Shocking!! - Metal figure is turning into dust

[dArtagnan]

Something shocking I want to share with you, guys. About 6 years ago I purchased a 90mm Mounted Hussar from Bonapartes Miniatures at Euromilitaire Folkstone. It was a former Poste Militaire and a nice looking figure. I looked at it and when coming home I put it on my stocked gray army. Now a few days ago I opened the kit again and what I saw really shocked me. It’s like a cancer in the metal is eating away the surface of the figure and turning it completely in to a grey dust. If you look at the backpack of the saddle you see what I mean.

I have never seen anything like this before and I have stocked kits in a healty and dry envirement that are much longer in my possession without any problem (I checked them all). What a shame, because it such a beauty, and an expensive one to, and now completly useless. I have contacted Bonapartes Miniatures but until now without any result. I’m very disappointed.
So, for if you never gonna build a limited edition, think twice when you just stocking it.
Eddy

 

[polyphemus]

Never, ever seen that with a PM casting. This looks like a recast with cheap metal. Normally lead rot manifests itself initially as a white powdery residue on the surface of the metal but this looks far, far worse.

Geoff

 

[dArtagnan]

Hi Geoff,

It was an original boxed Poste Militaire, so no recast, but I know that Bonapartes has the rights on the Poste Militaire kits, so they have perhaps casted some kits with bad metal? Just a thought.
Because I have other Poste Militaire also, much longer stocked, and like you mentionned, this is incredible.

Eddy

 

[Markus]

Hi Eddy,

it looks like the figure shows the "symtoms" of the tin pest. This transformation can be started when the tin is exposed to temperatures under 13 dergrees Celsius for a longer time.

Terrible but not unknown.

 

[PhilinYuma]

Unless I am missing something important here, I would say that this sounds exactly like the corrosion that we used to see when a lead alloy was being used, what Henri Lion called "the cancer of lead figures". Lead, of course is banned, now, but there have been plenty of instances of it still being used, and not all from China. It is my guess that your figure was made with a batch of old alloy that contained tome lead or was actually cast when it was still being used. We used to soak them in vinegar as well as using primer to avoid this, but I guess that it's too late for your guy. What a shame!

 

[Mark Yungblut]

I suggest that even if you are not going to build it right away, you put a good complete coat of primer on all of the parts. this should eliminate any oxidation that may be occurring.

 

[dArtagnan]

Thanks Markus and Phillip, for the explication for what could have happened with the metal, and you also Mark for the advise to prime, but I think that the kit is to far gone for making anything good out of it.
But never the less to seeing this result after six years will mean that the kit was infected long before selling it to me, perhaps by stocking it on a bad manner or using bad metal, so I'm not buying anymore from Bonapartes Miniatures, point final. They don't even get back to you after email.
Eddy

 

[housecarl]

Have you tried telephoning them Eddy? http://www.bonapartes.uk.com/
Although I believe that they have shut their shop.
Carl.

 

[billyturnip]

They may be away for the holiday, might be worth trying again in the new year.

Roger.

 

[Steve H]

I wouldn't hold your breath about hearing from Dave at Bonapartes. I lent him a lot of money some years ago to help to get some figures on the market. Not had a penny back.

 

[dArtagnan]

Hi Carl and Roger, thank you guys, I did'nt think of that,
will try again after the holidays.
Cheers,
Eddy

 

[dArtagnan]

Thanks for the reply, Steve, our posts crost,
will keep it in mind,
Cheers,
Eddy

 

[billyturnip]

It's just a possibilty Eddy, I haven't dealt with Bonapartes myself but I haven't heard anything bad about them on the various figure forums and it would be a shame to write them off if they are away. Good luck, I hope you get a satisfactory result whatever happens.

Roger.

 

[dArtagnan]

Thanks Roger, will do my best, and if anythings good is coming out of it,
I'm the first to admid here on the forum that I was to fast with my reaction and that he runs a trustfull company and a gentleman to deal with,
Cheers,
Eddy

 

[Djoubri M]

I have had the same mesaventure with a D F GRIEVE kit...

 

[polyphemus]

Again never had a problem with an original D F Grieve casting.

Geoff

 

[Tecumsea]

Eddy, Dave Freeman from Bonapartes is not computer literate and has to rely at the moment on other people managing the site, so things are very hit and miss. I do know that Dave's own "Post Militaire" figures using the original moulds are normally packed in plain cardboard boxes with a photocopied picture on the front. If this was in PM packing then it is an old PM kit.
If you want to talk to Dave his number is 01373865132, you will need to use the UK dialling code and drop the first digit (0). He is spending occasional time in Thailand. So if at first you don't succeed....................
Keith

 

[dArtagnan]

Thanks for the feedback, guys! Much appreciated.
Hi Keith, it's a PM box, and that's just what I dont get, I have PM kit's much longer in my posession and after check up there metal looks completeley unharmed, not even a bit, so one kit is not the other apperently, all depends perhaps how it's bin stocked before, I don't know. But you can imagine that for the moment I'm a big fan of resin...
Cheers,
Eddy

 

[pinsel]

hello
yes its tin pest
and the bad thing its contagious.if you place this figure painted in your cabinetts after some time it may be that other metall chaps will be affected too....
cheers

 

[dArtagnan]

Just letting you know, guys, that after an email sent to Bonapartes Miniatures, I had to sent my bad kit back, and today I received a new in the box replacement kit from Bonapartes Miniatures.
So, happy, happy, happy, can build now this gorgious kit thanks to Mr Dave Freeman.
And also, because to the big box, I had it not stocked with my other kits, so I think I'm pretty much safe concerning that it's perhaps contagious.
Again, a big thank you, to Mr Dave Freeman from Bonapartes Miniatures who runs a good figure company, where after sale service comes first!
Eddy