CaptainCRO Posted December 9, 2012 Hello guys. I am not really sure if this is a good place to post this thread but I hope it is. So, I have a 10179 UCS Millennium Falcon. I have had it for years now. And since it is displayed on a shelf without glass it gets really dusty from time to time. So I have always cleaned it with a compressor and after that with a brush. Until today I havent noticed that i have scratched the parts with this brush. It was not a soft brush, but I didn't think anything could happen to plastic by using it for cleaning Today I have accidentaly broken one piece from the model while walking through my room. I then used a flash light and fixed it, but while fixing it I noticed some parts are scratched when looked At with a light. I dont know what to do now. Should I BL new parts(not the whole set)? Did anyone experience anything similar and how frequent are scratches on Legos? Thank you and I apologise if this is not the right forum to ask this. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Only Sinner Posted December 9, 2012 You can actually buff ABS back to a smooth shine. Use 1200 or finer sandpaper, then use some buffing compound or a polymer safe polish and a Dremel tool with a soft buffer head. Very gently polish the plastic back to normal. I thought it was crazy the first time I saw sombody do it to a Mercedes. But, hey it's worth a shot, right? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CaptainCRO Posted December 10, 2012 You can actually buff ABS back to a smooth shine. Use 1200 or finer sandpaper, then use some buffing compound or a polymer safe polish and a Dremel tool with a soft buffer head. Very gently polish the plastic back to normal. I thought it was crazy the first time I saw sombody do it to a Mercedes. But, hey it's worth a shot, right? Thanks! Did anyone try this? Can someone confirm that it works? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BrickieB Posted December 10, 2012 I have not tried this exactly, but I do have some experience with a dremel and the buffing tool. I would start trying this on a spare brick: a lot of things can happen, creating spots, dips, melting the plastic, etc. Depending on how bad the scratches are, you could also try doing it manually: get a rubbing compound and a cloth and just try it out. I would start trying it manually - or if you use the dremel, set it to the lowest possible speed. There are several versions of rubbing compounds, going from coarse to even out deep scratches all the way to a 'finish' version, which should make it shiny again. Tip: some toothpastes work perfectly for this; if you want to be safe you can also get a fine modelling compound used to buff plastic static models. Tamiya is an excellent brand with several products you could buy. I don't know where in the world you are, but this store ships anywhere: http://www.etamiya.com/shop/tamiya-87068-tamiya-polishing-compound-coarse-p-6608.html http://www.etamiya.com/shop/tamiya-87069-tamiya-polishing-compound-fine-p-6609.html http://www.etamiya.com/shop/tamiya-87070-tamiya-polishing-compound-finish-p-6610.html imho trying toothpaste / rubbing compound and a cloth couldn't do a lot of damage... Hope this helps! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
into the blue Posted December 11, 2012 Jeez, what kind of brush were you using, a wire one? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Faefrost Posted December 11, 2012 There is probably a cheaper way to put all of this together, but here is a good example of the tools used to buff scratches out of opaque plastic. http://www.amazon.com/SC-Johnson-11182-Pledge-FutureShine/dp/B000ARPH4C I've used these on model kits and they work quite well. Personally I don't like using the Dremel buffing pads on plastic as I find I tend to do as much damage with them as I do repairs, but depending on your skills you mileage may vary. (Ill also concede that I probably do not have the patience to hand buff every visable piece on a UCS Falcon, and would most likley resort to the Dremel, after a few tests.) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hey Joe Posted December 11, 2012 Jeez, what kind of brush were you using, a wire one? Yeah, really; this whole topic kinda blows my mind. I could imagine all that work for a deep scratch but for minor stuff I'd have to say you're fighting a losing battle. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites