Removing imperfections from dark coloured box lid artwork

[Wandy]

Anyone who has acquired the new Avante Black Special, or enquired about it, will probably be aware that there is an issue with some of the kit box lids whereby they are marked with imperfections that resemble water spots on a car bonnet and some very light scratching. This seems to be something that happens to many new kits of differing colours but is only noticeable on those with deep, dark colours like the new Avante.

Although the markings themselves are a very minor annoyance, the fact is that most people rightly expect a kit to be pristine when they receive it. Unfortunately the problem occurs at the factory end of the distribution when kits are stacked on top of each other when being packed. I'm not sure what exactly the marks are but they look like a powder residue from the other box, sitting on top, that have embedded themselves into the ink. The light scratching seems to happen when the kits are placed together and/or removed away from each other.

Anyway, my kit was such an example, but I found a way to remove the flaws. Here is a photo of them.

One of my other hobbies is 1:1 car body paintwork detailing and I have a variety of cutting compounds for removing paintwork imperfections so I thought I would try some of it out on the Avante box. Tentatively, of course!

This was the stuff I used....Menzerna Final Finish, a compound with a very light cutting effect. Basically what you are doing when you use a cutting compound is removing a tiny layer of the "dead" paint that has the flaws so that the perfect & undamaged layers underneath can be revealed. With the kit box you are doing the same but to the ink. All I needed was an applicator sponge to apply the compound and a good quality buffing towel to clean it all up.

Here is the illustrative guide on the compound bottle to show the level of cutting strength. Like I say, it's a mild variant.

I simply put a blob of the compound onto the applicator and then rubbed over the section of the lid in a light, circling motion. As I did so there was a gentle resistance to the motion as the compound cut into the ink. Depending on how stubborn the marks were I had to press a little harder onto the pad but not excessively.

Once that was done all that was needed was to buff the whole area with the towel until the lid was shiny once again. Hey presto, blemishes are gone.

So now I have a brand new Avante BS that was 90% perfect to one that is pristine & mint, just like it should be.

I'm now wondering if a deeper cutting compound would have any effect on the yellowing that occurs on box lids exposed to prolonged sunlight.

[Wandy]

Heheh, no problem Paul. I only charge £20 an hour too.

[bromvw]

Anyone who has acquired the new Avante Black Special, or enquired about it, will probably be aware that there is an issue with some of the kit box lids whereby they are marked with imperfections that resemble water spots on a car bonnet and some very light scratching. This seems to be something that happens to many new kits of differing colours but is only noticeable on those with deep, dark colours like the new Avante.

Although the markings themselves are a very minor annoyance, the fact is that most people rightly expect a kit to be pristine when they receive it. Unfortunately the problem occurs at the factory end of the distribution when kits are stacked on top of each other when being packed. I'm not sure what exactly the marks are but they look like a powder residue from the other box, sitting on top, that have embedded themselves into the ink. The light scratching seems to happen when the kits are placed together and/or removed away from each other.

Anyway, my kit was such an example, but I found a way to remove the flaws. Here is a photo of them.

One of my other hobbies is 1:1 car body paintwork detailing and I have a variety of cutting compounds for removing paintwork imperfections so I thought I would try some of it out on the Avante box. Tentatively, of course!

This was the stuff I used....Menzerna Final Finish, a compound with a very light cutting effect. Basically what you are doing when you use a cutting compound is to remove a tiny layer of the "dead" paint that has the flaws so that the perfect & undamaged layers underneath can be revealed. With the kit box you are doing the same but to the ink. All I needed was an applicator sponge to apply the compound and a good quality buffing towel to clean it all up.

Here is the illustrative guide on the compound bottle to show the level of cutting strength. Like I say, it's a mild variant.

I simply put a blob of the compound onto the applicator and then rubbed over the section of the lid in a light, circling motion. As I did so there was a gentle resistance to the motion as the compound cutted into the ink. Depending on how stubborn the marks were I had to press a little harder onto the pad but not excessively.

Once that was done all that was needed was to buff the whole area with the towel until the lid was shiny once again. Hey presto, blemishes are gone.

So now I have a brand new Avante BS that was 90% perfect to one that is pristine & mint, just like it should be.

I'm now wondering if a deeper cutting compound would have any effect on the yellowing that occurs on box lids exposed to prolonged sunlight.

now give it a coat of clear 2k to protect it

[Tamiya Era]

waooo, amazing how this works...

[Wandy]

now give it a coat of clear 2k to protect it

It's on the way to the bodyshop as we speak.

[Sayer]

It's on the way to the bodyshop as we speak.

*shakes head*

Every time I think my RC obsession has gone too far, a thread like this pops up and gives me perspective

[Wandy]

*shakes head*

Every time I think my RC obsession has gone too far, a thread like this pops up and gives me perspective

Glad to be of service.

[bromvw]

Glad to be of service.

The Mrs is threating to buy me a Tamiya embroided straight jacket

[OCD]

The Mrs is threating to buy me a Tamiya embroided straight jacket

Well it sounds like she's still fairly supportive then, no?

[speedy_w_beans]

Interesting technique, and it clearly worked. If you were trying to preserve value for a future collector, it seems like removing the original factory plastic wrap negates any positive value coming from fixing blemishes. To me a NIB kit includes the original plastic wrapped around the box as evidence it was never opened and tampered with. I'm thinking either leave the plastic on, or break it open and build it.

-Paul

[OCD]

Interesting technique, and it clearly worked. If you were trying to preserve value for a future collector, it seems like removing the original factory plastic wrap negates any positive value coming from fixing blemishes. To me a NIB kit includes the original plastic wrapped around the box as evidence it was never opened and tampered with. I'm thinking either leave the plastic on, or break it open and build it.

-Paul

Not all kits were shrink wrapped and those that are, aren't necessarily 'unopened'.

3M also makes a similar product called Imperial Glaze; It's formulated specifically for clear coats and claims to contain 'paint glossifiers' rather than being a traditional rubbing compound. I like it because it doesn't contain any oil or wax, or residues that get left in the finish. Coincidentally, last year I tried using it restore a few of those mini card-poster things (included in some of the older touring car kits), and seemed to work quite well!

[mtbkym01]

Interesting technique, and it clearly worked. If you were trying to preserve value for a future collector, it seems like removing the original factory plastic wrap negates any positive value coming from fixing blemishes. To me a NIB kit includes the original plastic wrapped around the box as evidence it was never opened and tampered with. I'm thinking either leave the plastic on, or break it open and build it.

-Paul

It's generally TamiyaUSA who shrinkwrap their kits, pretty sure Tamiya Japan dont do it, someone may be able to confirm

[HunterZero]

Mmmm, I thought about trying that on my black Ferrari F-40 kit box. Might give it a try.

- James

[Tamiya Era]

The kits are NOT shrink wrapped in Japan despite there being one kit i know of on the club (a Porsche 959) which is clearly Japanese spec yet it has been sealed!!!!!!! As OCD has stated, this of course happens which leads me to be somewhat dubious/concerned as to the nature of its contents (if i was the owner anyway!).

Borgfeldt Toys (do they still exist??) used to shrink wrap the kits for the Canadian market, both my nib Supershot and Hotshot were shrink wrapped.

All Tamiya Kits from Japan and other official Tamiya branch globally, comes without shrink wrap paper....

i think this is done personally

[speedy_w_beans]

I guess shrink wrapping doesn't mean anything after all. I would be a little nervous buying a NIB that's already been opened by a private seller -- who knows what parts are missing or how the kit has been stored, or if you'll even receive it after payment?

Every kit I've bought in the USA has been shrink wrapped, and the TRF201 kit I bought at Stargek (Singapore) was shrink wrapped. I remember the TA05V2R I was looking at there was also wrapped. Even the bargain TB03 kits I've been getting through speedtechrc have been wrapped.

-Paul

[Sayer]

I guess shrink wrapping doesn't mean anything after all. I would be a little nervous buying a NIB that's already been opened by a private seller -- who knows what parts are missing or how the kit has been stored, or if you'll even receive it after payment?

I should really know better than this (and to each his own and so forth) but who cares what parts are missing if it's never going to be opened anyway? It'll sit just as well on the shelf filled with bricks as it would with parts.

[HunterZero]

The TRF kits come shrinkwrapped. The rest of the 'standard' Tamiya kits do not. If they are shrinkwrapped, it's usually done by the distributor.

In Australia, they don't shrink wrap. Instead, they tape the lids onto the boxes with two pieces of clear packing tape.

- James

[redzone]

Interesting technique, and it clearly worked. If you were trying to preserve value for a future collector, it seems like removing the original factory plastic wrap negates any positive value coming from fixing blemishes. To me a NIB kit includes the original plastic wrapped around the box as evidence it was never opened and tampered with. I'm thinking either leave the plastic on, or break it open and build it.

-Paul

I remember a couple of years ago on here there was one fellow in the usa who opened a shrink wrapped vintage kit to build it & discovered it was full of crappy old used parts! Too late to claim on ebay..

[loco_oso]

I should really know better than this (and to each his own and so forth) but who cares what parts are missing if it's never going to be opened anyway? It'll sit just as well on the shelf filled with bricks as it would with parts.

Hahahahhahaha!!!

[fatboyslim]

It's on the way to the bodyshop as we speak.

Hopefully you'll be using some Zymol Solaris as a protective coating?

You on DW then??

[Wandy]

Hopefully you'll be using some Zymol Solaris as a protective coating?

You on DW then??

Lol, must admit I've never heard of it but having said that I haven't been keeping up with the new products for a while.

Yeah I'm on DW and a few others too but haven't checked in recently. The amount of money that can be spent on some waxes etc makes Tamiya collecting look like collecting stamps.

[fatboyslim]

Lol, must admit I've never heard of it but having said that I haven't been keeping up with the new products for a while.

Yeah I'm on DW and a few others too but haven't checked in recently. The amount of money that can be spent on some waxes etc makes Tamiya collecting look like collecting stamps.

Zymol Solaris supposedly was limited to 25 units only and they sold them all @ £40k each,but nobody knows anyone who has it

Zymol Solaris

[Wandy]

Zymol Solaris supposedly was limited to 25 units only and they sold them all @ £40k each,but nobody knows anyone who has it

Zymol Solaris

£40,000 for a tub of glaze.

That hobby is more insane than this one.

[Tamiya Era]

I should really know better than this (and to each his own and so forth) but who cares what parts are missing if it's never going to be opened anyway? It'll sit just as well on the shelf filled with bricks as it would with parts.

hahah,, this is why i built my Egress....cos every time i see the NIB Egress and sitting like this without any benefits....lool