1:72 Matchbox Lysander full restoration try

[hal bregg]

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away I made a Matchbox kit. Some time has passed and now it's just one of the last remnants of the old shelf, in fact ready to be thrown away. Because of the sentiment for the Matchbox models, I decided to renew it. Will it work or not, we'll see.

The patient:

 

[Wurger]

 

[hal bregg]

Step 1:
Model sprayed by WD-40. It should help (?) to separate main parts/soften paint and decals.

That was fun... The patient must rest for several hours now.

 

[Wurger]

 

[Thumpalumpacus]

Wow. I built that same model as a lad, I was new to modeling and found it quite difficult. Looking forward to this.

 

[Snautzer01]

sentiment for the Matchbox

Ohh yeah.

 

[Ralph Haus]

If that's the 'before', can't wait to see the 'after'!!

 

[Vic Balshaw]

Looked okay as it was. Really looking forward to the revitalised version.

 

[Greg Boeser]

What if the WD-40 reduces it to a puddle of goo? I have no experience in these things. But will watch with trepidation.

 

[ThomasP]

If the WD40 does not work to dissolve the paint, try isopropyl alcohol. I used to use it to dissolve oil and water based paints and it did not damage the plastic - although it did dry out the plastics to a certain extent. One of the nice things about it is that you can simply fill a container with the isopropyl alcohol and drop the parts in. Take the parts out once in a while and rub on the paint to see if it will come off.

 

[hal bregg]

Step 2

Thanks for advices, but The Plan is more perfidious...

WD 40 only softened the paint and decals (if at all), but helped with model defragmentation.

I'm going to use the household pipe unclogger containing NaOH base.

 

[Vic Balshaw]

If it is an enamel paint, try soaking in hydraulic fluid. This usually works and the sodium hydroxide could be a little to aggressive.

 

[hal bregg]

Yes, enamel. Old Humbrol authentic colours with small squares on the can (those were great paints...). Easy to paint by brush even for beginners. Their quality dropped in the early 1990s due to the ban on lead I think.

 

[hal bregg]

Step 3
Bath in a about 10% water solution of unclogger granules.

Just after an hour decals and paint started to "move".
Patient must rest now....

 

[Wurger]

 

[hal bregg]

Step 4

After brushing I have unpainted Matchbox again (anyway, a sort of...).

No harm even in canopy clear part.
Now I have to think about what to do next with this thing...

 

[hal bregg]

One thing: as we all know, warning labels are bullshit.
But not in this case.
Unclogger is very harmful - rubber gloves and eye/face protection while brushing is strongly needed!.

 

[Wurger]

Well done.

 

[Vic P]

Did the unclogger also help separate the parts or did you do something else to get it down to individual parts. Looking good so far. I have a model Stranraer that I did a bit of painting and assembly a while back that I want to redo. Used Testor enamels on it.

 

[hal bregg]

Did the unclogger also help separate the parts

Yes, it helps, but WD-40 must have done the job too- as a penetrating agent.
But I couldn't separate horizontal stabs and engine anyway- I think force must be used...