Hi all. I don't know how to post this. I just want to get this to attention. Here in this video is my solution on how to fix the popping shoulder connection on TFGV Blitzwing.
Those of you lucky enough to already have Transformers Generations Voyager Class Blitzwing in-hand know he comes complete with an annoying little shoulder issue. The shoulders don't quite "lock in" properly resulting in floppy arms, but have no fear! Clever Transformers fans have already isolated the problem and came up with fixes.
First up, our own Seibertron.com member wewyllenium. His fix involves adding material behind shoulder flap, which provides enough resistance to fully engage the shoulder peg. Check out his YouTube upload below:
The second fix comes to us from YouTube user GIDAVE75. His fix is a bit more labor intensive, but addresses the root cause of the problem. This fix involves opening the figure up and sanding down some of the figure's inner parts. Sanding down the extra plastic allows the should peg to fully engage. Check out his YouTube upload below:
So there you have it, two fixes to make a great figure even better!
I was under the impression that the only 'issue' was that the figure needs to be transformed properly, as shown in Peaugh's video. Is there some QC issue I have missed? I don't have the figure in hand yet.
Hi. As per the two copies I've handles, here's a list of what to look out for.
Locking mechanism for the cannon needs trimming if too tight. Forcing it could break it. The rubber nose cone dilemma. Rubber in TF toys are always a letdown. Except maybe for tires. Shoulder connection issue. This can be fixed if your figure has this issue. I've elaborated on my video why this occurred in my copies. Face change gimmick uses painted rubber. This could lead to the gimmick not working. Best one disassemble the head and shave off the paint on the connection for the face rotation.
OmicronZero wrote:I was under the impression that the only 'issue' was that the figure needs to be transformed properly, as shown in Peaugh's video. Is there some QC issue I have missed? I don't have the figure in hand yet.
I think everyone that has the figure has addressed that it's a QC issue. Peaugh did too.
OmicronZero wrote:I was under the impression that the only 'issue' was that the figure needs to be transformed properly, as shown in Peaugh's video. Is there some QC issue I have missed? I don't have the figure in hand yet.
I think everyone that has the figure has addressed that it's a QC issue. Peaugh did too.
I think it's more of a design flaw than a QC issue. The part holding the shoulders is very thin and somewhat malleable, therefore it doesn't fit the peg hole it's supposed to go in well. At least that's what I get from watching reviews.
This type of mod isn't my cup of tea when it comes to hurting the figure i'm not gonna touch mine when i get it i'll find a good pose and on the shelf he goes.
OmicronZero wrote:I was under the impression that the only 'issue' was that the figure needs to be transformed properly, as shown in Peaugh's video. Is there some QC issue I have missed? I don't have the figure in hand yet.
I think everyone that has the figure has addressed that it's a QC issue. Peaugh did too.
That's true, but Peaugh's solution is much simpler than the others. BTW, thanks, OmicronZero for pointing out his review. I wonder how he was able to peg the top thrusters (arms) in Jet mode. Perhaps he states towards the end of the video. I haven't watched all the way through.
I can't wait to get mine tomorrow and start fiddling with him.
@Agamemnon: Peaugh's solution will be your 1st approach because that would be the only way to lock in the tabs for the shoulders if your copy does not have bloated molds. Apparently, you may have to trim the torso or add stuff to the shoulders so that they may lock if your copy tends not to work like Peaugh's. Good luck with your copy
Thank primus hasbro didnt screw up Springer. Im on my third Blitzwing. The first. Had two left fists, the second had two left rear tail fins...god knows whats going to be wrong with my next one. Hasbro really fubar-ed Blitzwing...and I highly doubt I got two needles in a haystack.
Thank primus hasbro didnt screw up Springer. Im on my third Blitzwing. The first. Had two left fists, the second had two left rear tail fins...god knows whats going to be wrong with my next one. Hasbro really fubar-ed Blitzwing...and I highly doubt I got two needles in a haystack.
@spartanH85: Such problems are unforgivable. These issues can be returned for an exchange where you bought the figure. TRU accommodates such returns. As long as its a production mishap.
Okay, I got mine open, and I don't really buy the extra plastic in the torso pieces theory. I see something else.
First, the purple back plastic that holds the tank turret and the two arms is one of those softer varieties. As I opened Blitzwing, I noticed that they rubber banded the hell out of the chest area, which seems to have deflected that back plastic piece around the shoulder area. Sure enough, when I straighten out his arms over his head, it is very noticeable how much the plastic is deflected away from the torso.
Now, this doesn't mean that these fixes won't work. I'm trying a slightly different approach with a heat gun to see if I can bring the plastic back forward a little. I'll let you know if it works.
@wewyllenium: the first Blitzwing and Springer I purchased was on ebay. Sent Blitz back for a refund and then a couple days later found one at my local target. I thought my nightmare was over and boom..tail fin issue.3rd times the charm right?
@spartanH85: Awww... That's a pity. I sure hope someone who actually works for Hasbro gets to read this thread. Play with it for a while then give it back to Target before a week passes by. Stuff like that is truly unacceptable and warrants a replacement.
Take it as it is which is poor QC from Hasbro or you should really get someone else to buy stuff for you. Maybe your luck with stuff like this really is low.
@wewyllenium: generally I don't have too much bad luck with tfs. With Bliztwing this has been pretty rough, and taking second place was ordering a rotf leader starscream and getting a box full of bumblebees instead. It all worked out though.
Okay, I finally got a little free time and took a closer look. Unfortunately, I did not take any before pictures, so please take my word for this. Here is a close-up of the shoulder area, complete with a fancy MS Paint red line of how the plastic looked out of the package. You can see where the plastic should be sitting in relation to the back.
There should be virtually no gap between that plastic that holds the arms (and cannon) and the back of the figure. When I initially looked at him I would say there was a 2 or 3 mm gap.
I believe this warping of the plastic is because of the number of clear bands holding the figure together during shipping. I fixed this by using a heat gun and carefully pressing the plastic back into the correct shape. By doing this, when the shoulder is assembled, the front part seats correctly against the front of the figure.
My Blitzwing is now stable and I am happy (mostly because I didn't need to disassemble him or add material.)
You may be able to heat the plastic enough with a hair dryer, but it might take some more time. Overall time for me using a heat gun: ~15 minutes, plus letting the plastic cool before trying to transform him.
I hope this helps those not too keen on disassembly.
Posted: Sat May 04, 2013 10:03 am
