Toy soldier care (1 Viewer)

[Combat]

Just curious if there any good tips on cleaning, dusting, and/or proper environment for the general care of metal figures. Both do's and dont's. Also curious about the impact of heat, cold, sunlight and humidity, if any, on the long term condition of the metal figures. I assume some folks keep figures in basements or attics with temperature and humidity variances.

 

[sceic2]

I am not using any scientifically approved methods, nor do I know of any. What I do is the basic stuff:
- Avoid direct sunlight
- Keep them out of damp areas (rust issues)
- Keep them out of the reach of small children
- Avoid handling them (hard to do sometimes)
- Try not to drop them (I am such a putz sometimes that I often don't observe this method)
- Try to keep them as dust free as possible (change furnace filters frequently, keep some of them in a glass enclosed display case, etc.)

When I do clean them, which I do very, very rarely to avoid harming them, I use either a modelers paint brush, a very soft old cotton t-shirt, or compressed air from either my airbrush or a can of compressed air (the kind used to clean computer key boards and electronic components). I prefer the airbrush because I can control precisely the air pressure.

More often than not, I just leave them alone. Michael

 

[DMNamiot]

Hi All,

I also try and keep them out of direct sunlight and my children leave them alone. I was told however by an older collector that he had read somewhere that handling them is actually ok because the oils in your hands are good for the glossy ones I suspect this may not be the case for the matt finish ones but I am not sure. I also use the compressed air from a distance to dust them without destroying them. Had a lot of issues with the hand dusting by mom when I was a kid that really demollished some of my better models.

Dave

 

[ucla1967]

Keep them in the house where you have temperature control. I even store my extras and duplicates in a temp controled storage unit. I hate dusting. But when I do, I use a woman's make-up brush that has very soft and fine natural hair. I have found that the curios with sliding front glass doors keep the dust out much better than those with four side doors. I also try not to handle them too much---I am such a klutz that I might break them.

 

[sceic2]

I also try not to handle them too much---I am such a klutz that I might break them.

Maybe instead of a toy soldiers adiction support group we should start a klutz/putz society. Michael

 

[Toy Soldier Brigade]

I use a makeup blush brush to dust figures. I keep as many as possible in some kind of display case. Has anyone ever had any problems with the lighting in display cases causing any fading ? I wanted to install lights in my cases, but was wondering if it may fade the troops.

 

[ucla1967]

Maybe instead of a toy soldiers adiction support group we should start a klutz/putz society. Michael

I don't want to join the support group nor the society. I am perfectly happy with all my short comings. At my age, I am just glad to be in good health and living comfortably in retirement still married to my college sweatheart.

 

[ucla1967]

All my curios have built-in halogen lights. I rarely use them because they might fade the paint and they do get very hot.

 

[boot51]

I just recieved a a nice brochure from a guy named Jim Hillestad of www.the-toy-soldier.com, he sells beautiful display cases, yeah I'm still looking at ways to display my slowing growing collection. Anyway, some of his toy soldier tips are;

Aviod halogen and incandescent blubs, they damage the paint, use fluorescent.

Don't hermetically your collection, i.e. lucite boxes, glass domes and tight-sealing doors, they need air circulation.

Keep as dust-free as possible, dust can absorb and hold moisture.

Store them in lightwieght paper, like tissue, and place in cardboard box in a dry place, excessive humidity and high heat are not good environments.

Do not put figures directly in foam cutouts, paint and foam can both contain petro products and interact, again, wrap in tissue and do not use plastic bags useless they holes for moisture release.

As mentioned before in this thread, don't worry about handling the figures, the oils in your hand are good for them.

Hope this helps, but I sure all you old pros know this stuff already.

Fred

 

[Njja]

Good advice, but I would take exception with the handling part. The oils on

your hands will leave fingerprints that will be impossible to remove over time.

Care should be taken to wipe figures after handling, a nice soft brush is

excellent to break up any fingerprint residue from handling.

Njja

 

[Leadmen]

I have some store glass cases I picked up years ago and installed floresent light tubes in them. I never noticed any problem with figures, both plastic and metal. I always keep each side of doors open about a quarter of an inch for air circulation. On older hollowcast Britains I cleaned them with wd-40 inside and out. This helps prevent lead rot and let them air dry for a week. I have had Tamiya tank kits that I airbrushed threads years ago become brittle and break into pieces. Only happened to a few tanks-- most are ok. I don't trust halogen lights, especially if you leave them on for awhile. John

 

[erniesstudio]

I,ve found that when handling ,I wear cotton gloves so as not to mark or add oils to them,also I keep them behind glass and when the lights are on i leave the glass door open about 1/2 inch so the heat does not build up ern...

 

[Njja]

Geez don't give me any ideas about the cotton gloves! That would be the

last straw and the wife would throw me out the door! As it is she rarely

comes into the den, and refused to dust. Ernie don't get me wrong I think

the gloves are a great idea! I just know that would be the last straw!

Njja

 

[Steven Chong]

I just recieved a a nice brochure from a guy named Jim Hillestad of www.the-toy-soldier.com, he sells beautiful display cases, yeah I'm still looking at ways to display my slowing growing collection ...

I believe Jim Hillestad also warns against storing metal (lead?) soldiers in unfinished wood display cases -- the unfinished wood releases chemicals which causes the metal to breakdown.

 

[DMNamiot]

Hi All,

I have also heard but not verified that the older lead soldiers should not be displayed directly on any kind of oak as they will react with it and the soldiers will break down and "rot" I have not verified this with anyone and since I dont have any oak display shelves I dont worry about it. But this was mentioned to me by another collector who saw I have some older pieces. Anyone know about this?

Dave

 

[boot51]

Dave, here's another J. Hillestad quote: "Steer clear of cases made of oak, oak exudes tannic acid,which can cause lead rot. Oak is a popular wood for the so-called barrister bookcases, glass-fronted bookcases which were popular at the turn of the last century as well as repros today. Many old figures have been lost this way." I think he means cases with oak shelves not just a case that is only framed in oak, but has glass shelves. I'm glad I came across this as I was actually considering the barrister cases, not any more.

Fred

 

[ucla1967]

Hi All,

I have also heard but not verified that the older lead soldiers should not be displayed directly on any kind of oak as they will react with it and the soldiers will break down and "rot" I have not verified this with anyone and since I dont have any oak display shelves I dont worry about it. But this was mentioned to me by another collector who saw I have some older pieces. Anyone know about this?

Dave

I have heard that too. However, I have also heard that it only applies to old toy soldiers. The new toy soldiers are made of a different metal compound (less lead?) that is not prone to "rot." I have had one large Pulaski oak curio with glass shelves that I bought for my collection more than 10 years ago. It has about 1,000 new toy soldiers in it and I have had absolutely no problems what so ever.

 

[Njja]

Never experienced these type problems, have had all types of figures, Lionel

trains made with copper, bronze, nickle trim, pot metal, not affected by oak

or other types of wood cases. Biggest enemy is moisture and humidity.

Njja

 

[Toy Soldier Brigade]

I was under the impression that fluorescent lights faded and halogen lights didn't. That's why they put them in curio cabinets.

 

[sceic2]

I was under the impression that fluorescent lights faded and halogen lights didn't. That's why they put them in curio cabinets.

Any kind of light will affect a paint or a metal. The key is the length of time the object is exposed to any form of light. There is a basic physics reaction that takes place between the atoms on the object and the energy in the light. This physical interaction is the cause of colors being observed by the human eye. Different atoms reflect different light wave lengths. Direct light of any kind is harmful given enough time. Michael