[MED]

I know that you shouldn't have your cars in direct sunlight, but can anyone be more specific about this? If someone has their drapes open and some sunlight (not really "direct") falls on the cars, is this okay? How much outside light can the cars tolerate? I try to move them around, too.
Thanks!
:feedback

 

[Guest]

Med, I have heard of these warnings as well, but no one has been able to pinpoint a specific reason why cas should not be exposed to direct sunlight. :confused

I would think that all house windows come with UV protection which filters out harmful sunlight rays.

The only problem I have encountered so far which is a big problem is DUST ullhair

 

[winstoncds]

In the long term, direct sunlight and the heat can ruin the paint and othe parts forever. Painted plastic will most certainly whiten up. Best is to keep the cars displayed in a indirect light source. My hobby shop keeps the car under halogen lights at all times and there are blisters formed on the paint. The tires which are a rubber silicon compound deteriorate too.

 

[Guest]

Winston, thanks for the feedback.

I use Meguairs Polish on all of my models before they go on display. One of the polishes in the kit is a protectant/sealant.

Do you think that will allow paint to hold under sunlight?

I pretty much use the same philosophy on my models as I do my 1:1's. A coat of polish coupled with detailing spray.

The GMP Detailers Kit has all of these products, however, Ihave been purchasing the same exact products off the shelf in the auto parts store.

 

[JSB 33]

The direct sun can also "fog" the clear plastic or as Winston says, the heat can even distort the shape.
There are all sorts of chemical interactions going on with these cars and heat can only make things worse.

 

[MockingBird]

yea, its still best to not put the cars near any sunlights at all....my advice....
the plastic fogging up is the worst , and the car's color will fade over time when under direct sunlight.

 

[Guest]

Some glass windows will actually intensify the sunlight.......you can see what it does to curtains and sofa materials.
the worst for a diecast is the 'fogging' of the plastic screens/windows.
If you have no choice but to have your models in direct sunlight then there are good materials you can get from your local car DIY store that you can stick onto glass to give you tinted windows :mine

 

[LUW]

Sunlight has two harmful "ingredients": heat and UV radiation. Unless specifically treated, glass does not block UV radiation. Even if it does block UV rays, it doesn't block heat. Both UV radiation and heat will "burn" the paint and make plastics degrade, changing their color. Besides altering paint, heat can also make decals and stickers dry and crack. So sunlight, even if inderect or filtered by glass, is not a good idea in relation to diecasts.

 

[Guest]

Reading this can be really scary when you think about it.

Water destroys these models, displaying them on glass surfaces causes the tires to expell gasses, leaving them in the original packaging cause the paint ot fade, oil from fingerprints can damage the paint and now sunlight is an enemy to them as well.

Just figure, in 10 years time we're all going to be some reeally angry people. :giggle

I used to display my models in my office where the dust from the sunlight was my biggest problem. Never had any problems with any of the aforementioned affects of sunlight.

Now that they are displayed in the garage, less sunlight but higher temps in the summer and lower temps in the winter.

I wonder if they safe anywhere...paranoia starting set in. :scared

 

[MED]

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Good observation! Regarding your reference to paint sealers/waxes for models, I have this wax scratch remover that I have used on a couple of models that takes a little paint off. I use it only on my budget models, but even then, I am cautious. It doesn't remove a lot of paint and does leave a nice shiny surface. I'm wondering what products are known to be safe with models. By the way, I only let my budget models become more exposed to light and I doubt much heat falls on them.

 

[Guest]

Med,

I polish all of my models and noticed that there is some paint residue that comes off, not enough to worry about, atleast for me.

I stick with the Meguaiars brand as it is the only brand that I know that acknowledges diecast models. Even using the specific polishes in the GMP kits, I get a little paint residue on the rag.

However, I have been doing this for a few years now and no adverse effects to report.

I do notice that the residue is from the paint only and not the tampos. Tampos stay pretty much intact with no residue coming from them.

 

[winstoncds]

All of AUTOart's boxes come with the warning : Long term exposure to direct sunlight or bright spotlight may cause damage.
All colored anodized items do tend to fade off when exposed to bright light. Transparent laquer may lengthen the time of the fading but the process is not foolproof. I guess its the same with waxes. I really dont think its a sure shot method to prevent fading. Like Lu says, UV rays is the real culprit here. There are UV resistant dyes and colors available but I really dont think they would be used on models of all things. Cost being a major factor.

 

[LUW]

Why do you think most rare museum pieces are exposed with a glass cabinet around and the lights in the room are dim (forget security reasons for now)? Some cabinets are even filled with nitrogen gas, that is inert to plastic, rubber, metal and rock, and the glass is UV coated.

 

[ricallen]

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Now that is interesting information, Luciano. :cheers

 

[LUW]

Another thing to notice is that museums do not use fluorescent lights (cold lights). Why? Because fluorescent lights emit UV radiation.

 

[Guest]

I would love to have a museum set up. I never thought that was the reason they keep it dark in there.

 

[mosteller]

Home Depot has a variety of plastic films that can be easily applied to windows to will block UV radiation, FYI.

 

[vegasracer]

FYI...

The Sun's Spectrum

Radiation from the sun is composed of ultraviolet, visible, and infrared light. These bands of radiation are best defined by their wavelengths measured in nanometers. One nanometer equals one billionth of a meter in length.

Ultraviolet radiation, the sun's most damaging rays, falls in the 295 to 400-nanometer range and accounts for some 7 percent of the sun's total intensity. Visible radiation falls between 400 and 800 nanometers and makes up about 55 percent of the sun's total intensity. Infrared radiation measures from 800 to about 2450nm and comprises about 38 percent of the sun's total intensity.

The Causes of Fading and Degradation

Visible light causes some fading and material degradation. But we cannot block visible light and maintain bright interiors and the ability to view our diecasts. More damage can occur from exposure to the sun's infrared radiation.

Synthesized materials such as plastic, paper and dyes are especially susceptible to UV damage. And these materials are everywhere: in furniture, carpeting, plastic flooring, wood stain, wallpaper, pictures and posters. Standard window glass blocks UV radiation in sunlight below 310 nanometers in wavelength, which provides protection against the highest-energy damaging radiation.

Still, longer wavelength UV radiation is harmful. Damage occurs when carbon-based chemicals in these materials undergo destructive chemical reactions assisted by photo-initiators that can be present in manufactured synthetics. These photo-initiating chemicals are activated by UV light and cause bond-breaking reactions in nearby organic molecules.