BLOW MOLD HOSPITAL (repair) - Fixing Cracks and Weak Spots with Oatey Fix-It Stick, Poloron Reindeer

[@beyondgraylights]

Hey there! Same person as the one who wrote here a year ago about repairing the reindeer and santa. We managed to successfully do so. The Fix-It stick really helped and they look brand new. Thank you again for posting this all those years ago. It really helped me out.

[@jodietakira9431]

Thank you so much for sharing these videos! My folks have had these exact reindeer in a full set (8, Rudolph, plus Santa) for years now and put them out every year. So, as you can imagine, they have progressively weathered down through the years and some of them have started to get cracked and damaged as a result. I'm going to try and repair and repaint them between now and summer I hope!

[@theresamarkiewicz2545]

Wow looks amazing. GREAT JOB.Thank you for sharing this tip. Definitely got to get some of that stuff.

[@jaysholidaywonderland]

I did a very simple repair. I cut a piece of quarter once ply wood the same shape of the triangle bracket and put the wood on the inside of the mold then attached the rest like normal and what it did was add some structure. What it also does is prevent the screws from ripping through the plastic as the wood triangle stops the screw head from coming through. It also puts less stress on the belly because the wood and metal work together. Just an idea. And you don’t have to worry about it coming lose

[@ritamatteson3588]

You did a good job there guy. Lucky you to have reindeer! I have about 15-16 pieces and earlier this year found a soldier in the trash ( I couldn't stop fast enough). Love Blowmolds!

[@blowmoldhospital6331]

Found one in the trash!? Wow, what a find! I love them as well. Something about them just makes me happy. Thanks for the comment! Keep blow mold hunting.

[@lindasarafin9669]

Wow! That was a great find!

[@GenZod80]

You should do a video on repainting molds. Would be great to see and all

[@blowmoldhospital6331]

I have a couple of blow molds that I will be doing a restore soon and that includes repainting. I will post the outcome, good or bad. Thanks for posting.

[@GenZod80]

Jason Repsher can’t wait to see it. Your very welcome.

[@granadass]

You can weld new piece platic inside or use a welder stick

[@itcamefromthenerdcave1669]

Great video! My wife is a blow mold nut so by association, I am also a blow mold nut with the added handle of "Head Restorer." I've used Apoxi Sculpt around the house for many projects and can see how useful it'll be on repairs like this one. But here's a challenge. She just scored a 1977 Empire Santa's Sled with four reindeer. All are in really good shape as far as the plastic except for the front of the sled--Where Santa would rest his hands. It is B.R.I.T.T.L.E. Like potato chip brittle. The other 90% of the sled is solid. Have you ever tacked something like that before? My initial thought is to surrender the interior light aspect of the set and fill the sled with Great Stuff expanding foam. Then, I could use epoxy putty to build up the missing/brittle piece of the sled--Sand it to shape, smooth it out, and then repaint the entire set (the paint is badly faded anyway), and only display it with a spotlight instead of the individual interior lights. Sorry if you've done a video on this before...just found you and am going to work my way through your videos.

[@blowmoldhospital6331]

Well, I did create this video about strengthening plastic... kzbin.info/www/bejne/gKacdpZtndhlj7M but not sure if it will work for your situation, not seeing the full details. I would also say, I am a huge fan of clear epoxy (Gorilla glue makes the kind I like to use). I've thought about your situation before because I have a damaged shepard that is brittle in a certain spot (a kid kicked it) it didn't shatter but it did crack multiple times. My plan is to mix up the clear epoxy and spread it on the inside to fill in the cracks but to also add support but the light can still shine through. I worry with using something like great stuff that it doesnt know when to stop expanding. If you put a little too much in, it will find it's way out in the form of busting through in other places. In my opinion you want to sandwich the brittle plastic with something like epoxy so that you don't have to modify the piece too much. Just some thoughts.

[@blowmoldhospital6331]

I think I am reading that some of the brittle plastic is missing?

[@blowmoldhospital6331]

Not knowing the size of the hole in the sled there some things you could do. If small enough find a white plastic milk jug, cut it slightly larger than the hole and use it as a backer for the epoxy. I've done it on a small scale before, I'll send a video in just a bit. But again, not sure how big the hole is. And, just some thoughts on the subject. Use my advice as just the musings of someone who likes to save Christmas where I can. :)

[@blowmoldhospital6331]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/e3OXfax9qMmthbM

[@itcamefromthenerdcave1669]

@@blowmoldhospital6331 You are correct! This stuff is so brittle that if you look at it too long, it just falls off. But oddly, the rest of the sled is pretty dang solid except for some stress cracks where the runners attached. This particular curve is just really thin and years of UV sunlight just toasted it. I've also considered removing all the brittle pieces and using clear epoxy and some flexible screening to recreate the curves of the missing area. I can reach in through the bottom cutout to totally access the damaged area from inside. If I can get it close to the original shape, I can then add some decoration in the form of faux pine branches, holly, small pine cones, and a ribbon to cover up the repair--Like what you'd see on a mantle. She also got some small lambs with a nativity set (maybe the size of a loaf of bread) that are also super-brittle. Might experiment with the Great Stuff since those are one second away from trash. I've used it before on Halloween decorations (zombies) and I think I can keep it from blowing out the mold. Or can I?

[@kmann1345]

If you like oatey you might want to check out sculpt it. Its like oatey but a little more forgiving. It takes 48 hrs to dry but properties are like oatey

[@blowmoldhospital6331]

Thanks for the info. I will check it out.

[@lisabarno2850]

Any ideas on what I can do to replace antlers on the reindeer. Some of them are missing pieces of their antlers. They have been in the family for a long time and would like to restore them. Thanks

[@blowmoldhospital6331]

Hey Lisa. Not seeing the exact issue it's hard to say what next steps might be. 1, you could check ebay, if they are the replaceable kind. The problem here, usually they are crazy expensive. 2, again not knowing just how damaged they are, the epoxy putty I used in the video is very shapeable (Oatey Fix-it Stick). You might be able to mold some replacement tines on the rack. You can paint Oatey as well to try and match the color (or use a close colored Sharpie). I dont know if this helps but just some thoughts.

[@johnbreen7190]

How do you repair faded or peeled off paint on the blow mold?

[@dovkdrallig]

Do you know if there is a way to do this for a translucent or semi transparent area in a blow mold? I really need to repair a nativity scene and think that putty would work if it can be translucent and painted lightly.

[@blowmoldhospital6331]

Try taking a look at this video to see if it might help. I used clear epoxy. Not saying it will fix what you are talking about, but might lead in a different direction. kzbin.info/www/bejne/e3OXfax9qMmthbM

[@dovkdrallig]

@@blowmoldhospital6331 Thank you so much!

[@smokintoomuch2314]

But then when it lights up, it will clearly have a big dark splotch.

[@blowmoldhospital6331]

I cover that aspect of the repair in the video. It's a trade off to stabilize it or have it break permanently. On the deer, the patch is on the bottom and I kept it to a minimum to reduce the black out size.

[@smokintoomuch2314]

@@blowmoldhospital6331 Yeah sorry, I often comment as I'm viewing a video. I caught you saying that later on about the light not showing thru. Do you have suggestions on repairing cracks where you need light to shine through? I have a blow mold from eBay I just ordered and I need to patch a crack on, and then repaint the part of it orange. In doing all that I'm hoping the still have the light be visible. I'm going to attach a link of the exact item I'm about to work on, I'd love if you took a look and gave suggestions. I would greatly appreciate your time. imgur.com/Ww4e1j1 So far I'm thinking about using krylon or rustoleum plastic spraypaint for the orange pumpkin, or possibly just using fluorescent orange oil based paint markers. And for the crack on its head, I'm thinking either just super glue with baking soda, or I fused a small bit of extra plastic to the head. I'm hoping to make this look as close to new as possible. Aiming to remake a childhood photo with it.

[@blowmoldhospital6331]

@@smokintoomuch2314 It's hard to do, especially on white plastic. I am getting ready to repair a hole using epoxy, but it is in a black paint area. I will be filming a video. I would suggest epoxy and using a backer piece of plastic inside the ghost, held inside by fishing string. You would have to build it up without putting pressure on the blow mold to pull the crack together, otherwise the pressure will pull the epoxy open eventually. I've also heard of some people using very small white zip ties, in the pattern of stitches to pull the pieces together. You have to drill tiny holes and unless you have access to get a hand inside it can be near impossible to do. On painting, I don't have a great suggestion. I have several BMs to paint myself and I will be experimenting with them.

[@blowmoldhospital6331]

All of these are just my musing. Your results will vary. Attempt at your own risk.

[@mariaalexander427]

Great tutorial Jason. Purchased a bunch of blow molds today that have random missing pieces from where they originally cracked. Most are in the back, one the base. but one Santa is carrying a bag of presents & missing a piece of his armpit. I was thinking of cutting out a piece of plastic from a gallon milk container but no clue how to glue it. E-6000? The product you used? Can the putty be painted over? Previous owner was making repairs with fiberglass patchwork here & there. All suggestions welcome. Thanks!

[@blowmoldhospital6331]

Hey Maria, glad you liked my video, and congratulations on buying a bunch of blow molds. Would love to hear what you got. Oatey can be painted and molded very easily but it may not be the best option for large missing pieces (you may have to experiment though) Like you mentioned I've been using plastic milk jug to repair some other cracks and breaks. The glue I've had the best luck with is Gorilla glue epoxy. The double tube kind that has two chemicals that come out with one push of the plunger that you mix. Specifically, the kind that says good for plastics on the front of the container and is also labeled "clear". The thing to remember, it really works best when put on thick. It doesn't hurt to light sand the plastic to help it grab a hold of the glue.

[@mariaalexander427]

@@blowmoldhospital6331 Thanks for your reply. I purchased a reindeer (with rope wrapped around his legs-I think he's from the original Grinch movie), a couple of lamp posts, an angel, penguin & Santa. A real score from older guy who's house used to be featured on the news during Christmas. He wanted them to go to a "good home". They're beat up, but I still see the beauty in these blow molds & so do my husband & kids. Love your "Blow Mold Hospital" title. They certainly need to be admitted there! Lol! Thanks for the advice, will head to home depot for the glue 🤞

[@sueeckert6887]

how can i message you pictures of my santa I need to fix? Thanks!

[@blowmoldhospital6331]

I don't see a way in the mobile app, but I think you can thru YT online... at last this is what Google says...Here is how you can send someone a private message: Go to the channel of the person you want to contact and click the “About” tab. Click “Send Messages” button, enter your private message and click “Send” button.

[@Knight-xc2tt]

This repair can be applied to about 1% of blow mold designs. If you have an Empire reindeer with a similar problem you're screwed.

[@blowmoldhospital6331]

Yep, never said it would fix them all, but if you something similar it will work.