Cleaning Yamato Valks

[Sandman]

I was wondering what cleaning supplies everyone uses to clean their yamato valkyries?

The reason i ask is that i have a 1/60 yf-21 that have skin grease/oil spots on the wings. I can't seem to get it off. They look like 2 shinny wet splotches that won't ever dry. Any ideas on how i can get them off?

[Golden Arms]

Isopropyl alcohol and cotton swabs. I wouldn't use anything harsher than that.

Edited July 11, 2011 by Golden Arms

[Sandman]

Thanks for the quick reply. Is there anything to watch for? Anything that might strip the paint?

[Archer]

I am kind of interested in this too. I have a VF-19 Kai coming in, and I've heard reports of grease on the model. Any suggestions on what to use to clear it of grease? Furthermore, would I have to transform the whole thing to get rid of all greasy residues? I ask because I don't want to transform it early on, leaving it in fighter mode, nor do I want to use a chemical that will damage the plastics/paint....

[Golden Arms]

Hello Archer, Be careful with IPA on the Bandai valks. I usually clean my Yamato valks in fighter mode, but battroid is probably a better mode to clean in, because more of the hidden parts will be available(head, forarms, etc). The other benefit of IPA over something like peroxide is that it will dry quicker, so you won't have to worry too much about drying or wiping to dry. I haven't heard of any metal parts rusting. But I wouldn't leave them wet. Soap and water also works very well.

You could clean with soap and water, and then finish with IPA. The IPA will dry the soap and water. If you have a greasy valk, go soap and water then finish with alcohol. That should remove all the grime from the factory.

If you are uncertain about a particular solvent, then just use soap and water. I haven't found any toys that are harmed by them.

Edited July 11, 2011 by Golden Arms

[Archer]

^Alright, thanks Golden Arms. Lets just hope my VF-19 comes in w/o grease. There were only a few select cases of grease, so i'm hoping I won't have to deal with it...

[eugimon]

Just never use any paper products to wipe/dry the valks with.

[Archer]

^Any reason Eugimon? Is it cuz they rub off on the toy, or something else? This is the first I've heard of this...

[eugimon]

^Any reason Eugimon? Is it cuz they rub off on the toy, or something else? This is the first I've heard of this...

all paper products have tiny bits of wood in them, and they're hard enough to scratch plastic leaving little swirls or scratches in the plastic. You won't notice it on the matte surface of the other yamato valks but the glossy surface of the vf-19 will definitely show them.

Pretty much the same reason you never clean eye glasses with paper products either.

[MacrossJunkie]

Be careful with the rubbing alcohol on the painted surfaces. Also, the clear colored plastic pieces aren't molded in colored plastic, like the red and blue pieces below the knees on the legs of a VF-1. They are clear plastic coated in colored clear acrylic paint which the rubbing alcohol will wipe off or ruin the finish. Use it sparingly if you must use it, but try a cloth (microfiber for no dust) dampened with water first. And if you have any Bandai DX's, don't even think about using the alcohol. The paint comes right off without any effort. It's like wiping dry marker off a white board.

Edited July 11, 2011 by MacrossJunkie

[charger69]

I use eye glass cleaning suede cloth

and blush brush

Valkyries are females rigth? So no problem here

[m0n5t3r]

i use a make-up brush too!............................................................ for the toys

on a related note... i just cleaned my display cabinets and treated the wood parts with lysol to prevent mildew growth since it's already rainy season here which causes moisture build up...

[Omegablue]

Eye glasses cleaners.

And an airbrush is the best to clean the seams of dust.

[Golden Arms]

Ditto on the blush brushes. I use them to dust my toys.

[EXO]

funny how a lot of the stuff in the make up dept. is useful for hobby. aside from what's mentioned, the nail files are cheap and make awesome for detail sanding and the rubber tipped cuticle thingies are great for sculpting.

Let's face it, if those valks don't look good, we don't look good.

[Vifam7]

Do not use isopropyl alcohol to clean Bandai, Yamato, or any other toy! IPA can strip off lacquer paint used on just about every toy out there and even eat into tampo prints. Just use a bit of clean water and a soft cloth like that used to wipe eye glasses.

[Golden Arms]

I've used it to clean all my yamato toys before stickering and have yet to see a problem with it. I've been using rubbing acohol and ocassionally peroxide for years. We should caution that not all plastics are made the same.

Don't forget clear nail polish to tighten loose joints.

Edited July 11, 2011 by Golden Arms

[David Hingtgen]

What do people do to their valks that they need any sort of "cleaner" (alcohol etc) at all? Mine never have anything more than common household dust, which is easily removed with nothing more than a small brush, or water if really needed.

[Golden Arms]

What do people do to their valks that they need any sort of "cleaner" (alcohol etc) at all? Mine never have anything more than common household dust, which is easily removed with nothing more than a small brush, or water if really needed.

I'm a sticker fanatic, so I clean my toys before stickering. Much better adhesion to surface. The only surfaces on the Yamato toys I've consistently had issues over the years has been the 1/48 fastpacks. The reactor bombs, leg attachments and booster portions don't like the yammie stickers. But these surfaces seem grainer than the valks main bodies.

[Loop]

What do people do to their valks that they need any sort of "cleaner" (alcohol etc) at all? Mine never have anything more than common household dust, which is easily removed with nothing more than a small brush, or water if really needed.

Yeah me too, are you guys smoking around your toys? Or frying fatty foods around them? I have seen where cooking oils can coat stuff over the years and cause dust to stick to it.

Edited July 12, 2011 by Loop

[eugimon]

I leave my valks out by the grill, trying to get that yamato weathered look.

[MacrossJunkie]

I'm a sticker fanatic, so I clean my toys before stickering. Much better adhesion to surface. The only surfaces on the Yamato toys I've consistently had issues over the years has been the 1/48 fastpacks. The reactor bombs, leg attachments and booster portions don't like the yammie stickers. But these surfaces seem grainer than the valks main bodies.

Me too. I sticker all my valks. Even Yamato valks have some chemicals still on the surface as well as finger oils from my handling that affects sticker adhesion so I clean a surface before I sticker it. After that, there is no need for cleaning. Perhaps dusting after a while, but that is easy to brush off.

[Loop]

I leave my valks out by the grill, trying to get that yamato weathered look.

Just make sure they don't get too much sun

[Ignacio Ocamica]

What do people do to their valks that they need any sort of "cleaner" (alcohol etc) at all? Mine never have anything more than common household dust, which is easily removed with nothing more than a small brush, or water if really needed.

Well sometimes the dust adheres to the surface of my toys (guess it's the humid weather) so I have to use water and a soft cloth to get them factory clean.

[s001]

I use eye glass cleaning suede cloth

and blush brush

Valkyries are females rigth? So no problem here

That's exactly what I use.

[regult]

Same here Ignacio, in the winter months (when we don't use aircons) the humidity is high and dust gets stuck on models' surfaces. Also, let's face it, fingerprints love Bandai's shiny finish. I don't need to clean my aircraft models (my other collection) as much as the valks since I handle the latter more often for obvious reasons.

[ae_productions]

Yeah, rubbing alcohol and BanDai paint do NOT MIX. I've had better luck with Yamato's paint. Been working on an Alaska Guard custom, and let's just say, some of the original Yamato paint wasn't cooperating very well when it came time to take it off. My VF-25 on the other hand, had paint chips even before taking it out of the box! But with all things mass produced, we will all have different experiences, I'm sure.

For cleaning, I use a feather duster and canned air. If I have to "get in there," I use my Oakley sunglass cleaner (unlimited lifetime refills) and a microfiber cloth.

Now when I go into the Oakley store to refill the cleaner, I neglect to tell them that their sunglass cleaner also works wonders on my imported collectibles.

Edited August 4, 2011 by ae_productions

[boyarque]

For cleaning, I use a feather duster and canned air. If I have to "get in there," I use my Oakley sunglass cleaner (unlimited lifetime refills) and a microfiber cloth.

Now when I go into the Oakley store to refill the cleaner, I neglect to tell them that their sunglass cleaner also works wonders on my imported collectibles.

THIS...I like!!!

[Sandman]

Thanks for all the suggestions. Unfortunately none of them worked. I've done some researching online and it seems finger oils can react with the plastic and paint permently damaging the surface - ie. Leaving a shiny worn out looking surface. I've seen this effect before on laptop keyboards and casings that have been "well used". I'm not sure how I could have done this within a few hours of opening the yf-21. I did get this used off of eBay. I.m starting to wonder if it was like this before i opened it and didn't notice at first cause of the low lighting of the room where I opened it in.

[Ignacio Ocamica]

Thanks for all the suggestions. Unfortunately none of them worked. I've done some researching online and it seems finger oils can react with the plastic and paint permently damaging the surface - ie. Leaving a shiny worn out looking surface. I've seen this effect before on laptop keyboards and casings that have been "well used". I'm not sure how I could have done this within a few hours of opening the yf-21. I did get this used off of eBay. I.m starting to wonder if it was like this before i opened it and didn't notice at first cause of the low lighting of the room where I opened it in.

You could try to wetsand the shinny spots (if they're on bare plastic!). You must find a sandpaper with the proper grit. Yamato's valks have a matte finish so you could try and sand for example inside the backplate ('til you find the same finish). I'd try with a grit between 280-320.

Edited August 7, 2011 by Ignacio Ocamica

[wewe]

My Yamato VF-11c is turning yellow on some parts. Can this be fixed?

[Reïvaj]

My Yamato VF-11c is turning yellow on some parts. Can this be fixed?

You can stop the process. Take it away from sun light.

[wewe]

Thanks for the reply.

[ae_productions]

Thanks for the reply.

Don't know how viable this is, but I have been told that in addition to sunlight, that certain types of cigarette smoke (cigar too, I imagine) can also cause plastic to oxidize (turn yellow).

[David Hingtgen]

Oyxygen is the 2nd-strongest "yellower" of plastic. That is why there's so many "never removed from box, kept in a dark closet" things that still yellow. Because they weren't sealed air-tight. (that really is your only complete defense)

Some plastics react more to light, some more to oxygen. But all react to both.