How Do You Refurbish Chrome or Re-Chrome Tin Toy Parts?
Posted:
Mon Jan 21, 2013 6:09 pmby hovermd
Do any MACers out there have information on "re-chroming" tin toy parts?
The silver chrome-like bumpers and accents pieces often seem to deteriorate or corrode.
Is this easily remedied?
Do any of the model restorers out there have some knowledge of this process?
Re: How Do You Refurbish Chrome or Re-Chrome Tin Toy Parts?
Posted:
Wed Jan 23, 2013 2:38 amby Tone
Years ago I remember Matt Vance wrote that he was going to restore a DC-7 by making his own metal cowlings. I don't remember the results. Also, I think Rick Starr made his own tail surfaces for a battery-operated Marx AA 727, but that task did not involve chrome finish.
Check out the "Danefield" web site called "Alphaville - Home of the Robots" for restoration tips. There are many really knowledgeable tin toy collectors with experience in restoration. One man from Pennsylvania was able to sand the rust off of a whale-shaped robot space ship and actually re-attach the lithographed finish using photocopying and epoxy. The results looked great.
I need to do that for my Yonezawa Comet. It was one of the first toy planes I bought in the 80s when I was just starting out.