Ultraviolet Light (1 Viewer)

Cardigan600

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Yo Troopers, any of you guys used a UV light to check for touch ups on paintwork on the older sets, or know of any articles on it I can check out. If you do use one could you explain what to look for when you use the light.
Bernard.:D
 
Bernard,

First off, I have never used one myself. A fellow collector I know who collects composition figures uses one.

He explained it to me that under the UV light the paint will have a certain glowing sheen to it. If the figure has been touched up the touched up places will show a different sheen not matching the rest of the figure. If the complete figure has been repainted you can't tell because the all of the paint will show the same. With Britains, if it is a set and one figure has been completly repainted, that figure will look different from the other unpainted figures.

Hope this helps and makes sense.

Chuck
 
Bernard -- there is a very good article somewhere on the internet about the use of Ultra-violet lights (black lights) to detect repaints/retouches. I found it on the internet, and I remember it included photos of "touched-up" figures. I remember, however, that the article cautioned that sometimes the "touch-ups" were done at the factory before shipping. So it's not 100% fool-proof. I have looked for the article, and done a google search to try and find it again -- so far no luck. But as soon as I can locate I will send it to you. As noted, the light will show different sheens if the figure has been touched-up. But if the entire figure has been repainted -- then you have to compare it with other figures in the same set to see if it is a "mis-match." An ultra-violet light ( maybe 10-15 dollars) for a cheap one is a good start, however.
 
I've read an article on this a few months back, but can't for the life of me remember where it was. I can remember it cautioning re factory touch ups, as Dick has stated, but also that it wasn't 100% and that some paints used for touch ups didn't react the same making it difficult to be 100% sure of the authenticity of a factory paint job. I'll have a root around in mags to see if I can find the article.

Simon
 

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