Light Spots

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Dave C
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Light Spots

Post by Dave C »

I have a couple of wooden chess computers that have the dreaded light spots where the chess pieces were allowed to sit for an extended period causing the color change.

But why? Is it because the ambient light is causing the whole wooden board to change color except the areas under the chess pieces? Or, is there a reaction between the finish on the wood and the felt on the bottom of the chess pieces? Or....?

Is there any danger of creating light spots by leaving chessmen on a wooden board overnight? Over a few days....or a week? Currently I don't leave chessmen on a wooden board unless I am playing a game.

Thoughts?
Dave
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Lars Sandin
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Re: Light Spots

Post by Lars Sandin »

Dave C wrote:I have a couple of wooden chess computers that have the dreaded light spots where the chess pieces were allowed to sit for an extended period causing the color change.

But why? Is it because the ambient light is causing the whole wooden board to change color except the areas under the chess pieces? Or, is there a reaction between the finish on the wood and the felt on the bottom of the chess pieces? Or....?

Is there any danger of creating light spots by leaving chessmen on a wooden board overnight? Over a few days....or a week? Currently I don't leave chessmen on a wooden board unless I am playing a game.

Thoughts?
Dave
I believe that our closest star is the top "Most Wanted" for such a shady crime. I don't have any wooden computers which have developed "sun-spots" in my possession, but I have always tried to stay clear of prolonged periods of sunshine upon the boards and especially on pieces that are set-up. I had some of the wooden computers in a public exhibition (for two months) a couple of years ago. The area was sunlit for only some smaller period of time during the day, but I took the cautionary way of not setting up the pieces on the board for the Expo.

Is it just my pieces, or are by the way, Saitek Reinessance pieces very pale in comparison with for instance Mephisto's?

Best regards
Lars Sandin, SSDF
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Bryan Whitby
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Post by Bryan Whitby »

Hi Dave

Unfortunately I can't answer your question but why don't you try this from Berger's repair site.
https://sites.google.com/site/proyectos ... r_expert_c

Regards
Bryan
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paulwise3
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Post by paulwise3 »

Hi Dave,

I have the same problem. Haven't done anything about it yet, but I did get a tip from a fellow collector:
Take a piece of paper, the same size as your board. Make holes in it at the positions where the light spots are (where the pieces had been positioned). Cover your board with it, and expose it to daylight for a number of days. It may take weeks or longer, but he says it has worked in his case!

Sunny daylight regards,
Paul
2024 Special thread: viewtopic.php?f=3&t=12741
2024 Special results and standings: https://schaakcomputers.nl/paul_w/Tourn ... 25_06.html
If I am mistaken, it must be caused by a horizon effect...
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Scally
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Post by Scally »

Hi Dave,

I'm not sure it's the sunlight that does this. Tony has an interesting theory and a great method to clean the board. I've used this method on my Tournament Machine which is now as good as new. I've ever left the pieces on the board after play.

http://users.boardnation.com/~chesscomp ... eadid=1873

Cheers,

Al.

Image[/URL]
Celadus
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Re: Light Spots

Post by Celadus »

Dave C wrote:I have a couple of wooden chess computers that have the dreaded light spots where the chess pieces were allowed to sit for an extended period causing the color change.

But why? Is it because the ambient light is causing the whole wooden board to change color except the areas under the chess pieces? Or, is there a reaction between the finish on the wood and the felt on the bottom of the chess pieces? Or....?

Is there any danger of creating light spots by leaving chessmen on a wooden board overnight? Over a few days....or a week? Currently I don't leave chessmen on a wooden board unless I am playing a game.

Thoughts?
Dave
A number of years ago I purchased a DGT board and chessmen. At that time I asked DGT if leaving the chessmen permanently on the board would discolour the board squares.

Their answer was no. The chessmen would not affect the surface of the board squares but sunlight would. So I kept the board and chessmen covered with a thick dark cloth when not in use. It worked. My board has no light spots.
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Scally
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Post by Scally »

Dave,

I should have posted this picture without the pieces showing no light spots after the clean. Note that the c1 square is partially lit, but that's another story already posted here.


Cheers,

Al.

Image[/URL]
xchessg
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Post by xchessg »

Scally wrote:Hi Dave,

I'm not sure it's the sunlight that does this. Tony has an interesting theory and a great method to clean the board. I've used this method on my Tournament Machine which is now as good as new. I've ever left the pieces on the board after play.

http://users.boardnation.com/~chesscomp ... eadid=1873
What the...

Under 2 I read "don't worry about the fluids leaking in around the Leds??

Come on... It takes 5 minutes and a few screws to separate Board PCB from the board...

Xavier
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