"My models smell like smoke or smoke odor removal!" Topic

Hey,

I just bought a "parts" collection on ebay and I didn't think to ask if the models came from a non-smoking environment or not. Well….they come from a smoking environment!

Does anyone have any possible fixes for this! I thought about spraying them with fabreeze..not sure if that is a wise choice or not..right now I have some of them in my garage (window open) so that they will hopefully air-out.

Some of these are assembled, plastic model kits..Hasegaway, Airfix, Fujimi..etc…

On a positive note…if these pieces can be restored, I'll have an excellent addition to the collection AND tons of spare parts! Also, the guy was super-nice, and the shipping was absolutely phenomenal…lightning quick!

Any help would be appreciated!

Thanks!

Anything that is finished you could do a light spray of testors dullcote? Should cover the smell.

Maybe a lost cause , if the kits were owned for a very long time by a smoker. The paper products will never lose the smell.

I hesitate to recommend a wash of any kind, because the liquid will get into nooks and crannies, and will stick around for a while.
I would test anything you decide on on one model, the worst looking one, naturally.

Rubbing alcohol should be safe on the cement and paint, but might wreck any decals. Ditto water. This hsould be a last resort.

You may be stuck with the smell, unless like Dervel suggests, the Dullcote masks it.
You could also try leaving them in a warm spot with a fan blowing across them. THEN dullcote them.

I've never purchased painted models from a smoker, but I've purchased other items. Of course, unfinished models are a no brainer. I've used febreeze on certain products like furniture and cardboard with good results.

I find the smell particularly bothersome and I bought some models this month that came reeking of it. I decided to ditch the packaging altogether, even though I usually save it.

Thankfully, I wasn't expecting a prime selection of models….it was advertised as a "pieces" auction…I think the Dullcote will my first step, I'll pull a model out of the stack and spray it…see what happens!

What about febreeze? Would that possibly damage the decals like water or rubbing alcohol?

Admittedly I am a little leery of applying liquids of any sort to some of the…there is a Stuart for example that I really want restored!!! So, I'll experiment with a couple of them and go from there

Thanks for the great suggestions!

Brian

I used to buy Lamming figures at the MFCA show from one vendor, and they always smelled of pipe tobacco. Nothing else from him smelled, though.
Bare lead!

If you have a safe place outside to leave them, let them air for a day or so. That will help with paper and boxes.

Paper items can be gently wiped with a clean, soft, damp cloth.

If they are plastic pieces or finished kits you should be able to rinse them in clean water with good results. Place pieces on a towel to dry overnight.

I would avoid any spray products unless you also plan to rinse it off afterward.

This one sounds weird, but cheap to try. Charcoal. Place the model and charcoal in a box together. Charcoal will absorb the odor. At least that is what the internet tells me.

LLC aka Ron

I'd let them air out in the Sun for a couple days first and see if that helps. I bought several Gundam MSIA figures on eBay and several of them smelled like they came from a smokers house. I tossed the plastic baggies they came in and left them out for a few days, which really helped the smell. I also cleaned them with some rubbing alcholol and simple green.

Dullcoat, plain and simple.

Simplest solution, send them to me

Thanks for the great tips…I've left them in my garage for 2 full days…but not in the sun (I don't really have a secure place to leave them unattended).

I don't know about rinsing them in water because of the water slide decals…perhaps a spray of dullcote, after that dries, a water rinse…wouldn't the decals be sealed at that point?

I guess I'll pass on the febreeze idea, I haven't heard much feedback on that…

Saber6 – LOL….I appreciate the offer, but I'd really like to get these restored!

Thanks!

Depending on how old they are they will build up a thin film of smoke residue on the surface. That is what you are smelling. Dullcoat may or may not work. If it doesn't you are left with a gently scrubbing with a dish washing detergent. You could try one of the non-soluble rubber masking agents to coat the decals then wash gently with cold soapy water. Stay away from warm water as it has the potential to soften the decals.

Febreeze is water based so you will have the same issues.

The charcol is a great bet, also throw away all packing material

My dear grandmother was a smoker, I always opened her boxes
Threw away all the packaging and let everything air out, preferably in the sunshine

Good Luck!

Ok I'm a little confused are they pieces or finished models? Are you asking because assembling the odoriferous pieces is nauseating? Otherwise I would think once you give it a primer coat, a paint job and then a protective seal the smell should be pretty well sealed in. Though I sympathize with not wanting to handle or work with smoke tainted pieces. If pieces follow my first suggestion. If they are complete models(i.e. assembled and painted) Look at my second one. I hope this helps.

1. Zonk I agree with the you since they are plastic parts you could just spray them down with Fa-breeze. I don't believe it would hurt the plastic, but it never hurts to test in on a small piece of sprue first if possible. I use fa-breeze in my car and it leaves no visible residue on my dash board vinyl or plastic parts, but giving them a light rinse after helps always for the priming process.

2. When I worked for Half Assed Books we had a technique when we needed to remove smoke oder from old tomes. Soak a rag or stack of paper towels in Fa-breeze de-oderiser spray. Then lay the rag in a big plastic sealable (air-tight is the best, other wise seal it with tape) container. We had a small wire rack from a defunct toaster oven that the books sat on above the wet rag. You seal it up and let if sit for a week to 10 days. Once the time passed we would remove them and take them home. At home we let them sit out open in the yard(out of the sun) to let dry and get some fresh air. It would kill the oder considerably.

CyborgTruckerUSA
cyborgtrucker.blogspot.com

After our house fire,everything smelled like smoke,corn oil
(from burned plastic),burned wood and the oily,no-rinse shampoo-ish scent of the stuff the firefighters used.

Wood smoke might have been a pleasant,macho odor but the rest were less tolerable.

Maybe it was the 1900 square feet of charcoal or the citrus
based products we used near (NOT on ) our items but we were able to lose the stench.

A lot of the improvement came with airing out and time but
they all returned to normal after a while.

If I sniff some of the still blackened materials that have
been tightly sealed,I can detect vestiges of the aroma but
even those have improved enough that most of what I smell
comes from auto-suggestion.

There are some good ideas listed above.

Don't give up on your items!

A little gentle care or time should cost you nothing.

I am astounded that so many are so bothered by tobacco odor unless actually allergic.

It gives me a headache.

Other than that thanks for the other useful suggestions!

Thanks!

So far I've been airing the models out…for about a week now….and that seems to help some. They will need a good bit of work to get back in to shape, so it will be a long-term project. There were just too many good items in each lot for a cheap price to pass up!

Thanks for the help!

zonk76 01 Nov 2007 11:38 a.m. PST
It gives me a headache.

I have an allergic reaction to tobacco smoke and the aroma doesn't do much for my health. What I do is pretty much what "She Who Must Be Obeyed" does. I use a lot of Sunshine and fresh air. Living in Seattle means that isn't always possible. But, I have a dehumidifier in the basement where I fan out the book or item and allow the dry warm air to flow through the pages. I haven't been disappointed in this procedure.

Good Luck.