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restoring discolored mattel dcuc figures

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  • libby 1957dog
    Persistent Member
    • Sep 3, 2009
    • 1339

    restoring discolored mattel dcuc figures

    bought a dcuc superboy from the los box set and boy was he in a mess when he arrived

    20210506_093845 (1).jpg

    so i fixed his hip and set to trying to restore his color ,i
    ve used this successfully with super powers figure that have discoloured due to age so thought it worth a shot ,

    20210517_102110.jpg

    so into the hydrogen peroxide bath he went ,in sunlight for 5 days
    fist dip
    20210517_101729.jpg

    better but thought it worth another bash ,so back in he went

    he was looking like a lost cause when i removed him initially most of the figure had faded ,cape and boots went pink so was resigned to painting him ,but as he dried out over a couple of hours his colors came back ,i was shocked to say the least
    straight out of the bath
    20210522_135333.jpg

    and after a couple of hours he now at least presentable

    20210523_122624.jpg

    worth the attempt i feel as i achieved what i set out to do which was to remove the staining and that worked out for me
  • libby 1957dog
    Persistent Member
    • Sep 3, 2009
    • 1339

    #2
    20210506_093850.jpg

    from this
    to this

    20210523_122634.jpg

    Comment

    • PNGwynne
      Master of Fowl Play
      • Jun 5, 2008
      • 19432

      #3
      Huge improvement, thanks for sharing. Was this drugstore or cosmetic (stronger) peroxide?
      WANTED: Dick Grayson SI trousers; gray AJ Mustang horse; vintage RC Batman (Bruce Wayne) head; minty Wolfman tights; mint Black Knight sword; minty Launcelot boots; Lion Rock (pale) Dracula & Mummy heads; Lion Rock Franky squared boots; Wayne Foundation blue furniture; Flash Gordon/Ming (10") unbroken holsters; CHiPs gloved arms; POTA T2 tan body; CTVT/vintage Friar Tuck robes, BBP TZ Burgess Meredith glasses.

      Comment

      • libby 1957dog
        Persistent Member
        • Sep 3, 2009
        • 1339

        #4
        hi scott just supermarket peroxide 6 % or 9% will do it ,the higher the % less time in the jar ,sunlight seems to speed up the process ,and causes bubbles to settle on the figure so it looks like its doing something extra lol

        Comment

        • PNGwynne
          Master of Fowl Play
          • Jun 5, 2008
          • 19432

          #5
          Yes, I think UV of sunlight is a catalyst. Thanks! I have a Mattel Pegasus that needs brightening.
          WANTED: Dick Grayson SI trousers; gray AJ Mustang horse; vintage RC Batman (Bruce Wayne) head; minty Wolfman tights; mint Black Knight sword; minty Launcelot boots; Lion Rock (pale) Dracula & Mummy heads; Lion Rock Franky squared boots; Wayne Foundation blue furniture; Flash Gordon/Ming (10") unbroken holsters; CHiPs gloved arms; POTA T2 tan body; CTVT/vintage Friar Tuck robes, BBP TZ Burgess Meredith glasses.

          Comment

          • TrekStar
            Trek or Treat
            • Jan 20, 2011
            • 8346

            #6
            Very nice job fixing him up and explanation, it looks straight out of the package, maybe we should start calling you Dr. Mattel.

            Comment

            • Liu Bei
              Banned
              • Mar 31, 2018
              • 755

              #7
              Originally posted by PNGwynne
              Yes, I think UV of sunlight is a catalyst. Thanks! I have a Mattel Pegasus that needs brightening.
              It is. You can actually get the same bleaching result even without the peroxide, it just takes much longer. I’ve been de-yellowing vintage video game consoles and cartridges for years. If it’s slight yellowing I just use straight sunlight. If it’s heavier I use peroxide.

              Comment

              • greensavage2000
                Veteran Member
                • Aug 9, 2013
                • 415

                #8
                Thanks for sharing. Information like this I always treasure.

                Comment

                • rche
                  channeling Bob Wills
                  • Mar 26, 2008
                  • 7383

                  #9
                  Originally posted by Liu Bei
                  It is. You can actually get the same bleaching result even without the peroxide, it just takes much longer. I’ve been de-yellowing vintage video game consoles and cartridges for years. If it’s slight yellowing I just use straight sunlight. If it’s heavier I use peroxide.
                  wow. I had been under the impression that it was UV from sunlight that was causing the yellowing in the first place.

                  Comment

                  • Liu Bei
                    Banned
                    • Mar 31, 2018
                    • 755

                    #10
                    Originally posted by rche
                    wow. I had been under the impression that it was UV from sunlight that was causing the yellowing in the first place.
                    Kind of. I'm not an expert, so I can't explain the science behind it, but essentially it's sunlight through your glass window that causes the yellowing, not direct sunlight. This is why plastics inside your house/office sitting near a window yellow, but nothing sitting outside in the sun does. Junk that just sits outside tends to get bleached, from plastics to metals to human bones.

                    I've been following the retrobright scene for many years now, and experimented with nearly all of the methods you've seen on YouTube. I know from experience that straight sunlight will de-yellow plastic because I've done it myself, and seen it done by others before that. It's not as fast or effective as alcohol, but it does work.

                    I don't know what, if any, long-term effects there are to this, so please try at your own risk.

                    Comment

                    • rche
                      channeling Bob Wills
                      • Mar 26, 2008
                      • 7383

                      #11
                      Interesting. It is crazy all the stuff that plastics do as they age.

                      Comment

                      • Liu Bei
                        Banned
                        • Mar 31, 2018
                        • 755

                        #12
                        Originally posted by rche
                        Interesting. It is crazy all the stuff that plastics do as they age.
                        Yes. I got started with all this due to yellowing vintage Star Wars figures, and figures turning tacky/sticky over time.

                        Apparently the fire retardant (bromine, I think) they used in plastic back in the day is what causes it to yellow as it is exposed to the UV light (or UV light through your window), while degrading plasticizers is what gives those old toys that gooey, slimy, tacky texture.

                        My personal method for deyellowing is salon care 40 (solution, not creme) plus UV lights. Artificial will do if you don’t have an area with a lot of sunlight. For the tacky feel, a good rinse with hot soapy water followed by 303 UV protectant spray will do the trick, and leave the figure with a factory shine.

                        This process works best on vintage electronic plastics, but also works well on white figures like Star Wars Stormtroopers. I don’t recommend it for other colors myself, as it tends to fade them.
                        Last edited by Liu Bei; Jun 2, '21, 5:16 PM.

                        Comment

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