Vintage Star Wars R5-D4 restoration - Toy Polloi

Restoring a vintage R5-D4 astromech droid. Taking a well loved toy and getting it displayable again.
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[@ThatGenericPyro]

Very nice little restoration as always, but the real question remains... *"Can you fix his motivator?"*

[@blackhawk69100]

The lacquer is a stroke of genius. Such a simple thing in the end.

[@lyleslaton3086]

R5-D4 was my first figure in a very long line of figures. Still one of my favorite droids.

[@delvis7842]

this was my first and only droid when I was a kid! such an amazing job restoring it! thank you for the trip down memory lane!

[@flounder31]

The 8-Bit Guy uses a similar de-yellowing process to yours, on vintage computer parts. However, he uses the peroxide they sell at beauty supply outlets for bleaching hair. It's slightly stronger concentration than the medicine cabinet variety, and it's more of a cream consistency. You might check out his channel for examples of his process.

[@RiccardoConturbia]

Chris McDaniel you’re right. Also the heat will do the job just as the sun, there is a test on that channel that shows the effectiveness

[@johnlewis3358]

Recently got a battered old R5-D4.This is so helpful.Thank you!

[@lurkerrekrul]

Nice job. R5-D4 was always one of my favorite of the classic Kenner figures. To be honest, I was never that crazy about how they did R2-D2, I always though he looked a little cheesy, but R5-D4 always looked pretty good to me. I remember back then, I had the droid factory toy and it included a third leg for the R2 body that they included with it, but it was a little too long to fit the normal figures because of the screw inside the body. I wrote to Kenner and got another of those legs (I probably lied and said it was missing :) ), then I cut it off so that I could use it with R2-D2 and R5-D4.

[@toypolloi]

+lurkerrekrul Good work.

[@timothyward8695]

Well done! I love R5-D4. Thanks for sharing you expertise!

[@dcambel943]

Really amazing. Thank you

[@Lantaarntje]

R5D4 my favorite starwars droid - nice vid!

[@meich10]

But now he dead

[@Stephlechasseur]

If i can give you a tip, when you peel off any kind of sticker, pull real slowly on it instead of rushing it, i find that most of the residue comes with the sticker that way.

[@deadbeatdynamo]

Great-looking restoration of my favorite 'droid.

[@ShadowcasterZero]

nice work. I have a chrome paint pen from Molotow that is amazing for restoring chrome on the edges of old toys. it matches very well.

[@P3SS3SSOd]

Superb job! Love watching the journey from beginning to end. If you'd like to speed up the de-yellowing process with the hydrogen peroxide I can highly recommend picking up a cheap UV lamp they sell on ebay for drying nails under (as in manicure nails). Using the Retr0Bright recipe I can get most things back to white in a few hours. But setting it up to shine onto the jar you use would probably work just as well. Those nail drying lamps work really well when there's little sun around.

[@toypolloi]

+P3SS3SSOd I try to keep the cost down on all my restorations. And I'm a patient guy 😁 I have plenty of repairs going at one time so a few days seems like nothing. But good tip for others to follow. Cheers

[@jpatt1000]

For the chrome try the Molotow chrome pen. You could even re-do R2's chrome head by getting the pen refill and airbrushing the dome with it. (Paint the blue first and mask that.) They are amazing!

[@GamerToyz]

Great video. Love R5D4!

[@mcgannahanskyjellyfetti6854]

The irony is this video of R5D4 is longer that the actual screen time of the droid in the movie... 😏

[@chrismayer3919]

EXCELLENT work! (makes me wish I still had my Star Wars droid figures)

[@kjamison5951]

I have found the use of a clear satin lacquer very handy to take the gloss shine off glossy photo paper yet retain an element of shininess close to the original.

[@allluckyseven]

When you were applying the sticker paper to the body of the R5 droid, I was thinking you might get a better result applying it from the middle (i.e.: the part where the other leg is located) to the edges. Could be a little harder because the paper could stick to itself, though, so I don't know. But I guess that applying from the middle would be what they originally did in the factories, if they did it by hand at all. Lacquered paper looks pretty good! Agree with yunoyuluvit, maybe using it on top of the chrome part would make it shinier. Or even (and that's a total guess) mixing it with the paint.

[@moderndaysalvage3976]

Thank you for doing this one I've already ordered the Christmas thungs to fix my diecast window

[@moderndaysalvage3976]

This was meant for the Landspeeder video

[@kjamison5951]

Top tip for others who are restoring. If you are producing your own stickers, be aware of the actual shape of the surface to which you are applying the sticker. Some ‘cylinders’ are actually cone shaped and as such need to be printed on a curve. See the label used for the droid in this video. It is printed on a curve. It’s possible to experiment by using a piece of regular paper, fitting it to the shape of the surface you wish to cover and then wrap it around the surface. You will find that it runs off slightly. You should be able to press the edges of the paper into the edges or mouldings of the surface and then carefully trim the excess and try the shape against the surface. If you scan the cut shape with a contrasting background into your, you will have a good approximation for your sticker shape. By refining the shape in the computer, and then printing out a sample, you can trim the sample and try it against your surface for fit and then continue to make refinements or begin the process of applying the graphics to the shape. I also use Photoshop but I have used Paint Shop Pro as well. They both use ‘layering’ to build up an image. I would recommend any graphics application which has layering.

[@delvis7842]

used this sticker replacement on a wooden dowel figure I made for my son! thanks for the inspiration!

[@kjamison5951]

For a slightly older look to the sticker, to give an indication of age, you may wish to create a layer in photoshop which is cream/ivory in colour with a little yellow. Then reduce the opacity until it just tints the background layer. Try a few test prints at different opacities. All papers will appear different when printed so a piece of regular paper won’t look the same as satin or matt or gloss paper.

[@DeepVeinZombosis]

Nice finish

[@toypolloi]

+DeepVeinZombosis Thanks.

[@johnfaulk7775]

Maybe try the same lacquer idea on the neck chrome piece

[@bigjohn7688]

Using Bare Metal Foil (Model Car Chrome) would make it look like original chrome.

[@willieleefrancis8091]

I subbed your channel. A superb restoration video indeed.

[@Tim-57]

Nice😎

[@missionpassed4584]

Yes wanna see the chrome with lacquer finish oh and great vid

[@toypolloi]

The chrome spray goes grey if you laquer it. You get what you get from the can. And it looks pretty good for the price.

[@missionpassed4584]

Ah that sucks I even thought what about mixing the two together, paint with lacquer, their has to be a non toxic way to recreate the chrome or even the gold effect some how.

[@prestodigitator]

we need to get you a thinner brush and a better pair of scissors i think! the swiss army knife scissors are not known for their ease of use! nice job though and the lacquering is a very good idea, well done!

[@007spikedog]

awesome job butty

[@joshtimasprime]

Maybe if you polished the silver painted section it would look more similar to the chrome?

[@boblowes]

Another excellent restoration. Though, if they were mine, I think I'd swap the legs of the existing R5 with the legs of the newly restored R5 - both figures legs' look a better colour match to the body and sticker of each other (though it's entirely possible that's just how it looks on video). Anyway, lovely job. I recently built a Bandai model kit of R2-D2 and R5-D5 in the same scale as the Black Series figures, as well as the various Japanese Star Wars figures. The look amazing - so much better than Hasbro's own Black Series R2. On the same lines, check out the Mafex Darth Vader for a really beautifully made and scaled figure. Again, much more impressive than Hasbro's Black Series entry, but on the same scale.

[@toypolloi]

+ZygmaExperiment Those kits are great. I have the speeder bike set still to build.

[@demonweber666]

Been soaking my droid in peroxide for 4 days, and although it looks better overall, i have a few really dark,stubborn yellow marks still. I did switch out the peroxide after 2 days, is there anything else i can do?

[@thomashensel5645]

Great result 👍 but why have you not given the legs in Hydro Proxide? Greetings Thomas

[@squirrelkilla7371]

I will send you an air brush kit and a bottle of Alclad. You do to good a job to be using that chrome paint. Lol

[@toypolloi]

+Shannon Helton ha thanks!

[@paulwinnusa7784]

Well said. I wish I could do that to. But I don’t have the patients. LOL

[@johnblack9885]

Just curious you sprayed the decal with a lacquer clearcoat how is it holding up 5 years later? Has it reacted with the acids in the paper and yellowed?

[@rebeldad1344]

I only say this because you are always about not having to spend money if you can use stuff you already have. Hydrogen peroxide is photo sensitive, which is why it comes in a dark bottle. If you want your peroxide to be the 6% that you say it is, then you must store it in the dark in a non clear container. Think beer! If you let it sit about in a clear jam jar it will not be 6% when you use it. Side note... it actually creates a dangerous/explosive compound if it is left in a clear container... of course 6% won't create much but...

[@TheJadetiger1]

i Have had lots of success with rubbing alcohol in place of lighter fluid

[@brodyjackson6388]

So can people just send you their vintage figures and you'll fix them for free or do you charge, love your vids btw.

[@alolmedo389]

My R5-D4 has like a ball at the bottom that blocks the hole to the screw

[@toypolloi]

I would guess someone has pushed a marble in there at some point. I have seen that a few times in my years of collecting. You'll have to drill it out I guess, but I have never done it myself. Cheers

[@ubertuber4u]

Looks great! Thought: adding a very slight yellow hue to your stickers to give an aged look.

[@SD_Marc]

Nice work. What's the situation with restorations? Can you sell them? Are they for your collection? Are they commissions? I would think selling them would come with a lot of caveats.

[@ja50davis]

Nice job on the restoration of R5. What printer do you use to obtain the sharper lines on the decals? Thanks

[@toypolloi]

I use a Canon MG2550. It's not great. There are far better printers out there.

[@MrDavomeister]

This may have been asked before but regarding printer paper…can’t you use waterslide decals? Or where the original ones paper based? I suppose it depends how close you want to get to originality

[@toypolloi]

You can use that. But it won't look like the original as that was a sticker.

[@craiglightowler2991]

Another great video! Just to ask, what would you do to clean an Arfive leg that might have been 'customised' with a permanent marker pen? I've heard alcohol might work?

[@toypolloi]

Thanks. Check out my video on ink removal. kzbin.info/www/bejne/fpqVlqmBeqiXrpI

[@peterjones3757]

hi, what would the best way to remove textured mud acrylic paint from a 1/6th scale sideshow R2D2 without damaging the original paint finish underneath? i really could use some of your expert advice.

[@toypolloi]

You could try this: kzbin.info/www/bejne/b57Ne4eMrb6lerc Do a test first, See what happens.

[@peterjones3757]

@@toypolloi Many thanks, i'll try that

[@Rebelscumradio]

Great I am about to do a series of astromech droid customs for my display at home. Can I ask what matte paper you use?

[@toypolloi]

I just buy whatever I can off ebay. Non branded. Or Epsom. Glass or Matt depending on the look I am going for.

[@Rebelscumradio]

Thanks for that. love your videos. Thinking about doing some videos myself for my vintage customs.

[@theCAPOSHOW]

I really want to know the proper shade of black for Imperial Commander. It looks like a bald spot is showing through his hat! Haha

[@toypolloi]

Black. I have videos on that.

[@delvis7842]

do the stickers stay on well? would it be beneficial to maybe hit the body with some spray adhesive while it is apart and let it dry to act like a contact adhesive with the sticker? never done one of these before. just curious! thanks!

[@toypolloi]

They stay on well. If stickers ever come off, just use pritt stick to re-attach. I have covered this in a video before.

[@delvis7842]

I apologise. I haven't gotten to all the videos yet. thank you. again I apologise if I ask about something you've already covered!

[@toypolloi]

No problem. I try to cover most things that come up often when fixing toys. Cheers

[@yunoyuluvit]

I'm wondering if lacquering the chrome paint would help that shine more?

[@DeepVeinZombosis]

I was wondering the same

[@therestorationofdrwho1865]

Yeah it would!

[@toypolloi]

+The Restoration of Dr Who Not with this chrome spray. It makes it go dull.

[@garym6315]

Stupid question but instead of sunlight can you use one of those Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) lamps?

[@toypolloi]

What does the lamp emit?

[@LowBudgetKiwi]

Instructions: "Put in the hydrogen peroxide solution and put out in the SUN for several days..." English folk: "Sun? Ya wot mate? You 'aving a laff???"

[@toypolloi]

It's that glowing light in the sky that appears once or twice a year.

[@LowBudgetKiwi]

@@toypolloi I'm Scottish so when I hear twice a year I get very jealous. Having said that I live in New Zealand and we have enough to spare lol. It's an emotional paradox.

[@kjamison5951]

Dave, a top tip for anyone applying stickers: Don’t peel the sticker from the backing, peel the backing from the sticker. Paper is essentially a fibrous mat. If you bend the paper, it ‘breaks’ the fibrous matting. When peeling the paper from the backing, the fibres are broken in the wrong direction and the sticker tends to peel away from the surface in that direction. Peeling away the backing, breaks the fibres in the backing. The sticker fibres remain unbroken. It is much easier to apply the sticker and it is far less likely to peel away from the surface. The problem here is that it is vital to apply the sticker as accurately as possible. If someone has to reposition the sticker... they break the fibres as they peel it away from the surface and it can cause wrinkles in the sticker surface. Hope this helps other folks.

[@sonnycopeland5067]

I’ve got an r5 with a loose head that moves up and down a bit. is there a trick to getting it tight again?

[@toypolloi]

Tighten up the screw and see what happens. Should fix it.

[@prodee1990]

Hello, Can you use lighter fluid also voor cleaning metal surverse

[@toypolloi]

Yes. Do a test first to check.

[@prodee1990]

@@toypolloi Okay! I will be carefull. Thankyou

[@dennispfund9202]

ALCLAD Chrome Works Best i guess

[@jamiemacsback]

Can you put your sticker file on your website. I've done an R5 restoration a couple of years ago, but I'm not happy with it.

[@toypolloi]

Check Erik stormtroopers website. He has scans of them. Cheers

[@paulwinnusa7784]

Let me ask you this. Would watered down bleach work for that yellowing?

[@toypolloi]

+Gordon Winn No. It needs to be hydrogen peroxide.

[@GamerWho]

Do you mix the hydrogen peroxide with oxy powder? It supposedly acts as a catalyst for the whitening reaction.

[@toypolloi]

+GamerWho I don't as I am in no hurry. And this way you can use the peroxide over and over.

[@erbalumkan369]

Nice job toy polloi. Would you sell those stickers you make? Cheers

[@Spankybutrswitch]

Blasphemy!

[@projektkobra2247]

Do you not have a proper scissors!?

[@toypolloi]

Nothing wrong with these 👍

[@projektkobra2247]

@@toypolloi -They looked fiddly!

[@themonkeyhand]

1st recorded actual use of scissors from a Swiss Army Knife.