OK I was going to wait till I was finished with my Rising and had it all back together to post this but I wanted to share it now incase some of you wanted to get started doing this for yourself.

I have used this simple process on many different composite plastics and always with the same end result (easy stain removal). I mostly fixed stuff like stained bicycle seats and pedals but when I saw the stains in the plastic for my Rising I immediately thought This just might work for this too

The "stains" I speak of are not stains from an outside source but rather stains from sitting in the same location for a long time. All of the bike parts I sun bleached were brand new but had stains that could only have been cause by mold or bacteria build up. The sun will actually remove these stains or discoloration over time. This is a lengthily process but WELL worth it IMHO.

Allow me to explain it a little better with some pictures.

These parts are not finished but the change is drastic enough that I can tell you it will work completely over time.

My Rising the first day (before even cleaning it)



Look at how the battery cover is a different grey at first



and now it matches



Output side panel





I'll post more pics when I see more results but the back of my box is now the color of the inside of the back of my box

couple more days and I'll be ready to put this back together

OH you still want to know how ? SIMPLE !

Sit your parts in a spot that gets a lot of sunlight, I use the cap to my mini truck cause it's black witch attracts sunlight and it's in a location that gets sun almost all day

GOOD LUCK and I hope this helps some of you

last thing... if any of you are going to do this I recommend you remove all electronics first (I don't know what the heat might do to them ? that and take pics I'd like to see what you guys end up with

WOW,that looks awesome!!!!!!

Awesome, dude!! Im loving that! Im going to give it a shot!

Hmmm... I'm not sure how I feel about that. I always thought that sunlight was the cause of "yellow" backs. It's definitely a new way of thinking though and looks like it worked well for you. I can't wait to see your Rising put back together and fully cleaned!

I also thought the sun caused yellowing so this is very good information. I'm sure I can dig up a box or two to try this on.

Very good information Smokin_Endo they look like new.

Hey Skippy very classy avatar you've got there.

Dannnng. You got cleaning skills bro.

Now thats using nature to your advantage!

Problem is up here we never get sun... so I'll have to wait till mid summer!

I never considered this process... basically it is fading the rest of the plastic to a uniform color, right?

Fantasric Smokin_Endo the boomboxes become like the old cartoon Birdman using the power of the sun

More info is needed.......

How many hours was it in the sun, what duration of the day was it, what season, temperature, relative humidity.

Any warping effects? Cool off time? Final cleaner to get the rest off?

LMK

Interesting to say the least

Thanks for all the great comments guys More pics coming soon

Sorry if my write up seemed vague. It's so simple it becomes difficult to explain LOL All I do is leave the stuff in the sun and I have never had a problem with any plastic deforming or distorting due to the heat. I have only tried this on one BBX mind you but I have done multiple bicycle parts and never had a single problem. The process takes different amounts of time for different plastic stains but I will guarantee 100% that with time and patience this process will work ! I've helped friends with discolored Star Wars Storm Troopers,other discolored toys, BMX parts, and all sorts of other plastic items that discolored over time.

As for the times and duration well this will also vary. I have stuff out in the sun everyday it's sunny out and I leave them till the sun starts to set. Sometimes I even forget and the stuff will stay out over night LOL I don't recommend this because of vigilant kids but it happens

The worst part about this whole process is having to be patient. It does take time and if your anything like me this will cause a bit of anxiety, I'm DYING to put my Rising back together but I forgot to put the handle pins in the sun for the first 2 weeks so they have some catching up to do. They're getting there though and I need to order belts still

Interesting! It must be the UV light... In Wikipedia it says:

"Many polymers used in consumer products are degraded by UV light, and need addition of UV absorbers to inhibit attack, especially if the products are used externally and so exposed to sunlight. The problem appears as discoloration or fading, cracking and sometimes, total product disintegration if cracking has proceeded far enough. The rate of attack increases with exposure time and sunlight intensity.

It is is known as UV degradation, and is one form of polymer degradation. Sensitive polymers include thermoplastics, such as polypropylene and polyethylene as well as speciality fibres like aramids. UV absorption leads to chain degradation and loss of strength at sensitive points in the chain structure. They include tertiary carbon atoms, which in polypropylene occur in every repeat unit.

In addition, many pigments and dyes absorb UV and change colour, so paintings and textiles may need extra protection both from sunlight and fluorescent lamps, two common sources of UV radiation. Old and antique paintings such as watercolour paintings for example, usually need to be placed away from direct sunlight. Common window glass provides some protection by absorbing some of the harmful UV, but valuable artifacts need shielding."

The last paragraph refers to color change - so I assume, short duration may produce the desirable affect

I wonder if UV lamp would work as well or better, more control?? May be one of those? http://www.kardwell.com/uv1.html

Great post and research vitalxs ! Thanks for digging that up

so if I understand it correctly then it is helping but over exposure will eventually lead to bigger problems with cracking and deterioration ?

Honestly I've never had any of the old bike seats that are made of a less composite softer plastic start to harden up or crack. In fact they feel exactly the same as when I started

Now on the Rising case that I've been working on I imagine I need to take more precautions and be a little more careful since it's a much more dense composite material and there is no way for me to know if the plastic is becoming more abrasive and prone to cracks ? I am just about finished with the Boom Box parts that I've been sun bathing and everything seems normal so I guess I can just hope for the best

Has anyone else tried this method ? with success of lack of

I'd love to know if people are trying this ?

LMK Thanks Brian

Wow. SE some interesting results from this and thanks for sharing...but i'm a bit puzzled of what kind of stains are being removed from the sun? are they mildew or dirt stains or yellowing from the sun itself stains? if they are sun yellowing, wouldn't it yellow it even further by leaving it in the sun?

Thank god for global warming. LOL!