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Restoring vintage Lego Store Display

Cheap_Ass_BricksCheap_Ass_Bricks Member Posts: 2
in Collecting
Hello Brickset!!

I need your help. I recently purchased a 1970s 80s era store display. Some of the pieces are broken and need to be replaced. Does anyone know a way to lessen the glue that was used so that I can replace the brick
Jackad7

Comments

  • DeMontesDeMontes Member Posts: 745
    Paging @GoodPlay2 the King of Vintage store display restoration 😬
    KungFuKennymadforLEGOYellowcastle
  • KungFuKennyKungFuKenny Member Posts: 2,368
    @Istokg has some contacts from the vintage display model community as well I believe..,
    DeMontesmadforLEGOYellowcastle
  • DeMontesDeMontes Member Posts: 745
    @Cheap_Ass_Bricks

    This is Chris (GoodPlay2) Flickr, you can see some of his restoration in there https://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]
    madforLEGOYellowcastleKungFuKenny
  • IstokgIstokg Member Posts: 2,362
    DeMontes said:
    Paging @GoodPlay2 the King of Vintage store display restoration 😬
    I just Emailed Chris to come take a look.  🤨
    KungFuKennyDeMontesYellowcastlemadforLEGO
  • AstrobricksAstrobricks Member Posts: 5,441
    As I recall from previous discussions here, anything that can dissolve the glue will also dissolve the bricks.
  • DeMontesDeMontes Member Posts: 745
    Istokg said:
    DeMontes said:
    Paging @GoodPlay2 the King of Vintage store display restoration 😬
    I just Emailed Chris to come take a look.  🤨
    If that doesn’t work, we can send someone round to tap him on the back 😂
    KungFuKenny
  • Cheap_Ass_BricksCheap_Ass_Bricks Member Posts: 2
    Thank you all for your help!!
  • The_RancorThe_Rancor Member Posts: 2,532
    edited May 2021
    I can’t claim to be an expert on this era of Lego displays and I don’t know the type of glue used, but it might be possible to ease the glue a little using a hairdryer or targeted heat gun on the areas you need. Then you might be able to carefully pull a brick off and scalpel the glue from what’s left underneath. I’ve done it for similar non-Lego things before but the heat does have to be quite targeted and you wouldn’t want to melt too much glue (if indeed it melted slightly at all in the first place).

    However, still definitely best to wait for the experts to see if they have a better solution than the amateurs (i.e. me) first!
  • HuwHuw Administrator Posts: 7,076
    It would be cool to see such an object in The Repair Shop...
    Switchfoot55TheOriginalSimonBKungFuKennyJackad7
  • TheOriginalSimonBTheOriginalSimonB Member Posts: 1,771
    ^ Agreed, although I can't think what the associated sob-story would be.
  • HuwHuw Administrator Posts: 7,076
    Grandad ran a toy in shop in the 1960s... used to dust it every day... recently passed away and it's all the descendant has to remember him by.

    I wonder which expert would tackle it? Kirsten would probably do a good job.
    AstrobricksDeMontesSwitchfoot55The_RancorKungFuKenny
  • Switchfoot55Switchfoot55 Member Posts: 3,275
    I'd trust it with Kirsten. She knows all the fancy ways to disengage old glue. Once disassembled, it would be a remarkably easy reassembly, however!
    KungFuKenny
  • AstrobricksAstrobricks Member Posts: 5,441
    There’s disengaging the old glue, and then there’s cleaning it all off the parts 😐
    Switchfoot55
  • bricktuarybricktuary Member Posts: 986
    There's always the risk that you'd go in with an old Lego ship, and get handed back a Lego cottage and a weird looking spaceship.
    560HeliportKungFuKenny
  • HuwHuw Administrator Posts: 7,076
    Wait, they show the Repair Shop in the US?
    Switchfoot55KungFuKenny
  • DeMontesDeMontes Member Posts: 745
    edited May 2021
    While this thread has gone off at a tangent, it’s made me want to watch Repair Shop...is it Netflix? Prime? Something else?
  • bricktuarybricktuary Member Posts: 986
    https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/b08l581p/the-repair-shop
  • HuwHuw Administrator Posts: 7,076
    Have you been living in a cave for the last few years, Elspeth?
    DeMontes
  • Switchfoot55Switchfoot55 Member Posts: 3,275
    There have been/are a few seasons on Netflix. I was instantly hooked!
    KungFuKenny
  • DeMontesDeMontes Member Posts: 745
    edited May 2021
    Huw said:
    Have you been living in a cave for the last few years, Elspeth?
    Haha! It seems like it but actually I don’t watch  bbc as no tv licence 😂
  • jason1976jason1976 Member Posts: 309
    As this thread has already gone off on a tangent, this Youtube channel may be of interest to people - https://www.youtube.com/c/RescueRestore/videos

    They haven't restored any Lego models (yet) but the Millennium Falcon restoration video shows them getting rid of adhesive residue and whitening the plastic, so may be of use to the OP (and sort off makes it relevant to post the link!)
    The_RancorKungFuKennypxchris
  • bricktuarybricktuary Member Posts: 986
    Nudging marginally back towards topic, my favourite one of those channels is Odd Tinkering; here he is restoring (and whitening) a Lego Stormtrooper (clock)

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o8DqA4FCs2Y


    KungFuKennyjason1976
  • KungFuKennyKungFuKenny Member Posts: 2,368
    edited May 2021
    Switchfoot55 said:
    There have been/are a few seasons on Netflix. I was instantly hooked!
    Yep- very soothing to watch after a hard day at the clinic!
    jason1976 said:
    As this thread has already gone off on a tangent, this Youtube channel may be of interest to people - https://www.youtube.com/c/RescueRestore/videos

    They haven't restored any Lego models (yet) but the Millennium Falcon restoration video shows them getting rid of adhesive residue and whitening the plastic, so may be of use to the OP (and sort off makes it relevant to post the link!)
    Another channel I recommend highly - it is so satisfying to watch old broken down toys come back to life!
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