Vintage Star Wars Farmboy Luke Skywalker restoration - Toy Polloi

One of the very first figures I owned was the Farmboy version of Luke Skywalker. He's still a very popular one to collect today, and getting harder to find at a sensible price. Beaters are cheaper to come by and with a little work you can make even the roughest figure look very displayable.
In this video I take two very rough Luke's and turn them into figure fit for display. With the added bonus of a Luke X-wing custom.
#starwars #vintage #restoration
0:00 Intro
2:41 removing Ink
4:51 De-yellowing
6:07 The results
8:10 Painting - Flesh tones
11:58 Painting - Hair
14:12 Painting - Legs
15:38 Painting Luke's eyes
17:28 Painting the belt
18:26 Top coat
19:19 Ink removal update
20:20 The finished figures
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[@ricoravenshaw]

I ended up using a sharpened wooden toothepick to do the eyes and eyebrows etc on AF toys. It soaks up some of the paint so it doesn't blob at all. Very useful

[@rabidracoon9699]

Luke at 7:31 : ARRRRRRRRRRRRRGH

[@grotgrusson5124]

Ha, ha. What a coincidence. I bought me a Luke Farmboy some while ago. It was first that I got him I saw that His neck was shattered. Last week, I got me another one, with a beat up head, thinking that I cold swap the heads and get one fairly good looking Luke FB. This video containd all of my restauration plans. Werry fun to see, and the figures turned out great. I hope mine will be as good looking too. =)

[@MonaSmith2086]

Lovely restoration on these figures, they look almost new again! It always bugged me as a kid that the hilt of the lightsaber wasn't painted, just a tiny bit of silver paint would have made it look so much better!

[@FETT4HIRE]

I like the X-Wing Pilot with the farm boy head. Makes you wonder why Kenner didn't do that back in the day.

[@obirobkenobi3599]

Always thought it was a shame they never did an x-wing Luke without a helmet considering he has a few scenes without one . Good job Dave

[@MegaCatman45]

Great video as always! A few days ago I actually made a replacement lightsaber with a toothpick and a pin. It did the job quite right and I recommended to anyone who doesn't want to spend a lot of $ on a repro saber!

[@treetheodore6906]

Because of you, my son knows more about this vintage figure than I do, & I bought it 43 years ago. Thank you.

[@toypolloi]

That is awesome!

[@snookhammer]

An ultraviolet light would speed that up quite a bit, you can get a small one that is cheap

[@WeaselJuice]

Yeah. Doesn’t it rain all the time in the UK?

[@The1queencollector]

@@WeaselJuice lol no, we do get very long periods without rain and in mid summer it gets above 30oC, global warming has had an influence.

[@GabrielCamilo84]

Man, you really need that UV box to de-yellow those figures!

[@toypolloi]

The sun is free. Why spend money on something when you can do it for nothing :D

[@lokiiigator3759]

@@toypolloi One thought my wife has one of those UV Nail LED Lamps for curing Gel nail Polish might be able to "Burrow" it.

[@beavis6363]

Hi Dave. Always a pleasure to watch a new video. If I may, with the best of intentions, impart along a bit of knowledge. Files are designed to work only with the forward stroke. It takes just a little practice, but once you get used to it they work really good with less effort. Use your focus to push forward and contour, lift on the back stroke, and repeat. It's much like a carpenter using a wood plane. Once you are on to the pattern you'll see what I mean. I'm not picking on you or criticizing, do as thou will, but if you have a piece of scrap try beveling an edge, you be surprised how efficient the tool will become. Good luck, and keep up the great work!

[@mlindy7125]

I have watched your videos over the years and can only Imagine how many Star Wars figs you have saved from going into the trash! Bravo 👏🏻

[@oliverbelmonte7077]

Hooray for Sir Dave.The vintage Star Wars toys have been given new life.

[@TheDing1701]

Boy, it seems like only yesterday when I watched you used the Lego pieces to put the head on that poor Scout Trooper. I never tire of your ingenuity and passion. I fact, I sent some traffic to your website this week. In one of my action figure groups on FB, a member asked about replacement stickers, I told him about you, he came back and said now he's binging the KZbin channel! He thanked me, and I said "Thank Dave! He's the best there is!"

[@toypolloi]

Cool, thanks

[@GeneralMadinesBarber]

They look great, particularly like the x wing pilot Luke

[@toypolloi]

Thanks 👍

[@sithcarebear1]

Brilliant Restorations, Dave!!😃👍 That head swap with the X-wing pilot Luke was AMAZING! It makes me really really wish they had done an actual figure like that. It looks wonderful and adds a whole new dynamic to how you display your vintage figs. I just can’t get over it.. Thank you!🙏

[@Pappuram-oy1ig]

😊थदथथ?

[@scubapete9500]

Dave you have mad painting skills! One day, I hope to be decent. 👍😆

[@damonk3674]

Mr toy-polloi your like a figure genius. No job is to big no fee is to big lol lol. Please keep the videos coming

[@TheVileOne]

Wow, they look good as new.

[@Phantasia_Workshop]

Whenever I see something like that inked-over Luke, I often wonder if the original owner might be watching this video and be like, "Hey, that was my figure!" and post a comment as to why he did it

[@ToyTastic77]

Lol, I am glad it’s not just me that ponders those types of things, I would say with that Luke they would be trying to make a Jedi Luke due to the black, but who knows. 😂

[@MightyEmperor]

Or "hey that's my Luke which I caught my baby brother scribbling on and I threw it across the room in a fit of pique".

[@bandicootcollector]

My theory is that they wanted a Jedi Luke. They probably put Vader's cape on him and then painted in the arms!

[@TenkoVA]

​@Bandicoot Collector that would actually make a lot of sense. I know I used to sharpie over clone troopers and stormtroopers to make customs, so your idea is a solid one.

[@dougjames4972]

In the desert....moisture farming.... zooming around in a topless speeder....he's gonna get the dusty look! Top notch job, Dave!!!

[@bikerscout7467]

Another fantastic fix it tutorial! I love these restored Luke figures! The techniques you have used work really well and the finished figures have loads of character!

[@johnlewis3358]

I'm a total newbie. This will be my first go at restoration .Got a wobbly old/faded Farmboy Luke that i found that needs a lot of TLC. Wish me luck :) Thanks for the Vid Mate :)

[@ManCave1972]

Love it- especially the modded x wing pilot👏👏👏👏👏👏👏

[@TheSkullReviews]

Your videos are both interesting and relaxing, great job on those Luke's, keep them coming and thank you for the great content.

[@toypolloi]

Thanks 👍

[@BanthaPooDoo64]

If you could get u some magnifier glasses you’ll see a huge difference in getting much better results on the finer details you’re working on, my son seen I was struggling when I work on my model kits and gave me a pair for Christmas a few yrs back and now the smallest detail is no longer a problem. But I really love your videos tips and ideas on repairing toys I use your videos to get better results and I always refer your videos to other pp struggling on their toy repairs. Keep up the great work ur a good Teacher.

[@BrynSmith76]

They look loads better now. I'll check my spares box to see if I have a spare head for you

[@richardaproche]

X-wing Luke with farmboy head is such a great idea. After watching this and the Han head swap video, am thinking of other swaps - maybe Hoth Luke/Han with their bespin heads for when they're back at Echo Base.

[@TheToyBoy1978]

Great job Dave. From worthless to worth displaying! 👍

[@garybuder4645]

A pilot head with custom blast shield down on the headless farm boy would make a cool luke vs the remote custom

[@paulparker1360]

As always, informative and entertaining.

[@toypolloi]

Glad you think so!

[@AllThings80s]

Fantastic work, as always.

[@raybrooks463]

Brake fluid works wonders. I used it on a boba fett and it faded the factory paint to near nonexistent . Didn’t hurt the figure at all. I repainted it as the comic book fett.

[@irishvader2193]

Love the diy ingenuity

[@missionpassed4584]

I had the farm boy Luke back in the 80s and first thing I did was lose the blooming Lightsaber it just fell out in the garden never to be seen again!

[@tperson8347]

Those figures look great :) The eyes look great. Sometimes you'd get a vintage figure (off the card) who's eyes weren't painted as well in the factory. I've used a very fine tip marker (NOT Sharpie. Sharpie and other permanent markers leave a purple-ish color as it fades) for the webbing on a 1984 Secret Wars Spider-Man, and again to get the eyes looking right again on a used HE-MAN figure which works very well. The eyes have it, it's all in the eyes :) I don't remember the marker, but you can get them at a hobby store, or Hobby Lobby, and sometimes wal-mart. A word of caution, or advice, though, be careful not to remove the original factory paint with those fine tip markers. For some reason the felt tip rubs the paint off. Thanks for making this video I appreciate it :)

[@FullersFigures]

Wow Dave they turned out brilliant and 100% displayable. I’m loving the addition of the head to the Xwing body.

[@rumblehat4357]

Liquitex makes a tube of yellow that is an exact match for Yellow Hair Luke's hair.

[@ReynoldsReviews]

Superb video again Dave, I do love the resto videos, I've saved so many beaters I've picked up over the years because of your videos, your tips and know how videos are a god send, keep up the great work 👍

[@grimmace2131]

Excellent video!

[@brettsimpson1505]

Beautiful work. Thank you for sharing your knowledge.

[@MRK1973]

That was great ! I really appreciated that you said what coating you put on top of the paint as I guess it protects it and waterproofs it somewhat. They look great and that Luke pilot looks very good.

[@MaxxWatt]

Wow David, these figures are stunning. This is your best ever video because Luke farmboy is a tricky figure to restore, yet if done properly with care the results are amazing! Well done bro :).

[@lostonwallace1396]

These are the sort of very common problems that you have with old SW figures like these Farmboy Luke Skywalkers. For some reason or another they often pop up with cracked necks, so the heads tend to be loose. Ever see broken, chipped or crack necks on these? I think I have five Farmboy Lukes, and at least two of them were suffering with this problem. I did repair them myself using apoxie sculpt to fill in the cracks and gaps, but the problem does seem to happen with some frequency. I suppose the plastic turns brittle over time, and the areas around the neck have been shaved fairly thin in order to fit in the heads. If you find some Luke figures with this issue, please do a video on that sort of fix, Dave. About three years ago I inquired as to how to fix a broken clicker on an original 1977 R2D2, and you said that you'd think about that one. I recently saw that you did fix the clicker on the R2 from the 1978 12" figure line. Other than just trying to buy a replacement clicker (which I almost never see on eBay for a reasonable price), is there anything that can be done to repair the clicker on one of R2s from the 3.75" line?

[@impossiblepie]

Excellent paint work Dave!

[@rolandkatsuragi]

17:26 Well considering the small space, that would likely pass QC at the factory.

[@rgc85]

Love the pilot version 👍 as usual, great job Dave ! 👏

[@FraDonaghyMusic]

Amazing work as always Dave

[@bandicootcollector]

Really good restorations, but I think some of your paint has filled in details, especially the hair. I recommend watering down your paint until it flows off of the brush gently, then paint them in two or three coats. You won't lose detail and you won't see brush strokes!

[@dreamingcolour]

Excellent! Thank you.

[@beardedgeektoyreviews836]

Great video! I’ve got a vintage X-Wing that has marker pen on it and have been using 70% hand sanitizer to help remove it, will try the spot cream though to remove the last bits 👍🏻

[@ToyTastic77]

Great video as always 👍🏻 Lawrence from Toy Planet UK is an absolute Diamond to deal with, he has helped me find so many great figures and playsets at very fair prices.

[@FLAVCO]

Great Job!

[@toypolloi]

Thanks!

[@kingerikthegreatest.ofall.7860]

Looks great.

[@darkwind9000]

For the figures missing heads it would be fun to add a lego head for them.

[@UnicronHound]

One thing that might help a little with the permanent marker stain Luke is some of those Tooth Whitening pens.

[@maverick7291]

Maybe the inked Luke was an attempt to make him look like "return of the Jedi" Luke.

[@samuelrivera4542]

I see others use a UV light with the peroxide. Do you think it will work on these?

[@toypolloi]

It would. But the sun is free :D

[@samuelrivera4542]

@@toypolloi yes its free. Yet the UV does it quicker. And as you stated yourself the sun up there isn't as bright or as long. P.S. I admire your work and attention to the way you repair them.

[@storedartist8724]

u should do more guides on paint repairing figures i just started collecting and wanna repair some one my figures ur videos have been great guides

[@toypolloi]

Thanks. I've done quite a few over the years. Not sure I have done all 96 yet. But there is still time.

[@Norrbottning]

I prefer the brown hair as that's how he appears in the movie

[@dattallaudiophile236]

The Luke on the left is from an alternate universe where Darth Vader didn't take any chances and straight out just cut his head off. I wonder how they used to paint the eyes back in the day. This was a great restoration, and the interchangeable head is really good, they should have made a pilot Luke with removable helmet to begin with

[@dolljunk]

Hey, long time fan! A way to speed up the benzoyl peroxide method is to actually put it in a warm space or area. After wrapping up the stained area in cling wrap, I then place the toy wrapped up in a heatpad meant for muscle pains and aches. Things that would take weeks to destain I can usually have destained in 4-8 hours. It's definitely sped up a bunch of projects during my winter months. As a word of caution I find Benzoyl Peroxide leeches out blue pigment really strangely with this method, like blues, greens and purples. Hopefully this small tip can help if youre looking to explore faster methods of destaining.

[@dustybragg4011]

Brilliant

[@erickshobbiesncustoms5775]

you could always use very fine ink markers like Microns or Rapidographs for the eyes.

[@toypolloi]

Pens tend to blead over time which is why I prefer paint.

[@nerdcraftercoley7305]

I think the one that had black pen on it they were probably trying to make a Jedi Luke. I remember repainting figures as a kid. If I got a blue or yellow batman I would paint them black.

[@MartinFutter70]

More vintage plastic saved 🤘👍🙏❤

[@sgsax]

My poor Luke figure lost a leg somewhere along the line. A friend of mine who is a collector gave me another because she felt sorry for me. 😁 Neither have a light saber. Maybe I'll 3d print some replacements. Fun to watch you bring these back to life. Thanks for sharing!

[@andybennington637]

Watching it again. Great work! I found an xwing pilot head in my parts box. It's the only one I have and no body. I wonder if they went together. Lol

[@toypolloi]

It could be. I was sent this one a while back with a few other remains of figures.

[@jww6598]

You can use axe men spray to remove sharpie pen ink , if available in the UK

[@shakestheclone1995]

Amazing synchronicity here. I was just searching to see if you had done this figure - just this morning. I recently picked one up, yellow torso … unsure if the Stormtrooper peroxide trick works… am I going to screw him up so bad that I have to do a 100% repaint? …. Questions like that. Seriously, like 12 hours ago.

[@maverick7291]

Headless farm boy Luke should remain headless and retitled "farm boy Luke tries his luck at fighting Darth Vader"

[@thewholecity]

Nice work fella. Have you considered stripping some of the original paint on hands, hair etc before applying a new coat? It can give a slightly better quality finish. Also, I tend to go all over with new coats rather than just touching up damaged areas, as it makes the colour more consistent.

[@Skraboing649]

Great stuff Dave, always look forward to your content. Couple of technical questions (open to the floor also, as it were): 1. Does trying to take the worst ink off with lighter fluid before the peroxide step work? 2. With acrylic paints, do they tend to dry darker than they appear when wet? Thanks all 😀

[@toypolloi]

Thanks. Lighter fluid makes no difference to ink like this, it's soaked into the plastic. And all paints tend to change a bit when dry.

[@mikedragneff6804]

Have you ever considered making a resin copy of the various parts needed like the head or any other body parts for that matter?

[@JoseMedina-hs9st]

Yellowing is mostly common too on the super nintendo and Sega dreamcast They suffer from that same issue

[@curtjenkins8854]

I thoroughly enjoy your videos and have learned alot. I have the opportunity to acquire a Kenner Imperial Shuttle Tyderium that someone attempted to weather. Do you have any suggestions on the best way to remove the paint or would it be better to repaint the whole thing? And if repainting, what is the original color? The closest that I can determine is bone white as it has that slight yellowish tint.

[@toypolloi]

Without seeing what they have painted it with it's hard to say. But check out my ultimate action man challenge video.

[@Tim-57]

Hey Dave🙂 Everytime I watch you mix paint, I feel as I did as new subscriber... As in How does he do this!?...haha🙂 Always a treat to watch you fix up another toy. Happy Weekend

[@TheDing1701]

He makes iy look easy! My stuff looks like it was done by a 5-year-old with finger paint! LOL

[@Tim-57]

@@TheDing1701 I "hear" you on that! Hahah😉

[@chug4083]

Have you thought about buying UV strip lights? Ive seen another restorer use them to great effect and you wont be reliant on the UK weather

[@toypolloi]

The sun is free, and I am in no rush on these projects. I just do it when the sun is out.

[@snakesolid2279]

You should try using a UV light. It’s a lot more concentrated, and you don’t have to watch the weather report.

[@tripleespresso1823]

Hey Dave. Lots of tips as always, good stuff. You may have covered this in a previous video but I couldn’t find it. Have you had any experience of removing biro from toy box packaging. You know where the previous owner/kid has scrawled their name on the printed artwork. Thanks man.

[@toypolloi]

I don't think I have. I generally leave it as part of the box history. Cheers

[@michaelharrington75]

Just paint the inked up arms, and the whole tunic white. Would look good as new.

[@toypolloi]

I don't like doing that. If it wasn't painted in the first place I prefer to keep it that way.

[@jovintagle2372]

Wondering if you could make a custom Hillbilly Han to go with that farm boy Luke.😁

[@TheChibitodd]

Have you tried good old rubbing alcohol and a q tip to remove ink from a sharpie? Works on most of it

[@MrGreatwolves]

I'd like to see someone modify a farmboy luke with a blaster hand instead of a lightsaber.

[@Eccles_Hall]

Hi Dave. Fab video as usual. On a Luke theme, would plastic weld be the best product re-affix the handle that has snapped off a green Luke Jedi lightsaber do you think? If so, what brand (to ensure I get something decent) do you use? Thanks in advance 👍🏻

[@toypolloi]

Thanks. Plastic weld only works on certain plastics. It will have no affect on the plastic used on the weapons. Check out my video on weapon repair.

[@Eccles_Hall]

@@toypolloi ok. Will do

[@wallyandellen5099]

They look absolutely wonderful and the legs look superb. Looking at my numerous figures that will need restoring, I always ask myself what is the original colour of the plastic as the body, head and limbs could be a different cast colour. For example a 1977 Storm Trooper would be white, but what is a 1977 Luke? Also, is Luke's body the white part satin varnished? I also started to paint figures a different colour and add highlights here and there, like buttons, backpacks, scarves and friends have said....wow! looks amazing. Thank you for the video.

[@phily-phil]

That Luke is cast in all white plastic except for the head, which is cast in flesh tone.

[@wallyandellen5099]

@@phily-phil thanks mate, nice to know the casting colour.

[@Spike-13]

Going to attempt the Lego peg fix on a figure soon, wish me luck. I looked for a video on it but couldn't find one, did I miss it?

[@toypolloi]

I use lego in loads of my Star Wars figure repair videos. It's good for all sorts of fixes.

[@Spike-13]

@@toypolloi I'll have to go give those a watch, thanks man!

[@kirisilvermane]

presume its the UV that helps activate the removal of stains and de-yellowing...would it worth looking at one of the UV curing stations for 3d printers or even just bashing up your own UV lamp station to do this with? i made my own uv station for about £30. just wondering if this would speed up the process for someone?

[@MightyEmperor]

Yeah, I was wondering as you can just use a UV nail lamp: kzbin.info/www/bejne/l5zcanapfNWcfJY It'd definitely remove the... "weather factor" which is an issue in Blighty!

[@felix9100]

What about casting a new head from the other ones by yourself?

[@afragoso1975]

What type of paint do you use?, any brand do you recommend?, great job!!

[@toypolloi]

Check out the video as I will tell you what I am using as I go along. Cheers

[@billpaulk1058]

Great video Sir! I am de-yellowing my Wampa in 3% hydrogen peroxide in the hot Texas sun. Gave it about 9 hours in two sessions with a little improvement. What do you think about switching to 10% benzoyl peroxide spot cream to get better results? Have you seen better results one way or the other?

[@toypolloi]

Try and get 6%. Benzyl peroxide is for removing ink stains.

[@JulesDesmond]

Hi Dave. Did you have to trim down the axle pin/cross section to get the Lego piece into the torso? Are you snipping the middle section off, so the head sits flush on the neck. I've got one of these that I've been wanting to repair (bit the head off when I was 2 - LOL!) and it's looking like a very tight fit for mine. The head is also quite small and I'm worried the pin will be too big?! It's clearly possible from your video. I just wondered if you had any tips? Apologies in advance for all the questions.

[@toypolloi]

I trim the X section to make it fit the hole, Only needs a bit taking off. Then glue in place. On this figure I left the middle rim as it works as a neck. No trimming of the main clip part as there is space inside the head for that to fit. Check out my Hoth Han solo video as I cover much more in there. Cheers

[@JulesDesmond]

Thanks so much Dave. Love what you do. Super inspirational.

[@knightro22]

Hello TP, Love your videos! i have a Luke with a yellowed torso, but I am afraid that the Hydrogen Peroxide might damage the paint applications on the rest of the figure. What has your experience been? Any tips would be appreciated. Cheers!

[@toypolloi]

You can see everything I did in this video, including deyellowing. What I show is what I did.

[@mikewatkins3533]

Awesome video. Have a question for you? I have the 2011 Vintage X Wing and 2003 Tie Advanced Fighter. All four wings are bent and the solar panel on the Tie Advanced is bent. Both have hard plastic and what to do to mold the plastic back in original form. Cheers🍺😎🎸

[@toypolloi]

I've not had any luck with fixing modern star wars toys. They are made of very cheap plastic and often the faults are in there from the start. That's why I stick to vintage.

[@mikewatkins3533]

@@toypolloi Ten4. I did see you put some plastic parts in hot water. I’ll try the same technique. Cheers 🍺🍺😎🎸

[@toypolloi]

Worth a try for sure. But if they are like the TFA Tie Fighter the plastic is permanently warped.

[@dantooine4279]

I recently saw someone use permanent ink pen to do the eyes, would you recommend this? It looked like it was much easier to keep a steady hand with the pen.

[@toypolloi]

No. Ink will bleed into the plastic and spread out. Just look at old figures that someone has put initials on the feet

[@dantooine4279]

@@toypolloi Ok, good to know - I'm planning on doing some minor touch-ups to some beaters and your tutorials are awesome - keep up the great work!

[@edb.1577]

Great work! Love the paint job! I'm kinda wondering, would it help to just repaint the entire robe and sleeves of Luke all white so it can look brand spanking new? And then add that satin finish? Looks great either way 👍👍

[@classicalvintagecollector]

What size hole do you drill for the Lego connector? Does the connector snap in or do you glue it?

[@toypolloi]

Same size as the piece of Lego. So it's nice and snug. The Lego has a lip to it so it holds in place on its own.

[@ninohauser6576]

Is it possible to mix vallejo 72769 with 70951 to get right skin tone?

[@georgemartinez1720]

Use wartvremover it has 40% benzil petoxide

[@D03Y]

Execute Vallejo 66

[@douglasbutler1319]

Nice job, really look nice!

[@toypolloi]

Thank you! Cheers!