|
Post by willohio on Mar 26, 2011 23:04:56 GMT -5
It has been to a lesser/greater extent that each subsequent Shogun I've been acquiring since beginning my collection with the (re)acquaintance with my childhood 1st Raydeen... ... that I have endeavored to completely clean and if need be to fix any element of the Jumbo that I could, to restore it to working order or replace missing or badly damaged decals. So I started, as I said above with my first Raydeen. I had unknowingly bought one with a cracked Iron Cutter Fist Launcher. (Which I've come to find is pretty common now that I've been into the collecting aspect for some time) So I've had it set aside to fix as properly and with the least amount of detraction from the visual aesthetic of the figure and parts. I've decided on some epoxy/sanding. And the addition of a partial plastic cuff to help prevent future failure in this repaired area. Eventually I just want to replace it all-together with the much better Popy Bowfist found on the Japanese original. And with each one I've started to acquire a bit of experience and knowledge of the work of restoring both through hands on and reading all the wonderful blogs, threads and basic experiences of other Jumbo collectors here and elsewhere in the aether. All of of this being a long-winded diatribe to say that I'd I've recently started picking up beaten up, broken and other wise badly neglected Jumbos in hopes to test and build up my skills in restorations & customizations, and otherwise share my passions with all the others here as they have. And to hopefully glean more knowledge from YOU as I share these works in progress and my ideas. So without further adieu...
|
|
|
Post by willohio on Mar 27, 2011 0:15:07 GMT -5
I picked these up as a two-for a few weeks ago. Mainly because I needed some Axes for my 1st edition Dragon. And I didn't want to pay $30 for a set off of e-bay. So I picked up a Dragun and a Gaiking in an auction. He is not just dust covered. He has literally 2+ decades of layered filth, mold and grime on him/ I've received dusty Jumbo's before. But this is on a whole different level. A thorough washing, wipe down with Rubbing Alcohol only served to remove a layer of dust and some grime. But not the hard stains and deep grime or rusted/corroded screws/springs. I ended up busting out the Acetone & even a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser (which did wonders but is very mildly abrasive is took somewhat a slight bit of the natural gloss the plastic had). Which both proved to do the job and remove all the hard stains and discolorations. Really bringing back the color of this Shogun Warrior. AS you can see the decals are completely dry rotted. And were removed. The close up of the head shows just how badly the paint was on poor old Space Dragon of the Heavens. So after a thorough cleaning. I put him in really hot water for about a minute and then popped out the horns giving them a good acetone wipe down. They are finished and stain/blemish free. But the head... well it got an acetone bath too... Now it's stripped naked and ready for a complete repaint. (This was actually the plan all along with Gaiking.) He's actually going to be my 1st customization project. Minor, but one I think will look really nice, provided I do the work properly. He is going to end up a cross between the Popy version and the standard American version. What do I mean by that? Well, the entire torso will be getting a mild sanding and be painted a low-gloss black except for the skull. And area will be delineated on the sides. It will look similar to this mock up below(I shamelessly borrowed a CollectionDX photo). Using the Mattel Gaiking for the work up example: The Arrows represent areas where I am not completely sure... I like the idea of a silver arm decal. But with the other arm being a hinged joint it would through off the symmetry. And I don't really think it would help painting part of it silver. Also the black area across the nose like the Popy version... not really sure it will add to it. I was also hesitant about the decals in the mouth area. While I do feel the colors tie in the entire model, I'll see what it looks like after I get it painted. Also, I am not doing the horns in gold. I think leaving them yellow will keep the feel right for this. I'll be fabricating the wings to look similar to the one sold on the Popy version. They will be made of a durable plastic. I will either have a pair of set screws built into the shoulder blades, or I'll make a plug that will fit right in to where the missile launcher mechanism resides. We will see. Today I worked on completely rejuvenating the rusting metal and muddy plastic of the missile launcher. Here is a breakdown: Note all the corrosion on the screws and metal parts. The blue circles on the picture below shows the teeny tiny plastic nubs that protrude on the rocket loading rods where the springs are held in place. Be careful when removing the springs(rotate them off) and don't rub them off or the springs will have nothing to hold them in place. ;-) I cleaned it thoroughly with some alcohol wipes. I used a mild metal polish/cleaner on all the screws- threads and springs. I then lightly oiled the springs. then wiped off the oil till it was dry to the touch. So as to delay any further deterioration or weakening of the springs. And the final pic shows everything cleaned, reassembled and ready to be screwed back together. I tested the mechanism and it works as good as my other Gaiking's. Rockets fly about 3 feet before hitting the ground. So that is where I am currently at. Getting ready to sand, mask then paint the main body. And get started on the head. I've got a pretty solid and long lasting idea for fixing the hinged arm. It will require using some epoxy, screws and a clear plastic disc. ... more to come....
|
|
|
Post by willohio on Mar 27, 2011 0:33:56 GMT -5
Here is the 2nd half of the Two For... AS you can see he is the final version of the Mattel Dragun's to be released. No Forearm saws and the lightning bolt leg dressings. This thing was a mess too. Badly deteriorated and dry rotted decals. With the exception of a so-so waste decal. The backs missing but the front isn't horrible. So I may keep it. The rest are getting repro'd. Now this isn't a great picture, nor is it complete...but here is the mostly restored version of Dragun. I am making the decals for is lower torso myself with some semi-waterproof/uv protected paper. I simply need to use some spray mount and apply them. They are perfect size and color. I pretty much did everything outlined above in the Gaiking thread for him. He was first... thoroughly cleaned and polished him(well polished the metal parts to their shiny original look). And repainted the Getter Beam. He's coming along nicely and still a work in progress... And I still need to fix the partly peeled waist sticker with some spray mount. His Axe launcher works fine and he came with one. I am going to sell him when I've got him complete. I'm hoping a used Southern Cross shows up before I do. It'll sweeten the deal. I've got a bunch of stars. I'll post some good pictures when complete. **Updated** March 27th, 2011 The Southern Cross star shooter came today. The wrist clip is broke on one side. And the firing mechanism was not working. So I took it apart and inspected the mechanics. All parts were intact, the trigger release had only slipped off. So I inspected a friends working star shooter and quickly fixed mine. It has been cleaned and restored to working order. I am now fitting the plastic strip reinforces for the broken wrist clip.
|
|
|
Post by kitsir on Mar 27, 2011 5:50:16 GMT -5
I like your repaint for the Mattel Gaiking. Make it more close to the TV version.
|
|
|
Post by magengar on Mar 27, 2011 13:24:27 GMT -5
Those jumbos turned out BADASS!!! I like how you exposed open the innards, too. Now we have an understanding of how the firing mechanisms in Jumbos really work. I have two Gaikings and a Voltron jumbo to work on (not to mention I also have two Great Mazingas, and a cool mint Dragun that don't need much but a polish-job). I'm lazy, but once I get started I continue until I'm exhausted. But then I end up not finishing the work, in most cases. I expect to get a lot of work done on my toys this summer. ;D Great job there; Thanks for sharing! zozo-Mag
|
|
|
Post by bourno on Mar 27, 2011 13:37:26 GMT -5
nice job, those were some pretty grimy looking jumbos
|
|
|
Post by KingboyD on Mar 27, 2011 17:09:20 GMT -5
Oh man, this should be good! Looking forward to the process.
|
|
|
Post by jason4444 on Mar 27, 2011 22:37:59 GMT -5
Nice brotha!
|
|
|
Post by Voltes V on Mar 29, 2011 14:25:34 GMT -5
It's great to see your dedication restoring these great vintage robots. I can't wait to see your future works. I particularly like the white missiles on Gaiking's shoulders. Are those originals you found some where?
Great job, Will!
|
|
|
Post by biotrontim on Mar 30, 2011 16:16:18 GMT -5
Besides a good cleaning, what else did you do to get them so shiny and tasty like giant pieces of candy?
|
|
|
Post by willohio on Mar 30, 2011 22:35:24 GMT -5
Besides a good cleaning, what else did you do to get them so shiny and tasty like giant pieces of candy? The easiest painless one is furniture polish (ie. like Pledge). Which also will fill in the minor scuffs with a wax and give it a more smooth appearance. Plus depending on the brand...you get a lemony fresh scent... lol You could use an STP/Son of a Gun for plastic for that shiny candy look you are referring too. There is a guy on e-bay right now that uses a healthy dose on his Jumbo's for sale. ToyEast I think. He has a Raydeen (with a Mazinger missile arm) up that is as shiny as a new car. There are also a few different more specific plastic polishes... I have know experience with them though. Some of these also have the added benefit of filling in small scratches. I've seen people whom custom painted their jumbos use a high gloss clearcoat to seal, protect and shine. Though on my custom I am using a Satin & Dull coat for protection on the paint. I prefer the softer/more diffuse original look where possible. ~Will I've found that (using a microfiber cloth) and dry buffing some of the plastic vigorously will bring out some of its original shine. Works pretty well on the feet and other harder/smooth plastic surfaces on the jumbos.
|
|
|
Post by magengar on Mar 30, 2011 23:21:27 GMT -5
Nice. I'll get to kill two birds with a stone: Shiny jumbos, and a Clean-smelling room. ...Alice Brady would be proud! ;D zozo-Mag
|
|
|
Post by prostockjohn on Mar 31, 2011 9:06:16 GMT -5
Thanks for sharing, great stuff.
How about for polish, using automotive products used for shining and cleaning the interior of cars? I'm a car guy, and have a ton of various sprays. I was even wondering about a silicone based spray or polish.
Also for de-rusting metal, one trick car guys use is soaking stuff in vinegar. I can post a link on this if you are interested.
|
|
|
Post by willohio on Apr 2, 2011 8:51:04 GMT -5
Thanks for sharing, great stuff. How about for polish, using automotive products used for shining and cleaning the interior of cars? I'm a car guy, and have a ton of various sprays. I was even wondering about a silicone based spray or polish. Also for de-rusting metal, one trick car guys use is soaking stuff in vinegar. I can post a link on this if you are interested. I've not used any of these products but I'd love to know which ones work well. Especially the silicon based polishes. My only concern with some of them is the abrasives they may contain. Have you tried any yourself? Post away friend.Share any experiences you've had with the car products. The more knowledge, techniques, info we can amass the better/more efficiently we can apply them to our Jumbo work. ~Will
|
|
|
Post by biotrontim on Apr 3, 2011 18:51:25 GMT -5
The Pledge worked wonders, thanx Will
|
|
|
Post by prostockjohn on Apr 4, 2011 11:27:42 GMT -5
I've not used the auto products on a jumbo yet, maybe look at some of the Meguiar's products?
|
|
|
Post by willohio on Apr 12, 2011 22:20:33 GMT -5
I know most of this is common sense. But since I just got a new launcher for my Raydeen and had torn it apart to clean it. I thought I'd go ahead and document it for anyone curious.
|
|
|
Post by biotrontim on Apr 14, 2011 14:21:00 GMT -5
Will, now I know why you cant just buy a MIB Sogun... Your spending all your money on them quilted paper towels!
|
|
|
Post by willohio on Apr 14, 2011 17:52:58 GMT -5
LOL! But I love those quilted paper towels!
And I love getting these Jumbos that need some attention and care to bring-em back to their former condition.(That's the fun part for me now. And watching my new son play with them) When you get that well played with toy you know it has some history. That to me is also a cool thing!
~Will
Besides...those MIB's make me feel bad...it's like toys that never got played with. Neglected. They are sort of the misfit toys...not that I wouldn't love to have one Mind you! ;-) but I WOULD play with them. Gently. A Toy that you aren't going to play with is a toy that could have went to some kid whom would have loved it. Built a story and fought some major battles and added to the AWESOME of their childhood nostalgia... like it has mine!
|
|
|
Post by biotrontim on Apr 15, 2011 12:51:33 GMT -5
I couldn't agree more! I buy, sell and collect used, played-with toys. I do prefer VIVA myself.
|
|