Remember that tape - covered toy Space Tract box?
Well, I took your advice and after trying all other methods I bought some lighter fluid.
After an hour's soaking and picking and tweezering and soaking it all came off!
I wuz chuffed!
Removing the tape revealed a long thin piece of the box missing from the front and the side. Drat!
What to do?
I made a patch!
You can see the start of it on the right, like a long thin chicken!
The patch was then glued down.
All the areas of speckled paint loss after getting off the tape where touched up with .... felt pens.
I know, sacrilege but it was something I could do.
And so ....
its done!
The front part of the patch and felt penning seems to worked OK.
The side part of the patch is a bit ropier and I struggled with replacing lettering on the left.
but all in all it came out better than I thought.
From this ....
to this.
Just need to staple the ends.
I'm toying with covering it all in sticky back clear plastic to protect it but unsure.
What do you think readers?
Thanks for the advice.
Time for my Pot Noodle!
well done that man! Looks amazing! Dont go for sticky back plastic, its not Blue Peter!
ReplyDeleteThanks Bill, it was fun. Down Shep!
DeleteI had to look twice then, as I thought you'd restored the Pot Noodle too!
ReplyDeleteIt's one I made earlier! Down Shep for Gods sake!
DeleteSuperb restoration, Woodsy. I'd avoid the sticky back plastic as well. The box looks much better as it is :)
ReplyDeleteThere is a type of protection varnish for paper you can buy at Hobby Craft. I've successfully used it for restoration projects in the past including two Thunderbirds books.
ReplyDeleteInteresting Bill. Would it make felt tip pen colours run?
DeleteIt shouldn't. But you need to have a patience of a saint to do it! A very light even dusting to begin with. Then wait for it to dry, and repeat and repeat to whatever level of shine you want.
DeleteI think Tony K is right, I wouldn't go for anything other than a couple of dusting's; just enough to protect the finish, but not enough to change it. Keep it as close to how the manufacturers intended.
Thanks for your advice and tips Bill. I'm going to leave the box as it is. Job done.
DeleteGood call I think Paul. A true work of art is always abandoned never finished!
DeleteCongratulations master restorer Woodsy! Looks so much better! So how did you make the missing patch?
ReplyDeleteAnd no sticky plastic, please! Ruins the whole thing for good. That protection varnish Bill E. has used sounds intriguing. How's that applied & how's the result?
Ps. I've learned that the "purified benzine" I am using & mentioned earlier on is called white gas.
Thanks Arto. I made the patch from some breakfast cereal box card, drew out the shape, cut it out and glued it on. It wasn't perfect on the side as I had to estimate the shape due to lugs of base card sticking out where the surface piece had been ripped off. Ideally a patch would sit flush with the box top but mines proud due to these lugs. i could have cut them off but they were the footings for the glue. Once in place I coloured it in as best I could with felt pens. I reckon a much better jb could be done with scanning the top and printing out a patch but I don't have a working printer. Low tech for me! ha ha. White gas? is that white spirit or even turpentine for cleaning paintbrushes?
DeleteIt is a great achievement as it is, Woodsy. Well done!
DeleteWhite spirit is another name for the liquid I'm using, so that's it. It suits for most of box surfaces without running the colours, and evaporates in seconds.
White spirit eh Arto. Nice one. I've just realised that if the patch I used had been paper instead I could have cut out a much simpler angular shape and glued it over the entire hole without bothering to follow its curves. Paper wpuld be thin enough to look flush with the surface of the box. Next time!
DeleteI wonder how a professional would have repaired it?
ReplyDelete