution that's intended to serve a specific purpose, mixing anything else in is going to effect the results greatly. That being said, I wanted to avoid adding the gum and glycerine since they didn't seem too serve a purpose in the reversing of the yellowing. So what I did was set up everything just like you did in the pans, mixed a 6% peroxide and oxyclean mixture (just these two ingredients on their own) in a spray bottle and just continuously sprayed the parts every 15-20 minutes or any time they started to look dry. It took about 2 hours to get my snes looking new again. Thought I'd share.
***** I think it's a pretty safe assumption that MOST versions of the SNES (model 1) are prone to yellowing. It's not like later models are impervious to this, it just seems to be a general trend that they don't do it as often. Likely due to alterations in plastic mixtures. Even if that's bullshit and totally wrong, who cares? The point is to fix it, not to complain about which ones are more or less likely to turn to shit.
Reading the comment section is really painful... People keep asking if it will work on other consoles or that they like the aged look of the yellowing. He clearly states in the video that this WILL work on ANY plastic that is yellowing from ultra violet light, this include other consoles and anything that is not a console as well. I do suggest adding the gum 1 tablespoon at a time as you're mixing to get the perfect thickness. Also he also states that if you don't mind the yellowing, you do not have to do this, but that it is a good idea to do this in order to give the plastic a longer life because it is not just a color change, it is a chemical reaction that causes the plastic to become hard and brittle. So doing this will not only restore the plastic color but it will restore the plastic properties as well (which is the more important part of doing this process).
+ToddSixSweeney /Facepalm. The plastic is ROTTING because of the bromine. You need to restore it properly or it will become brittle and fall apart. Just painting it doesn't fix that.
***** I made the video, I know what it's about. The point is to reverse the chemical reaction that causes the plastic to break down, which in turn restores the color. What you're not getting here is that you're making them look fine on the surface, but the plastic will still break down and fail. The whole point is to make that not happen.
Ilovelazers Iron is not living, but it most definately DOES rot, dumbass. "Rotting" could be defined as a chemical reaction in a material or object which causes said material/object to lose its structural integrity.
Salon Care at Sally Beauty Supply is basically the same as Retro Brite, except you don't have to mix it. Also, if you set it under a UV lamp, you can leave it overnight. Leave it for a few days and you'll get great results!
For as long as I have been watching you, never actually watched this. Hearing Adam talk about chemical reactions brings joy to a recent chemistry grad.
According to a recent post on Slashdot, following a discussion among experts from the retro-gaming community with input from chemists, what you are seeing is the same effect from bleaching t-shirts. Unfortunately, bleaching plastic is a surface effect and it does not change the chemistry of the plastic. The discoloration will return after a few months to a few years when the flame retardants migrate back to the surface. I've had computers since the 1980's and I can tell you that stored plastic will discolor. Most UV light (UVB and UVC) is blocked by windows. Nobody uses these old computers outside, so I think most of the discoloration is accelerated by operating temperature with a secondary effect from UVA.
This was the first video I ever saw on what is now commonly known as "retrobrigting." It's crazy how much the technique has been perfected in 10 years. You were a pioneer in the field sir.
Advice: Remember the sun rises east to west, so, I'd set it out in the morning facing east say around 8-9 AM, check it at 10, 11, 12 whatevs, if it still needs longer, check it around 2 or 3 ( If in the summer months and you live in the south, DO NOT leave it out for long when it's 100+ degrees, it WILL melt or warp). For the consistency, you want a honey-like consistency, Your solution will go further and cover more area. You can also use a "true" black light UV bulb (the more, the merrier), what makes this work, is UV-A (That's what makes clothes and posters glow), it's not dangerous either, UV-B is what burns you (OR, if you have access to a tanning bed, it's powerful, and you can get both sides completed at the same time). For washing, throw it in a dish washer, top shelf, on rinse cycle...
Sadly, this process now seems to be only temporary in most instances. The bromines deeper in the plastic end up migrating back to the surface layer, returning the yellowing. After a few years, I can confirm the yellowing has returned on the plastics I treated with this process. There's been some recent discussion regarding the return of yellowing, if you Google "retr0bright re-yellowing". It's still a great way to have a good looking console to enjoy, even if it is only for a few years before it returns.
+Shpati21 I would recommend using Pledge after all that to restore a lot of the shine. If it's hot enough to melt plastic, then don't do it. Any sunlight will work.
If you want to save time and get a better result, just buy hydrogen peroxide that's already creamy. I use Salon Care volume 40 (it's 12% hydrogen peroxide). You can get it at your local hair salon or at Amazon. It's basically what they use to bleach hair. Then wrap it up in plastic wrap so that the H2O2 doesn't evaporate and put it under a UV lamp for a couple of hours. Works great. Using a cream rather than a thick paste makes it muck easier to apply it more even, which you definitely want to avoid making it look all dappled.
byte.me I did add a little Oxi-clean since I already had it at home, but I don't think it's necessary. I've heard others use similar hair products without Oxi-clean with great results, but I think it does speed up the process. I de-yellowed my Dreamcast, which was pretty yellow, back to its original color in roughly 9 hours under UV light bulb and some tin foil. I was very surprised over how fast it all took. I've seen people doing multiple treatments in up to 30-40 hours for each treatment. I was planning on doing multiple treatments since I didn't want to leave the light bulb on over night, so I decided to stop and washed off all the cream to have a closer look, and there it was, a beautiful white Dreamcast :)
Excellent. I might try this instead as it seems easier. The bottom part of my SNES has yellowed a little and the controller port area of my GCN is starting to do that, as well. Might look for other things that yellow before starting to do this. Thanks for replying!
you can make they way simpler just use hydrogen peroxide and destilled water: 2 parts water 1 part hydrogen peroxide and submerge your pieces - done you can spare the oxyclean - those are usually just other peroxides which technically do the same, but look fancy because they are dry adding xanthan only makes it easier to handle to brush it on - but if you disassemle it anyways, just submerge your pieces and you are done: way faster with the same effect. and for the gylcerin: you need to mix the glycerin to the dry xanthan to pervent lump building in the first place, afterwards it is too late and useless - a really good tip is to go to the pharmacy and get "Cosphaderm X 34" it is a xanthan based thickener used to creams and lotions and has pretty low lump building
Adam Koralik hey Adam I just got my childhood back with my own Super Nintendo it’s all gray but the controller imports how would I go about cleaning that.
I'm trying this right now. The sun juuuust hit my side of the building as I was finishing "painting" the stuff on the SNES cover - perfect timing. I am watching it get all puffy like Stay Puft, cuz you know...SCIENCE!!!
Thank you so much for doing this video. I have been considering doing this for a long time, but I've never seen anybody do it right or keep it on for long periods of time so I wasn't sure if it was worth the money. Love your videos. Keep kicking the ass.
i watched some of your other videos earlier. i watched 1 minute of this one.paused it. took my ps2 apart blew all dust out ( couldn't believe how much there was) cleaned it down. my dream cast was all dirty like something spilled on it. it looks great now. then i pressed play and watched rest your video lol. all these old systems were made to last. you just gotta take care of them.
Hey Adam - thanks for the video. We are a nostalgic/retro toy store (Full Circle Toys - www.fullcircletoys.com) outside Atlanta. We sell "childhood memories" - mostly stuff from the 1960s-early 1990s. ...action figures, vintage vinyl and gaming systems/games are big for us. We really only started selling the game systems a year or so ago and are expanding that department rapidly. We sell a lot of NES, SNES and other vintage systems (other Nintendo systems, Atari, X-Boxes, Sega, Playstations, and handheld systems, etc). We clean them, test them, and then bundle and shrink wrap them in a package for resale....each system comes "Tested, Guaranteed and Certified Pre-owned". We have had a number of systems (and other plastic retro items) that have yellowed. A few of the gaming systems have been so bad that we have just used them for parts. I have a couple complete NES consoles that are complete and working, but badly yellowed, so i plan to give them the "Adam treatment" soon....I bought all the stuff today....which as you said, cost about as much as a console itself. ...about $65. I got the Food Grade Hydrogen Peroxide (HP) and the Glycerine at a Health Food Store, the X. Gum at Whole Foods and the Oxiclean at CVS. A few questions (anyone's response is appreciated!!). 1. Would it be possible to recycle/re-use the mixture? If i left the X. Gum out and made enough "liquid" to submerge the parts in (instead of making a paste), would it continue to be effective after use?...or would the reaction between the HP and the Oxiclean breakdown/stop working? I would be happy to invest in enough HP to make a gallon or so of this stuff if i could reuse it...it would save in the long run if could use over and over....you would of course lose a bit each time to spillage/evaporation, etc. ...but the HP is about $20 a bottle and would go fast if you simply made a paste and threw it out after each application. Also, if I didn't make the paste and just submerged items in the liquid in the sunlight, would it work eventhough the items are submerged? 2. After you clean the pieces off (with water?), do you then spray them with Pledge or something else to give them a shine and help protect them further? I read the notes and someone said something about Pledge, but wasn't sure if this was a good idea or not? Again, thanks for the video and your feedback! Richard - Full Circle Toys - Newnan, GA
1: I would suggest that once you make the mixture, you use it within a day or two. I don't think it'll last much beyond that. If you put plastic wrap over it and stick it in the fridge, it may last like a week. 2: I've done that, for sure. Definitely makes them look nicer. How far outside of Atlanta are you?
AdamKoralik thanks - we are about 30 minutes South of Atlanta Airport - just off I-85....45 minutes from downtown Atlanta. come see us - www.fullcircletoys.com Richard
Richard Mix I'll be in Atlanta in a few days actually. I won't have a car though. I'll see if I can get there, would be fun. But I can't guarantee it'll happen.
AdamKoralik what brings you here and where in "Atlanta" will you be....and when? Perhaps i can come get you - would enjoy picking your brain on gaming. I am NOT a gamer!! Educating myself quickly. Richard
Richard Mix I'll be arriving on thursday and leaving monday. I'm being sent there for the Smite tournament to promote it. www.hirezstudios.com/smite/promo/smite-world-championship I have no idea what my schedule is, they'll be giving me my itinerary when I get there.
I like the yellow on my SNES. It shows character and experience. It's been hooked up to a TV for the past 21 years, slowly turning yellow and gaining experience.
+Philip Sempers They really are. I wish we got the same design that Japan and Europe got. I don't know why Nintendo chose to alter the NES and SNES for the US. The NES wasn't just ugly, it was unreliable, with it's complicate front-loading design. Though, I do approve of ditching the permanently wired controllers in favor of controller ports on the front.
The Super Famicom definitely looks better than the SNES, but the original Nintendo (American version) is far better looking than it's overseas counterparts.
Yeah, maybe. But, it's like twice the size, and the front loading mechanism make it horribly unreliable. The Sharp Twin Famicom, though, is a sexy beast. I think I'm going to pick one of those up, and play my collection on it via an adapter. It also plays Famicom disks, in addition to cartridges.
I'm really glad you made a video on this Adam. I did a lot of research on this a while back when I bought my first dreamcast online. That thing is very yellow and I was furious when it arrived but I never sent it back since I was just excited to own one. On the off chance you ever want lots of plastic to do this to I'll send it to you with some compensation.
+CactuarLOL It's never been confirmed, but the story goes that Nintendo of America designed it so that you can't place a drink on top of it. Claiming that the reason the NES was unreliable was that too many people had done that, as opposed to the truth which was that the 72 pin connection was a flawed design. But, again, that story has never been confirmed.
+AdamKoralik wait, so I'm not supposed to violently shake my electronic video consoles while keeping cups of liquid on top of them? I have been doing it wrong for years...
another great video Adam - the best video on this topic I have seen so far. It's really good you explained ingredients etc as well, other videos seem to gloss over this part
I have used retr0right before, one thing that i learned is that you should never let it dry. You need to rinse and reaply every 1 or 2 hour (even if its still wet) depending in your sunshine. Also you can use UV light from a UV lightbulb, they are good on rainy days and they are consistent however they are not as strong as the sun. UV lightbulbs can be left overnight but the mixture might dry, its up to you.
Great video, Adam. Very helpful info on how to restore some classic systems. That yellow plastic really can be an eyesore sometimes, and it's good to know that there is a fairly simple and effective way to get rid of it.
I don't know if I am the only one who has asked this, but have you considered that maybe removing the yellow will devalue your SNES someday, like removing the tarnish devalues antique silver?
did not plan to go through the process when i clicked on the video, but still watched it all the way through, you did good at keeping my attention I was amused and interested the entire time, good video :)
Can you restore blue / green / red ABS plastic with this method or would it turn grey? I have blue consoles made from ABS plastic which have discoloured from UV damage. Thanks!
I found something which is ready to use and apparently isn't widely known - it's "Salon Care" hair color developer. It's cheap. It's odorless. It's a slimy consistency and requires no mixing. Just slather it on and put your parts in a plastic bag so it doesn't dry, then put that in the sun or under a UV lamp. You can get it from Sally's Beauty Supply. Get the "40 Volume" which has the highest concentration of hydrogen peroxide at 12%.
anyone ever tell you you are handsy?!?!!? this video is like a 4 minute video and you went insane on the jazz hands and explanations. thankx for the video :)
AdamKoralik Hi Adam. I have a few Super Nintendo games, and the back part of the cases have gone yellow. Should I use xanthum gum and brush it on or do you rekon I could leave them in soke? But would that ruin the game labels? :/ Thanks in advance.
AdamKoralik I'm not sure if it's just because of UV light damage alone? My Amiga 500 was taken out of storage (completely lightproof cover and sealed in a box) around 5 years ago and it was completely in its original state. I then restored the system in the same way sealed into the same cover and box again. I recently got it back out for a test run and its yellowed pretty badly. Its really annoying as the system was in such pristine condition not a single mark or scratch.
Massive massive help, Adam. Thanks so much. Really needed this. Planning on stocking up on famicoms and the cheap ones i find are extremely yellow. but like i said, cheap. like $20. Also gonna be hitting up my favorite spot sooner or later, so i'll find you something nice and send it in.
Super Famicom games will work on a US Super Nintendo if either the lid is removed or the plastic tabs inside are cut. US Super Nintendo games will work on a Super Famicom if the lid is off, casing is cut, or you use a cartridge shape adapter. PAL stuff is not compatible with either. The US version looks different because Nintendo America linked the high failure rate of the NES to people placing beverages on top of the console. So they designed the shell to be unable to hold a drink on top.
I've read on the Retrobright site that covering the devices in saran wrap while sitting in the sun helps with the process. It prevents the evaporation and the drying out of the solution.
If you notice in the video that the center (untreated) on the outcome is darker then the case (treated). A SNES has a slight purple hue/tint which tends to fade when the yellowing occurs (chemical breakdown) which also breakdown the dye used to give it its unique grey color.
Does this work on the Dreamcast as well? You only talked about Nintendo plastics specifically here, but I want to assume it's any white/grey plastic...
Joe D.oreo Just *live* it. As I said, I was just checking my assumption that it wasn't something weird like Nintendo using plastics that nobody else used. No need to make fun of someone for double-checking before applying chemicals to retro hardware.
AdamKoralik you should do a video showing your game and console collection as they sit in your living room or wherever you have everything. It'd be cool to see your massive game and console collection and how you have them set up.
I've whitened several SNES consoles with minimal yellowing using a paste of hydrogen peroxide and flour. No need for the other stuff with minimal yellowing. The concentrated peroxide is well worth the trip to the beauty supply store. Just mix it up to the consistency of pancake batter and spread it on. I wrap the parts in plastic wrap so it doesn't dry out and set it in the sun. I'm in the process of treating a severely yellowed SNES. After 3 treatments, it's better, but I may add some oxyclean to the mix if it doesn't fully whiten soon. Also, there is a risk to taking apart a brittle SNES. Removing the screws could result in breaking the plastic threads. I sprayed just a tiny bit of liquid wrench in the screw hole about 10 minutes before taking it apart. It worked very well and nothing broke.
Wow, my SNES is so yellow I thought they were supposed to be that color before I saw pictures of the normal gray ones. I'm definitely going to try this out.
Man, this makes me super glad I was primarily a Sega fan. >< The way I'm really anal about keeping my records clean and helping my old game systems last, I would've been stuck doing this for like a week if I was into Nintendo. >
I'd assume no. Dreamcast's don't turn yellow because of bromine. At least as far as I'm aware. They tend to just be easily sun stained. My assumption is black Dreamcasts don't have that problem.
Thanks for the video. I found it to be very informative and helpful. I am going to try a budget version of this with smaller quantities since I only have one snes. I was wondering, how do you keep your consoles protected from the sun while still having them available for gaming? Since you still have the snes from your childhood, in its proper color, I assume you're well informed about the subject, and it is something I would be interested to learn about.
AdamKoralik I see, I worked for my university's library system during college, and that is pretty much how they preserve their special collections. Come to think of it, I can really imagine video games having a place in the Library of Congress someday alongside the literature, music, and films they preserve. Thanks for the tip, and for sharing your knowledge on preserving these awesome inventions!
Thank you very much for your videos Adam you taught me how to repair video game consoles I have restored video game consoles I kept for my personal collection I'm thinking about opening my own video game consoles repair shop in a few years You rock Adam koralik
I have an extremely yellowed SNES (which honestly I'm not sure how it got so bad considering I've had it carefully boxed up for a long time) and I have never taken it apart. I hadn't worried about it thinking it was just a pigment issue and I would restore it someday, but if it's really going to crumble on me if I don't do something about it then I guess I better get on that. The thing that worries me is that mine is crazy dark yellow. It doesn't feel brittle or weak to me (honestly it feels just as strong as my N64) but watching you take yours apart and undoing the clips I'm worried that by doing this it's going to fall apart on me. Do you think t's just better to get a less yellowed one on ebay or attempt to fix mine?
PineKushDude lol wow, looks like we have a console war vet from the early 90's! Do you sit in a rocking chair on the porch, reciting old tales of magazine articles and schoolyard arguments? It's 2015, and both systems can be had for cheap. The SNES has more than proven it's solidarity to the gaming community over the past 20+ years. Genesis has some absolute classics too. No need to be so biased.
will this help restore the plastic coloration of sealed figurines? i have no idea how 3 of my figurines got yellow damage. they were away from sunlight and UV lighting, and were actually BEHIND other figurines. the figurines in front didnt get damaged, which made no sense...
might just be a reaction to good ole O2, which is actually very corrosive. might be made of a different material / plastic the your more forward figures.
I've seen lots of guys put cling wrap to keep the peroxide from evaporating, is that necessary? Also have you tried salon care 40? Seems to be a popular option as well, I'm not sure which is better, and does the plastic actually get stronger!?
Been meaning to try this out for a while. My biggest fear is that my launch model SNES that's been in storage for years now may be completely shattered in on itself. It was OMEGA yellow when I put it back in its box and into storage. If the process continued to deteriorate the plastic while in storage, I can only imagine how bad it must be. Need a house to take my older games out of storage though, so either way it'll be a while. *fingers crossed* Thanks for the video :)
Hey Adam I have to ask. I de-yellowed a guitar pickguard (made of plastic) that was sun stained yellow. But then the yellow reappeared. Have you noticed this problem after a few years with any consoles?
Awesome video. I just bought a SNES from the bay and its pretty yellow. Im hoping to get a NES and try this out on both consoles. Thanks for taking the time to put this together.
You're right, I tried sanding my snes last night. It did absolutely nothing. Trying your method now, looks like it's working. What's writers though is I had s yellow snes and sanding it worked, maybe it was just a really dirty snes? Anyways, sorry for the bad input. Thanks for the video!
(1)I have altered this plan just a bit by skipping the gum (mash potato ingredient), (2)cover the console/parts with paper towels. One side at a time, (3)use a brush to wet it so that everything is nice and soaked :D. (4)Then cover with Saran wrap, sit in the sun. The coverage is more even and it's much easier to wash off. It requires more work but it's a seems faster in the end. Hope this helps folks.
It will probably look virtually identical inside, it's just a few chips here and there that are different. Mostly for power and video refresh rate issues.
Honestly, I just cleaned my system with a Magic Eraser without taking it apart a few years ago, and was more than happy with the results. Outside of the NES, Game Boy, Virtual Boy, and Game Boy Color, I've never felt comfortable with taking video game systems apart. Just watching this video and seeing how complex the SNES is inside compared to the NES, I can't help but say "nah fuck that", and it's not even like I'm that inept. I was more than comfortable with disabling my NES-10 chip, but I could never see myself getting an SNES back together again. The one thing I ever did the Peroxide method on were a pair of tweezers I'd had for 15+ years, they were totally yellow, I dipped it in the peroxide and left it on the railing, came home and they were totally white. I didn't even use Oxy Clean. This was about 3 years ago, and they are still white. Why did Peroxide alone strip the yellowing off those? The plastic is very similar to that of a SNES.
Very fascinating... So are the chemical reactions permanently reversed by this process? Will my SNES be restored forever after one "bath," or is this something you recommend doing once every handful of years?
I've got a SNES that's as old as I am and it's all yellow now. I wouldn't have minded before (I didn't know it was reversible) but a thumb-sized piece of it broke off a day ago and it's enough to expose the board to outside. Do you think doing this whole process would be kinda moot even if I tried soldering the piece back on?
Hi Adam. - Really like these videos. Very informative! (I used your advice to clean up my grotty Mega Drive Model 2 and now it looks great! Thanks very much!) I was thinking of using this mixture on a Dreamcast and SNES, but I've read about several instances where the plastic has returned to its yellow state again just a few years after the retr0bright procedure has been carried out. I was wondering if this has occurred/started to occur with any plastics you've treated? Thanks.
A few people have said that, personally it hasn't happened to me. But I guess I can't guarantee it won't happen. I'd still recommend it though. If nothing else, you're buying it a lot more time.
Excuse me Mr. Koralik. I bought a mint green Gamecube; will this method work for the colored gamecube consoles... I figure they might have a layer of paint, rather than a set plastic 5mm thick straight from a mold like a snes, and I worry this will be too abrasive and corrode the 2mm tick paint on the colored gamecubes. Can you help me out, thank you!
AdamKoralik Thanks for quick answer. Yes, in Japan there were many more colors than Europe or North America. Search 'Tales of symphonia gamecube console'. It's a stunning looking console, second only to the panasonic gamecube in my humble opinion. It's just slightly yellowed..... :(
The actual reason to do this is not because it makes sense financially, but because old systems (whether consoles or home computers) decrease in numbers and will never increase again, so it makes a lot of sense to preserve them, within reasonable and mildly seemingly unreasonable expense.
A Super Nintendo or even a Dreamcast is no longer a consumer item, they are collector items and people keep becoming collectors, but they barely ever quit. This also means the worth of well-preserved items is going to increase, which makes preserving classic consoles sensible.
I'm not sure whether processing the part makes them less brittle - i don't see why it would be the case. Both active components are effectively bleach. PVC for example is naturally brittle, and gets plasticisers besides fire retardants added to it in production, but at no point are you adding plasticisers back in. However with SNES which yellowed on the inside, probably it's not PVC but ABS, and it's not necessarily naturally brittle, and something else is going on there, and i'm not sure what.
Siana Gearz Well said
Tried a variation of this with amazing results. Reminding back to the little I learned about science and chemicals, I know that if you have a solution that's intended to serve a specific purpose, mixing anything else in is going to effect the results greatly. That being said, I wanted to avoid adding the gum and glycerine since they didn't seem too serve a purpose in the reversing of the yellowing. So what I did was set up everything just like you did in the pans, mixed a 6% peroxide and oxyclean mixture (just these two ingredients on their own) in a spray bottle and just continuously sprayed the parts every 15-20 minutes or any time they started to look dry. It took about 2 hours to get my snes looking new again. Thought I'd share.
Thank god this guy exists.
Happy to be here.
if you look up retrobright there are a lot of videos and some might even be better guides
***** I think it's a pretty safe assumption that MOST versions of the SNES (model 1) are prone to yellowing. It's not like later models are impervious to this, it just seems to be a general trend that they don't do it as often.
Likely due to alterations in plastic mixtures.
Even if that's bullshit and totally wrong, who cares? The point is to fix it, not to complain about which ones are more or less likely to turn to shit.
Can you tape over the controller ports and do this without taking the machine apart?
nickplays631 also its a newer model
nickplays631 Retrobrighting the console without taking it apart is highly not recommended.
ok then so since mine is model 2 snes is there anything different?
nickplays631 It'll be a different process to take it apart, but the actual retrobrighting part is exactly the same.
Next time you do it, try putting it under a UV light, rather than the sun, it's a lot quicker and stronger.
Reading the comment section is really painful... People keep asking if it will work on other consoles or that they like the aged look of the yellowing.
He clearly states in the video that this WILL work on ANY plastic that is yellowing from ultra violet light, this include other consoles and anything that is not a console as well. I do suggest adding the gum 1 tablespoon at a time as you're mixing to get the perfect thickness.
Also he also states that if you don't mind the yellowing, you do not have to do this, but that it is a good idea to do this in order to give the plastic a longer life because it is not just a color change, it is a chemical reaction that causes the plastic to become hard and brittle. So doing this will not only restore the plastic color but it will restore the plastic properties as well (which is the more important part of doing this process).
Tell me about it, I even say it in the title of the video.
+ToddSixSweeney /Facepalm.
The plastic is ROTTING because of the bromine. You need to restore it properly or it will become brittle and fall apart. Just painting it doesn't fix that.
***** I made the video, I know what it's about. The point is to reverse the chemical reaction that causes the plastic to break down, which in turn restores the color.
What you're not getting here is that you're making them look fine on the surface, but the plastic will still break down and fail. The whole point is to make that not happen.
Plastic is not living, therefore it does not rot.
Ilovelazers You are dumb.
Ilovelazers
To be fair, "rot" has more than one literal definition.
Ilovelazers Iron is not living, but it most definately DOES rot, dumbass. "Rotting" could be defined as a chemical reaction in a material or object which causes said material/object to lose its structural integrity.
Salon Care at Sally Beauty Supply is basically the same as Retro Brite, except you don't have to mix it. Also, if you set it under a UV lamp, you can leave it overnight. Leave it for a few days and you'll get great results!
Ok, we get it. You are good at hand gestures.
+Jason Everett Thanks.
Right? I mean, between the hands and the voice I have to wonder if he's related to Arlo somehow.
Just learn the way of the Italian
For as long as I have been watching you, never actually watched this. Hearing Adam talk about chemical reactions brings joy to a recent chemistry grad.
According to a recent post on Slashdot, following a discussion among experts from the retro-gaming community with input from chemists, what you are seeing is the same effect from bleaching t-shirts. Unfortunately, bleaching plastic is a surface effect and it does not change the chemistry of the plastic. The discoloration will return after a few months to a few years when the flame retardants migrate back to the surface. I've had computers since the 1980's and I can tell you that stored plastic will discolor. Most UV light (UVB and UVC) is blocked by windows. Nobody uses these old computers outside, so I think most of the discoloration is accelerated by operating temperature with a secondary effect from UVA.
This is true
This was the first video I ever saw on what is now commonly known as "retrobrigting." It's crazy how much the technique has been perfected in 10 years. You were a pioneer in the field sir.
Ha, thanks.
@@AdamKoralik no thank you Adam, on behalf of the community, you are original and a bad ass
@Michel Chirac Thanks, though I can't take credit. I just followed the instructions.
If the snes is a deep yellow like the yellow cartrage converter will it work the same way?
nickplays631 Yes, but it'll take a few times.
ok thanks because i didn't know what the yellow meant before this video so thanks for helping me.
nickplays631 No problem.
Thanks for watching, and I'm glad you liked the video.
Advice: Remember the sun rises east to west, so, I'd set it out in the morning facing east say around 8-9 AM, check it at 10, 11, 12 whatevs, if it still needs longer, check it around 2 or 3 ( If in the summer months and you live in the south, DO NOT leave it out for long when it's 100+ degrees, it WILL melt or warp). For the consistency, you want a honey-like consistency, Your solution will go further and cover more area. You can also use a "true" black light UV bulb (the more, the merrier), what makes this work, is UV-A (That's what makes clothes and posters glow), it's not dangerous either, UV-B is what burns you (OR, if you have access to a tanning bed, it's powerful, and you can get both sides completed at the same time). For washing, throw it in a dish washer, top shelf, on rinse cycle...
Excellent suggestions sir. Thank you.
Sadly, this process now seems to be only temporary in most instances. The bromines deeper in the plastic end up migrating back to the surface layer, returning the yellowing. After a few years, I can confirm the yellowing has returned on the plastics I treated with this process. There's been some recent discussion regarding the return of yellowing, if you Google "retr0bright re-yellowing". It's still a great way to have a good looking console to enjoy, even if it is only for a few years before it returns.
I would much rather hear the sounds of nature and bugs over gunshots and car horns from the city.
That's awesome, you made me laugh today, thanks!!
@Chiron Keller nobody will ever know what he chuckled at
+Shpati21 I would recommend using Pledge after all that to restore a lot of the shine.
If it's hot enough to melt plastic, then don't do it.
Any sunlight will work.
If you want to save time and get a better result, just buy hydrogen peroxide that's already creamy. I use Salon Care volume 40 (it's 12% hydrogen peroxide). You can get it at your local hair salon or at Amazon. It's basically what they use to bleach hair. Then wrap it up in plastic wrap so that the H2O2 doesn't evaporate and put it under a UV lamp for a couple of hours. Works great.
Using a cream rather than a thick paste makes it muck easier to apply it more even, which you definitely want to avoid making it look all dappled.
Did you add Oxi-clean with that?
byte.me I did add a little Oxi-clean since I already had it at home, but I don't think it's necessary. I've heard others use similar hair products without Oxi-clean with great results, but I think it does speed up the process. I de-yellowed my Dreamcast, which was pretty yellow, back to its original color in roughly 9 hours under UV light bulb and some tin foil.
I was very surprised over how fast it all took. I've seen people doing multiple treatments in up to 30-40 hours for each treatment. I was planning on doing multiple treatments since I didn't want to leave the light bulb on over night, so I decided to stop and washed off all the cream to have a closer look, and there it was, a beautiful white Dreamcast :)
Excellent. I might try this instead as it seems easier. The bottom part of my SNES has yellowed a little and the controller port area of my GCN is starting to do that, as well. Might look for other things that yellow before starting to do this. Thanks for replying!
byte.me Best of luck!
Thanks!
@Charlie Smyth Thanks for watching!
you can make they way simpler
just use hydrogen peroxide and destilled water: 2 parts water 1 part hydrogen peroxide and submerge your pieces - done
you can spare the oxyclean - those are usually just other peroxides which technically do the same, but look fancy because they are dry
adding xanthan only makes it easier to handle to brush it on - but if you disassemle it anyways, just submerge your pieces and you are done: way faster with the same effect.
and for the gylcerin: you need to mix the glycerin to the dry xanthan to pervent lump building in the first place, afterwards it is too late and useless - a really good tip is to go to the pharmacy and get "Cosphaderm X 34" it is a xanthan based thickener used to creams and lotions and has pretty low lump building
Jesus Christ. Are you cleaning your snes or making Meth.
Cleaning his SNES.
cleaning his meth
+deltafox399j lol
+I8UxAnonymous I was like wow I wanna do this. then I saw the video and I was like damn. I hate chemicals
Giving his SNES meth.
Thanks for watching.
Super nintendo dentist
Never heard that one, that's good. I like that.
You turned the super nintendos from yellow to white... The same as a dentist would turn your teeth from yellow to white. :) nice video
console dentist in general lol
Adam Koralik hey Adam I just got my childhood back with my own Super Nintendo it’s all gray but the controller imports how would I go about cleaning that.
I'm trying this right now. The sun juuuust hit my side of the building as I was finishing "painting" the stuff on the SNES cover - perfect timing. I am watching it get all puffy like Stay Puft, cuz you know...SCIENCE!!!
1: You'd end up needed a LOT of hydrogen peroxide.
2: Once you mix the oxyclean with it, it only has so long where by it's reactive.
Thank you so much for doing this video. I have been considering doing this for a long time, but I've never seen anybody do it right or keep it on for long periods of time so I wasn't sure if it was worth the money. Love your videos. Keep kicking the ass.
Oxi Clean? HI BILLY MAYS HERE!!!! pom
+Callum Smith bout to party like it's $19.99
too bad he died.
+Wyatt Monhollon He died doing what he love doing... Coke, and maybe, oxy.
Bananazcakies but wait, there's more!
4:47 Get 40 Volume clear developer. It's the same thing and they won't think you are crazy.
My pleasure, thanks for watching.
I blew my hands off trying this, DO NOT DO THIS
i watched some of your other videos earlier. i watched 1 minute of this one.paused it. took my ps2 apart blew all dust out ( couldn't believe how much there was) cleaned it down. my dream cast was all dirty like something spilled on it. it looks great now. then i pressed play and watched rest your video lol. all these old systems were made to last. you just gotta take care of them.
Damn right man, thanks for watching!
I always thought they yellowed cuz of people smoking in their house.
well that helps the process
I’m definitely trying this one out. Don’t have any of the materials or a microwave, but this seems like the most effective technique I’ve seen so far.
Hey Adam - thanks for the video.
We are a nostalgic/retro toy store (Full Circle Toys - www.fullcircletoys.com) outside Atlanta. We sell "childhood memories" - mostly stuff from the 1960s-early 1990s. ...action figures, vintage vinyl and gaming systems/games are big for us. We really only started selling the game systems a year or so ago and are expanding that department rapidly. We sell a lot of NES, SNES and other vintage systems (other Nintendo systems, Atari, X-Boxes, Sega, Playstations, and handheld systems, etc). We clean them, test them, and then bundle and shrink wrap them in a package for resale....each system comes "Tested, Guaranteed and Certified Pre-owned".
We have had a number of systems (and other plastic retro items) that have yellowed. A few of the gaming systems have been so bad that we have just used them for parts. I have a couple complete NES consoles that are complete and working, but badly yellowed, so i plan to give them the "Adam treatment" soon....I bought all the stuff today....which as you said, cost about as much as a console itself. ...about $65. I got the Food Grade Hydrogen Peroxide (HP) and the Glycerine at a Health Food Store, the X. Gum at Whole Foods and the Oxiclean at CVS.
A few questions (anyone's response is appreciated!!).
1. Would it be possible to recycle/re-use the mixture? If i left the X. Gum out and made enough "liquid" to submerge the parts in (instead of making a paste), would it continue to be effective after use?...or would the reaction between the HP and the Oxiclean breakdown/stop working? I would be happy to invest in enough HP to make a gallon or so of this stuff if i could reuse it...it would save in the long run if could use over and over....you would of course lose a bit each time to spillage/evaporation, etc. ...but the HP is about $20 a bottle and would go fast if you simply made a paste and threw it out after each application. Also, if I didn't make the paste and just submerged items in the liquid in the sunlight, would it work eventhough the items are submerged?
2. After you clean the pieces off (with water?), do you then spray them with Pledge or something else to give them a shine and help protect them further? I read the notes and someone said something about Pledge, but wasn't sure if this was a good idea or not?
Again, thanks for the video and your feedback!
Richard - Full Circle Toys - Newnan, GA
1: I would suggest that once you make the mixture, you use it within a day or two. I don't think it'll last much beyond that. If you put plastic wrap over it and stick it in the fridge, it may last like a week.
2: I've done that, for sure. Definitely makes them look nicer.
How far outside of Atlanta are you?
AdamKoralik
thanks - we are about 30 minutes South of Atlanta Airport - just off I-85....45 minutes from downtown Atlanta.
come see us - www.fullcircletoys.com
Richard
Richard Mix I'll be in Atlanta in a few days actually. I won't have a car though. I'll see if I can get there, would be fun. But I can't guarantee it'll happen.
AdamKoralik
what brings you here and where in "Atlanta" will you be....and when?
Perhaps i can come get you - would enjoy picking your brain on gaming. I am NOT a gamer!! Educating myself quickly. Richard
Richard Mix
I'll be arriving on thursday and leaving monday. I'm being sent there for the Smite tournament to promote it. www.hirezstudios.com/smite/promo/smite-world-championship
I have no idea what my schedule is, they'll be giving me my itinerary when I get there.
Great video Adam. A lot of people are wanting to know this, so it will have no trouble getting a lot of views.
17:42 It looks like mashed potatoes.
probably is knowing this fat shit
He probably ate what was left
I like the yellow on my SNES. It shows character and experience. It's been hooked up to a TV for the past 21 years, slowly turning yellow and gaining experience.
Seems pretty extreme just for some yellowing.
Then don't do it.
I won't.
beyondthesevoices : Releases the confetti. :
Just make sure it doesn't get on your super nintendo.
beyondthesevoices A good tip, thank you sir.
Agreed. Thanks for watching.
American Super Nintendo consoles are ugly compared to our European versions.
+Philip Sempers They really are. I wish we got the same design that Japan and Europe got. I don't know why Nintendo chose to alter the NES and SNES for the US. The NES wasn't just ugly, it was unreliable, with it's complicate front-loading design. Though, I do approve of ditching the permanently wired controllers in favor of controller ports on the front.
+Philip Sempers If you were 9 and this was 1992, this was one notch above a countach, trust me :) It really did look like the future......
The Super Famicom definitely looks better than the SNES, but the original Nintendo (American version) is far better looking than it's overseas counterparts.
Yeah, maybe. But, it's like twice the size, and the front loading mechanism make it horribly unreliable.
The Sharp Twin Famicom, though, is a sexy beast. I think I'm going to pick one of those up, and play my collection on it via an adapter. It also plays Famicom disks, in addition to cartridges.
PO JO I guess if you're a chubby chaser.
I'm really glad you made a video on this Adam. I did a lot of research on this a while back when I bought my first dreamcast online. That thing is very yellow and I was furious when it arrived but I never sent it back since I was just excited to own one. On the off chance you ever want lots of plastic to do this to I'll send it to you with some compensation.
American Super Nintendo's look like complete shit. What were they thinking making a square SNES?
+CactuarLOL It's never been confirmed, but the story goes that Nintendo of America designed it so that you can't place a drink on top of it. Claiming that the reason the NES was unreliable was that too many people had done that, as opposed to the truth which was that the 72 pin connection was a flawed design.
But, again, that story has never been confirmed.
AdamKoralik The american version looks like it would be easier to put a drink on than the UK/AU/EU/JAP version though...
+CactuarLOL Trust me, it's not. A soda can or cup won't sit on in a stable position. The other body, it will easily.
+AdamKoralik wait, so I'm not supposed to violently shake my electronic video consoles while keeping cups of liquid on top of them? I have been doing it wrong for years...
That it is, actually it's a laxative. Who knew.
Thanks for watching.
amazing how much you know about all those old consoles. Respect man..
Thanks for watching!
another great video Adam - the best video on this topic I have seen so far. It's really good you explained ingredients etc as well, other videos seem to gloss over this part
it's good to see there are some who still care for those older consoles
Damn right I do.
I have used retr0right before, one thing that i learned is that you should never let it dry. You need to rinse and reaply every 1 or 2 hour (even if its still wet) depending in your sunshine. Also you can use UV light from a UV lightbulb, they are good on rainy days and they are consistent however they are not as strong as the sun. UV lightbulbs can be left overnight but the mixture might dry, its up to you.
Thanks for watching, and good luck man.
Great video, Adam. Very helpful info on how to restore some classic systems. That yellow plastic really can be an eyesore sometimes, and it's good to know that there is a fairly simple and effective way to get rid of it.
BY FAR the best video on this topic, thanks for this!
I don't know if I am the only one who has asked this, but have you considered that maybe removing the yellow will devalue your SNES someday, like removing the tarnish devalues antique silver?
did not plan to go through the process when i clicked on the video, but still watched it all the way through, you did good at keeping my attention I was amused and interested the entire time, good video :)
Thanks!
Exactly the same fir me tom!
Can you restore blue / green / red ABS plastic with this method or would it turn grey? I have blue consoles made from ABS plastic which have discoloured from UV damage. Thanks!
I found something which is ready to use and apparently isn't widely known - it's "Salon Care" hair color developer. It's cheap. It's odorless. It's a slimy consistency and requires no mixing. Just slather it on and put your parts in a plastic bag so it doesn't dry, then put that in the sun or under a UV lamp. You can get it from Sally's Beauty Supply. Get the "40 Volume" which has the highest concentration of hydrogen peroxide at 12%.
anyone ever tell you you are handsy?!?!!? this video is like a 4 minute video and you went insane on the jazz hands and explanations.
thankx for the video :)
All the time.
Thanks for watching.
i loved it LOL
+Bob Mclean Actually I bought a bottle of that, I plan to try it soon.
AdamKoralik The bottom of my SNES is yellow but the top is white, should i retro bright both parts or just the bottom part?
Nickplays631 I'd do both.
AdamKoralik Hi Adam. I have a few Super Nintendo games, and the back part of the cases have gone yellow. Should I use xanthum gum and brush it on or do you rekon I could leave them in soke? But would that ruin the game labels? :/
Thanks in advance.
iames85 Try this: th-cam.com/video/1HUmgzF16ew/w-d-xo.html
AdamKoralik I'm not sure if it's just because of UV light damage alone? My Amiga 500 was taken out of storage (completely lightproof cover and sealed in a box) around 5 years ago and it was completely in its original state. I then restored the system in the same way sealed into the same cover and box again. I recently got it back out for a test run and its yellowed pretty badly. Its really annoying as the system was in such pristine condition not a single mark or scratch.
Massive massive help, Adam. Thanks so much. Really needed this. Planning on stocking up on famicoms and the cheap ones i find are extremely yellow. but like i said, cheap. like $20. Also gonna be hitting up my favorite spot sooner or later, so i'll find you something nice and send it in.
Super Famicom games will work on a US Super Nintendo if either the lid is removed or the plastic tabs inside are cut.
US Super Nintendo games will work on a Super Famicom if the lid is off, casing is cut, or you use a cartridge shape adapter.
PAL stuff is not compatible with either.
The US version looks different because Nintendo America linked the high failure rate of the NES to people placing beverages on top of the console. So they designed the shell to be unable to hold a drink on top.
I've read on the Retrobright site that covering the devices in saran wrap while sitting in the sun helps with the process. It prevents the evaporation and the drying out of the solution.
If you notice in the video that the center (untreated) on the outcome is darker then the case (treated). A SNES has a slight purple hue/tint which tends to fade when the yellowing occurs (chemical breakdown) which also breakdown the dye used to give it its unique grey color.
Does this work on the Dreamcast as well? You only talked about Nintendo plastics specifically here, but I want to assume it's any white/grey plastic...
Like I said in the video and title, works on other plastics. So yes, Dreamcast would be fine.
AdamKoralik don't u live when ppl don't read or listen lol
Joe D.oreo Just *live* it.
As I said, I was just checking my assumption that it wasn't something weird like Nintendo using plastics that nobody else used.
No need to make fun of someone for double-checking before applying chemicals to retro hardware.
Samuel Sarette yea i know but ppl never listen or read lol not just you
Now you are Adam Koralik the science guy :D
Hooray for field trips with Adam! ^_^
AdamKoralik you should do a video showing your game and console collection as they sit in your living room or wherever you have everything. It'd be cool to see your massive game and console collection and how you have them set up.
I've whitened several SNES consoles with minimal yellowing using a paste of hydrogen peroxide and flour. No need for the other stuff with minimal yellowing. The concentrated peroxide is well worth the trip to the beauty supply store. Just mix it up to the consistency of pancake batter and spread it on. I wrap the parts in plastic wrap so it doesn't dry out and set it in the sun.
I'm in the process of treating a severely yellowed SNES. After 3 treatments, it's better, but I may add some oxyclean to the mix if it doesn't fully whiten soon.
Also, there is a risk to taking apart a brittle SNES. Removing the screws could result in breaking the plastic threads. I sprayed just a tiny bit of liquid wrench in the screw hole about 10 minutes before taking it apart. It worked very well and nothing broke.
Wow, my SNES is so yellow I thought they were supposed to be that color before I saw pictures of the normal gray ones. I'm definitely going to try this out.
Man, this makes me super glad I was primarily a Sega fan. ><
The way I'm really anal about keeping my records clean and helping my old game systems last, I would've been stuck doing this for like a week if I was into Nintendo. >
I was just following what all the recipes said, and it seemed to work fine.
Interesting idea. Thanks for watching.
I'd assume no. Dreamcast's don't turn yellow because of bromine. At least as far as I'm aware. They tend to just be easily sun stained. My assumption is black Dreamcasts don't have that problem.
I have, and I'm glad the fans are happy. But without a physical release, I have no interest.
Thanks for the video. I found it to be very informative and helpful. I am going to try a budget version of this with smaller quantities since I only have one snes. I was wondering, how do you keep your consoles protected from the sun while still having them available for gaming? Since you still have the snes from your childhood, in its proper color, I assume you're well informed about the subject, and it is something I would be interested to learn about.
Thanks for watching.
I keep the special consoles in dark cabinets.
Then I usually have a "junk" one that I leave out for use.
AdamKoralik I see, I worked for my university's library system during college, and that is pretty much how they preserve their special collections. Come to think of it, I can really imagine video games having a place in the Library of Congress someday alongside the literature, music, and films they preserve. Thanks for the tip, and for sharing your knowledge on preserving these awesome inventions!
acuralegend1988
Thanks for watching!
Loving the expression I'm seeing in your hand. Top notch.
Thanks.
Thank you very much for your videos Adam you taught me how to repair video game consoles I have restored video game consoles I kept for my personal collection I'm thinking about opening my own video game consoles repair shop in a few years You rock Adam koralik
I have an extremely yellowed SNES (which honestly I'm not sure how it got so bad considering I've had it carefully boxed up for a long time) and I have never taken it apart. I hadn't worried about it thinking it was just a pigment issue and I would restore it someday, but if it's really going to crumble on me if I don't do something about it then I guess I better get on that.
The thing that worries me is that mine is crazy dark yellow. It doesn't feel brittle or weak to me (honestly it feels just as strong as my N64) but watching you take yours apart and undoing the clips I'm worried that by doing this it's going to fall apart on me. Do you think t's just better to get a less yellowed one on ebay or attempt to fix mine?
That's a tough call unfortunately. Me personally, I'd do both. But that's because I like having a backup, and making sure my stuff is in good shape.
PineKushDude except for the capacitor issue Sega has from the same time period!
PineKushDude lol wow, looks like we have a console war vet from the early 90's! Do you sit in a rocking chair on the porch, reciting old tales of magazine articles and schoolyard arguments?
It's 2015, and both systems can be had for cheap. The SNES has more than proven it's solidarity to the gaming community over the past 20+ years. Genesis has some absolute classics too. No need to be so biased.
Lol
Great tutorial! I've recently gotten into repairs and maintenance on Nintendo stuff as a hobby. I have a feeling I'll be learning a lot!
Thanks for watching.
"Maybe you wanna try science"
I laughed.
will this help restore the plastic coloration of sealed figurines? i have no idea how 3 of my figurines got yellow damage. they were away from sunlight and UV lighting, and were actually BEHIND other figurines. the figurines in front didnt get damaged, which made no sense...
You'd have to open them to perform this.
There might be a slight break in the seal and/or it could be heat causing the issue. Are they near anything hot?
Puppy nope. they are near in a cabinet away from heat and light.
might just be a reaction to good ole O2, which is actually very corrosive. might be made of a different material / plastic the your more forward figures.
spicydeath82 it could be possibly be. these 3 figurines out of the 6 total, were the last they made in this series before they went out of business.
I've seen lots of guys put cling wrap to keep the peroxide from evaporating, is that necessary? Also have you tried salon care 40? Seems to be a popular option as well, I'm not sure which is better, and does the plastic actually get stronger!?
He tried the Salon Care 40 in a different video.
Been meaning to try this out for a while. My biggest fear is that my launch model SNES that's been in storage for years now may be completely shattered in on itself. It was OMEGA yellow when I put it back in its box and into storage. If the process continued to deteriorate the plastic while in storage, I can only imagine how bad it must be. Need a house to take my older games out of storage though, so either way it'll be a while. *fingers crossed* Thanks for the video :)
Hey Adam I have to ask. I de-yellowed a guitar pickguard (made of plastic) that was sun stained yellow. But then the yellow reappeared. Have you noticed this problem after a few years with any consoles?
Unfortunately, yes.
That's pretty cool. How did you remove the substance btw? Did you just rinse it off with water. Or is there a special way to remove it.
Water and a lot of patience.
Haha ok thanks. Thanks for replying fast too. I saw your other bids and you seem pretty cool so I might subscribe.
Jon Prz Appreciated.
Oh man. I just bought a dreamcast again and i needed this. Thank you!
Awesome video. I just bought a SNES from the bay and its pretty yellow. Im hoping to get a NES and try this out on both consoles. Thanks for taking the time to put this together.
No problem, thanks for taking the time to watch.
Thanks for the demo! I substituted flour because I couldnt find the gum powder and it worked great!
Are you asking why the US Super Nintendo uses a different shell than the Super Famicom and PAL SNES?
You're right, I tried sanding my snes last night. It did absolutely nothing. Trying your method now, looks like it's working. What's writers though is I had s yellow snes and sanding it worked, maybe it was just a really dirty snes? Anyways, sorry for the bad input. Thanks for the video!
Couldn't tell you bro.
Thanks for watching!
(1)I have altered this plan just a bit by skipping the gum (mash potato ingredient), (2)cover the console/parts with paper towels. One side at a time, (3)use a brush to wet it so that everything is nice and soaked :D. (4)Then cover with Saran wrap, sit in the sun. The coverage is more even and it's much easier to wash off. It requires more work but it's a seems faster in the end.
Hope this helps folks.
It will probably look virtually identical inside, it's just a few chips here and there that are different. Mostly for power and video refresh rate issues.
Much appreciated.
My pleasure.
Honestly, I just cleaned my system with a Magic Eraser without taking it apart a few years ago, and was more than happy with the results. Outside of the NES, Game Boy, Virtual Boy, and Game Boy Color, I've never felt comfortable with taking video game systems apart. Just watching this video and seeing how complex the SNES is inside compared to the NES, I can't help but say "nah fuck that", and it's not even like I'm that inept. I was more than comfortable with disabling my NES-10 chip, but I could never see myself getting an SNES back together again.
The one thing I ever did the Peroxide method on were a pair of tweezers I'd had for 15+ years, they were totally yellow, I dipped it in the peroxide and left it on the railing, came home and they were totally white. I didn't even use Oxy Clean. This was about 3 years ago, and they are still white. Why did Peroxide alone strip the yellowing off those? The plastic is very similar to that of a SNES.
+TRJ2241987 SNES complex? Well if you think so it's probably good you stopped yourself.
Hey thanks for posting Adam, now I don't have to worry too much if I pick up some yellowed stuff if I get it for cheap.
Very fascinating... So are the chemical reactions permanently reversed by this process? Will my SNES be restored forever after one "bath," or is this something you recommend doing once every handful of years?
My understanding is that you shouldn't have to do it again, but who knows. It could be fine for like...20 years and then need it again. Hard to say.
Thanks for making this, was just asking you the other day how to fix this.
No anti-static wrist-band? Good Sir, you are living on the edge.
I've got a SNES that's as old as I am and it's all yellow now. I wouldn't have minded before (I didn't know it was reversible) but a thumb-sized piece of it broke off a day ago and it's enough to expose the board to outside. Do you think doing this whole process would be kinda moot even if I tried soldering the piece back on?
Plastic came off or part of the board?
AdamKoralik
Case plastic chipped off, not from the board, sorry if that wasn't clear
Cryoloph You'd want to use super glue then, soldering it would just melt it.
AdamKoralik
Oh so it might still be salvageable. Thought I was SOL. I'll give it a shot sometime. Thanks!
Cryoloph I recommend doing the Retr0brighting before using the super glue though.
Hi Adam. - Really like these videos. Very informative! (I used your advice to clean up my grotty Mega Drive Model 2 and now it looks great! Thanks very much!)
I was thinking of using this mixture on a Dreamcast and SNES, but I've read about several instances where the plastic has returned to its yellow state again just a few years after the retr0bright procedure has been carried out. I was wondering if this has occurred/started to occur with any plastics you've treated?
Thanks.
A few people have said that, personally it hasn't happened to me. But I guess I can't guarantee it won't happen. I'd still recommend it though. If nothing else, you're buying it a lot more time.
Excuse me Mr. Koralik. I bought a mint green Gamecube; will this method work for the colored gamecube consoles... I figure they might have a layer of paint, rather than a set plastic 5mm thick straight from a mold like a snes, and I worry this will be too abrasive and corrode the 2mm tick paint on the colored gamecubes. Can you help me out, thank you!
...They made a mint green GameCube?
I'm not sure what effect it'd have on paint to be honest.
AdamKoralik Thanks for quick answer. Yes, in Japan there were many more colors than Europe or North America.
Search 'Tales of symphonia gamecube console'. It's a stunning looking console, second only to the panasonic gamecube in my humble opinion. It's just slightly yellowed..... :(