dratomic Posted January 8, 2004 Share Posted January 8, 2004 I just got an Atomic Disintegrator that I won on ebay just before the new year. It's in really nice shape, except that it's a little grungy. It feels like it's got a thin film of grime on it, and in some places, not so thin... I'm wondering if there's a good way to clean die-cast metal. I'm not looking to make this thing shine. It's 50 years old and the dullness is, to me, part of the charm. But I'd like to get rid of some of the...er... funk.I thought of using very fine steel wool -- I'm sure it'd remove whatever's on the gun, and I'm pretty sure it wouldn't effect the textured finish of the metal. Is this a bad idea? Like I said, I'm not looking to make this spotless -- I only paid $180 for it, so really, it's not a major investment (compared to what they normally sell for, which is at least $100 more...). But I would like to get it a bit clearner.Thanks guys. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nikola Tesla Posted January 8, 2004 Share Posted January 8, 2004 I wouldn't use steel wool for ANYTHING---it's just too abrasive. There is an alternative, a kind of plastic wool, that doesn't abrade metal---you can find plastic wool in the kitchen section down at most grocery or hardware stores. Also, don't use anything crazy like WD-40 on it; WD-40 is a grease-stripper that can remove years of protective grime that has worked into microscopic cracks in the metal. Interesting to think that a buildup of grime can actually protect metal over time, and that grease strippers can actually damage metal.Oh, and can you explain how $180 is better than $100 ? LOL ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe K. Posted January 8, 2004 Share Posted January 8, 2004 I'd try a "soft" toothbrush and some rubbing alcohol. Wasn't the die-cast metal originally (perhaps, nickel) plated? You don't want to remove anymore of that plating than has already been worn away over the last fifty years. You'll probably end up with a "two tone" looking disintegrator!DrA. - how about a "before" and "after" photo?And, just out of curiosity, were the red handles on yours' warped? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dratomic Posted January 8, 2004 Author Share Posted January 8, 2004 Nikola -- re-read my post... They normally sell for $100 MORE than what I paid... So I think I'm ahead of the game. Heh.Joe -- Yeah, the handles are warped. I've yet to see one without warped handles. Though once I saw a super-shiny, seemingly unplayed with one with handles that were just BARELY warped -- you could maybe even call them straight. And as far as cleaning it went... I talked to a guy who works at my office... he works on gun magazines and is quite the handy man when it comes to metal products. Since my hubley isn't plated (it might have been originally -- but everyone I've talked to said the real shiny ones are just that -- real shiny, not chrome plated...) he didn't see anything wrong with using 0000-grade steel wool (super-fine) and a very light touch. So that's what I've been doing at work for the last hour (while editing a story, actually). Lightly rubbing away. And I have to say, it worked out perfectly. EDIT -- Apparently, there is an anodized metal finish, under which is... um... "un"anodized metal. If you're not careful, you can scratch through to this. And it's possible -- though I'm not sure yet -- that there's a chromed version of the gun. A ray gun dealer friend of mine is looking into it. No marks of abrasion, no "two-toning." Just clean. Still looks pretty old -- I didn't want to use anything more aggressively abrasive -- but that's just fine with me. I wanted an old toy.Sorry, no pics at the moment. My camera's at home. The only before pic I'll have is the one from the auction -- I'll throw it up here along with an after pic when I get home this evening. The lesson? If you're REALLY CAREFUL, extremely fine steel wool can do the trick on a die-cast toy. But only if there's no paint, no plating, no plastic, no nothing... (I avoided the painted areas of the hubley as well as the plastic handles). Oh, and don't let your boss see your blackened finger-tips... he'll ask questions that you're probably not prepared to answer. :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dratomic Posted January 8, 2004 Author Share Posted January 8, 2004 Yeah...Everyone at work already thinks I'm weird (and I work at a music magazine -- so for me to be considered the weird one really says something!). I'm always getting my toys delivered to the local UPS store -- I pick them up during lunch and unpack the pieces back at my desk. I keep a drawer filled with every possible battery just so I can fire up the robots -- also tooth brushes (various sizes, softnesses), cloths, and Q-Tips (and now steel wool) to clean whatever might need cleaning. So seeing me sitting at my desk, furiously buffing my new Disintegrator didn't really surprise anyone. :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nikola Tesla Posted January 8, 2004 Share Posted January 8, 2004 Nikola -- re-read my post... They normally sell for $100 MORE than what I paid... So I think I'm ahead of the game. Heh. Sheesh, my eyes are going. I read that as "$100 or more"---that's the second time this week that I've misread text. Time for a new eyeglass prescription, I guess, or maybe a few days away from this computer screen. ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dratomic Posted January 9, 2004 Author Share Posted January 9, 2004 Here's the "before" pic (as taken by the seller). The gun doesn't look too bad here, but when I got it, it turned out to be pretty grimy. No rust or anything, just some seriously caked-on dirt. The "after" pic follows. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dratomic Posted January 9, 2004 Author Share Posted January 9, 2004 "After." Way more shiny. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dratomic Posted January 9, 2004 Author Share Posted January 9, 2004 Detail of the space gun's "dial." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dratomic Posted January 9, 2004 Author Share Posted January 9, 2004 Whoops, forgot the pic... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robothunter Posted January 9, 2004 Share Posted January 9, 2004 Beautiful job, Doctor! Is this a cap pistol? Is it as heavy as it appears? Look slike it would have been a better weapon to hit somebody over the head with than shoot them! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sonny Young Posted January 9, 2004 Share Posted January 9, 2004 Wow, nice job. I didn't think you would get it that clean. I had one a few years back that I sold. I tried cleaning it, but nothing worked. I never thought about steel wool. Very good tip! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dratomic Posted January 9, 2004 Author Share Posted January 9, 2004 Yep, Robothunter, it's a cap gun. Hubley manufacturing -- makers of those old cowboy capguns that were ubiquitous during the Fifties (and earlier). Made in Lancaster, PA, ca. 1954. And it's heavy -- maybe just shy of 2 pounds? Something like that. Definitely not something to smack on your best friend's noggin. It's all die-cast metal, two halves screwed together with red plastic handles. The "grill" element on the top of the gun is painted red (hard to see in the pics, but very clear looking straight down). Every one I've seen -- with a couple exceptions, I guess -- has had some of this red sort of rubbed away. But since most of it is in the valley's of the grill, a surprising amount of color remains protected from the ravages of time, the attic, and the overly enthusiastic imaginations of small children. The cap mechanism is the coolest -- You pull that small knob just under tip of the gun, which drops the whole trigger mechanism downward. Cap roll gets loaded in. The the whole snaps back up with a solid "click." It feels like snapping the clip into an automatic pistol or something (or so I'd guess, never having done so...). I could see how this toy would make a kid feel completely badass. :) I do need to clean the cap chamber, though -- it's rusty (though it works just fine). There's some embossed writing inside it saying "remember to oil"; apparently, the previous owner ignored these instructions. Contrary to what I wrote earlier (see slightly edited post), there is in fact some sort of anodized finish on the gun. So be carefull when using steel wool or you might buff through the finish down to the crappy metal underneath. I got lucky, I guess. I don't think you really need to oil the outer part of the gun, but the cap mechanism should have a little gun or knife oil applied (seems like a logical choice of product). Just a little goes a long way towards protecting the toy's innards. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dixter Posted January 10, 2004 Share Posted January 10, 2004 I have cleaned ( polished ) several of these guns.... I always use a product called " Flitz "its a metal polish and the gun can look like chrome if you work at it long enough...P.S. There are replacement parts for them... handles and box's... sorry don't have theURL... search google maybe.These are the greatest of space guns.... as for the oil.... if the gun has had the caps shotin it then the residue from the gun powder will rust the cheap steal of the mechanism....The oil sorta helped keep the rust out when they were new.......... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robothunter Posted January 11, 2004 Share Posted January 11, 2004 Thought you might be interestedt o know that Mark Bergin has a MIB Nickel Plated example on his website for $1,300.00 smackers! Now your self-polish restoration job looks better than ever!! And you're over a $1,000.00 ahead of the game! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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