The Energon Pub

Sat Mar 26, 2011 7:08 pm

Well, I am.

All my rooms get more than a little sun. I don't sweat it with most TFs, but I'm getting increasingly paranoid about the white ones. Have we found any determining factors for which ones will or won't yellow, over time? I look at the difference between the whites of United and Generations Drift. Is one more susceptible than the other? What about Classics Mirage vs. his Fracture repaint? Will the painted bits of City Commander be at risk or should I only worry about the parts cast in white?

Should I just put sunscreen and trenchcoats on them all and hide them in boxes, leaving their more pigmentally-enabled compatriots in place?

Someone please give me reason to move beyond my paranoia, here.

News Credits: 15 · Sat Mar 26, 2011 7:10 pm

No just put them somewhere where the light doesn't hit them or get a shade.

News Credits: 226 · Sat Mar 26, 2011 7:11 pm

Interesting you ask because just yesterday I took to throwing a towel over Brave Maximus when I opened the door and the sun streamed in.

Normally it's not an issue considering it's rare for us to get sun these days.

Sat Mar 26, 2011 7:41 pm

Interesting question. I wondeer if new plastic uses Bromine as a fire retardant like which was used back in the G1 day?
Which causes the yellowing for the most part because it is reacting to heat from the sun. Least that's my uneducated guess on the chemistry involved.

Anyways.....keep your figures away from direct light at all costs is my only answer. Mine never get direct sunlight. I've seen people post images of their collection and they have them on window sills or on a shelf right beside the window and it makes me cringe.

Better safe than sorry and cover that window. At least use a lite window covering that still lets in ambient light without turning the room into a dark tomb.

It's best not to wait and find out to see if one is more susceptible then another to yellowing if you can avoid it. Assume that all white will yellow. Even without the chemistry involved the sun damages everything in one form or another over prolonged exposure.

Sat Mar 26, 2011 8:01 pm

I know at Lowe's and such you can get adhesive window "shadings", so to speak. For instance, you can install a privacy filter that lets you see out but not in. Is there anything of this variety that might help? Sort of like creating a giant pair of sunglasses for your windows? Keeping the sun out of a room is all well and good, except that then it's dark.

News Credits: 12 · Sat Mar 26, 2011 9:00 pm

Get a UV protected screen over your window and you should be fine. UV rays are what causes bromine to react.

Sat Mar 26, 2011 11:26 pm

So it's the bromine that's specifically the problem? Is this in all plastic? All white plastic? How about the white paint on things like FP's CC?

News Credits: 241 · Sun Mar 27, 2011 3:47 am

White paint is unaffected as far I know, it's purely plastic that's prone to either fading or yellowing. And it's not just white: all colors are susceptible.

It is reversible however, though I'll have to look more into it. There's a thread somewhere that deals with retr0bright, a liquid that supposedly reverses the reaction between UV-light and bromine in plastics.

News Credits: 3 · Mon Mar 28, 2011 10:28 am

So I noticed when I woke up this morning some of my figs were illuminated on my recently moved shelves...which was interesting considering the shelves were positioned against the same wall the window is on to avoid any direct sunlight! What was happening, though, is the light was shining through the semi-transparent curtains and reflecting off a mirror on the opposite wall back to one of the shelves. So my question is are my figs still in danger from filtered light reflected off a mirror? I'm leaning toward moving the mirror or putting up blinds as well just to be safe, but I'm curious nonetheless...

News Credits: 7 · Tue Mar 29, 2011 7:54 am

JelZe GoldRabbit wrote:White paint is unaffected as far I know, it's purely plastic that's prone to either fading or yellowing. And it's not just white: all colors are susceptible.

Yep: all colors are susceptible: its just that it's most obvious in/on white plastic, and hardly noticable at all on yellow/orange/purple. On light blue plastic the damage is also often quite visible: it will often turn greenish due to the yellow tint of the discoloration.

JelZe GoldRabbit wrote:It is reversible however, though I'll have to look more into it. There's a thread somewhere that deals with retr0bright, a liquid that supposedly reverses the reaction between UV-light and bromine in plastics.

Transformers Workshop (Maintenance & Repair): the topic created specifically by Seibertron to provide information about the problems of yellowing and the solutions to reverse the damage (as well as providing information about other sorts of TF maintenance).

News Credits: 1 · Tue Mar 29, 2011 8:33 am

I solved that problem long ago, just get some window shades and you'll be fine.

News Credits: 2 · Tue Jun 03, 2014 8:16 am

What's up fans? So rather than opening up another thread I felt this one was sufficient for my seeking advice. My concern isn't so much direct sunlight but high room temperature. We have been having early summer days here in So-Cal and when ever I enter the room that houses all my TF on those days it makes me think.

One day I will take a standard thermometer to see just how hot it can get. I feel it can get any where between 85-90 on most days like this, sometimes even after I have tried to ventilate the room. It just happens to be a room on the second story with enough windows to produce heat keeping out direct sunlight.

I will admit right now I got a bunch of figures just scattered about in part of that room. Can too much of this type of climate affect the figures integrity in anyway...should I be concerned or is there no real danger? Many thanks! :VEHI:

Tue Jun 03, 2014 8:40 am

Nemesis Destron wrote:What's up fans? So rather than opening up another thread I felt this one was sufficient for my seeking advice. My concern isn't so much direct sunlight but high room temperature. We have been having early summer days here in So-Cal and when ever I enter the room that houses all my TF on those days it makes me think.

One day I will take a standard thermometer to see just how hot it can get. I feel it can get any where between 85-90 on most days like this, sometimes even after I have tried to ventilate the room. It just happens to be a room on the second story with enough windows to produce heat keeping out direct sunlight.

I will admit right now I got a bunch of figures just scattered about in part of that room. Can too much of this type of climate affect the figures integrity in anyway...should I be concerned or is there no real danger? Many thanks!

I have the same concern. In CNY we can have some hot and humid summers so I moved all my figs to the basement where it is significantly cooler. Getting a dehumidifier as well to deal with moisture. As soon as we get the AC fixed I'll bring a bunch back upstairs. : )

News Credits: 15 · Thu Jun 05, 2014 11:32 am

I have a sky light in the room where some figures are displayed. During the sunny months I use a window shade with a sucker (designed for a car window) on the sky light. It cuts the amount of light getting through down.

News Credits: 9 · Fri Jun 06, 2014 4:11 am

I don't worry about sunshine because I live in England. If I were you I'd get curtains. Or can one put a UV filter over the window? Do they make those?

News Credits: 15 · Fri Jun 06, 2014 4:24 am

Mykltron wrote:I don't worry about sunshine because I live in England. If I were you I'd get curtains. Or can one put a UV filter over the window? Do they make those?

Its a nice day today, sunny out!

News Credits: 2 · Fri Jun 06, 2014 10:33 am

Yes, we really need some sun lights after the long winter, but not on my toys. Twice a year for about a week in the afternoon, the angle of the sun will directly hit my study room windows and some toys will expose in the sun bath. So during those times, I always have the curtain closed.