1/6 ArtFigures Heavy Armoured Cop

[ZedBelkon]

Glad you haven't all had this problem at this point. Honestly, I take a LOT of care with my figures, and the UK climate is mild and damp if anything, no extremes of temperature or dry climate here! This just decayed all on it's own. Perhaps some of you have newer figures? This is the original release. Either way, glad its not happening to everyone at least.

So, decided to try and fix it myself. Paying 120 pounds for a replacement just to postpone the problem for another couple of years seemed expensive for such a temporary fix.

Already had some matching black pleather from another project, so after several hours trying to make a pattern to replace the upper arms on the jacket (not an easy venture when you.don't have the convenience of removing the jacket arms....lots of micro measurements and trial and error), finally begun replacing everything from the elbow to the shoulder. Here is the before and after for the right sleeve, though I did both :



Went much better than I'd hoped. Also, as the pleather is much better quality than the material used on the actual figure, this should go the distance.

Very pleased that Dredd is back in action!



Not bothered about resale value here. I have 3 figures that I would NEVER sell, my hero Indy, Chris Reeve Superman and this Dredd. The goal was just to get him looking good again.

 

[JacktheRipper]

Funny we haven't heard more of this kind of thing happening to this figure. Mine tore in the same area yours has a few years ago. Mine was also from the first release. It was an easy fix since the tear was at the seam. I used fabric and fabric glue to patch it up from the inside. I have it displayed. It's been out since I first purchased it. Things have fallen off this figure ie. elbow pads nothing major. After reading your post I was afraid to go look at it. It's fine, but I'm hesitant to move it. I've had some military boots start to fall apart due to the folds in the design. That's kind of what this reminds me of, big difference is I can replace the boots fairly cheap. This outfit is very specific and maybe not so cheap.

 

[MwNN]

Nice fix!
No one would ever know.
Great job!

 

[davejames]

Wow, awesome repair job Zedbelkon! Definitely looks like a higher quality pleather there now.

So far the only area damaged on mine is the shoulders, but it's still really damn ugly, so the only option I have is just to try to hide it with posing. Thankfully I'm not seeing any issues with my Anderson yet, which is a relief after all the work I put into modding it.

 

[potato]

Funny we haven't heard more of this kind of thing happening to this figure. Mine tore in the same area yours has a few years ago. Mine was also from the first release. It was an easy fix since the tear was at the seam. I used fabric and fabric glue to patch it up from the inside. I have it displayed. It's been out since I first purchased it. Things have fallen off this figure ie. elbow pads nothing major. After reading your post I was afraid to go look at it. It's fine, but I'm hesitant to move it. I've had some military boots start to fall apart due to the folds in the design. That's kind of what this reminds me of, big difference is I can replace the boots fairly cheap. This outfit is very specific and maybe not so cheap.

mine is the 1st release and i applied tyre shine when i received it took the outer layers apart and gave it a full body shine. i don't care if it leaves a coat of gloss on it. i don't know if it works. i have also used mink oil and bee wax on other pleathers since they are claimed to be water resistant. don't know if they work too. previously i used leather shine, doesn't work. anyway i forgot which ones are on mink oil and which ones on bee wax so i wouldn't know which one works.

pleather always bothers me so i rather not buy a figure full of them knowing i won't be able to fix them.

 

[ZedBelkon]

Damn Dave, serious quality job on Dredd, but even more impressed with your Anderson. I have gone back and forth whether to buy that figure or not as was never convinced that you could make it any closer to Olivia Thirlby, but that is easily the best I've seen.

Maybe I'll use the 120 I just "saved" picking her up.

I never wanted to customise my Dredd, so when I did the custom head/helmet I actually bought a second head so that i could keep the original figure as new.

Now that the jacket has given up and i have been forced to work on him.....may as well go the distance now and make him look as weathered and beaten up as he does in the film.

 

[matrix69]

Glad you haven't all had this problem at this point. Honestly, I take a LOT of care with my figures, and the UK climate is mild and damp if anything, no extremes of temperature or dry climate here! This just decayed all on it's own. Perhaps some of you have newer figures? This is the original release. Either way, glad its not happening to everyone at least.

So, decided to try and fix it myself. Paying 120 pounds for a replacement just to postpone the problem for another couple of years seemed expensive for such a temporary fix.

Already had some matching black pleather from another project, so after several hours trying to make a pattern to replace the upper arms on the jacket (not an easy venture when you.don't have the convenience of removing the jacket arms....lots of micro measurements and trial and error), finally begun replacing everything from the elbow to the shoulder. Here is the before and after for the right sleeve, though I did both :



Went much better than I'd hoped. Also, as the pleather is much better quality than the material used on the actual figure, this should go the distance.

Very pleased that Dredd is back in action!



Not bothered about resale value here. I have 3 figures that I would NEVER sell, my hero Indy, Chris Reeve Superman and this Dredd. The goal was just to get him looking good again.

Fantastic work! Mine has ripped in the exact same area. It appears mine was caused(not by the deterioration of the pleather) but by the lower sleeve being glued to the inside arm of the body...which when posing the arm upwards (umpteen times) caused stress on the upper pleather...which then caused the darn tear.

Wow, awesome repair job Zedbelkon! Definitely looks like a higher quality pleather there now.

So far the only area damaged on mine is the shoulders, but it's still really damn ugly, so the only option I have is just to try to hide it with posing. Thankfully I'm not seeing any issues with my Anderson yet, which is a relief after all the work I put into modding it.




View attachment 484663

That Anderson is a work of art...stunning

 

[davejames]

Damn Dave, serious quality job on Dredd, but even more impressed with your Anderson. I have gone back and forth whether to buy that figure or not as was never convinced that you could make it any closer to Olivia Thirlby, but that is easily the best I've seen.

Maybe I'll use the 120 I just "saved" picking her up.

I never wanted to customise my Dredd, so when I did the custom head/helmet I actually bought a second head so that i could keep the original figure as new.

Now that the jacket has given up and i have been forced to work on him.....may as well go the distance now and make him look as weathered and beaten up as he does in the film.

Thanks. It's actually a mix of the two Anderson figures though. The underlying leather suit is from the Art Figures (since it had the more accurate elbow and knee pads), and everything else is the VTS Epoch Cop.

And yeah Dredd definitely looks cooler all weathered up I think, and it wasn't that hard to do. I just drybrushed the whole thing with gray paint first, and then rubbed in some model railroad dirt, especially into the armor pieces.

 

[shells075]

You could get something like a leather repair kit or Tear-Aid. I can happily report my first issue Dredd looks just like the day I got it.

 

[ZedBelkon]

Thanks. It's actually a mix of the two Anderson figures though. The underlying leather suit is from the Art Figures (since it had the more accurate elbow and knee pads), and everything else is the VTS Epoch Cop.

And yeah Dredd definitely looks cooler all weathered up I think, and it wasn't that hard to do. I just drybrushed the whole thing with gray paint first, and then rubbed in some model railroad dirt, especially into the armor pieces.

Ah, of course it is a mix, didn't look close enough! Yes, the epoch cop elbow and knee pads are way out from the movie, thin and not rounded, the art figures judges are more accurate in most regards when it comes to the costume.

 

[sabin23]

Does the pleather material coming into contact with human skin/oils contribute to the deterioration?

I have several gaming headsets where the padding for the head/ear pads all flaked off within 3-4 years.

But all of my pleather related figures appear to be in their original condition (for now), even the early ones I acquired like the Hot Toys The Crow - Eric Draven and that was from around 2014.

But I am a stickler when it comes to handling collectibles - i do not know if it makes a difference but I always use gloves when unpackaging or handling. Also, I keep most of my figures encased in some type of display.

But I guess deterioration is eventually like Thanos himself, inevitable.

 

[Asta]

I have two of the first issue Dredds and an Alvarez. I checked them all yesterday and they're still perfect.

I keep them in a collection room that has no windows by design, LED lighting, and a dehumidifier set so that the Relative Humidity doesn't rise above 60%. My target is 50-59%, so it's neither too dry nor too damp.

I think it's dryness that leads to pleather cracking from becoming too taut, and dampness that leads to rotting (and mildew) due to bacteria.

 

[potato]

Does the pleather material coming into contact with human skin/oils contribute to the deterioration?

I have several gaming headsets where the padding for the head/ear pads all flaked off within 3-4 years.

But all of my pleather related figures appear to be in their original condition (for now), even the early ones I acquired like the Hot Toys The Crow - Eric Draven and that was from around 2014.

But I am a stickler when it comes to handling collectibles - i do not know if it makes a difference but I always use gloves when unpackaging or handling. Also, I keep most of my figures encased in some type of display.

But I guess deterioration is eventually like Thanos himself, inevitable.

headsets flex and stress when used so they will come off easily. also i believe they did this on purpose so you keep buying new ones. i have the Sony MDR-7506 and it flaked off after few years it was expensive and i was super disappointment. They could have really used genuine leather and won't lose much money but they want you to keep buying replacement pads.

what i hear is oil suppose to be good for genuine leather. i assume it isn't good for pleather since oil gets in and affect the glue between pleather & fabric base.

 

[potato]

I have two of the first issue Dredds and an Alvarez. I checked them all yesterday and they're still perfect.

I keep them in a collection room that has no windows by design, LED lighting, and a dehumidifier set so that the Relative Humidity doesn't rise above 60%. My target is 50-59%, so it's neither to dry nor too damp.

I think the it's dryness that leads to pleather cracking from becoming too taut, and dampness that leads to rotting (and mildew) due to bacteria.

it may look like mildew but it actually isn't. it's just flaking that looks like mold. too damp the humid gets in between the pleather & fabric base and splits them up and you get cracking & flaking. pleather is glued onto the base fabric and over the time they start to lose adhesive between pleather pallets and the base. i'm not 100% sure but pleather may have been sprayed onto the fabrics like how paint is applied.

if you have a sealer on top it may not stop the split between fabric & pleather but at least they have higher chance to stay in 1 piece.

 

[sky_captain]

Mine started deteriorating ages ago. As opposed to repairing it, I stripped it and used the body to repair my Art Saves figure.

Both of its arms had broken, despite being in the same pose for years.

Parted the rest of Dredd out on ebay. Saddened me, as it looked great beside my 1:1 Dredd helmet and badge.

Someone else will do the 2012 Dredd again. I have faith.

 

[shells075]

Dang, I spoke too soon my AF Dread has started to flake now and has a minor tear on the crotch area.

 

[potato]

Funny we haven't heard more of this kind of thing happening to this figure. Mine tore in the same area yours has a few years ago. Mine was also from the first release. It was an easy fix since the tear was at the seam. I used fabric and fabric glue to patch it up from the inside. I have it displayed. It's been out since I first purchased it. Things have fallen off this figure ie. elbow pads nothing major. After reading your post I was afraid to go look at it. It's fine, but I'm hesitant to move it. I've had some military boots start to fall apart due to the folds in the design. That's kind of what this reminds me of, big difference is I can replace the boots fairly cheap. This outfit is very specific and maybe not so cheap.

lol never move a figure with lots of pleather once it passes the age of 5. and if you have to move it hold it where there is no pleather. when i moved, i had to lay a towel on a flat tupperware and line them up to avoid pleather touching, still some damages were done.

they looked great prior but i knew the pleather has failed and would come off with a touch.

 

[potato]

Dang, I spoke too soon my AF Dread has started to flake now and has a minor tear on the crotch area.

anyone of you guys applied any protection like aerospace 303 or something like rubber protector? i would try to speak too soon by saying, mine (v1) still "looks" ok in his museum pose. But i did apply some clear tire shine on them before together with the VTS officer. It might just slow down the process. I always hold him by the head if i have to move him for cleaning.

 

[shells075]

I use 303 on my pleather figs, not sure how good it is. Its just the figs with super fine pleather that seem susceptible to this disintegration problem, the figs I have with the thicker pleather material, are all in tip top condition.

Here is my GR fig from 2010, still in really good condition.

 

[Ryzie86]