I Need To Ask Some Specific Questions Re: Cleaning and Restoring

blogzilly

I've searched and read some threads and the web on the subject, but some methods I'm unclear about, maybe you all have some clarity to share. 

1. Why do some people say ultrasonic washing is the way to go? Is it better?
2. What are the advantages of washing bricks in UV light? How is that not harmful to the color? I thought that faded color on product?
3. If you have dusty, dirty bricks you get in a loose/bulk parts set and you hand wash them with soapy water in a sink...how do you get the interiors of all the small parts totally dry?
4. Does Goo Gone or Acetone or other solvents harm the brick when you remove sticker residue?
5. When you are trying to restore an older set, what are some good resources for sticker replicas that look authentic without claiming to be the real thing?

Thanks...from the Question Boy... 

AllBrick

1- No idea, first I've heard of it.
2- Never heard of that one either.
3- I always use a clear non fragrance soap liquid (Sanex) as it leaves no residue nor deposit anything. To dry I use pressurised air, warm radiators and vigorous shaking to remove any tucked away drops.
4- I use Zippo type lighter fuel on a tissue or cloth, removes sticky and doesn't affect the plastic. Do test of out first on a manky brick.
5- Personality, its the real thing or nothing. BLink should have replacement stickers for most sets.

madforLEGO

1. I think ultrasonic may be a bit less labor intensive (vs good ol'd soap and toothbrush)
2. never heard of washing brick in UV. There is the retro brite method of un-yellowing brick using hydrogen peroxide and sunlight (see other threads on the forum for that)
3. Air dry usually works, takes a bit of time but usually is better than trying to use a dryer (though it can be done with a garment bag from what some have said)
4. Goo gone, WD-40, even CLR  (which I used on rusty 12V train track pieces) have not harmed the brick when I have used it to remove sticker residue. (though wash them again in soap and water to remove any residue of the chemicals).
5. I tend to use authentic stickers when rebuilding a set, but for some sets, like old 12v trains, you have a hard time finding the originals. Over time folks on eBay sell them, there is one guy in the UK that sells really good reproductions that also already have the old factory cuts as well. It appears he is no longer on eBay, not sure if he has his own external site, or gave up making stickers.

TigerMoth

blogzilly said:

2. What are the advantages of washing bricks in UV light? How is that not harmful to the color? I thought that faded color on product?

The colours don't fade (unless you get too heavy-handed with chemicals). UV assists chemical changes that cause discolouration; if you're trying to reverse them using chemical methods, then you also need UV.

4. Does Goo Gone or Acetone or other solvents harm the brick when you remove sticker residue?

Acetone melts ABS, although not too rapidly. Leave a brick in it for a few hours, and it'll disappear. On the other hand, it means you can use acetone to "weld" elements together or remove imperfections - elsewhere, it's used to remove ridges from 3D-printed ABS pieces.

Bear in mind that TLG use many different materials so what works for one element may not work for another. The two main plastics are ABS and polycarbonate, the latter being used primarily, but not exclusively, for transparent colours.

madforLEGO

Just an FYI, I found the guy I used for my replacement stickers. They are all 'cut' to near, if not original, specs and are pretty nice IMO (though I think the 6375 Exxon Gas station pump ones may be a bit larger than original) .  The site is http://mrlegolover.com/ He is in the UK, but never had an issue getting the stickers to the US and in good condition.
I will say to ask any questions and check out their 'About us' link as they have some FAQ there as well.

blogzilly

Thanks these answers are all terrific. Much appreciated. Thanks for that sticker referral @madforLEGO

AllBrick

Just about to bin some rejects, anyone know if this staining is terminal? I think it's nicotine..

CCC

Probably.

PS. the other reason for using ultrasonic cleaning is to reduce scratching / abrasion when cleaning.

TyresOFlaherty

I've done the UV-hydrogen peroxide-oxiclean method to clean my whites, worked pretty well! Could have probably left them in for longer, though.

TyresOFlaherty

AllBrick said:

Just about to bin some rejects, anyone know if this staining is terminal? I think it's nicotine..

Holy crap, I didn't know Marge Simpson's sisters collected Lego....

AllBrick

I'm assuming those parts of mine are beyond rescue, time for the bin :(...

TyresOFlaherty

AllBrick said:

I'm assuming those parts of mine are beyond rescue, time for the bin :(...

Was looking for ways to remove smoke stains from Lego, but only found this link:
 
http://myfigurecollection.net/blog/5585

It's PVC, but worth a shot to see if it works...from the link:

I tried with a fairly concentrated mix with 1/4 vinegar, 1/4 lemon juice and 1/2 water, a night of soaking and a fair amount of good scrubbing with a sponge. It also removed the smell of smoke.

I think the idea of throwing away Lego just makes my little boy heart sad. 

CCC

I wouldn't chuck them. Just keep them for when you need a hidden piece, or have a go at modding parts, or dye them black.

sklamb

I have to agree that throwing unbroken Lego away just because it's stained seems wasteful. (Unless it also smells terrible--and even then airing out can do wonders!)

Why not try the hydrogen peroxide trick? Can't hurt, anyway.

stefxan

To get rid of the bad smell you can also try to put it in the freezer for a while. I wouldnt recommend it for rubber parts but it seems to be ok for normal bricks. I have the same problem for about 30 loose bought kilos and washing it didn´t help me completely.

stefxan

Since my last comment in this section a year has gone.

My most favorite way for identifying figures is now a combination of a pdf minifigure guide I bought, bricklink and for sure the goatleg link I got from this thread. In the very hard cases I also end up at google for more information. 

To put one figure together in the correct way I need 5 to 30 minutes. On some days its a nice work done on the couch at the evening ;-)

Astrobricks

I know it’s been a year, but did you forget what the topic of the thread was?

TheFew

TyresOFlaherty said:

I've done the UV-hydrogen peroxide-oxiclean method to clean my whites, worked pretty well! Could have probably left them in for longer, though.

What is the method? I have a ton of yellowed whites!!

CCC

There is a good thread on de-yellowing here: https://www.eurobricks.com/forum/index.php?/forums/topic/7167-brick-de-yellowing-techniques/

And don't watch this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yeO0AhKPW5Y