Ah! That explains my lack of results. I soaked the keys for five or six hours.
They got clean, but didn't change color very much. Sounds like I pulled them
out too soon. Several days, you say?
Has anyone tried a glass/plexi-glass bath w/ UV lights? It might get expensive
if you want UV lights that are dimmable (to control strength) but UV lights and
ballasts are not that expensive. A simple timer and maybe a reflective surface
on the enclosure and you are good to go. Then real experiments can be done by
varying exposure time and concentration of the solution to see if there is a
happy medium. Problem is you need someone with lots of yellowed parts that they
don't mind experimenting on/ruining in the process.
We're thinking about building that kind of "deyellowing station" in the
MARCH warehouse. We have plenty of yellowed parts for experimenting. If
the station/experiment works, then we might offer it as a service at VCF
East next spring. Of course, anyone who submits their yellowed plastic
will have to sign a waiver in case they're unhappy with the results, or
if anything explodes and creates a wormhole. :)
