Dishwasher. Crazy idea?

rsv1cox wrote:Now that I have finished the PT-19, I have time for this Cox Skyraider.



After removing the paper decals I found the true color finish.  Light detergents do not touch the yellowing and thought some time in the dishwasher on a light setting might help to restore the original finish.  Crazy or possible?  I don't want to warp the plastic so perhaps a warm setting would be best?  

I doubt many here would be surprised at the things that have been cleaned in dishwashers and perhaps some here have tried this already.

Bob, **If you try anything like that.. I would remove the clear canopy as a precaution.** There used to be a product called "Plastic Booster" by Cascade, for the dishwasher. It was specifically formulated for cleaning stained plastic items.. but it was discontinued. I had never used it on plastic models though.



Apparently it worked very well.. and people are disappointed that they can't get it anymore. I've used dishwasher cleaners which work great for cleaning the machine.. but don't know how they'd work otherwise. I remember the old "Tang" powdered drink mix did a HECK of a job cleaning the dishwasher.

I've used the "Mr. Clean Magic Eraser's" on my PT-19 with pretty good luck.. but I'd test a small inconspicuous area first. It's a pretty amazing product actually. Incidentally; cheap substitutes don't work nearly as well I've found.

I gotta say i'm not too hot on the idea and think it probably won't do a lot of good and likely do some harm, the discoloration is from sun light not dirt or oil. The dishwasher might blast off the paint on wing, but hey you never know?

bob take a look at this web site its pretty impressive they show a computer that was yellow very yellow afterwards it looks like its original light grey.craig www.retrofixes.com/2013/10/how-to-clean-whiten-yellowed-plastics.HtmL

I never would have guessed the dishwasher would work to restore yellowed plastic.

http://www.retrofixes.com/2013/10/how-to-clean-whiten-yellowed-plastics.html

They use some form of Hydrogen Peroxide.
Rusty

I've had no luck removing the yellow tint yet. MeerschaumSteve talks of a way to restore the white in this thread. I think the stuff was called Retro Bright.

https://www.coxengineforum.com/t4336-rare-red-cox-dragster-049-eliminator-2?highlight=cox+dragster

I'm sure it possible to "bleach" the yellowed plastic, but i'd still be concerned about the water pressure blasting off the painted numbers on wing. It would be interesting to see...just not with one of mine.

About 13 years ago I painted a yellowed plastic cover to a ceiling mounted bath exhauster with 2 heat lamps. House being about 15 years old it looked aged. I used rattle can paint. 13 years later it still looks nice and white.

Not saying to paint the plastic, but I've heard of folks doing that in Yahoo 049collectors Group when all else failed on these historic CL RTF's.

yep, as a last resort and only as a last resort.

I can't say that it would work on this type of plastic, but there are products out here sold as a kit to restore dull & discoloured acrylic headlight lenses. This is a particular problem here in Australia where UV light seems to be more damaging due to a thinner Ozone layer (so they say). Not only do the lenses go dull, but UV light also yellows them and the kit contains not only fine sandpaper and polish, but there is also a clear liquid which you spray onto the surface of the lens and you can just see the yellow stain run off. I was really surprised at how well it works. You would probably have to search for a similar domestic product over there.

Rod.

Hi Rod, yep they have that over here as well, its basically a fine abrasive, rubbing compound. I've seen plastic models buffed out, it does work, but it is a lot of work and often leaves the plastic almost too much of a shine, more so than new.

I've cleaned up dirty nicotine stained plastic tube radio cabinets by soaking them in warm water with baking soda overnight. Windex works at times too. Novus plastic polish would probably shine up the canopy, might work well on the body too.

Thanks all, lot's to absorb and digest.

Rusty's link is interesting. Rough F4U Mark, a little of the plastic cements that you have recommended and it's in the air again????????

One thing for sure, I will take the safe way in cleaning the Skyraider.

Bob

Mark Boesen wrote:yep, as a last resort and only as a last resort.

Mark, I'm curious as to what your final outcome was of that basket case Corsair.

I think the yellowing in the white plastic is "in" the material, not "on" it. So the choices are to either remove the discoloured material or bleach it. Bleaching, I think, may make the material brittle and/or porous, so you would need to wax or otherwise seal it to prevent it from getting dirty again.

I would try a gently abrasive detergent such as Go-Jo pumice hand cleaner with some water. I had good luck getting some overspray off the taillight lens of my then 40-year -old Honda, and at the same time it also seemed to remove some of the smaller scratches. On another similar lens, I used 800 or 1000-grit wet sandpaper to remove some deeper scratches and after that used some chrome polishing compound to buff it. It came out as new.

If you have a boat supply store nearby, they may be able to help too.

he's how it turned ...looks painted, but sometimes that's the only option and could look really nice if it was scale detailed.

Mark Boesen wrote:

here's how it turned ...looks painted, but sometimes that's the only option and could look really nice if it was scale detailed.

Mark, the contrast before and after are amazing. Even though painting doesn't quite have the tonality of molded plastic, it is a reasonable facsimile of history on display. It is an art form. It is like seeing a vintage car painted with the modern two part base coat with clear. It's a thing of beauty to behold.

Yet perhaps to the purist, it doesn't mimic the hand waxed factory paint finish 80 years ago. I think your model is still a representable piece of history.

WOW ! That looks Fantastic ! Good job Mark , like George said still a really nice reformation of history . Eric

mark you did a great job ! I have piles of planes to restore, do you need more projects? :-)

Do automotive finishes work on these plastic planes, or are they too caustic? I sprayed a friend's motorcycle fender with Dupont Ful-Thane automotive acryllic urethane with hardner. It smells just like model airplane dope, glosses up like a two part system with clear coat, but is epoxy-like.



The paint provides an excellent glossy finish. With the right gun, results are exceptional. However, if it would harm the plastic, it would not be a good thing. What would be the acceptable paint finishes on thes historic relics?

mark the corsair looks terrific the wing you cant even see were its mended.Is that spray paint for plastic that you use?

Finished the Skyraider, almost...got one more decal to apply.

A pleasure to work on, the engine was clean.  I popped off the postage stamp and there was no evicence of it ever being fueled.  No residue anywhere.  The wire tail skid and elevator to bell crank rod were well rusted, so I sanded them down and applied a coat of spray clear.  





I decided not to resort to extreme measure to remove the aging yellowed surface as it's universal across the model.  The new decals covered the lighter portions anyway.







All in all, I'm pretty pleased with this one.

Well, It looks like I have bought a little more work to do.  Heck, it came with a box and accessories.





Someone sniped it in the last few seconds, cost me more $$$, but all's fair in the bidding wars.

Maybe something like Mark's paint job is in order here. Maybe Skyraider blue like his F4U......