Cold Dark Whitening of Clocks

[Mackey]

I did not mean to make an experiment but it just worked out that way. Most of you know about whitening clocks using hydrogen peroxide and UV light (sun works best as Engineer told me - and he's right). I was assuming that UV light was actually part of the needed mix. But now it's pretty evident to me that it is just a catalyst and that whitening occurs with just hydrogen peroxide and time.

I had put a Copal 225 case in a baggie with cream developer 40 and tried some light (since the sun wasn't cooperating and it was COLD outside). It was slow. My wife got tired of the set up so I moved it to under my desk (without the light). Checked it a week later and it was white.
I had forgotten the knob so I put it in the baggie and left if in the dark. Two weeks later, it's white too.

Not going to be very effective if I have time constraints but it's interesting anyway.
The UV light / Sun definitely speeds the reaction , but is not necessary apparently.

Just putting this out there.

[flipoclock]

Thanks for that, it was what I already kind of suspected I suppose. I sometimes set up my setup and get it going and turn off the light when I go to bed and forget to turn it on again (it is in an awkward spot) for a few days and do notice that the whitening process seems to continue.

I would say that whitening a clock should never be done when you're pressed for time, that's a recipe for disaster waiting to happen

[Mackey]

hat's a recipe for disaster waiting to happen

Don't I know it. I had a halogen light that seemed to be working great. I'm thinking it was the heat. Anyway, it slipped and fell onto my set up and warped a case beyond repair.