Ratchet's Workshop: Restoring a yellowed Fort Max

Copied from Original thread in old forum:

http://otca.invisionzone.com/index.php?showtopic=2247


Hello,

I will use this thread to provide documentation on how I went about restoring my yellowed Fort Max back to mint condition. Restoring Fort Max took a lot of effort but I am extremely proud of the result as he looks just out of the box with the exception of his stickers!

It is 2:30 in the morning and I have to go to work tomorrow so I will leave you with some before and after pics and later I will write down how I went with the restoration .

Fort Max's transtector as he arrived:

Note: Large pics for detail, for smaller ones scroll down.

http://kupscigar.com/tf/fortgreen2.JPG

overall not bad but the mild yellowing in some parts of the white bothered me and the green on the gray and blue parts irritated me.

Here is a closer look at the 'Green':

http://kupscigar.com/tf/fortgreen3.JPG

The above is supposed to be gray but its this moss green instead and if you look closely , you will also notice discolorations of the blue with a kind of greenish tint on his lower arms on the previous pic :angry:

This pics shows the difference between the original color and the 'green':

http://kupscigar.com/tf/fortgreen1.JPG

Ugly isn't it?

Now after a lot of work which I will document later, these were the results:

http://kupscigar.com/tf/fort2.jpg

http://kupscigar.com/tf/fort.jpg

No more green and nice perfectly even blues!

http://kupscigar.com/tf/nogreen.jpg


He is a bit dusty as I left the parts on the floor overnight and needs a wipe, but overall I am very happy with the result as he has a flawless brand new look to him.

All that I need now is his Master Sword....
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Sidevalve engine

Sorry about the delay on this. I have been very busy with not only TF stuff but in general.

Restoring a Yellowed/weathered G1 Fortress Maximus

Materials Needed:

Paint Sprays

The Spray paints listed match the original (proper) color of Fort Max closely if not perfectly:

1 x Tamiya TS-66 LJN Gray (Kure Arsenal) - Add a second one just in case but not necessary

1 x Mr Color Spray 35 IJN Gray Mitsubishi - Add a second one just in case but not necessary

1 x Tamiya Blue TS-15

1 x Tamiya Gloss White TS-26

Tools:

1 x Phillips head screw driver

1 x Empty box to store all screws and small parts safely


Other:

1 x Bottle of Nail Polish removal (with acetone)

1 x packet of Cotton pads

1 x Box of tissues

1 x packet of Babywipes (only necessary if Parts are dusty/dirty)




Disclaimer:

Despite my success in restoring Fortress Maximus to what now looks like at least a C9 'just out of the box' condition, it was not an easy task. Although it is very likely that the gained results of undertaking these instructions will indeed be similar to mine or at the very least far better in looks and display value than a yellowed or badly worn Fort Max, there is no guarantee that its final look will be perfect as the process requires a lite but crucial level of skill.

The method below require a small level of skill when it comes to applying spray paints and it is a long and somewhat tedious process that demands a lot of concentration and persistence as well as patience. Although the methods used are very simple and far from a magical cure, as a lot of work is required to achieve high results but it is very worth while as the result will likely be something that is very close or indistinguishable from a brand new Fort Max.

Basically, the results are not a guarantee even though the chances of success are very high

Important Note:

The process bellow requires you to remove several of the stickers. The Hasbro issued 'native' stickers for Fort Max are inherently of bad quality so if you use masking tape to protect them, they will either be peeled off when you remove the masking tape or there may be discolorations on the stickers. You could always order a new sticker sheet from Reprolables or Ebay as a cheaper alternative.

Note:

This guide is written under the assumption that your Fort Max is in a similar condition to my own before restoration. This basically means that your Fort Max is assumed to be structurally in good condition with the only fault being discoloration of the plastic and 'yellowing'.

This guide should be relevant for anyone who has an structurally intact Fort Max but with moderate or severe discoloration/yellowing of the plastic surface.


Here are some pics of my Fort Max before restoration:

http://kupscigar.com/tf/fortgreen2x.JPG

http://kupscigar.com/tf/fortgreen1x.JPG

http://kupscigar.com/tf/fortgreen3x.JPG



Process 1: Disassembly


It is necessary that you disassemble your Fort Max piece by piece in order to achieve optimal results.

It is very simple to disassemble him as he falls apart easily once the screws are removed but this can be tedious as there are literally hundreds of screws and several small pieces, all which must be kept safe as they are all important in holding Fort Max together.

I will not go in depth in disassembling him as it is straight forward and frankly would take way too long to explain it all in detail.

Tip:

Keep the screws and small parts in some kind of separate box where they can be safe. I used an empty tissue box.

There is nothing glued on Fort Max so if some parts appear too hard and won't separate then its because there is some screw left holding it in place so don't force anything too hard.

All screws have easy access or straight forward access.

Some parts have inner parts which are best to remove so that they don't get in the way. These parts include the central chest piece (which houses the elevator mechanism and radar platform (chest) and the lower legs (boots). Once you remove these parts, simply look underneath and remove all the screws that you can see until the inner parts separate.

Keep note that most joints are secured together by large springs and smaller cogs. Do not loose these as they are important in maintaining Fort Maxes' joints stiff and secured.


VERY IMPORTANT NOTE:


The joint springs are strong and large and while in place they are constricted in a very small area. Chances are that when you unscrew a part housing a spring, that it will bounce off like a rocket. Just be careful with your face!

Aside from the above all you have to do is remove the screws and and pull apart the pieces while being very careful.

At the end you should have something like this:

http://kupscigar.com/tf/fortmaxwaspx.JPG

Process 2: Revitalizing the color

Important Note on the Plastic:

Fort Max's plastic material is very volatile when exposed to Acetone, particularly the colored (non white) parts. The acetone not only damages the surface color but also generate this white dust like substance that permanently sticks on the plastic making it look like tiny white spots.

Because of the above, the only way to revitalize the colored parts is with a traditional Paint Spray can. There is no other way and this is where the 'skill' mentioned before comes in.

Find somewhere safe in your home where you will be able to wield a Paint spray can safely without damaging anything. Try to avoid doing the following on a carpet but if you can't avoid that, protect the area with 2 layers of newspapers.

Note: It is necessary for better results for you to find a place safe from dust, hairs or anything that could stick on the paint while drying.

Fort Max is composed of four colored Parts:

- Dark Gray: Fort Max's shoulder 'boxes' and leg 'boots'

- Lite Gray: Fort Max's torso parts (with attached neck ramp) and Tower.

- Blue: Fort Max's feet, arms and weapons.

- Red: The Red plastic is very resilient to discoloration so chances are that your Fort Max's red parts are perfectly fine so we shall be putting these aside as no modifications are necessary.

It is best for you to group all parts based on their color scheme and then choose one colort set of parts and safe guard the rest in plastic bags. This way you can work on each set of colored parts separately without risking the spray on a differently colored part. Simply put, work on one color at a time.

I started with the Dark Gray (boots, shoulder boxes) as they are the larger pieces by using the Tamiya TS-66 LJN Gray (Kure Arsenal) spray can.

Spray Method:

Before you start, you need to determine which areas of each part needs to be spray painted. In my case not all the surface areas of the dark gray parts were affected by discoloration so I did not have to spray the entire surface of each part. If done properly, once the paint dries, the painted surface should look indistinguishable from the 'natural' surface (Yes the paint is that good :) ) so only limit yourself to spraying affected areas if possible.

The above can also apply for the blue.

Note: Sometimes discoloration may not be evident at first because its very lite but when compared to the inner surface, one can notice that it is different and may be worthwhile spraying despite the tiny difference in order to maintain a consistent overall color.

1. Designate some space in your work area to use for spraying and another for placing you parts to dry. Make sure that the Spray area is a good distance away from the drying area (At least one meter) and that you have comfortable access to all sides of the 'Spray' area with a minimal distance of 1 meter radius.

2. Arrange all the Dark gray pieces on the 'drying' work area with the outer surface area facing up similar to the picture above but only for the Dark gray pieces.

Note: Since most of the parts split in two when disassembled, there is no need to spray the underside areas of the parts as they will be hidden away when assembled.

3. If you are unable to remove any of the other colored pieces from the Dark Gray parts (eg Small red wheel, Blue leg cannon joint) then make sure that you protect them with at least 2 layers of masking tape but just enough to cover the colored part.

Note: Be sure to protect the metal pins too as paint would later restrict the movement of the joints attached to the pins and also painted pins don't look as good as silver ones.

4. Make sure that the surface area is clean as any muck on the surface will remain permanent after the spray. I recommend using Babywipes as its soft on the plastic but dissolves dirt and muck. However make sure that you allow it to dry before spraying paint or at least wipe it with a wet tissue (water) and then dry it with something that won't leave hairs behind.

5. When ready to commence spraying, choose one part and place it in your 'Spraying' work space while making sure that you have unrestricted access to all sides of its outer surface area.
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BIG TITS BLACK

6. The trick for achieving an even surface is to maintain the can in motion while spraying. Never aim at one spot and spray. You must do so in passes.

Tip: The largest concentration of paint is usually propelled when you first push the can and this results in way too much paint in one concentrated area so shake the can well and aim just a couple of Cms away from the part making sure that the initial discharge does not hit the part's surface area..

7. As soon as the spraying starts move nice and evenly to the surface of the part in one straight line (avoid angles, back and forth movements or circles) until you cover the area but be sure to maintain a distance of at least 30-50 cms. Once you complete one pass, do another if necessary (but not too many as excess paint is bad) and if satisfied, do a pass of spray in an unpainted area of the surface one pass at a time until you cover the entire surface.

Tip: If you see dripping paint on the surface, quickly wipe it away with a moist tissue (or acetone if the paint has dried) as it will not dry evenly and will look bad at the end. Only wipe the areas that have excess paint until its perfectly flat (It doesn't matter if you wipe all the paint away of that area) and then treat it with another pass of paint spray so that it blends with the surrounding even areas. The result should be indistinguishable from the rest of the surface and perfectly flat.

8. Make sure all outer surface areas are covered and even. If satisfied then grab the piece from underneath (the unpainted inner surface) and place it to dry in the 'Drying' areas.

9. Grab the next part and repeat all the steps above.

10. Once you are done with all the Dark Gray parts, leave them to dry for about 12 hours (they dry much quicker than that but the time is for safety) and then pack them away and repeat this same method with the the other sets of colored pieces.

Lite Gray - Mr Color Spray 35 IJN Gray Mitsubishi

Blue - Tamiya Blue TS-15

The result of the above steps should leave you with the parts looking brand new and if the surface spray was evenly done, then the parts should still retain the same indistinguishable 'gloss' effect of the original color of the plastic making it look brand new and not as a painted or kitbash project.

Treating the White Parts:

With the white parts, you have a choice of method depending on the state of the plastic:

You can either use the Liquid sanding Method (Whitening Yellow Plastic) or simply Spray the parts white.

I first intended to Liquid sand the white parts as the yellowing was minimal but when I was done, I realized that the entire composition of the white parts were technically no longer white. The whole plastic (not just the surface) had lost its original bright white color as the plastic aged and looked off white. The color still very much passed as white and looked good, even and perfectly satisfactory.

However for some reason it bothered me as it was not technically the same as its original condition so I decided to spray it white (I used Internet Pics and the whiteness of the arm ramps to judge the correct color).

I simply used the same method as I used for the non white colored pieces which involved spraying them a piece at a time with Tamiya Gloss White TS-26.

I am very happy with the results although it was much harder to do than the colored paint as the paint did not want to stick to the surface and dripped causing abnormalities on the surface area.

To counteract this, I sprayed one side at a time. I simply made the surface that I intended to paint facing up and sprayed. Once that paint was dry I turned the part on its side so that the side areas faced up and sprayed. I did that until all the outer surface areas were done and the results were great!

As you can see from the parts pic above, the white parts gained a natural looking gloss and look brand new with an even surface so I am very happy with the result and the choice I made.

Fort Max Assembly

Once all parts have dried and you are happy with the results, its time to assemble Fort Max. Again it is straight forward as all pieces fit together but it is very fiddly due to the Joint springs. Basically you need to compress the springs between the joint parts which requires a fair amount of strength while at the same time you are placing the screws in. Its harder than it sounds and kind of makes you wish you had a third arm :P

The next thing to watch out for is the screw sizes. There are basically two screw sizes used and you need to judge which screw belongs in which whole. This is much simpler than it sounds as its basically larger screws for larger pieces and smaller screws for smaller ones.

Once you are all done you should have the following results:

http://kupscigar.com/tf/fort2x.jpg

http://kupscigar.com/tf/fortx.jpg

http://kupscigar.com/tf/nogreenx.jpg

The dust on the arms is from leaving the parts on the floor with windows open but its nothing that can't be fixed by wiping it with some tissues as its normal surface dust.

This has been my most difficult restoration job to date specially when I am just a newbie and was seriously worried about stuffing it up since my kitbash Thundercracker had less than satisfactory results in my opinion.

He is a very expensive toy afterall! B)

My first proper restoration undertaking was with G1 Ultra Magnus's cab. That turned out alright but nothing that I would pass as original condition but I wasn't as experienced back then (about 8 months ago). I bought a new cab since then to replace it and I am considering giving the old one a makeover sometime in the future.

I was genuinely concerned about ruining my Fort Max so I had my heart at my throat the whole time with fear that I would stuff him up or would turn out like a half baked kitbash project so I feel very proud and full of joy to see the result being something that would easily pass as a brand new, factory colored figure and not a kitbash project.

If you have any questions or comments I would be happy to answer them for you. If you decide to undergo the procedure, I would also be happy to assist in any way I can.

Thanks
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Self-Funded Health Care Advice

Fort Max's stickers arrived so here are the final pics:

City Mode

http://kupscigar.com/tf/fortmax2.jpg

More Pics:

http://kupscigar.com/tf/fortmax3.jpg

http://kupscigar.com/tf/fortmax4.jpg

http://kupscigar.com/tf/fortmax5.jpg


Flying Fortress Mode

http://kupscigar.com/tf/fortmax7.jpg

More Pics:

http://kupscigar.com/tf/fortmax6.jpg

http://kupscigar.com/tf/fortmax8.jpg

http://kupscigar.com/tf/fortmax9.jpg


Robot Mode

http://kupscigar.com/tf/fortmax10.jpg

More Pics:

http://kupscigar.com/tf/fortmax11.jpg

http://kupscigar.com/tf/fortmax12.jpg

And following on Dirge's Big Head tradition:

http://kupscigar.com/tf/bighead.jpg
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Ducati 125

you did a fanstastic job!

Gosh, that is awesome, can you mould me some new parts and build me a new fort max.. I wouldn't mind a "pirated" one from you.. :P