Replies

1. 
   SteveSchoene | Nov 16, 2008 04:47am | #1

   Plasticizer migration is what happened.  The plasticizer is a chemical component of the figurines that keeps the material flexible.  You can only hope that only the surface of the finish was damaged.  Then a little gentle rubbing out may remove the problem.  But if the damage is severe and the finish is softened through and through, the only solution may be stripping and refinishing. 

    

1. 
   MrMark | Nov 16, 2008 06:15pm | #3

   Thanks so much for letting me know what it is.  That makes it easier to find information on the internet about it. Now after some google searching I know it is plasticizer migration, that it might be fixable, and how I might fix it.  For the sake of my future projects, are all finishes susceptible to plasticizer migration or are most oil and polyurethane finishes immune to this problem?

   Mark

1. 
   SteveSchoene | Nov 17, 2008 12:45am | #4

   I think just about every thing could be impacted. 

1. 
   davcefai | Nov 17, 2008 09:58pm | #5

   SteveSchoene is probably right is saying that just about any finish could be impacted.However it also depends on the nature of the plastic and the finish. The plasticiser is essentially a solvent. Cheap plastics made with a high proportion of recycled plastic are loaded with the stuff. Better plastics have less. Flexible plastics have more than rigid ones.This is why plastics for food have to be certified as safe. Many plasticisers are something you want to avoid.Consequently those finishes which are susceptible to solvents will suffer greatly. A good hard varnish will be quite resistant but may be stained.Don't hope that the plasticiser will evaporate away any time soon.For more info this looks like a good article:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plasticizeralthough they mis-spell the title :-)

2. 
   RMillard | Nov 16, 2008 03:29pm | #2

   MrMark,

      I had a customer tell me, that the self-adhesive felt disks he ironically put on to protect the finish, instead damaged it. We both figured it was some kind of out gassing that caused the problem. He said he could live with it, but I would have lightly sanded the area with the finest sandpaper I thought would work and then used padding lacquer to even out the sheen (I don't know what the original finish was, but padding lacquer will stick to most anything).

   Rob Millard
   http://www.americanfederalperiod.com