The Energon Pub

Hey guys, I always knew this was a problem, I experienced it 13 years ago and age has only made it more depressing. Many of my beastwars transmetal and metallic beast machines paint are chipping, flaking, and cracking just by being exposed to air, I cant touch them without looking like I'm covered in glitter. Does anyone know how I can fix/prevent this from getting any worse? Like a spray or protective coat that does hinder their ability to transform? Thanks in advance!

noodles2go wrote:Hey guys, I always knew this was a problem, I experienced it 13 years ago and age has only made it more depressing. Many of my beastwars transmetal and metallic beast machines paint are chipping, flaking, and cracking just by being exposed to air, I cant touch them without looking like I'm covered in glitter. Does anyone know how I can fix/prevent this from getting any worse? Like a spray or protective coat that does hinder their ability to transform? Thanks in advance!

Is the paint itself coming off, or is it the chrome as well?

I keep hearing that the chrome undercoat remains intact, but the paint comes off.

Either way, it's a very difficult thing to deal with. You might have to buy chrome paint (check the Automotive Department at Wal-Mart) and Tamiya's translucent color paints and redo it yourself.

As for sealing the deal, I don't know, to be honest. I'm sure someone with far more experience than I have could answer that question for you.

It's the chrome paint. It's flaking off and all thats left is an unpainted mold underneath.

On top of all this... My Fuzor Torca's tail snap off! The plastic must be becoming brittle... I can at least put it on and it will stay in place if undisturbed, but if I move it, it falls off. *sigh* Don't get me started on all the RiD figures whose tires have split.

noodles2go wrote:It's the chrome paint. It's flaking off and all thats left is an unpainted mold underneath.

On top of all this... My Fuzor Torca's tail snap off! The plastic must be becoming brittle... I can at least put it on and it will stay in place if undisturbed, but if I move it, it falls off. *sigh* Don't get me started on all the RiD figures whose tires have split.

So...

1.) Chipping Transmetal paint.
2.) Torca stricken with GPS.
3.) RID tires splitting.

Stay in during the next thunderstorm. You'll be glad you did.

Autobot032 wrote:

noodles2go wrote:It's the chrome paint. It's flaking off and all thats left is an unpainted mold underneath.

On top of all this... My Fuzor Torca's tail snap off! The plastic must be becoming brittle... I can at least put it on and it will stay in place if undisturbed, but if I move it, it falls off. *sigh* Don't get me started on all the RiD figures whose tires have split.

So...

1.) Chipping Transmetal paint.
2.) Torca stricken with GPS.
3.) RID tires splitting.

Stay in during the next thunderstorm. You'll be glad you did.

What does GPS stand for?

To prevent further damage to my new transformers, I've been practicing hoodoo on them.

noodles2go wrote:

Autobot032 wrote:

noodles2go wrote:It's the chrome paint. It's flaking off and all thats left is an unpainted mold underneath.

On top of all this... My Fuzor Torca's tail snap off! The plastic must be becoming brittle... I can at least put it on and it will stay in place if undisturbed, but if I move it, it falls off. *sigh* Don't get me started on all the RiD figures whose tires have split.

So...

1.) Chipping Transmetal paint.
2.) Torca stricken with GPS.
3.) RID tires splitting.

Stay in during the next thunderstorm. You'll be glad you did.

What does GPS stand for?

To prevent further damage to my new transformers, I've been practicing hoodoo on them.

G.P.S.: Gold Plastic Syndrome

The swirls in the plastic, the types of plastic, and whether or not it has metallic flecks in it, make or break a toy.

G1 and Beast Wars era were heavily hit by the problem. Torca is one of the most notorious, along with Transmetal Megatron. (He snaps in half and crumbles)

Armada Superbase Optimus (the one with the IR trailer) has gold plastic, but it's more flexible and has a slight rubbery feel to it. They changed their process around that time and gold plastic toys have pretty much remained unbroken since said change.

Leader Class Starscream from HFTD has the same plastic as what's used in Armada Optimus. Neither one have broken, so it looks like they're here to stay.

So, anything pre-2001 is just begging for breakage. You gotta be careful. Though, in all fairness, some of them, literally, break because they were exposed to air.

G2 Slingshot suffered the same fate. His head popped off the first time I transformed him.

Autobot032 wrote:

noodles2go wrote:

Autobot032 wrote:

noodles2go wrote:It's the chrome paint. It's flaking off and all thats left is an unpainted mold underneath.

On top of all this... My Fuzor Torca's tail snap off! The plastic must be becoming brittle... I can at least put it on and it will stay in place if undisturbed, but if I move it, it falls off. *sigh* Don't get me started on all the RiD figures whose tires have split.

So...

1.) Chipping Transmetal paint.
2.) Torca stricken with GPS.
3.) RID tires splitting.

Stay in during the next thunderstorm. You'll be glad you did.

What does GPS stand for?

To prevent further damage to my new transformers, I've been practicing hoodoo on them.

G.P.S.: Gold Plastic Syndrome

The swirls in the plastic, the types of plastic, and whether or not it has metallic flecks in it, make or break a toy.

G1 and Beast Wars era were heavily hit by the problem. Torca is one of the most notorious, along with Transmetal Megatron. (He snaps in half and crumbles)

Armada Superbase Optimus (the one with the IR trailer) has gold plastic, but it's more flexible and has a slight rubbery feel to it. They changed their process around that time and gold plastic toys have pretty much remained unbroken since said change.

Leader Class Starscream from HFTD has the same plastic as what's used in Armada Optimus. Neither one have broken, so it looks like they're here to stay.

So, anything pre-2001 is just begging for breakage. You gotta be careful. Though, in all fairness, some of them, literally, break because they were exposed to air.

G2 Slingshot suffered the same fate. His head popped off the first time I transformed him.

I was more concerned that my Transmetal Megatron was gonna break when I transformed him earlier, but he stayed solid, though I was fairly careful. Though I didn't think much about Torca until it happened. It probably explains why my Soundwave mutant had a piece break off too. Damn... so sad!

Still... Anyone else know how to prevent my transmetals from flaking into ugliness?!

I dont think there is too much to do about it

For transmetal megatron, the Takara version had a different kind of plastic and wont suffer from GPS

might be worth tracking one down, I have one as my transmetal megs in my BW display

much much better

Sid Burn wrote:I dont think there is too much to do about it

For transmetal megatron, the Takara version had a different kind of plastic and wont suffer from GPS

might be worth tracking one down, I have one as my transmetal megs in my BW display

much much better

Well, the whole GPS thing isn't really the problem I'd like to solve, its the fact the metallic paint on many of my transmetals is simply flaking off, exposing ugly unpainted plastic. I wonder how many others suffer the same? Some of my transmetals hold up better, such as both Transmetal Optimus and Transmetal 2 Optimal Optimus. TM2 megs shows signs that if I toy with him too much, it will come off, but as long as I dont touch him, he's fine, whereas others simply just being exposed to air causes damage.

If it's all inevitable, I understand, but I'm sad...

I hear that, my transmetal scourge and transmetal tripredacus agent ravage both have some flaking, ravage not so bad

scourge I threw out as it was extensive

probably the only bot I have ever actually thrown out.

Sid Burn wrote:I hear that, my transmetal scourge and transmetal tripredacus agent ravage both have some flaking, ravage not so bad

scourge I threw out as it was extensive

probably the only bot I have ever actually thrown out.

Yes... Scourge is probably my biggest concern as well. Him and Beast Machines Blastcharge are the two biggest "flakers" I've seen thus far. It's a shame because I really liked Scourge. I won't throw him out even if he looks like death, but he's simply a mess. I'd say 60% or more of my collection containing the metallic paint is deteriorating. Had I known back when I was kid this would happen, I'd tried to take better measures in preserving them, but even then, what could I do?

Any one or two of those things is common, but all three tells me that you have some sort of climate control issue with where your figures are. Too hot, too cold, too dry, too humid...something.

Counterpunch wrote:Any one or two of those things is common, but all three tells me that you have some sort of climate control issue with where your figures are. Too hot, too cold, too dry, too humid...something.

Or just bad luck. Torca breaking is unavoidable (which is I want its repaint BW Neo Elephaorpha instead, and why I avoid Randy like the plague), and Transmetal paint chipping is also common, even in Beast Machines. Tire splitting is limited to RiD figures, not the Japanese editions, really odd...