PlaymoFriends
Creative => How-To => Topic started by: Sir Gareth on February 22, 2006, 11:32:39
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Don't you all go getting to excited about the title of this post yet.
For years now I have been trying to find a way of restoring the old silver playmobil weapons and accessories from the knights theme. I have tried several paints in the past and none of them have really given the shine that I want, although there has to be a paint out there somewhere that will do the job because that's all it is a painted finish, isn't it?
My latest attempt to restore these items took me down a different path something that I have never done before. After getting the 30 year anniversary 4430 golden knight with his real gold finish it made me think about gold plating or gilding. So I looked up this method on the net and decided that maybe it was possible to Gold/silver plate Playmo. Now that sounds expensive doesn't it but there are gold and silver looking metal leaf products out there so I have used one of them called easy metal. The sheets are 14 x 14 cm each and the pack I bought contained 10 sheets + 4 free for £6.99 so about 64p a sheet and you can get at least 10 - 12 breast plates out of 1 sheet.
The process is fairly simple.
1) clean the item you want to cover making sure it's free of grease and dust, I polished the old silver off with metal polish and then removed the polish with Methylated spirits.
2) Apply a thin coat of size ( adhesive ) to the area to be covered. This has so far been my biggest problem, I can't find the stuff anywhere near me so I tried a substitute watered down copydex. The problem was I couldn't get it thin enough and as it dried it left ridges from the brush strokes so I didn't get an even surface and these showed through.
3) After about 15 minutes apply the easy metal and tamp down with a soft cloth or brush and leave to dry for 2 -3 hours.
4) after the drying time go over the area with a soft brush with circular movements to remove any loose metal to leave a smooth finish.
5) Then coat the area with a suitable varnish or shellac to protect the surface and to stop it oxidizing.
Sounds simple enough doesn't it, but like I mentioned above in stage 2 I couldn't find the right adhesive so I was left with ridges in my finished surface. also being a bit impatient I didn't give it enough time to dry and some small pieces came off when I brushed it. Also my brush wasn't soft enough and actually scratched the whole surface leaving it duller, the correct brush is made from real squirrel hair and expensive( how they get the squirrel hair is also of great concern to me).
However despite these problems I have had the best finish yet and will continue to look for the right adhesive and a softer man made brush and every now and then I will have a go at it. If I manage to get a good finish with the cheap stuff which isn't as shiny as the real silver leaf, I will then look at using the proper stuff. Who knows oneday I might be able to make a 24 carat gold plated klicky Oscar.
The pictures below are.
1) my pile of silver stuff you can see 2 old untouched breast plates and 2 painted ones that I did with plasticote chrome spray paint. The Crown shows how shiny the silver should look.
2) is of a cleaned breast plate.
3) is of the finished piece showing the glue marks underneath.
4) showing the colour comparison, on the left an untouched piece, the centre is the covered piece and at the end an old painted piece.
If anybody else out there has already found a way or a good paint to restore these please let us know.
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Very interesting information Garry! Thanks!
I have had some success using the Plastikote chrome paint, but it was not to refurbish old armor, so I have not compared it to the original pieces. But it seemed to go on very smoothly and had a very nice shine. The gold was used for the handgrabs on my first class passenger coach, and the silver was used for the chrome on Captain Henry's jeep:
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Hi Garry,
I wondered what size is used for so did a search. It looks like it is used in woodworking. Here is something I found about it online: "Glue size is most commonly made of a watered-down, water-based, PVA adhesive. If you do plan to make your own, try something on the order of 10 parts (or a little less) water to one part white glue. "
So it sounds like you could try white school glue thinned out if you haven't already
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Have you tried using Nail Polish for a shiny look
I had an old silver sword/cutlass that I once used nail plish on, and I was rather pleased with the results.
But I havent tried anything else, since
Meg
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I was looking more closely at the chrome finish on the jeep and comparing it to the silver armor (now that I finally have a silver armored knight, albeit one of the new ones), and it does not quite have the same shine.
Along the lines of the nail polish that Meg suggested, I will try to experiment giving the chrome paint a coat of clear gloss over it and see how that works. As it has been a bit chilly lately, and all my painting is done out of doors, it may be a few days until I can try it...
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I made some tests with chrome spray some time ago. I made the experience that the spray didn't look like chrome at all (at least the one I used), but it looks like more than chrome right after putting on, but loses this effect more and more after getting in touch with it. There also couldn't help a final layer of clear paint (the result was even worse because the chrome finally lost its effect and looks like more than dull silver).
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I've come across something called Bare Metal foil which I is self-adhesive. I've never used it (though I've had some aluminium sheets for years) but it comes in a shiny chrome finish. Here's a link to a UK supplier which I've used for other materials and is good.
http://www.hobby.uk.com/cgi-bin/hobbys-cgi/Catalogue.pl
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Thank you for sharing the results of your experiments with all of us, Garry. :)
What I admire the most about this is how much time and thought you have put into finding a solution to the flaking silver problem. Very clever ideas! :)9
I'm sure that you'll hit on the perfect combination one day, and hopefully the findings and suggestions from the other members will help towards bringing this day closer. 8-)
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Hello Garry :)9
Thank you very much indeed for taking the time to share your ideas with us. I really do think the results you have acheived are excellent.
Kindest Regards Tim :)
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i discovered an interesting method for "gilding" and perhaps it would work for silver as well.
i found a "14k gold" spray in the hardware department of my local department store for only a few $$ and very carefully wasted it onto a piece of tile. once enough had come out to form a... hm... blob, i guess, i used an old paintbrush to paint it onto the pieces i was working with. (not playmo in this case) it dried very smooth and quite shiny. i beileve that there was a silver version of the spray paint. i'll check on the brand and reposte later today at some point :)
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I've come across something called Bare Metal foil which I is self-adhesive. I've never used it (though I've had some aluminium sheets for years) but it comes in a shiny chrome finish. Here's a link to a UK supplier which I've used for other materials and is good.
http://www.hobby.uk.com/cgi-bin/hobbys-cgi/Catalogue.pl
It's been a while now since I have had the time to continue my restoration of my Silver knights parts.
After Gordon's post about Bare metal foil I looked into it and went ahead and bought a sheet from the US, because it was cheaper than anywhere else in the UK with Postage. ???
The finished look of the foil is the best so far for colour and depth of shine but it still isn't what I'm looking for. It also has it's limitations as to how it deals with curves and made creases that can't be removed. The instructions say that it may be necessary to use several pieces to cover awkward areas but this leaves joints.
Overall despite not giving the finish I wanted the product is easy to use and on flat surfaces does give a good mirrored look. It Isn't that hard wearing and in the toy box the surface can get damaged and any parts that lift can be peeled off very easily. So It is probably best used on display pieces and obviously ideal for making mirrors.
I have also tried another chrome spray that was said to be the best on the market but it is just as bad as all the others. :(
In the 2nd picture the parts are from left to right bare metal, original playmo silver and spray paint finishes.
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Hello, Garry ...
Have you thought about "chrome plating" the part to its original finish?
Click HERE (http://www.aki.co.uk/page/chrome_plating) ...
Just a thought ... :eh?:
All the best,
Richard
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Hello, Garry ...
Have you thought about "chrome plating" the part to its original finish?
Click HERE (http://www.aki.co.uk/page/chrome_plating) ...
Just a thought ... :eh?:
All the best,
Richard
Hi Richard,
I have been told about a UK company that will reproduce parts and chrome plate them. The person I spoke to restores old corgi and dinky cars and gets bumbers and other plastic trims made for them. The problem is the cost of each individual part to be plated because all I require are small amounts.
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I wonder if the chrome plated parts were really chrome plated; when I look at a torso on the inside there is some original plastic colour still visible and it gradually becomes chrome when going further to the bottom of that torso. I guess when such a part is really chrome plated it would be totally covered in chrome...
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Hi Playmofriends,
ENJOY THIS !!
(http://www.playmo-portal.com/playmobilforum/download.php?id=66581)
http://www.playmo-portal.com/playmobilforum/verchromen-t17040.html#183842 (http://www.playmo-portal.com/playmobilforum/verchromen-t17040.html#183842)
gentle greets
Andi
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seen this in real and had a talk with the guy
it was very high quality chrome
don't know anything 'bout prices thoug