Thursday, July 13, 2017

DIY Whitening

When I back in Cranbrook I found a couple bags of old Star Wars Kenner figures that I had picked up over the years at thrift stores and garage sales.  I brought them back to Calgary to put with my other old Star Wars figures I have that I found at thrift stores here in Calgary.  Some figures look better than others and then there is this one.


While I love all Stormtrooper figures, the Biker Scout figure is one of my favorites.  Unfortunately, this guy has seen better days.  He is pretty worn with lots of the black rubbed off/wearing through, he has loose joints and even a big crack in the upper left torso.  Add to that the torso is severely yellowed.  

The yellowing happens to a lot of Stormtroopers just due to aging of the plastic.  I had read about a home remedy to fix the yellowing, so I thought I'd give it a try to see how it works and since this guy was already so worn it wasn't going to be a big waste if it didn't work.


You need three things to do this and the first two are hydrogen peroxide and a clear glass jar.  The jar I just bought with pocket change at the thrift store because my empty huckleberry jam jars were too small.  The hydrogen peroxide can be found in any pharmacy, but in the guide I read the guy said to use a 6% solution. I looked everywhere and everyone only carried 3%.  I even asked at my pharmacy if it came in a stronger solution and if they could order it.  Again, all the were able to get was the 3% solution, so looks like I'm not off to great start.


Just fill the jar with the hydrogen peroxide and drop the figure in it.  Of course, he should be full submerged.  Before I put my figure in the jar I gave him a wash in warm soapy water just to get any surface dirt and grime off.


The third thing you need is a window and some sunlight.  Is that four things?  Once again the guide I read recommended leaving the jar out for an entire week.  Every day just rotate the jar so the front and back get equal exposure to the sun and shake off any bubbles that form on the figure.


It worked!  Here is a before and after shot of my biker scout and he definitely looks a lot cleaner now.  Even after the first day in the jar there was a noticeable change in colour.  I guess not having the 6% hydrogen peroxide didn't really matter in the long run.  I'm pretty happy it worked and can't wait to find some more old yellowed Stormtroopers to experiment on.  It's like science and stuff.

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