MaximumRD Posted December 25, 2020 Report Share Posted December 25, 2020 Is the ball in these typically that yellowish color when new? After seeing images in some recent topics I decided to dig mine out of storage, forgot what great condition mine was in and about the only thing I have that also still has the clear plastic on the aluminum strip (MUST RESIST REMOVING 😛) I really need to try this accessory more as it seems to be in excellent shape however, I noticed like many pictured the ball seems discolored yellowish, looking up images online it seems it WAS originally white? If it should be white might look into brightening or SHOULD I BOTHER? Is it more trouble than it is worth? I only lightly tested it upon receiving the 5200 / games etc in a lot years ago. I should do more testing and also maybe give it some maintenance if required. ANY GOOD TUTORIALS or videos on that? Also, I may have posted similar at one time but my memory is not getting any better 😛 Still, thanks in advance for any / all replies....  Quote I am Rob aka MaximumRD aka OldSchoolRetroGamer and THIS is my world http://about.me/maximumrd "For you, the day Bison graced your village was the most important day of your life. But for me, it was Tuesday."  - M. Bison Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chas10e Posted December 25, 2020 Report Share Posted December 25, 2020 I don't think anyone had any success in removing the yellow hue. I had read the size is the same as a pool ball , but some cue balls are slightly larger for the ball return , not sure what size snooker balls are or boccie balls. I like the yellow hue on mine , gives it that aged look :) socrates63 and MaximumRD 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RickR Posted December 25, 2020 Report Share Posted December 25, 2020 Test it out. If everything works, I would not touch it. The 5200 was designed well. It doesn't break like the joysticks do. No lousy plastic membrane for the buttons for example. The only thing I've seen go wrong is rust on the inside. If that happens, you have to carefully brillo-pad the rust off, then lubricate everything. But if you keep it stored in a dry place (and it looks like you do by the condition of the outside), I'll bet it works perfectly.  socrates63 and MaximumRD 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chas10e Posted December 27, 2020 Report Share Posted December 27, 2020 Just found this: https://www.racketboy.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=726298#p726298 from what I understand the developer can still be contacted for support but I haven't found it yet. MaximumRD and RickR 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott Stilphen Posted January 12, 2021 Report Share Posted January 12, 2021 Atari's were never white, they were always an off-yellow. MaximumRD and Justin 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atari 5200 Guy Posted January 16, 2021 Report Share Posted January 16, 2021 Those trakballs are your standard cue ball from a billiard ball set. Yours has yellowed from age and trying to use chemicals on it can cause it to yellow even more. It is made of ivory and of the same quality Atari used in their arcade trakball designs. That controller is one of my favorites to use with the 5200 system. It's a solid design. As long as it works I wouldn't mess with it. But...if the yellow ball bothers you buy a new cue ball from a store, pop the top off, remove old ball, put new ball in, put the top back on. Yes, it really is that simple and I've done it in the past. MaximumRD and Justin 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chas10e Posted January 21, 2021 Report Share Posted January 21, 2021 another solution ..... . . . . . . . . . . . . Â Â Â Airshack and MaximumRD 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peteym5 Posted February 28, 2021 Report Share Posted February 28, 2021 Wasn't removing yellowing from plastic something simple like soaking in baking soda and water for several hours. I am sure modern pool/billiards balls are all acrylic (imitation ivory) and cannot use natural ivory because of the band on elephant hunting. . But may need to measure diameters before you go and order them from eBay or another website. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RickR Posted February 28, 2021 Report Share Posted February 28, 2021 1 hour ago, peteym5 said: Wasn't removing yellowing from plastic something simple like soaking in baking soda and water for several hours "Retro-brite" is what they call it, and it's a process of using hydrogen peroxide and UV light to whiten plastic. One method is just to create a mix with water in a clear tub and leave it outside.  Another is to create a paste, "paint" it onto the surface and apply saran wrap to stop evaporation. The 8-Bit Guy on youtube has done several vidoes on the different techniques. I've never tried it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Airshack Posted March 30, 2021 Report Share Posted March 30, 2021 (edited) I’m going to try to put an 8-ball inside mine.  retrobrite: This process removes oxidized fire retardant from plastics. That’s what causes the yellowing. I doubt pool cue balls have fire retardant in them. Extremely doubtful retrobriting a cue all will do anything. Cue balls are not made of computer console plastic material. Cue balls have zero potential to burst into flames. As for retrobriting causing rapid re-yellowing...uh, nope. I use the 8-bit guy submersion method with peroxide from Sally’s beauty supply and no items I’ve retrobrited (in five years) have re-yellowed or become brittle.  I can’t speak for different methods.  my rig:  Edited March 30, 2021 by Airshack RickR 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
- Ω - Posted March 30, 2021 Report Share Posted March 30, 2021 50 minutes ago, Airshack said: I’m going to try to put an 8-ball inside mine. An eight ball is too big. A cue ball is just about the right size, but even then I needed to put a gasket for separation and an extender for the button when I enhanced my Wico trackball unit.  Quote <<< My YouTube Page >>> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Airshack Posted March 30, 2021 Report Share Posted March 30, 2021 I’ve had success with everything I’ve retrobrighted to include the intercom panels from my house. Of course I live in Arizona so it’s always easier here, and I don’t reintroduce my specimens to constant sunlight afterwards. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Airshack Posted March 31, 2021 Report Share Posted March 31, 2021 (edited) I had a few mishaps at first but with the clear tank and liquid I use now there's no issues. Most of the problems I had in the past was from using gel and trying the clear plastic wrap method + gel. In the dip-tank with peroxide the results are always uniform and pleasing. Just saying, it's all about technique. Edited March 31, 2021 by Airshack Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Airshack Posted March 31, 2021 Report Share Posted March 31, 2021 13 minutes ago, intellicolecovisonary said: An arid climate without huge temerature swings sure helps but there are as many retrobrite failure stories as there are success stories. ..https://68kmla.org/forums/topic/31138-retrobrite-failure/ This link highlights the saran-wrap method and paintbrush methods. Both using gel and plastic wrap afterwards. Kind of making my point here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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