Care And Feeding For My Pal, Buck...

[perigee]

Ok - with any sort of luck at all, my first (Non Trek) raygun is winging its way to me as we speak. Now, since I've been one of those Trekkies that have benefited from Museum Quality replicas, I'm wondering how to clean this puppy up to its best display. That means curing a couple rust spots at least, and even if I don't paint it (don't panic- no intent), I would like to seal it so no further damage is done.

So - how does one clean these suckers without screwing with their vintage charm?

Thanks!

Bob

[dratomic]

Hi, Perigee. Welcome to the boards. You're definitely starting with a great toy!

To be honest, I wouldn't do much to it. I'd even leave the rust alone, unless you think you can get some of it off with a LIGHT brushing -- and I'm talking "nothing more abrasive than a dry paper towel." Unlike prop replicas, these are old toys and sometimes age brings with it a little bit of damage. Unfortunately, with the metal toys, that damage can be really tough to mitigate without doing a complete overhaul. Rust is, of course, a constant issue...

I've found that any sort of serious effort to remove the rust will inevitably remove the toy's finish as well, and in the overall scheme of things, that's much worse. Again, since the toys are old, a little rust doesn't necessarily detract from the display -- rather, it just helps to demonstrate the toy's age (and often better than any sort of ID card or tag...).

As for sealing it against further damage... Again, I'm hesitant. First, there's the resale value. While it's true, a rapidly rusting toy isn't worth very much, a restored or chemically preserved (i.e., sealer) isn't worth a lot, either. I, for one, wouldn't buy a toy that I knew had something done to it.

However, many of us -- myself included -- don't have any real intention of reselling, and we're not all buying as "investments." Given that, I still balk at putting anything like sealer on my metal toys. I just get uncomfortable with the idea of applying anything to them that can't be removed.

IF YOU MUST PUT SOMETHING ON IT, if it's really bugging you, then I'd go with old fashioned gun oil. It's designed to preserve steel and protect it from rust, and if it's good enough for precision weapons, then it's good enough for the toys, too. :)

If you keep the toy in a dry room -- and if you're not in a seriously humid environment -- you shouldn't have any real problems. Just give the toy a once over with a duster every now and then, and it should display wonderfully for years to come.

Congrats on a great ray gun -- a GREAT ray gun! -- and again, welcome aboard the boards.

[perigee]

Congrats on a great ray gun -- a GREAT ray gun! -- and again, welcome aboard the boards.

Thanks, Doc - the fact is, a chance encounter with you fine folks here ended up being the tipping point.

I finished my Trek Exploration kit - a couple of MRs and a EM phaser - added a good repo uniform tunic as a bed for them, and thought I was through. (I'll bet that sounds familiar to a few folks...) Unfortunately, then I looked back at a few of the old series - Space Patrol, Tom Corbett, Rocky Jones - and started to... think. Maybe just a retrospective of series props...

That got me here, and you guys told me where to start.

Thanks for the welcome, and I hope you don't mind if I pick your brains from time to time as I go from a modest little glass display to some strange monstrous mini-museum one ...more ...piece at a time.

- Bob

[Phil R]

Bob, congratulations on your purchase and joining the best scifi collecting group in the world. You just happened to have bought an item from my all time favorite, Buck Rogers! Be sure to see the new 80th Anniversary items coming out this year from Gohero, Dynamite and others as well as the new movie in process. It's also the 75 Anniversary of Flash Gordon, my second favorite and a new movie coming. it's going to be a great couple of years for the icons! :)

[perigee]

Be sure to see the new 80th Anniversary items coming out this year from Gohero

I've been keeping a long eyeball on Gohero, Phil - that's why I went with the 31 - Since I started with the Trek MRs, I figured Gohero's 38 wouldn't be a cardinal sin as an addition, so I held off a bit. But the Ebay... it keeps calling me...

You people are a bad influence; I just gobbled a ST-V Assault Phaser (Pre-assembled resin with metal accents; not your bag) about an hour ago on a very pretty "buy-it-now" deal. Hey - a ray gun is a ray gun.

While I have you on the line, Phil, let me ask you about your display plan;

In the end, I'm figuring (heh) on stopping Buck after the trio (31, 38 and Wilma) just to keep things tight. With the Star Trek stuff (up till today), I bedded the phaser, communicator and tricorder props on a high quality tunic repo, so it was a nice, tight and unified display.

I see I can grab repo boxes (a possibility, but not for all three) - is anybody out there selling a Buster Crabbe tunic? should I grab a couple of comics as a prop bed? How would you shake it out?

(On reflection - holy macaroni, phil! SWEET holsters!! And spotless guns!! Absolutely freaking fantastic!!! BTW - about that 38... York ain't Manhattan; somebody in your neighborhood has our tastes. How much over 200 would you spend on a 38?)

[Phil R]

Bob, I don't just have vintage guns. I also have the trek guns, my favorites from Dune and a lot of guns from the 50s to present. I also like some of the kits and also the models made by some of our talented members, such as the Voyage to Bottom of the Sea. I assume you mean the XZ 31, XZ 35 and XZ 38. So If I understand, the Buck gun now and either of the other 2 as they become available at the right price. You'll never stop there. :lol: As to the 38 it depends on whether you plan on getting a license for it! Seriously, everything depends on condition as always. I think with the economy the way it is, these items are fairly plentiful and good buys can be had if you have the money to spend. As to the tunic they're hard to come by and I don't have one. A few have been on ebay and I believe Hake's has one for sale after their recent auction catalog. If the price is right I plan on getting GoHero's 12 inch 30s style Buck figure with lighted rocket pack.

I'm including a photo of Bob Lesser who was the ultimate Buck Rogers collector. Also the 20" Mars police cruiser Mark (eagle) and I made recently. :)

[perigee]

I'm including a photo of Bob Lesser who was the ultimate Buck Rogers collector. Also the 20" Mars police cruiser Mark (eagle) and I made recently. :)

That's brilliant - what did you use for the fish-like fins? It looks a little delicate.

Anything from Hakes is going to be waay too rich for me - when I tried to explain to Captain A that I just wanted his tunic for a prop bed, and not to tool around in, he just gave me the hairy eyeball. Now, there it has sat for three years, folded into a 12" X 7" lump.

I'm thinking, after nosing around the I-net today, that the way to do this is to either have one made (can't be too bad, and after all, it only has to look good folded), or maybe bed them on some of the Big Little Books - theres a really nice 1934 cover going off in an hour without a spine cheap I'm going to tag off. If I can do 6 or 8 of 'em at a decent price, I'll lay 'em across the bottom of a display case, stand the gun up against the mirrored back, and Viola.

[dratomic]

Why not pick up the XZ-44, too? It seems random to look at the 31, 35, and 38 as a group... Maybe the 31 and 35, since they're clearly related. But if you bring in the Disintegrator, suddenly the only grouping I can really see is a pre-40s kind of thing. In that case, you need to include the 44 (despite the numerical designation, it was made in 1938).

Ahem... The fact that I happen to think it's the most breathtaking of the Buck Rogers guns has absolutely nothing to do with the above sentiment. :)

[perigee]

Why not pick up the XZ-44, too?

Ohhhh, I know it - there's one on the big E I've been eyeballing; 113 already with six days to go. Yikes. I'll give you three very good reasons, in order of importance.

1) At these prices, I'm trying not to look too far down the addiction. It's so comforting to pretend I can just stop...

2) As Phil can attest to (he's already my sponsor in my Buck 12-step program), I tend to get a little... Focused when I get my teeth into a concept.

Maybe a little bit maniacal.

Out of sight, even temporarily, means out of mind. It helps to spread the financial pain over time. I suspect I'll find the display lacking eventually - but right now, all I have is the 31 and a spineless book, so I can nickel and dime the layout for a bit to take the initial sting away, while I marshal the cash for the next leap.

3) I think you could probably call me "In Transition." I'm coming from a "Prop" perspective from my Trekkie roots, and the 31 was kind of my gateway drug. Kinda propish, metal-ly, iconic... kinda just beautiful design and great lines. I've been looking at pieces today - like the green plastic "Space Patrol Smoke Gun" - with a different set of eyes than I would have a week or two ago: the "cheapness" is gaining charm, if you follow my meaning.

Personally, I consider that a danger sign...

[dratomic]

A friend of mine -- and a member of this board -- is big into props and prop replicas. (I'll let him introduce himself if he chooses... but I'll give you a hint: If you're into the Blade Runner blaster, you can thank him for the "World Con" pics...)

Anyway, he and I often discuss the various ray guns, blasters, phasers, etc. that are floating around, and during one of our talks, it occurred to me that, in a way, the XZ-31 is the FIRST prop replica ray gun. Or rather, it's sort of a PROTO PROP REPLICA, if you will.

Consider: When Buck first hit the funny pages, his gun looked slightly different. Then the Dilly corporation licensed the property to Daisy, who went on to produce the world's very first toy ray gun: The XZ-31. As soon as they did this, they worked out a deal wherein that particular gun would appear as Buck's weapon in the comic strip.

I realize this reverses the usual pattern of something appearing in a movie/comic/etc FIRST, and then becoming a prop/toy/etc. Regardless, the XZ-31 toy provided the means by which the average kid could actually OWN the ray gun that Buck used in the comic -- just like a prop replica allows you to own the phaser used by Kirk or the Blaster owned by Deckard. And the XZ-31 was pretty darn accurate -- and why not, considering that the drawing was based on the toy, and not the other way around!

So it makes perfect sense that, for prop collectors, the XZ-31 provides an entry point into the world of toy ray guns. :)

[Phil R]

I have to agree with Brian on this one. The XZ 44 in my opinion is one of the all time best ray guns. The designer must have been inspired. How does one go from conventional design of the 31, 35 and 38 to the 44. Truly inspirational design. That must be why they are so plentiful but still bring a price.