plastic disintegration?

[puppylove]

so i noticed my strarf, arnval, and jurvisy all started to get sticky on parts. their hair, & faces mostly, but on jurvisy also some of her armor. the others are fine, and this includes howling who is just as old as strarf. what's the deal?? anyone else have that happen? i guess i will have to save up and nab the newer versions of strarf & arnval, but it kinda makes me mad. i paid a lot for them.

[NamelessChibi]

I've never had that happen. My Strarf and Arnval (First Waves) apart from maybe a tad bit being more mobile then their Reprint doubles (Tranche2 and bis) I've had no problem. Though I do know the feeling you mean since I've felt the same thing from some of my figures, not action figures, but the statue types. It seems more like an accumulation of dust causes it, at least that's my experience since every one of mine that's gotten like that has had a large amount of dust on them due to my own negligence.

So... not too sure.

[Caterwaul]

I think it's the plastic. They used a lot more of the 'soft' plastic in the older shinkis. I've noted a bit of a 'tacky' feel to those bits, especially when it's humid out. Not sure if this is cause for long term worry, though. I know that type of plastic can crack after a while (My older zoids had that issue with hoses and the like), but that only seems to be an issue if you bend the parts a lot.

[Lumice]

What is the best way to remove dust from Busou shinkis anyway? Also what is the best way to avoid them getting dust in the first place...is there a way to ahve them in display without gathering dust or is the only way to avoid dust to put them back in the box? I plan to move soon but leave the busou shinki at my parent's house, is there a safe way to leave them out?

[Canthros]

Compressed air and/or a soft paint or shaving brush, maybe?

[Dakarriel]

I noticed that effect too. Some of my shinkis (and capsule figures) get sticky/oily over time, yet others don't. I don't think it's plastic disintegration because in most cases, the oily stickiness washes off, and the paint is no worse for wear. My parents say it may be due to oil fumes from cooking, which I can believe, because the area right above the stove gets the same oily stickiness, but it's weird how only some of the shinkis get that way. Worse yet, it makes it so dust sticks to them easier and is more difficult to remove.

It does suck though, that my favorite shinki, Eukrante, is one of those affected by this strange phenomenon.

Good news though, they can be cleaned easily by taking them apart, light washing them with a mild detergent (like liquid hand soap) repeatedly until the stickiness goes away. For the hollow parts that may get water trapped in them, use a soft cloth with a touch of detergent, then towel them off with a regular wet cloth to remove the residue of detergent. It may take a few wash/rinse/repeats but it usually does go away to a point where the plastic only feels mildly slick to the touch, and not sticky or oily. The oiliness does come back after a while though, especially when exposed to a lot of dust.

If your shinki is just dusty though, and not sticky, I find that dusting them off with canned air twice a month or so works well to keep them looking fresh... Speaking of which, I should do that soon.

For displaying over a long period of time where you wouldn't be able to dust them, I would suggest a glass-enclosed display case. You can find them all over the place.


Oh, and check out Eukrante's new look. I've been swappin' parts and limbs between shinkis to get ones that look different, and hopefully, better. I am so all about the MMS doll bodies.

[Katajanen]

The sticky residue is due to the plasticizers used in the curing of the material. It's inside of the solid parts, so it has to find its way out and the result is this sticky feeling, and of course that sticky surface will attract dust. It seems to be a natural occurrence, though, so don't fret too hard.

There's a similar thread on Hobby Fanatics.

[Lumice]

Is there a place I can buy cheap compressed air? I'm on a tight budget and don't want to spend a fortune on them.

[Dakarriel]

Unless you got a lot of toys to dust, you don't need much canned air. I find wal-mart usually has them for a reasonable price.

Oh, and I know this sounds creepy, but don't lick your toys after you spray them with canned air. The propellant is bitter, and if I remember right, mildly carcinogenic (actually, canned cooling is carcinogenic, I'm not exactly sure about canned air).

Just putting it out there... If anyone has a tendancy to lick their toys, or has kids that may take a good lick out of them...

[xiand666]

The sticky residue is due to the plasticizers used in the curing of the material. It's inside of the solid parts, so it has to find its way out and the result is this sticky feeling, and of course that sticky surface will attract dust. It seems to be a natural occurrence, though, so don't fret too hard.

I think Katajanen is right, it's the plasticizers. I've researched on polymers (mainly for making custom shinki parts) and one way of diluting the liquid polymer for casting is by use of oil (silicone in this case), to make it softer. Don't you notice only the soft plastics get sticky? They have more "softeners" in it.