Repairs: Cosmetic Repairs ,,,,,tips ?

[Sparkrobot]

I'm not really mechanicaly minded and it would really be a last resort for me to start pulling robots apart,but I'm quite artistic and although I realise when possible it's best to leave your robots alone[and any antiques come to that ]..I still think a little cosmetic help doesn't hurt..So with that in mind I need as many tips as possible,, Also tips about things you should never do like,,just of the top of my head [cleaning a plastic dome or window using an abasive cleaner]..The main reason I'm asking this question is ,,,A couple of things that would really improve the look of a few of my robots..

Tarnish on silver metal parts,,??,,,,,,,,,,,,Also White plastic thats gone 'yellowish'??.....Over to you :mellow: :) :

[honestjoe]

Hi sparkrobot....lovely day were having here in the uk!....the best tip i"ve ever had was from metalrobothead for removing scratches from clear plastic screens ..visors..domes..etc...t-cut used gently and without too much elbow (small circular motion) works a treat..can remove even fairly deep surface scratches!...great tip..and then i went and did the car...only once a year mind you!.. i"ve also split it on the carpet...not good!..enjoy the rest of the day!...hj.

[Eagle]

For years I have been polishing plastic with Brasso and follow up with a good auto wax. Works every time. I use it on everything. Go thru 4 containers a year.

[Phil R]

On search at bottom type "plastic dome scratch removal" from March 2006. "cleaning a robot" July 2006 :D

[MetalRobotHead]

I use Novus plastic polish now. Bought a pack of 3 off ebay. Novus 1,2 & 3 for about £5 (2ML bottles) not much in a bottle but don't need much, ran out of T Cut. Tarnish on silver/chrome parts is particular problem, cause if you use an abrasive it goes straight through whats left of the silvering and down to bare metal. If the tarnish isn't too bad I have found one of those microfibre polishing cloths with a bit of WD40 helps to bring a bit of a shine back. In fact the microfibre cloths are pretty good at bringing a shine back to anything without actually using any polish.

[Guest Scott Cragstan]

Sometimes what we think is tarnish is just grime from over the years too and a very, very mild wax will remove it without harming the finish. Like anything involving antiques get your technique down on less valuable or already ruined pieces before going straight to the good stuff and even then try to test in less conspicuous spots first.

A product I found from years of collecting promo model cars (my site is http://home.att.net/~model_turnpike/home.htm ) and really love is called "The Treatment" model car wax. It usually runs about $10. Promo paint is and chrome are often very fragile (even the wrong type of soap can take the paint and chrome right off of some cars!) so you need a mild product like this. It takes light scuffs off clear plastic as well and really brings a beautiful shine to those parts as well. In fact I just used it last week to take an unsightly rub of the dome of my Osaka Mechanized Robot that must have had a rough ride on the way here (thanks UPS!)... you can't even tell it was ever there now. For more deeper scratches the products the fellas have mentioned above like Novus are the way to go, but for just light rubs or general dullness this product rocks.

Like any wax be certain you leave no residue or you'll have unsightly remains that are hard to remove when it dries. I gently apply a light coat with a q-tip and don't go all the way to the edges near seams and hard to reach places, leaving about a eighth inch or so. When the wax dries to a haze in about a minute then I take another q-tip and gently polish the entire surface again this time spreading the original hazed wax onto the previously untouched areas. The final step is take a buttery soft cloth (all cotton t-shirt, sock or whatever) and then ever-so-lightly buff to a brilliant shine. Something really dirty might need a second repeat of the entire process. Always go with an ultra-cautious less-is-more approach in regards to amount of product used and pressure applied.

My only really big word of caution on this product is if the paint is heavily oxidized you could easily make it worse so be sure you apply even coats and remove the wax the second it turns to a haze to avoid light and dark spots, don't rub too hard, and test, test, test!

[Sparkrobot]

Thanks for all your tips,,,,,,,Scott,,nice to see you are back into the robot collecting,,,,If like me you cant allways go for the real hi-end mint robots [allthough sometimes i wished I had held out for a better condition one] you will spend quite a bit of time getting them up to scratch,,but you certainly know your renovation stuff,so you wil be fine...I notice there are still no answers for the White plastic gone yellowish problem,,I sort of guessed there wouldn't be a remidy,,it seems to disscolour right through the plastic,,On a small inconspicuous place on of my robots that had 'yellowed'I tried a cream we got for cleaning up our UPVC windows,it didn't do a thing,and yet on the plastic what the windows are made of it cleaned it like 'magic'..The tarnish on metal,,I have allways been caucious to try because I was frightened I would loose any remaining brightness that was still there,but I willtry MRH and HJ's tips,when I feel brave enough :)Eagle ,,was you joking with the Brasso thing :huh: Phil R thanks for the link...

[Eagle]

No Spark, I'm not kidding. Years ago I was restoring a Remco Bulldog Tank, and needed to get some adhesive off the plastic. I grabbed a bottle of brasso and after I was done the plastic on the tank looked like new. There must be some micro abrasive in the formula.

[Sparkrobot]

No Spark, I'm not kidding. Years ago I was restoring a Remco Bulldog Tank, and needed to get some adhesive off the plastic. I grabbed a bottle of brasso and after I was done the plastic on the tank looked like new. There must be some micro abrasive in the formula.

Eagle,,,,Great tip......Do you know what I mean about the white plastic going yellow,,,,,Have you ever heard of a cure for that one?

[robothut]

There is not cure for white plastic that has yellowed! But there is prevention. Keep the white plastic toys out of any source of UV light when you are not enjoying them. Sun light is the worst but floresent lights are almost as bad as the sun when it comes to yellowing white plastic. Now you can buy on line some clear plastic sleaves that wrap around floresent tubes to block the UV rays from getting out and thats what I have done in the Hut. As sson as the price comes down on the new LED light bulbs I plan to change over but right now at $30 bucks and up per bulb its not possible. But the price will come down and the quality will go up soon I think.

[Guest Scott Cragstan]

Hi Spark, I do know of a cure for yellowed white pieces but it may not be practical for robots as it involves soaking the part... great for old plastic cars but we know our robots generally do not like to swim. ;)

If by chance you would be talking about a part that could be taken off and is something nice and sturdy, not dry and brittle, you simply soak the part in a mild bleach solution, and I do mean mild, like a teaspoon of bleach (a name brand like Clorox not a generic) to a two cups or so of room temperature water ratio. It's important to be sure your part is fully submerged and doesn't bob to the surface or you will not get even results. Anchor it down somehow if you have to.

Soak your part for a few hours and check in on it. Don't be surprised if nothing happens right away. If no action let it go overnight and check again. Promo model cars of the early 60s tend to turn pinkish or yellowish as they age and this snaps them back to true white like magic in most cases. I soaked one poor little car for 5 days to get it white but it looked brand new afterwards. If the item is not evenly yellowed however chances are it will not evenly lighten perfectly either although often the effect is quite minimized. I've also successfully taken s yellow cast out of light colored plastics as well with this technique but of course if you overdo it with the bleach you'll lighten the item.

One tip from the Been-There-Done-That-School: Don't do it with Wesley's Bleche White because the blue color will dye your piece! It does do it quite uniformly though as long as the item is completely submerged so if you want to turn a white part light blue now you know how to do it! :D

I agree with Robothut that the best cure is prevention when possible to keep the sunlight out of the room. I have those pleated fabric blinds with the foil-like backing (they usually are at a decent price from Penney's if there's a white sale) that keep my collectibles room/office nice and dark when no one is in here and as a bonus they are great for insulation. In my case it's a must as my goodies are in a room at the front of the house that takes the brunt of the sun.

[dratomic]

Re: yellowed plastic --

I asked the same question a few years ago, and here's the advice I got: Leave it alone. The toy is old, let it show it's age.

I think it's sound advice. Unless the rest of the toy is gleaming, fresh-off-the-shelf MINT, snow-white plastic is going to look a bit off. I've found that toys age evenly, and the parts end up looking "correct" together. Drastic repairs or changes, I think, tend to look a little wrong when combined with the rest of the toy.

Sure, cleaning off gunk and grime is a good idea, and I do think that if a dome can be polished with some Novus, then by all means, give that puppy a solid going-over (same for plastic bodies, ray guns, etc). But scratches in the litho -- too dangerous, just learn to live with 'em. Same with mildly tarnished chrome -- why risk ruining it further? Plus, the aged look adds to its charm, I think -- and yellowed plastic.

If the yellow is too yellow for your taste, or the tarnish too heavy, then let the toy slide and go for a better example. Otherwise, enjoy the character it gives to the robot! :)

(Obviously, none of that applies to a wrecked toy that you're trying to bring back to life -- if there's nothing to lose, then go crazy and do whatever you can to fix, clean, and revive all the bits and pieces... and more power to you! ;) )

[Morbius]

Right on, Dr. A.!! Agree absolutely (that's just me)....and you. :D

[Guest kenalexruss]

I find the hypo allergenic cosmetics work best. Estee Lauder has a fine line of cosmetics that will do wonders for an old gal…

OK, here's my tips:

For general cleaning, use Q-tips and a good solvent, like water. Just wet the tip and go over dirty areas until they come clean. Watch for decals, as the water will loosen them. If water is too weak, test a spot with a Q-tip and rubbing alcohol. This works for stubborn stains like teriyaki sauce, etc. If that is not working, try lighter fluid on it. If still no results, move up to a stronger solvent. REMEMBER! Always test first in an inconspicuous spot, like the inner leg, the foot, battery cover (inside), etc. If color comes off on the Q-tip, you've gone too far!

TIP: Red and yellow colors run easily, even with water, so be VERY CAREFUL! As for lithos, never use anything but water. If you are brave, try turtle wax, as it is generally mild. Always test first though. As for plastic domes and anything plastic in general, glass polish is excellent. For huge gouges in the plastic, it can actually be sanded/filed down, using the grit grade method (start coarse and work your way down to fine) then polish when done. If it does not look quite right, keep polishing until it all goes away. Never use a Dremmel as the rotation causes too much friction and melts the plastic, setting you back.

Scratches are battle scars and should not be worried about. As for fading/oxidized tin; if it can be removed, it can be nickel plated again, at a huge expense!

For yellowed plastic, I prefer gamma ray radiation blasting...but bleach works pretty well too. Just beware that too much bleach will cause crazing and even cracks in the plastic! YIKES!

[WJN]

I also prefer the yellowed, aged look on my classic pieces, rather than the un-natural, too white look of a Hollywood starlet's bleached teeth.

Having said that, I offer this possible solution to yellowed plastic. Some of the white plastic parts on the outside of RVs often turn a deep yellow because of UV exposure. A quick spray with Castrol Super Clean (available in most auto parts stores) and the yellow immediately comes off. It is amazing, it simply runs off as the spray runs off the part. Then I rinse with water. In Arizona, (lots of sun) I use it about once a year to keep parts Colgate white. I make no guarantees on old classic robot plastic, but I once used it on one of those Radio Shack cam-guided 'bots that was tartar yellow, and it is now snowy white.