The Energon Pub

Hi, I'm new here; I didn't see a topic search function... I hope this is the right place.
My Classics Voyager Jetfire/Skyfire has begun to yellow. Does anyone know of a safe cleaning agent I can use on it to remove the yellowing but mild enough to not affect the color paint? It applies to both molded white plastic and white paint.
Appreciate it! Thanks!

Use the search function under the tag hydrogen peroxide. Word of caution when using it on the classics line.

fenrir72 wrote:Use the search function under the tag hydrogen peroxide. Word of caution when using it on the classics line.

Are there reports of damage to figures from the classics line?

I don't want to be misquoted so it would be better to read the topic yourself and read the following experiences with this method.

Just avoid using it on the classic figures.

Funny, I recently pulled my classics Skyfire out and I thought he looked a little yellow.

I don't even display him out in light at all either?

warzon3 wrote:Funny, I recently pulled my classics Skyfire out and I thought he looked a little yellow.

I don't even display him out in light at all either?

Some figures are actually a slightly off-white, Ultra Magnus is another example.

I've never tried that remedy for yellowing plastics. I would rather have a yellow-ish figure than a broken one.

Thanks, Fenrir. I read up on the previous topic discussion.

The yellowing of my figure is not that bad at this point; I just noticed, on close inspection from unpacking Jetfire after having moved recently, that he has a slight yellowish-brown tinge to him. I distinctly remember how beautiful and bright and white he used to be! I was actually able to rub some of it off with my fingertip (hard rubbing like getting a reveal-the-shield to reveal), but not really enough to make a difference. I'm just a stickler for detail and it bugs me! I kept it loose and displayed, but stored in a walk-in closet (my toy display room) upon wooden shelf, completely away from sunlight and artificial light both, and separated from high-traffic areas; the dust it accumulated was negligible at best. I have never been a smoker, so I don't know how this could have happened. Oddly enough, the removable VF-1S - style helmet was stored in a different location, and was not yellowed at all. When I put it on him, you can see the difference, but like I said it is slight, so it looks fine a few feet away.

The hydrogen peroxide is a great idea! However I am concerned with what I read about it making the plastic brittle and breakable. I think that dissasembling the figure and completely immersing the parts in peroxide is extreme and overkill. I will try moistening a cotton swab (wetting then dabbing on a towel to remove excess) and then sort of 'paint' the figures white parts gently. I will try a test area; perhaps under the 'ankle' to start. Hopefully it will not become brittle from being applied topically/to the surface because it wasn't completely immersed.

Thanks for the input everyone! I will report back and tell you how it goes

Billbot wrote:I was actually able to rub some of it off with my fingertip (hard rubbing like getting a reveal-the-shield to reveal), but not really enough to make a difference.

Whoa there buddy! You actually rubbed some of it off? Then it's not photo-degradation commonly associated with yellowing. Rather, it's just dirt and grime which can be cleaned off with the right stuff like tooth paste. I'm assuming your home is smoke-free?

The helmet would be with, it is white paint. Where as the rest is plastic. Might just be your eyes playing tricks on you.

I remember classics Ramjet freaked me out, but it turns out he was always off-white to begin with.

I realise he is not nor has never been 'pure' white, but there is a definite difference from the way he used to be. I also have Classics Ramjet, and believe that Classics Jetfire was molded in a brighter/whiter plastic (actually, to say that his plastic now resembles Classics Ramjet is a good way to describe how he looks now). When I say he has become discolored, it sure looks like degradation-style yellowing, because if its not, I don't know where the dirt and grime could have come from. Its an all-over effect, it has applied itself to him equally in all areas, not just where a layer of dust/dirt/grime could have collected, but including where the sun don't shine, (under and between areas) all over him equally. He sat for years on a closet shelf mostly in darkness, saw little artificial light, absolutely no sunlight. When I grabbed and packed him recently to move, the film of dust on him was so thin, its the kind you cant see but sort of feel, ya know? Side note: although the red paint highlights have remained vivid and bright, the Autobot symbols on the wings have faded to a somewhat red-orange; they used to match the intensity of the neighboring red paint. So that could be nothing but age, ,imo. The discoloring is not bad at all, and if viewed for the first time by a newb, they wouldn't think it wasn't new; I just see it because I am the owner and can tell the difference (actually, the greying/yellowing/browning can be seen on the wingtops the most. When in bot mode, with those wings sticking up on the air and drawing attention, they most definitely look darker and duller than the rest if him. I would post a photo but I doubt it would come through). So is it genetics or environment? Who can say? Wen I was rubbing away at it really hard for 5 mins or so, and thought I removed some of the discoloration, is it possible that I could have removed some of the finish that would explain it being age and not grime? Like I said, I want apply something that is the mildest and work my way up in stages. So maybe I will try toothpaste first and see. I wouldn't have thought of either of those things (toothpaste or peroxide), I especially wanted to know what I *shouldn't* use that might cause erevocable damage. So thanks for the suggestions, I will try that! (anything else you would or wouldn't recommend?)

The peroxide trick should only be used as a very last resort. It has worked wonders for G1 toys (even the site owner has used it to restore some color on figures for the galleries), but newer toys use plastic of a different composition. Using peroxide on those toys will render the plastic very brittle (people have tried it, really!) so be warned.

One thing I am concerned about is any agent that would be too acidic and remove the shiny-smooth polished finished and turn him dull, even if he was white. Kinda like teeth: if you remove the enamel, it just exposes it to even more problems.