How I restored 1/6 Darth Vader's black suit from Flaking

[@Aikurisu]

"Lord Vader, your suit has finally returned from the dry cleaners!" "... as I have foreseen."

[@JohnSkao]

@@Aikurisu lord vader seeing his faux leather flacking off: you are as clumsy as you are stupid! *force chockes the tailor*

[@maliciousbugman]

"It seems, in refusing to read the care tag, the dry-cleaners ruined your leather."

[@LordDiscord]

@@maliciousbugman !Nooooooooooooooooo!!

[@mikestanley9176]

After almost 20 years. It's about freakin time.

[@decadentdave]

So cool they included Darth Vader’s cremation ashes! 😂

[@torquetheprisoner]

vader was born by fire and layed to rest by fire

[@GinaLohfink-b1u]

Ja das hat was😂

[@mikewzowske]

Too soon?

[@lavideocasetera8398]

I have this one on a box because it was flaking really bad.... now after seeing your video, lets say that you just gave him A NEW HOPE 🔥

[@bobmclovinelectricboogaloo]

Lol

[@biginjapanminiatures]

@@lavideocasetera8398 😂😂😂 that’s true lol

[@jessehernandez5392]

@@lavideocasetera8398 let’s hope we see a return of the sith

[@CarlosLiveMetalTV]

Same here! Now I just have to find him in my garage. Lol

[@InformationIsTheEdge]

I just realized I like restoration videos WAY more when I have no idea how to rescue that target item! Very cool! Thanks!

[@biginjapanminiatures]

@@InformationIsTheEdge Thanks for visiting, mate! I hope this video is helpful in your restoration. 👍🏻

[@InformationIsTheEdge]

@biginjapanminiatures WOW! A note from the channel! Thanks! I restore old carpentry tools so this was a welcome departure from the familiar. Your finished result was remarkable!

[@Bamboozlenoodle]

The nylon suit is the only reason I went ahead and bought the Hot Toys Force Unleashed damaged Vader (my first). Having to deal with this flaking shit on a premium collectable is something I do not want to do, ever.

[@valthenvega2434]

Hopefully premium collectibles soon develop a plastic leather just as flexible and resistant as those wrist bands managers put you when getting in hotels

[@momsberettas9576]

They could easily use real leather. Fake leather is the worst.

[@kanesmith8271]

The funny thing is that fake leather is more expensive that real leather

[@GodWeenSatan]

​@@momsberettas9576they would probably have animal activist all over them

[@BackToTheGame.98]

Yeah, I guess some of them figured out coating it with vinyl will keep it from flaking, so its more like plastic than leather, but still has the look.

[@Solidfluids]

Hehe, the box said ‘danger choking hazard’

[@stevemuzak8526]

This is the reason why I never buy faux leather figures.

[@vaynelevant]

@@BryceYT. hot toys pleather still flakes a lot.

[@torquetheprisoner]

but fake Leather dose that in general if you don't take care of it

[@vaynelevant]

@@torquetheprisoner from what i heard flaking is inevitable. proper care just delays the flaking.

[@torquetheprisoner]

@@vaynelevant yeah very true

[@CaptainFantastik1]

@@BryceYT. I had this same figure and it was kept indoors on display and it disintegrated just like this. Plenty of companies are still using this kind of material and this happens to their products too.

[@wraith1701]

Shoe polish = GENIUS! 🤯😃 Looks good, and no flaking. Excellent idea!

[@GhostMotion7]

Synthetic leather is just an insult. You did a great job, not only you restored but also improved the figure ❤

[@Slam_duncan03]

Yeah pleather is nothing but an insult and disgrace to the high end name, and that greedy, egotistical, and smug scum Howard Chan thinking using fake leather on what are considered high end collectibles is a good idea shows that he is an idiot who has no understanding of what high end means. He has no respect for the customers and only cares about the money.

[@biginjapanminiatures]

Thanks a lot mate!! I appreciate it! 👊🏻👊🏻

[@Wezwolf]

@@biginjapanminiatures I don't really get it. I thought that when pleather starts to flake off, all that's underneath is cloth. Is this is a specific type of pleather? It seems like you've just scrubbed of dead skin, and there is a layer of new skin underneath. (?)

[@DrTheRich]

@@Wezwolf He just made the cloth underneath greasy with shoe polish, so that it looks as shiny as pu leather. Good enough for a statue you don't play with i suppose

[@Wezwolf]

@@DrTheRich Yeah I didn't have it on 1080p. Maybe some kind of varnish coat may be better to seal it off and give it a glossy leather finish.

[@NeedsMoreBirds]

The shoe polish trick on the fabric is really clever! I love that you added the straps for the box on his chest as well - they’re barely visible underneath the coat and shoulder plate, but you still put the effort in to make it more screen-accurate.

[@uncardedreviews9721]

These restoration videos are the absolute best 👌 It's so satisfying to watch the process and see the final product come back better than before 🎉

[@TammyBoy]

"I’ve Got To Save You" "You Already Have Luke"

[@DanakarEndeel]

It's a good thing you could get to the material so easily. On most other toys it's nigh-impossible to get to. Faux leather and rubber cracking over time are the worst. Kinda sucks that the chain around his neck was made of cheap iron and had rusted links too. For those not wanting to replace them with stainless steel links some household ammonia may be able to get rid of the surface rust; while then protecting the chain with a tiny dab of oil afterwards. However, this new chain of even smaller stainless steel links looks even better. Either way, it's great to see such a nice figure getting both restored and improved.

[@Vix584]

"You cant rush art!" - Toy Repair Man Love these types if videos.

[@Dazzgracefulmoon]

it kind of looks like he's wearing little darth vader pajamas. awesome work, as usual!

[@chill_will9816]

My only concern would be the shoe polish hardening at which point its gonna flake, especially if you bend the joints. Id recommend not getting too heavy handed with the polish for that reason. If youve ever polished a pair of boots to a mirror shine only for them to start cracking after a few steps, you know what im saying

[@DrTheRich]

I suppose this is more for a statue on a shelf that you don't play with

[@vast9467]

@@DrTheRich basic posing isn’t play.

[@nathanielrobite3573]

Excellent method for that problem of a material...thanks for showing us this technique!

[@daribluestar7752]

Brilliant work. May the Force Be With You.

[@biginjapanminiatures]

May the force be with you!!! Thank you for watching my journey in this restoration, mate! See you in the next one!

[@nickinatita]

This is awesome!! I need to do this for a pair of jeans I own with flaking faux leather. Thanks for sharing- great restoration

[@biginjapanminiatures]

@@nickinatita Thanks for sharing your thoughts, mate! Thank you!

[@Specsp421]

I’m surprised that the suit didn’t tear while you were brushing in the shoe polish. The base cloth is a lot sturdier than it looks!

[@AMVH2012]

Wow, that worked out so much better than I thought it would.

[@LowQualityGaming420]

the unboxing gave me a bullet of nostalgia idk why but just does.

[@hadarych9]

From Vader after mission to Vader before mission. The result looks cool! 😎

[@meboyotube]

I frigging HATE that stuff almost as much as the rubber coating that gets sticky after a couple years.

[@Thenogomogo-zo3un]

I have a very good pair of binoculars that has that 'sticky rubber' syndrome for its casing. Such a shame, totally unusable.

[@meboyotube]

@@Thenogomogo-zo3un You can take zippo lighter fluid or goo gone and scrub them. You will take all that crap off and be left with shiny plastic. It's a pain in the ass though. You need a lot of paper towels, q tips and maybe even an old toothbrush. Once it's off though you are set.

[@Thenogomogo-zo3un]

@@meboyotube I got some goo gone. The zippo fuel is a bit pricey to waste, I'll keep it for my zippos

[@meboyotube]

@@Thenogomogo-zo3un true. I'm probably a bit older than you. When I was a kid there was no go-gone so people use to buy lighter fluid because it's basically the same thing. I worked at a cigar shop and people would buy all sorts of things for weird stuff. Did you know if you spread skoal chewing tobacco around the base of the plants in your garden or keeps the slugs away? These old ladies coming in to buy lighter fluid and chewing tobacco. Let me know how it works out!

[@joginator]

i have the old Kenner Toy, which starts to flake off as well! will give this a try some day! thanks for posting this video!

[@joginator]

I cant believe this technik works! Ok i my Case i have to apply way more Coats, but im about to get a smooth Surface! Thats because the Figures Suit flaked off down to the Cloth, which has naturally a rougher Texture! Fun-Fact: If u stop after just a few Coats, u get something that looks like Suede.

[@somarriba333]

All too easy... Impressive. MOST impressive.

[@4feathers]

Well done!👏 I came across your restoration video on the Hellboy Figure a month or so back but forgot to subscribe after watching it but couldn't find your channel again so glad it came back up on my feed cause I just did!🍻👊

[@shovelchop81bikeralex52]

Interesting, I did exactly the same some years ago but instead of polish I used black ink, cool idea!

[@techyrock]

vader stands proud after the restoration 0:13

[@Ashleyjoannawilliams]

This also happened to me! ive also cleaned up his suit from the pleather but i just let it stay that way lol thanks to you i can work more on it keep it up!

[@biginjapanminiatures]

@@Ashleyjoannawilliams Thank you, mate! I appreciate your support! 👍🏻👍🏻

[@GermanicoBaltar]

@0:38 "WARNING: Choking hazard" 🤣

[@Jake-bt3fc]

This reminds me of people who try to collect old cars as "investments" only to realize it's constantly deteriorating and needs constant repairs. And if you don't drive it it actually deteriorates even faster.

[@user-eo8bd8hb3q]

Man you added crazy details love your videos😊

[@biginjapanminiatures]

Glad you like them! I really appreciate it! Thank you! 🙏

[@Malignant88]

Good rebuild. I like the shoe shine idea. For keeping down the pipes, I'd use loops with needle and thread instead of tape. once the boots are on you can just pull the threads out, leaving to trace.

[@exoticcarfactsofficialchan7050]

Amazing channel 🎉great content 🎉Keep these types of restoration videos coming 🎉 Cheers 😊

[@biginjapanminiatures]

Thank you! Will do! 👊🏻👊🏻 More to come soon! Thanks for watching!

[@yeeyaboi5563]

not the cheeck spread at 0:56 🤣

[@thebigmangamer]

Insanely cool job on this restoration (though Vader didn't have visible straps on his chest box for the Revenge of the Sith suit, but that's just being OCD here lol)

[@B3T4G0D]

Cool thing, but Vader doesn't have any leather straps to hold the chestbox in place in episode 3, he only has that in episodes 4-6.the way it was before, it's actually cinematically correct

[@thomasguycott]

Great work: the finished version honestly looks more accurate to scale compared to the original material.

[@theonemasterwarhero]

This also happened to my kenner 12 inch Darth Vader which came with Darth Maul...I simply just removed all the synthetic leather with some warm soapy water...the body suit doesn't shine anymore and is just the material...but it looks good and I won't have to worry about it peeling again.

[@eldau]

When I was a child I always wanted that figure. I went to a shopping center and in a stand there was that one that was incomplete. I was about 5 years old. It should be noted that I am 18 and every time I went I always went to see that figure. And when I was about to get it, they said that I was not alone. I hope that whoever has the figure is taking care of it as I would have done.

[@snakejt9241]

Nicely done. I have a couple RAH Snake figures that have a similar black leather-like material that breaks apart if it's stretched, so I just leave them in a glass case with straightened limbs. Guess one day it'll start crumbling to dust like Darth here, but I'm not brave enough to try fixing it myself 😆 I'm fond of the RAH line of figures, so it's nice to see this one get a new lease on life.

[@Aldo.flores]

Amazing restoration, unfortunately all real and fake leather and other vinyl materials have this issue with time, one alternative it’s apply special oils and creams to maintain moisturized the fabric and extend its life cicle but it need to be applied at least once a month, and the figures need to be placed without folding the clothes (that’s almost imposible), so this is a great alternative to bring back to life our figures and sculptures

[@MaseraSteve]

The only glossy material that resembled the leather surface that I can think of is nail polish

[@wenslystephen5591]

i rly like watching you fix hellboy & now darth vader ,more video like this please

[@biginjapanminiatures]

Thanks for your support, mate! I really appreciate it! 👊🏻

[@alexmaff1]

Hi. I own the (I guess) Kenner one from very early 90' but it has got the same problem. I do not know if your method is the best around but your video has been extremely detailed. Whenever I'll find some time I will definetely give it a try.

[@CrimsonFlagg]

Man, you did such a great job at restoring this.

[@TheHapaDon]

I use Mothers VLR to protect the pleather before it even gets to that point. For figures with pleather it is probably not good to leave them in the box sealed without inspecting them as the outgassing plasticizers may negatively image the pleather.

[@jacobholley4312]

Good for you dude I'm glad you finally figured out how to fix the Darth Vader pleather problem it would just be nice if Hot Toys did actual leather

[@dolly.gwendolyn]

@@jacobholley4312 if leather is not consistently moisturized it will crack as well so it wouldn’t be able to be a stay in box collectible

[@faxmuchine]

Hey, as a bonus, the flakes double as Anakin's Jedi robes post-Mustafar.

[@TheNetmktg]

Amazing job!

[@einsnewtrigger8530]

I'm not trying to be negative with the video, it's a nice idea and all that; but... you do realize that shoe grease, over time, will not only rot away that decomposing leather, but will also damage the other parts over time... I'd recommend looking into replacing that part of the suit with a vintage kit or making it by hand with rawhide. I just want the figure to continue hunting rebels and not get lost in the force.

[@biginjapanminiatures]

Thanks for sharing your thoughts! I did the same procedure with my Hellboy over a year ago. He's the same, nothing has changed, dried out or something like that 👍🏻

[@biropgrules]

Nothing lasts forever.

[@somersfamily]

I would have just used black leather paint, like I did for my eric draven. Looks just like new

[@GrandHighGamer]

There's no leather to rot, it's plastic/synthetic protein over a layer of fabric.

[@NumberOneGeek]

Nothing beats polishing Darth Vader's helmet.

[@akoeyfenfen1492]

instead use shoe polish, i used black acrysion from mr hobby. Applied it 3 layer and then use gloss varnish from reeves to make it glossy

[@rytlocknroll]

"You don't know the power of the dark polish!"

[@not_b_rian]

I've still got this figure somewhere. Last time I looked, it was in a similar state.

[@BeerusTVDB]

That was a fantastic modification using the shoe polish. But if you really want that to shine you should bake it under a heat lamp or a heat gun and then polish

[@blakegriplingph]

I've had a similar issue with the shoes I got for an American Girl doll, and I must say this is a complete bane for us collectors especially when the toys are supposedly "heirloom quality". Animal cruelty concerns be damned, but there ought to be a more reliable alternative to pleather if real leather isn't feasible for toys on ethical grounds.

[@Utrilus]

Real leather would have same concerns of drying out and cracking and degrading. Wouldn't it?

[@blakegriplingph]

@@Utrilus There is that too, but faux leather seems to be even more susceptible.

[@KebeQ]

@@Utrilus leather is easy to condition. I bought some old french leather ammunition pouches from the 1950s and they were bone dry. I put a lot of conditionner on them and now they look beautiful. Can't do that with fake leather

[@Siansonea]

I think I would have remade his bodysuit in a shiny black satin, that would give about the same effect as leather, without any possibility of flaking.

[@nicholasdickens2801]

I think Vaders chest panel was held on without the straps for episode 3. A really great restoring.

[@brendaowens2466]

Very well done sir. Commend you for this excellent project.

[@CloverIncorporated]

Crazy how good the faux leather looked even after one coat of shoewax

[@SirTodd]

in the late 90's/early 00's these types of figures were incredibly popular. there was sooo many different kinds... they even had KISS (rock band) figures like this one.

[@Pzd07]

Love this bro keep them coming !😊

[@dragmire86]

1:41 this is extra accurate to the movie, hands down

[@Skellitor301_VA]

rip James Earl Jones. He really brought this character to life with his unique voice

[@ghostsoap6681]

I like that they detailed the head even though it is covered by his mask.

[@gundamo_creates]

great work, premium figures should not need repair.....i had three figures deteriorate from latex skin to faux leather. I stopped buying any figure with those materials now.

[@julioochoa8613]

This happened to one of my favorite faux leather vests.

[@14Kostuch]

Try to use liquid leather for the heavy fractured parts - should cover the gaps :)

[@ZombieFBody]

Impressive. Most impressive!

[@galexeqe]

Excellent restoration, but I'm a bit surprised that the material degraded to that condition in the first place

[@akaJughead]

Just a nitpick, but the ROTS Vader suit didn't have straps. The chest box was connected directly to the suit. Great restoration BTW!

[@biginjapanminiatures]

I absolutely agree with you. I made a mistake by following photographic references from the original trilogy. Thanks for watching, mate! 👍

[@drewdonald6260]

Subscribed immediately!!

[@biginjapanminiatures]

@@drewdonald6260 I really appreciate you supporting, mate! 👊🏻👊🏻 Welcome to my channel!

[@TRDGE]

Oh boy... thanks so much for sharing... but I did have a question... I have several unboxed (complete with seals and everything) Hot Toys and was just wondering if they will all share this deteriorating fate regardless of being displayed? I would hate to think that we spent all this money just to have to eventually restore all of them...

[@lunavaughn9313]

Every hot toys I've ever owned that had pleather details came right out of the box with it already flaking apart

[@TRDGE]

@@lunavaughn9313 mmm... that sucks... I didn't realize that would be our fate. I figure keeping them prestine in a box would have saved them..

[@Bearedd]

@@TRDGE don’t let the commenters reply be the only one you listen to. There are tons of collectors who have old Vader figures with the pleather just find.

[@razumtazum3246]

Looks like this figure was being stored on Dagobah! ;) Amazing restoration though!

[@biginjapanminiatures]

Thanks for watching, mate! 👊🏻👊🏻

[@p-196]

out of the box, this Vader looks like my old office chair.

[@AegisAuras]

The idea of a tiny Darth Vader getting his suit washed is funny to me

[@Fletch85uk]

Very smart restoration!

[@gtosor]

Alors là, vous avez tout l'on respect. Une restauration digne d’un pro et fallait y penser au cirage de chaussure 👍👍👍👍👍

[@karltonalston1086]

I notice you did not use the acrylic paint this time.. like you did with Hellboy. Was there a reason?

[@bluemakina]

awesome solution!!! I´m definitely gonna give it a try on my ROTJ RAH Vader 👍👍👍

[@jahjoeka]

Well now we need more restoration videos

[@biginjapanminiatures]

@@jahjoeka that’s true 😄😄

[@Abefroman-lq3md]

Bravo sir. Brilliant work. Salutations from Belfast Northern Ireland 🇬🇧

[@8bitbonsai]

i just watches 23 min of darth vader laundry day

[@biginjapanminiatures]

@@8bitbonsai Thank you so much! 🌊✌️

[@matthewmccarron8915]

After adding the shoe polish/grease/wax, does it come off in your hands, or transfer onto other materials, like the plastic parts? It seems messy, but I think it's MUCH better than nothing!

[@amcleartayba]

@@matthewmccarron8915 I was wondering the same thing.

[@rayray1232333]

I also want to know. Anyone can tell?

[@darthethan1995]

My Power of the Force Vaders had that flaking problem. My Ultimate Villain Vader surprisingly doesn’t. I’ve had him for 5 years and his suit is still in good condition. It was a pain in the rear to switch from Anakin to Vader so I got a second body for him.

[@Nobiemon]

Incredible! I have a Dredd figure that completely went to hell just like this. Gotta try to save it now!

[@elusana]

The suit getting assembled at the end makes me think Vader really did have that shit on 🔥

[@Denon0122]

Always loved Darth Vader

[@alexmaff1]

Now that I come to think of it, after your treatment I would try some oil paint. I was a modelist once and oil painting has always worked very well, even if I mainly used them for the skin of soldiers or to weather military vehicles. Will see. Cannot tell you if I will be able to show the result in the short distance. Bye and thank you.

[@arturalex]

Tks a lot my friend, i have the same problem with the pants of Hellboy from Hot Toys. Working on it now !!!!! :)

[@sparkstron73]

Looks great as did the hellboy. Shoe polish has a strong smell, thats the only downside.

[@kuruyojapon]

its look fantastic!

[@biginjapanminiatures]

@@kuruyojapon Thank you !!! 👊🏻

[@antspineaha6844]

Nice restore bro!

[@THERedstoneBR]

vadder is like my headphone and my chair, i love this material

[@toomanyhobbies8351]

Looks like Vader experienced Mustafaar a second time.

[@TFCollectorByRattrap]

Amazing transformation!

[@biginjapanminiatures]

Glad you like it! 👊🏻👊🏻

[@Compliment_Thief]

Nice job good buddy! Is it worth more or less now it’s been refurbished?

[@theonepstein5100]

This can be prevented by oiling the material every so often to keep the molecular bonds strong and thus prevent flaking. It's not 100% foolproof but until they can get better material we'll have to make do.

[@NotMorganFreeman.]

Now all it needs is that head sculpt repainted.