Any model builders uk or us that could do a restoration for me ?

Hi,
I'm posting this in the hope that someone can help restore the dome on my vintage 12 inch r2d2 that I picked up recently it's a shame as the body is pristine white, but the dome is knackered.


It would be a shame to give up on him, but I think the main issue will be getting a good chrome finish. I've looked online and all the sprays are rubbish apart from this one product called spaz stix mirror chrome, but it's only available in the us and to get it to the uk would be nearly £30
The other option is to send it to a chromers , just have to check they can do plastic. I'm happy to pay anyone on here if they think they can help, I'm not going to try and pass it of as original and he will be purely for my collection and to keep my 12 inch c3p0 company
Most of the blue is ok, but my masking skills arnt great, let me know if anyone has any ideas or if they can help? I suppose another option would be to look out for another r2 with better dome.
Cheers for any advice, Jonathan

Plasticote do a brilliant silver aerosol. I've seen prop builders use the gold on c3po costumes with very good results.

Thanks for that, plastikote didn't come off too well in this video, but the vht stuff came second and that's easy to get hold of here for £12
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=mL4IYoxJqu4
I'm attempting to mask of all the blue areas at the moment cheers Jonathan

You could try silver leaf. I've done bits of gilding for artwork and it's very chrome like, much more so than spray paint. You would also need a varnish to stop it coming off.
It's tricky. For the blue you could paint over the chrome with the right colour ink. It would have to be ink not paint to let the chrome finish shine through. It would almost be like staining the chrome.

I'm now wondering if it would be possible to rig the dome up with red LEDs somehow and make it a bit special I've seen some peoples dioramas on here including the Death Star hangar bay and a star destroyer, so someone on here should have the know how.
Otherwise I've seen some blue glass spray that looks metallic and the vht chrome spray which should look ok, but if anyone fancies helping out or doing a better job for me, I'll cover all postage and materials and labour cheers Jonathan

This one on eBay looks pretty cool. Not sure I'd pay £90 for it but he's done well making the third leg maybe a sensorscope on the dome would be cool too.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Star-Wars-Vintage-Kenner-1979-12in-scale-R2-D2-with-Custom-3rd-leg-ooak-LOOK-/221705505971?hash=item339ead8cb3:g:jLMAAOSwqu9U9LO8

Whatever you do will probably make it better with something that far gone. I would probably carefully rub the silver down with some fine sand paper to give a key and blend into the white underneath. Then mask off using a hobby knife to cut out the details, and spray the thing with whatever chrome type paint is suitable. Go easy with the spray. Just a fine mist. Easy job really. You'll never get it back to original but it will look better.

If it were me I'd look out for another beater R2 with a better dome and replace it - keep it 100% original and save 2 figures. Give the knackered dome to the other beater and then you can do a custom job without it affecting the original.

SublevelStudios said:

If it were me I'd look out for another beater R2 with a better dome and replace it - keep it 100% original and save 2 figures. Give the knackered dome to the other beater and then you can do a custom job without it affecting the original.

Click to expand...

Not sure what these cost in shitty condition but a full custom job might be cool. You can get chrome colour paint so maybe white and red, black and red or black and blue R2. Have a go yourself rather than getting someone else to do it. Just needs patience

Thanks fellas they seem to go for £20 -£50 posted in rough condition as most are in the states, but at least you would end up with a nice dome the blue spray and chrome spray add up to £23 so a second r2 would probably make sense I just wondered if there was anyone with the skill to do a modified job and that already has the gear? I'll keep you posted and put up a pic when he is done. There doesn't seem much in the way of starwars restoration I guess it's the og condition that people are after , which is good in a way as it keeps everything in its original state cheers for the advice , Jonathan