Can this vintage Star Wars Death Star droid be saved?

Can this vintage Star Wars Death Star droid be saved?

[@simonworleycreative6636]

So the Death Star droid is human underneath the chrome...in flesh colour at least. Fascinating work again Dave and thank you. I can't believe there's not a book or film out there with contributions from Kenner designers and production staff revealing the techniques used during the late 70's.

[@skinslip]

*sheds single tear for another lost Lego piece* These are great by the way!

[@toypolloi]

+skinslip Be prepared for more tears in the coming weeks. Lots more lego bits will be sacrificed. Sorry

[@tyrranos9688]

I’m sure there are hundreds of times more Lego pieces out there then Kenner Death Star droids and more Lego being produced all the time.

[@masterjey51]

You perfectly coud have worked for Kenner company back in the days. The droids loose limbs problem would have not even existed thanks to you. U.R the man. Great Job Mr Polloi!!!

[@toypolloi]

+masterjey51 I still think Hasbro should give me a job now on quality control.

[@masterjey51]

Toy Polloi Definitely. Go for it!

[@historex54tamiya]

All your videos are superb and as a vintage collector have helped a great deal. I did use break fluid to strip a TE stormtrooper helmet a few years back, it was covered in thick 5-6 layers and it is a good option for UK guys. It doesn't affect the plastic but needs to be done in a container that can be thrown away as it is poisonous if swallowed. I run a casting business and use it for stripping pieces before casting if they have been abused over time. Thanks again

[@DoomKickTV]

Another great restoration. Here's a trick for a pretty decent chrome.. Use a gloss black base (either a high gloss black or clear coated) then paint a chrome silver over that (but don't put any clear coat over the silver or the mirror effect will be ruined) it's a fairly effective method that can be done with off the shelf sprays or brush on paints.

[@DoomKickTV]

I should have read the previous comments sorry to repeat advice.

[@toypolloi]

+DoomKickTV no problem. I'll give that a go.

[@timothyward8695]

What I appreciate is that you give these restorations a shot, and put it out there for the world to see. Even if it isn't perfect, you show us your attempt and welcome others to contribute their insights. That takes courage.

[@toypolloi]

+Timothy Ward thanks. I always try to do the best I can with what I have to hand. Sometimes you can get bogged down in the techniques, and it can get expensive. Hopefully what I show is that anyone can do it, and toy don't need to spend huge amounts to get good results.

[@timothyward8695]

+Toy Polloi Oh and by the way, while I'm sharing my appreciation, I want to thank you for sharing your expertise a while back on your R2D2 restoration. When retroblasting did the R5D4 restoration using your leg tightening technique, it was my R5D4. Your innovative techniques contributed to preserving my childhood memories.

[@toypolloi]

+Timothy Ward That's great. I'm glad it was a sort of joint effort!

[@thedoctor1137]

I'm a training to be a prop and model maker and I use crome spray paint a fair bit u could achieve a better effect by putting a black gloss undercoat on it usually creates a realistic effect great videos keep up the good work

[@Deviax28]

So, you spray on a black gloss base coat before you spray on the chrome paint? Do you need to polish the chrome after it dries or anything like that?

[@nigelcarren]

Great tip, this is exactly what I do when doing a quick sci-fi model fix. I have done lots of tests with chrome paints and for sure, black gloss underneath first (one coat worked best for me so as not to flatten definition).

[@onemanswrld]

Have you ever tried a final gloss clearcoat over the chrome?

[@nikki5399]

Use a Molotow chrome pen and you’ll never use anything else again

[@emilflognoid1532]

Yes I think you can polish it after it cures with a soft cloth

[@rebelsatcloudnine]

Every time I'm just amazed with how resourceful your restorations are. That is just a brilliant idea for fixing this figure. As for the Chrome the modeling community is in a buzz over these "Molotow Chrome Pens" And I've got to say the results of this chrome is very, very impressive. I've never seen any paint be this reflective before.

[@pantonebear]

Your Lego rescue system never fails... Great point man! BTW: for your chrome repaint, just a lil'trick:.. I'm heavly into Gundam buildinding. custom paining and so on:.. sometimes i have to chrome some details. (OK i go with an airbrush and Mr Color/Tamya colors, but this works ALSO with spraycans). BEFORE painting the needed parts with CHROME, pait the parts u need to in GLOSSY BLACK, let em dry 24h and just spray 'em in chrome. The darker and glossy underpaint will pop up the result in much like clear, reflective and shiny results. Exactly like in a mirror I know it seems odd, but i think it will worth a try. U won't regret it and it works on ANY type of plastic material. Cheers, Alex/Pantone

[@pantonebear]

+Pantone Forgive my typos... i'm in bed at night...

[@indianaevans]

Great job once again & I actually like that slight variation in colour it's like it's a slightly different model in the Star Wars universe.

[@tyrranos9688]

The actual droid like this that appeared on the Death Star was glossy black with silver eyes. This one more resembles the one shown in the Jawa sand crawler. Stripping the chrome and then re-painting it black would be an interesting variant too.

[@skyworlka]

What C-3PO did you test first. I like that bronze look. Might make a custom.

[@toypolloi]

They are all made from different coloured plastic depending on what factory made them.

[@deadbeatdynamo]

One of my all-time favorites! Nice work, as always.

[@picnicfxr8528]

Another Great video. Lots of figures out there with arms and legs broken off may now get the repair they deserve!!

[@jayjay2555]

Fantastic fix and brilliant video,thanks for sharing 😊

[@GreyHulk2156]

Fascinating to see what these figures look like under the chrome effect.

[@historex54tamiya]

Alcad or Mig true metal is also a very good chrome( and other colours) paint. Alcad is applied over a gloss black and although not good for handling does replicate vac metal coating superbly if only for display

[@tyrranos9688]

That leg repair was impressive.

[@zeppyday]

Hi, Nice vids. I've built a lot of scale models and the best chrome/metal paint I've found is Testors Metalizer paint, available in many types of metal. Best applied with an airbrush but they have spray cans too. When dry, buff with a cotton ball and then a light, clear gloss overcoat. Great results. It just depends on how well you buff it and DON"T touch the areas you just buffed with your naked fingers. Keep up the good work. Cheers.

[@toypolloi]

+zeppyday Thanks. I'll see if I can find some. Check out my recent video on molotow chrome.

[@GeoffreyToday]

You might want to give chrome Rub n Buff a try, it might get you closer to that kind of mirrored finish of the original.

[@garza8633]

Great Job Dave!! you born for this.

[@ronaldkelley4786]

love your work:-)

[@Jedi3671]

Really awesome restoration! You really come up with some fantastic ways to fix up figures! Great tips I will use to repair some of my beaters.

[@toypolloi]

+Jedi Council Thanks. This one was a challange.

[@CMB76]

I would recommend Spaz Stix mirror chrome spray. I used it on some repro POTF coins and it looks pretty good. I did use a high gloss black undercoat and light mist coats of the chrome on top. Like others have said, you will never get a result as brilliant as actual electro plating. I have seen guys get a mirror like finish with air brush and Spaz Stix, but the spray can works too in your case. There are some you tube videos of this stuff in action..

[@thebkrueger]

Great video as usual. Sometimes you can polish the paint up like a car and get a greater shine out of it

[@brianartillery]

The thing about Star Wars droids is that they can be any colour you want. The 'real' Death Star droid is actually a metallic black colour, as the newer figure shows. I have several of these old Kenner droids, and a nice result can be had by painting over the chrome with a thin wash of black paint - Citadel 'Nuln Oil' is good for this. One droid figure I have had a broken arm, so I cut it off just under the shoulder joint, drilled some small holes into this, and affixed some small wires, and a broken watchstrap bar, then weathered the whole lot up, and it looked like a Jawa junker. When you had the arms off EV-9D9, I was thinking it might be fun to paint her (and it is a she) busted carcass as if it had taken a hit from a blaster, or a vibro-axe.

[@AaronDidIt]

To achieve the same chrome as the original you would have to vacumetalize it. I was able to do this before with a company near where I live. It's not a cheap process, but because I was only doing a small thing, (and I schmoozed them up) they allowed me to put my item in for free along with another job. Research and see if you can find a company that does it close by and go visit and have a chat. You might just luck out and get put in with another job. Failing that, silver spray paint works much better if you prepping the figure with gloss coat.

[@garym6315]

Stupid question but how do you safely dispose of the oven cleaner in the jar? Can it just be rinsed and poured down the sink?

[@toypolloi]

Do what it says on the bottle. In this case, wash it down the sink.

[@kjamison5951]

Looks like a candidate for your zinc plating kit. However, given the state of the droid when you got it, it already looks much better.

[@blackhawk69100]

There is no spray chrome that really works that well. It either has to be the plastic form of electroplating or the chemical wash form. I think it turned out great as a home project to be honest. The other ways are expensive and quiet involved unless you have many toys and parts you want to do.

[@BigAirWindJam]

+Tristan Howden This is true.

[@ryanbarker5217]

i think they would have been vacuum metalized at the factory, eh? but, even for a home project/hobbyist, the electroplating is out of reach for the average person, i think. i mean, you're talking about, what, a $500 outlay or thereabouts? now, that's a service you could charge for and recoup your money probably pretty easily if you had an advertising scheme that worked....

[@tyrranos9688]

I have seen services that will electroplate pieces for you. I believe the one I saw was from Wisconsin, USA. It wasn’t ridiculously expensive.

[@ericheckenkamp6091]

I would undercoat the figures in gloss black. That usually creates a nice effect.

[@ryanbarker5217]

given the 'used universe' concept of 'star wars,' this fits in fine.

[@scottboyer8450]

Lego to the rescue again! Great restoration job! Thanks for sharing! Also, when are you going to collab with RetroBlasting? =D

[@toypolloi]

+Scott Boyer Soon!

[@toypolloi]

+IsakAnon I left it over night, by the morning it had all gone. So a couple of hours I guess.

[@tomgriffiths2622]

You get that at your local sandcrawler? Another great video 🤘

[@679iceman]

amazing job...your a mad genius and I'm glad you make these

[@toypolloi]

+Sam Brentwood Thanks! 😁

[@RobertGoodin]

i have noticed that with the chrome systems that seem to work the best, they all use a gloss black primer paint first. this brings out the shine. i wonder if doing that first then using the chrome paint u used , would improve the look as well.

[@scottboyer8450]

+Robert Goodin I've seen the same with chrome restoration. Black gloss undercoats gives the best results.

[@yunoyuluvit]

+Robert Goodin Good call. I was going to suggest the same. Spray chroming systems, as Robert mentioned, are probably the best option. This can be expensive, but might pay off if you have a lot to do (I'm looking to re-chrome Transformers). Alternatively, there are electorforming and electroplating kits. You need to electroform a layer of copper over the plastic, then electroplated with a replica chrome, but, again, can be costly, unless you plan on doing a lot.

[@P3SS3SSOd]

Love your work! Really great improvisation. If I could recommend something that may help, I'd encourage you to pick up some cyanoacrylate accelerator. It makes super glue bond instantly and at about 10x the strength of air drying. It's available reasonably cheap on eBay and at model shops. Best of luck with future salavage operations!

[@toypolloi]

+P3SS3SSOd thanks. I'll take a look at that.

[@magictownvoksob9]

There are some Molotow brand paint markers, and they have a very shiny chrome marker, almost mirror finish. Look it up on the net as "Molotow Liquid Chrome".

[@toypolloi]

Watch the second and third parts of this video, you may just see them. Cheers

[@TheGrungy1]

I love the color the 3p0 become.

[@ShadowcasterZero]

have you tried buffing the chrome with a microfiber cloth? also, the chrome paint pen from your Optimus Prime restoration is fantastic! could try that.

[@toypolloi]

As with a lot of chrome paints. Any sort of touching or buffing, or top coat ruins the finish.

[@hankw69]

I had a Death Star droid as a boy. It was a good droid. NOT a Power Droid by ANY strech of one's imagination, but a good droid nonetheless. ALL HAIL POWER DROID!!!

[@zogsquid]

Have you seen any custom vintage figures that have been made after the chrome has been removed? I feel that there is some scope for those more artistic amongst us to make something quite unique!

[@HasseBasseBingBong]

In Sweden I would take this figure to a "bonarverkstad". I don't really know how to translate that to English. Not even Google Translate gave me any suggestions. But anyway, it's a sort of polishing/waxing workshop, which have more of an industrial way of spray painting old furnitures and cars etc to make them look just like new again. It doesn't cost much for such a small piece like an action figure.

[@jakobwilcyn7437]

I would leave it be. This can be a vintage custom AP-5 from The Rebels series. You can just have him in the back row as a Rebel Spy!

[@kingvagar]

Caustic soda (sodium hydroxide) works pretty fast when removing chrome from plastics.

[@dervxerox]

With the paint off, it looks like Dr Zoidberg without his shell.

[@damianjones7554]

ive been experimenting on other very paint worn figures, ive got an old Admiral Ackbar and some others in a jar of oven cleaner. will be interesting to see if it strips over paint types on old star wars figures

[@toddmartin6572]

I found that warm water, dawn dish soap and some powdered ‘oxy-clean removes the chrome real fast.

[@neospiked3289]

Help I have a tatooine luke that i used crazy clue on the head lightsaber arm and either the left or right leg please put up a video how to fix it so all the limbs are moveable again thanks.

[@toypolloi]

Were the limbs broken off and then glued back on?

[@neospiked3289]

Yes they were and the head as well.

[@toypolloi]

+Neo Spiked You can use the leg tip from this video for the arm and legs. I have a video on re-attaching the small heads coming up in a few weeks.

[@neospiked3289]

I cannot find any if those grey pegs where can you get them from. Any tips to remove the crazy clue.

[@toypolloi]

+Neo Spiked I got them off eBay. There are loads of them there.

[@LMUstacker]

when you paint the eyes, I can see that the black paint doesn't want to stick to the chrmoe paint. Did you eventually use a primer for the eyes or just did it as good as you could?

[@kevinmoneypenny4181]

For chrome use chrome pens it's better then chrome spray

[@louiswhitt8997]

Try Spaz Stix Chrome Paint. They sell it for airbrush, or Rattle Can.

[@bBearyWhite]

I wonder if a high gloss clear coat over the chrome rattle can would make it more reflective?

[@toypolloi]

Not with this paint. It dulls it to a grey. Cheers

[@bBearyWhite]

Toy Polloi damn that sucks how is the electroplating going? Any updates

[@grahamparr4710]

Would the chrome spray polish?

[@ravenhawk538]

Try a little dry brush of silver over the crome great video

[@TheCrabbmann]

Great video as always , I look forward to watching these and use your tips when fixing my kids modern day toys too. I'm restoring my childhood 79 big Kenner Alien and could do with some tips if you could help. I'll message you over FB if ok

[@toypolloi]

+Lance Crabb sure thing. I don't have one, but they look easy to fix.

[@gibbie80s61]

Is there any chance of a repair video for a Thundercats Thundertank? I don't have the nerve to take mine apart...

[@toypolloi]

+Duncan Gibb If I had one, I would.

[@LynxSnowCat]

Would thinning the Lego hole and shortening the pin have worked to make a socket that would retain the leg? (provided the step it clips onto is inside the body. Something similar to the "Technic Pin 3/4" and a thin beam or hook, but shaved down from the normal sized Lego. rebrickable.com/parts/32002/ - example "Thin" pin rebrickable.com/parts/74698/ - example "Thin" hook rebrickable.com/search/?search_type=parts&q=thin&part_cat=51 - "Thin" beams

[@slicknick07]

What would you recommend for a restoring a C-3PO?

[@mannye]

Did you ever try spraying some gloss clear on it?

[@aliasfoxfire2954]

So the originals were printed on? I didn't know that, and always wondered what the process was. Did you research that somewhere online?

[@ryanbarker5217]

no doubt it's done with a stamper-like machine. additionally, 'chroming' isn't the right term here, imo, as these would have vacuum metalized.

[@lamondjack4349]

spray a candy based clear coat on the figure and it'll gice you that shine you're looking for.

[@silentndeadly]

Interesting, I wonder how the toy companies originally "chromed" the toy in the first place? Did they really electroplate it, or use a really good paint?

[@toypolloi]

They would have been vac metal plated. Requires expensive equipment.

[@allluckyseven]

You should check Gordon Tarpley's channel on KZbin, he's chromed some of his props and they look fantastic! He uses a product called Alclad.

[@toypolloi]

+allluckyseven I know the stuff. I don't have and airbrush and wanted to show what you could do with off the shelf sprays.

[@creativeguy1138]

Did you ever find a way to rechome it again? :) Looks great as is, just curious

[@toypolloi]

I did. Watch the other videos in this series to find out how. Cheers

[@neospiked3289]

Is there an easy way to attach limbs and heads without the pegs because I am on a tight budget?

[@toypolloi]

Watch any of my can this figure be fixed type videos. I have covered it many times. Cheers

[@mgvillanmp478]

looks good man

[@imbadwrench]

If you paint it gloss black first, the chrome paint will look better

[@TheDarthMushroom]

You could try to use your dremmel and polish it up a bit?

[@swasle]

Do you use Star Wars figures to repair Lego! Brilliant fix as always...

[@toypolloi]

+swasle Ha ha. No, but I will do now!

[@manofaction1807]

How do you keep the oven cleaner from melting down your guy to a pile of goo? I Tried it on an R2 head and it wasn't pretty what resulted.

[@toypolloi]

How long did you leave it in?

[@manofaction1807]

@@toypolloi about five minutes it started melting it down. the R2 had a white shell, under the vac metal. it was a pile of goo as fast as that.

[@drew7376]

Will a buff with a soft cloth shine that chrome up

[@toypolloi]

No, Anything done to the surface makes it go grey.

[@drew7376]

I was thinking the Mr brand paints, Mr metal color chrome silver buffable

[@InFltSvc]

Great job “

[@camcordernonsense5264]

I love this toy, in all its silver glory

[@TheOnlyLinked]

yes that is true it just that it be shinny but it still doesnt look bad

[@daggystoyrepairandreview2429]

Spectacular

[@melnormechaannel7676]

For re-chroming plastic parts, I recommend a service called Chrome Tech. They're US-based, though, not sure if they do international orders.

[@PolytronikDigital]

thanks , this is the most useless statement ive seen all month.

[@ShockMe1994]

Take it to somebody who does chrome dipping for a living, no other way really.

[@LMUstacker]

great job!

[@MikeSidious]

Pretty good result. My only concern is that the Mr. Muscle cleaner may give more unscrupulous folk an idea to do this and try to sell it off as an unpainted proto.

[@toypolloi]

It's a well known technique for removing chrome. I don't think I am giving anything away.

[@MikeSidious]

Worked fantastically. Really enjoying your vids.

[@RetroGadgetMan]

Great idea using Lego. Another figure saved!

[@mannye]

A Sharpie would be better for the black

[@invictus84]

Ok... I genuinely didn’t think you could save that droid... wow!

[@zogsquid]

However did they manage to produce this in the day for such a reasonable price! ;) Really!!

[@robhansen6553]

is it for sale

[@toypolloi]

No, cheers

[@Badgers0710]

how about a coat of lacquer on the droid to give him a shine?

[@toypolloi]

+Ben Elgar I've tried that before on this chrome spray and it really dulls it down.

[@Badgers0710]

+Toy Polloi does it actually dull it down? that's shockingly lame...

[@toypolloi]

+Ben Elgar It makes it turn a very dull grey the stuff I have.

[@Zarglos]

You could have just painted him black. That would have looked cool.

[@gxbouncer1]

Maybe a clear coat over your silver?

[@markosziss6452]

Looks like a prototype figure

[@missionpassed4584]

I wonder what the original factory used and how they did it? probably some toxic banned stuff lol

[@manofaction1807]

The droid figures like these are some of the most fragile figures ever made.

[@krisskywalker34]

i have the star wars vintage death star droid figue

[@Danny-yv8bq]

Chrome paint marker is alot better

[@garza8633]

Great Job Dave!! you born for this.