Pony Talk => Pony Corral => Topic started by: Shimmer Mist on January 21, 2020, 03:03:24 PM
Title: Restoration pointers?
Post by: Shimmer Mist on January 21, 2020, 03:03:24 PM
I was going through my box of bait ponies and I found two especially rough-looking Twinkle-Eye ponies I'd like to attempt to restore. Gingerbread and Sweet Stuff.
The photos make Sweet Stuff look more washed out than she really is but Ginderbread really is that tan. Not sure how "off" her color is now compared to the original. I've seen a variety of photos that make her look a little closer to what I have now and some that are lighter in color.
Both of them have these weird, brown spots on them. I'm not sure if it's mold or rust seeping into the plastic. Either way it's kind of unsettling.
I know how to do basic scrubs and hair washes but I've never attempted anything this daunting before. I know they probably need a deep cleaning inside as well as out but my first problem with that is they're completely solid. They barely have any give to them when I squeeze them. I can't even pull their heads off to get at their insides. I know their plastics can harden with age as I've got a couple more like this but they were never this dirty so a surface cleaning was enough to suffice for them. Anyway, my first thought would be to boil them to try and soften the plastic but I'm also worried about ruining their eyes. I know Twinkle Eyes can be delicate. They are are already scuffed, which I can live with, but I'd hate to make them any worse.
I haven't attempted to try anything with them yet as I feel so stuck.
Title: Re: Restoration pointers?
Post by: tailrustedtealeaf on January 21, 2020, 03:20:23 PM
Hair dryer on the neck to soften the plastic!
Title: Re: Restoration pointers?
Post by: Roogna on January 22, 2020, 08:29:48 AM
You may have to use an xacto knife to carefully go around the neck seam as well
gingerbread was originally WHITE ;)
the brownness and spots are from aging. the only "fix" I've seen is soaking in hydrogen peroxide in the sun (and you only do that with ponies that are bad like these as it can also make the hair brittle and remove some of the "twinkle" from their eyes) -- I haven't tried this myself, as I was waiting to see longer term side effects, but you can search this site and online for pointers from people who've done it. Given the condition of these two, I'd say go for it! They would be bait and fully customized by others