Brick de-yellowing techniques

[Scouty]

HCl doesn't reverse oxidization. HCl dissolves plastic. so you end up with liquid abs if you did that.

But you wouldn't have a yellowing problem, then forcing yourself to buy a new one :-P .

But, yeah, I just thought of the strongest acid I know.

[natelite]

so bonaparte - how's the experiment. any update after 29 days?

[Bonaparte]

so bonaparte - how's the experiment. any update after 29 days?

An update is coming very soon. I'm not entirely happy about the result on the airplane wing because it is not yet 100% white. So the experiment is still going on. I'll post a new picture one of these days. In parallel I started de-yellowing about 50 yellowed pieces. They were not that much yellowed as the airplane wing and the intermediate results are promising.

[natelite]

any change to the plate structure? did it become more brittle?

[WetWired]

I've tried the bleach overnight on a slightly yellowed piece (nothing like your wing) and it did have results, I will do a bulk load at some stage and leave them in for longer

I have quite a few broken pieces too so I might use them as a test with hydrochloric acid on the weekend, I'm hoping they don't explode or something hehe

Anyone I'd love to see an update on your wing, as that seems like a worst case scenario

has anyone tried using bleach on colour parts yet? I tried a few pieces overnight (grey, black, red and yellow) and they came out a more vivid in colour, I'm just worried that overtime they will become washed out so I don't know if I'd do it for all my coloured pieces

[SavaTheAggie]

I've had really good results with Hydrogen Peroxide, but at the concentrations you can buy as a normal consumer it still takes a month.

--Tony

[Caffeine]

Pfft. Just take the yellowed pieces to your dentist and let him do the work. :P

[WetWired]

Ok I tried hydrochloric acid today on a old yellowed white piece, one I didn't care if I wrecked it

it actually had the opposite effect and now the piece is nearly tan :)

so I guess if you want a lot of tan and don't want to buy a heap of new sets to get them, just stick them in some acid for 10 minutes :)

Seriously though, don't try this at home, hydrochloric acid is a very dangerous chemical and it can cause serious burns or worse if you inhale the fumes.

I will revert back to the bleach technique though, what intervals do you all recommend on replacing the bleach liquid to increase effectiveness? daily? every second day?

[darkrebellion]

Only a question, I have my collection in my room with one wall with a big window in where enter sun everyday for like 4 hours. My collection is here since 3 years but I will change the room of my collection to one with no windows like in a month. With this my bricks don

Edited March 15, 2008 by darkrebellion

[Zzz]

One question for bonaparte and everyone who posted here already / reads this:

I heard the rumor that direct sunlight will make the yellowing of white/ grey pieces (which came from sunlight through windows, not from smoking..) vanish also? Any experience with that?

Thanks for sharing!

(Nice topic and try btw, I have quite a lot of yellowed pieces, wonder how the chemicals work on grey pieces.. :'-( )

[Capt. Kirk]

Quote:

I know it's hard to tell from the poor pictures but this method really brings out colour and removes yellow from old Lego! (You can see it best on the 1x2 grey brick) The 2x8 plates are in good condition for comparision.

Method; take bricks add one scoop of oxy-type stain remover and enough 30% hydrogen peroxide (I 'borrowed 'this from work but I think pharmacists sell it) to cover and leave in the sun for 2 hours.

I was amazed at the results, however it may make the bricks brittle with time but they seem fine now.

Inspired by this retr0bright.wikispaces

If you want to ask roguebantha_1138 questions... push me

[Natman8000]

This looks quite simple! I might have to put half my collection in this!

[Tom Bricks]

It looks like it works well. What do you think would happen with a printed torso though?

[Dr. Steve]

Nice

[jonwil]

can any Aussies suggest appropriate sources for what you need to do this? I have some pieces that could do with it.

[Whittleberry]

Wow, this looks amazing! Although I'd want to be sure that my printed pieces wouldn't be damaged before putting them in. Any ideas about how the Hydrogen Peroxide would affect aluminium? I have lots of yellowed 12v rail parts that I'd love to make shiny grey again! Are 12v rails actually aluminium?

[CP5670]

That looks very nice, even better than what Bonaparte posted here a year ago. I need to try this out at some point. I have a number of rare white bricks that have yellowed over time due to oxidation, independently of any UV exposure.

I think people have used the H2O2 on printed parts without any problems. Not sure about the other stuff though.

[Joey Lock]

Wow, I tryed the Oxy Power stuff before, Not tescos own version but the Pink one. It was Rubbish!

I might get some of this from Tescos!

EDIT: I just remembered I need to clean lots of my bricks because I dropped a box of bricks in the water and they went all brown and rusty...Strange. Plastic going rusty?!

Edited June 18, 2009 by Joey Lock

[Capt. Kirk]

It looks like it works well. What do you think would happen with a printed torso though?

--> I don't know... my advice would be that you try it first on a printed brick or torso that you don't find important before you use it on the good stuff. But I do know that gold print is delicate... and will fade.

[Tinn-man]

I'll have to try this

Nothing beats using oxyclean to clean LEGO.

[Bartram]

Wow. Looks like a great way to clean my old Lego. So have their been any new reports on brittleness/cracking in the pieces?

[Commander Flash]

Wow those pieces got very clean. Billy Mays knows what works...

[chris_austin]

If anyone from the UK successfully does this with something other than OxyClean then please post here. I don't think OxyClean is available here.

[Milan]

I had to awaken this topic. It looks amazing. We all have those white parts that turned to yellow.

Looks great.

[blueandwhite]

I'll have to try this

Nothing beats using oxyclean to clean LEGO.

This is an amazing find, but this photo just makes me sad.

RIP Billy.