G1 Twinkle Eye Ponies Coating Loss

[WinterTrees]

I recently found a Twinkle Eye pony at a local website for a bargain price because she'd had her hair cut, and her eyes had gone dim. I'm not looking to buy her, at least not now, but it made me curious to see if dim twinkle eyes are fixable. I've had a bit of trouble finding info on it, though the consensus seems to be 'not really'. The MLP Preservation Project says you can replace the coating with a pearlizing medium, but that it 'doesn't look exactly like their original finish'. It's made me curious about what it DOES look like. Has anyone tried to fix dim twinkle eyes? If so, how, and what were the results? Anyone know where I can find more info on this?

[kestral_kitsune]

i wonder if you used a glossy uv resin would it work?

[Purpleglasses]

With all due respect, I don’t think adding extra resin to a pony is a good idea. There could be issues where the chemical composition of the pony plastic inhibits the curing of the resin, causing it to never harden properly and leaving you with  a goopy mess, or at best you’ve added a rock hard layer of extra plastic to the pony, and it would alter the shape of the eye. It could drip before it cures as well, and in any case Twinkle Eyes seem to be going up in price lately - you wouldn’t want to alter one in a way that can’t be reversed.

I believe the Twinkle Eye coating is painted on. My best suggestion for a comparable modern material would be to mix interference Pearl Ex powdered pigments into a clear medium (paint) and paint, or better! Airbrush it onto the twinkle eye after masking off the area around the plastic gem with painter’s tape. The interference pigments have colors that show up best on colored surfaces and are somewhat translucent, so, like the original ponies, the color of the plastic underneath plays a role in how the final product looks. They come in multiple colors. I’d suggest a mix to get the right multi colored sheen.

If you can get this pony I say go for it! Even if you don’t want to keep it, it’s likely you can pass it on to another interested person on here. Best of luck!

[WinterTrees]

Thank you for your reply! I'm very tempted to go for the pony now, if for no other reason than I'm curious to see how painting over the eye with Pearl Ex would turn out, but I'll hold off for a bit because, you know, limited money. If I get my hands on her and the necessary materials, I'll try fixing up the eyes and I'll probably post the results!

[Artemesia's Garden]

I think it's electroplated, like this:

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Other possible method might be vacuum plating:

http://www.atopincn.com/sale-10069180-rainbow-color-vacuum-coating-machine-film-pvd-vacuum-coating-equipment-for-ceramic-tiles.html

Post Merge: January 08, 2022, 05:26:37 AM

Thank you for your reply! I'm very tempted to go for the pony now, if for no other reason than I'm curious to see how painting over the eye with Pearl Ex would turn out, but I'll hold off for a bit because, you know, limited money. If I get my hands on her and the necessary materials, I'll try fixing up the eyes and I'll probably post the results!

It is your pony, your choice after all. It would be great if someone did finally come up with a DIY solution to this problem.

[tailrustedtealeaf]

Your mention of vaccuum plating reminds me of transfer foil for nails. I'm sure it's one way to make it look pretty, although maybe not one to one.

[LadyMoondancer]

Suggestion:  get a bunch of plastic craft gems.  (I've found them at places like Joann Fabric before.)  Then you can test various methods on them before trying them on a real pony! 

It would be great if someone figured out how to replicate the original coating!

Here's a link to some craft gems on Amazon, they're not the same shape / size as Twinkle Eyes but they're probably made of similar material.

>> LINK <<

(You can also find them by googline "craft rhinestones" or "craft jewels", stuff like that.)

[Purpleglasses]

You are most welcome for the reply!

I admit I don’t have all the answers. I told BF about the issue and he said that mixing the Pearl Ex into clear enamel paint instead of clear acrylic paint might help change the look to closer to G1. An interesting thing to think would affect the process! He cited Adam Savage’a videos, and said that Testers makes a good clear enamel that is sold at hobby shops.. Apparently it’s closer in texture to nail polish, but you know, unlike nail polish it’s meant to be permanent.

I would absolutely love to see some re-twinkling tests on cheap gems! And the electroplating honestly looks promising, too, but much harder to do at home. At least, as far as I know!  Those nail transfers look interesting too!

[kestral_kitsune]

With all due respect, I don’t think adding extra resin to a pony is a good idea. There could be issues where the chemical composition of the pony plastic inhibits the curing of the resin, causing it to never harden properly and leaving you with  a goopy mess, or at best you’ve added a rock hard layer of extra plastic to the pony, and it would alter the shape of the eye. It could drip before it cures as well, and in any case Twinkle Eyes seem to be going up in price lately - you wouldn’t want to alter one in a way that can’t be reversed.

I believe the Twinkle Eye coating is painted on. My best suggestion for a comparable modern material would be to mix interference Pearl Ex powdered pigments into a clear medium (paint) and paint, or better! Airbrush it onto the twinkle eye after masking off the area around the plastic gem with painter’s tape. The interference pigments have colors that show up best on colored surfaces and are somewhat translucent, so, like the original ponies, the color of the plastic underneath plays a role in how the final product looks. They come in multiple colors. I’d suggest a mix to get the right multi colored sheen.

If you can get this pony I say go for it! Even if you don’t want to keep it, it’s likely you can pass it on to another interested person on here. Best of luck!

 

I wasn't quite sure on the resin idea cause I was wondering if was feasible but wasn't sold fully on it myself for same reasons that there might be a reaction. I'm also wondering if what I'm actually thinking of is resin or a diff product it was like a high gloss sealant?

[Artemesia's Garden]

You are most welcome for the reply!

I admit I don’t have all the answers. I told BF about the issue and he said that mixing the Pearl Ex into clear enamel paint instead of clear acrylic paint might help change the look to closer to G1. An interesting thing to think would affect the process! He cited Adam Savage’a videos, and said that Testers makes a good clear enamel that is sold at hobby shops.. Apparently it’s closer in texture to nail polish, but you know, unlike nail polish it’s meant to be permanent.

I would absolutely love to see some re-twinkling tests on cheap gems! And the electroplating honestly looks promising, too, but much harder to do at home. At least, as far as I know!  Those nail transfers look interesting too!

He's right about Testors -  they make a good products. And yes electroplating. I have no idea how I would do it at home. So not wanting to put anyone off but I think that's why no-one has already cracked it. No pun intended.

[WinterTrees]

Everyone thanks for the replies!! It's super helpful, and if I end up doing tests, I'll be sure to let people know what the results were! Getting some plastic craft gems is a great suggestion, and I'll be sure to get my hands on some, though I doubt I'll get them at Joan's, since it doesn't exist in the Netherlands. I highly doubt I'll be able to do vacuum plating, but if someone cracks how to do that, let me know the results! I'll look around for Testors Enamel Paint, see if I can get it over here, or at least in the EU, otherwise I'll try to find a similar replacement. And of course, if anyone else tries, please let me know the results!

[Eskara1862]

I've heard interference paint is a good way to replicate this. I've got several colors and have a bait twinkle eye to practice on! The problem is, my air brush has gone on the fritz and I'm pretty sure it's the compressor at this point. i'm still troubleshooting. But I'll move this higher up on my list of fixes so I can share pics when I get it done

[Purpleglasses]

Can't wait to see what you guys come up with in your tests!

I'm feeling really inspired by all the collaboration on this thread, so I googled "can you electroplate at home?" and you know what? You CAN! It doesn't look simple, or like a short process, but it is certainly possible.

Apparently there's even a home electroplating kit that one can buy: https://gsplating.co.uk/

And I found a few DIY methods involving batteries or phone charger parts and clamps: https://www.wikihow.com/Electroplate-Household-Metals#:~:text=Electroplating%20household%20metals%20is%20the,metal%20you%20want%20to%20electroplate.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-PtnwtOR24

Like I said, a bit daunting but possible. Even better, I found someone testing out the process on old toys https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=db8VVMyWmdA! While he's not getting a twinkle eye irridescence, think of all the oxie clean treated princess pony cutie marks this could repair.

My research is by no means exaustive, so if you choose to try this at home, please cross refference a bunch of reliable sources! Consider this more of a "huh, so that works!" primer, and remember to research how to do this technique safely, too! Those are electrical currents you're dealing with.

Artemesia's Garden, did the source you found the images of the iridescent clear plastic electroplated tubes say what material they were plated in to make them iridescent? If we knew that and we had someone willing to try electroplating, perhaps we could have shiny pony eyes again!

Or maybe we all learn a new technique and enamal/pearl ex works fine, but I'd be fascinated to see both side by side and next to a mint twinkle eye!

EDIT: Found out its called electroforming when you do it to plastic, AND found a supplier of colored aluminum (which looks the most twinkle-eye-ish, I think) who's willing to send out samples!

https://www.lafrancecorp.com/blog/exceptional-finishes-for-exceptional-branding

https://www.lafrancecorp.com/resources/materials-request?hsCtaTracking=23e2fd3d-ad93-4dee-b563-a8efdd07ec00%7C4a96ac79-9384-4e35-ae04-fcbfb9eeebff

Further edit: Whoops, no, I think it might be titanium dioxide that gives the rainbow oil slick look? http://www.titaniumart.com/titanium-info.html

(Fun fact, my dad was an engineer early in his career and it's moments like these when I realize I truly did wind up with a brain a bit like his. It's been a fun rabbit hole, pony folks!)

[BubbleTea]

maybe it would be possible to perform an eye transplant using eyes from a BF pony?

[kabent]

Purpleglasses, i went down the same exact electroplating rabbit hole after reading this thread the other night! i watched the same youtube video and everything

i was wondering the same thing about the material used for the oil-slick sheen (as opposed to metallic coatings) and i'm delighted you came away from the search with such promising results!!

i am genuinely curious to know if it would be worth reaching out to someone who does this kind of work professionally (or as a hobby) to see if they could give us more definitive answers i'll admit i'm personally a little desperate for The Twinkle Eye Solution™, but i think it would be awesome if we could find & pay someone to produce electroformed samples on craft gems or something, if only to see if we're on the right track!

if you find out more about any of this, please keep me posted! :^)

in the meantime, i've done a little experimenting (and a lot of researching) to see if there's any kind of easy, at-home solution but (predictably) i've come up short every time. these are my not-so-scientific findings:

• i've used some iridescent mica powder for nail art and resins suspended in clear enamel paint to little success. using the powder on its own produces a thick, metallic layer, and thinning it out scatters the glitter particles. i'll continue experimenting with different applications, though!
• special effect paints like Folk Art's Color Shift and Dragonfly Glaze are very pretty, but don't appear capable of reproducing the proper effect; as far as i can tell from pictures, the former seems to have an opaque(?) base color with a duochrome shift, while the latter has a clear base with a kind of holofoil texture.
• most powders & pigments i've seen (short of industrial grade ones used for car paint) do not seem to "flip" through the correct amount & spectrum of colors to adequately replicate the TE coating. most only shift between two-three hues, and tend to have a texture to them, whereas the TE shine is closer to a full-spectrum, iridescent, oil-slick sheen.
• HOWEVER: i've repeatedly seen Chameleon Nano Flakes mentioned. it's a kind of mix-in light scattering pigment containing a titanium compound. i've only seen a single photo of this having actually been applied (not to a TE or anything similar) but honestly, it looks pretty promising. i don't think it will be a dead-on match, and they aren't easy to get in the US, but it'd be cheaper than investing in an electroplating kit i'm going to try ordering them soon! if anyone else is interested in trying these out, just know that they are pretty heavy duty and it is recommended that you wear some gloves, a mask and protective eyewear while working with them.
• i've seen others warned away from nail polishes and varnishes as using them risks damaging the plastic. nail polish in particular has been cited as getting gunky over time, in addition to attracting dust and being difficult to clean/remove. i'd love to know if there is a pony-plastic-safe gloss varnish out there, though!

i'm also very interested in what using an airbrush could bring to the table. i admittedly know next to nothing about them and would be delighted to see the results!

with all of that said, some of these methods produce really pretty results regardless of "accuracy", and i'd love to see what others have tried! feel free to chime in if my assessment/application of these materials is off in any way, haha. i am NOT an expert, and i'm eager to learn more!

good luck, everyone!