The Energon Pub

Thu Apr 30, 2015 11:55 am

If one were to try to fix the "loose Blackjack" problem on Combiner Wars Motormaster by thickening the connection posts on Menasor's chest, what would be the best material to do this with?

I've heard the idea thrown around the internet of using nail polish. I don't know anything about nail polish except that it stinks. Will it quickly wear down/rub off/come off inside Blackjack's ports when I detatch him? Will it deteriorate with age or heat?

I also thought about superglue or epoxy.

I'm leaning epoxy, because near as I can tell, the stuff IS plastic when it dries. But I've only ever used either epoxy or superglue to stick two things together. If I just use it as a coating instead, then after it dries, will it still be "sticky"? I don't want it coming off with Blackjack when I detatch him from Menasor...

Also, are there any better materials I don't know about?

Thu Apr 30, 2015 12:22 pm

How about wrapping the posts in strips of paper? It's easy, cheap, and also probably won't damage the figures.

Thu Apr 30, 2015 12:28 pm

I'd want something that would stay on and become part of the figure. Paper would probably fall off every time I pulled off Blackjack.

Thu Apr 30, 2015 10:51 pm

Chimera245 wrote:I'd want something that would stay on and become part of the figure. Paper would probably fall off every time I pulled off Blackjack.

True, but I mean, paper isn't that to replace (or you could shove the paper into blackjack's, well, holes)

News Credits: 5 · Fri May 01, 2015 2:15 am

I've used electrical tape for similar things.

Fri May 01, 2015 7:14 am

For me, electrical tape always gets that gunky sticky area around the edges of the tape whenever I leave it on something for a long time. And since MM's posts are so oddly shaped, I can't imagine how I'd actually get the tape wrapped around them and get it to stay with no gaps.

I'm really leaning epoxy as long as someone can definitely confirm it won't get stuck to Blackjack if I leave him on for extended periods of time, or that it won't get all gooey in heat or anything...

Although I might use paper temporarily to get a sense of exactly how much thicker the posts need to be...

News Credits: 5 · Fri May 01, 2015 7:22 am

Good point. I haven't actually got the figure so I didn't know the pegs were oddly shaped. One other thing I've done before is use cut up pieces of drinking straw, if you can get the right diameter, it obviously doesn't need to be exact.

Fri May 01, 2015 9:54 am

Yeah, they kinda look like Y's with all three bars the same size and distance apart. Or like a sunken in triangle.

Basically, anything solid that just slips over or sticks on is either going to have to leave gaps as it makes a triangle, or is gonna have to contour inward, and probably fall off all the time because nothing can make it stay that way...

That's why I wanted to just brush some manner of liquid-that-turns-to-solid-when-it-dries over them instead.

News Credits: 60 · Sat May 02, 2015 6:42 am

Clear nail polish?

Sat May 02, 2015 6:52 am

Will clear nail polish dry completely smooth, or will it be kinda sticky still?
Will clear nail polish stay only on Motormaster only, even if I leave Blackjack on those pegs for three months straight, or will some of it come off when I pull off Blackjack?
Will clear nail polish be fine with age or heat, or will it eventually melt or chip away or something?

News Credits: 3 · Sat May 02, 2015 9:42 am

Chimera245 wrote:Will clear nail polish dry completely smooth, or will it be kinda sticky still?
Will clear nail polish stay only on Motormaster only, even if I leave Blackjack on those pegs for three months straight, or will some of it come off when I pull off Blackjack?
Will clear nail polish be fine with age or heat, or will it eventually melt or chip away or something?

A lacquer or gel type of nail polish often doesn't fully harden.
Regular clear nail polish will eventually scrape/flake/chip off (faster the more times it is rubbed), but will stay where you brush it on after it fully dries (about 30 minutes for a full dry).
Regular clear nail polish will dry to a hard non-sticky coating.

Putty style 2-part epoxy is permanent and will fully harden (to a hard non-sticky surface) after the period of time listed on the instructions. Depending on the type that can be 5 minutes, a day, or a week, the working time (time you have to mix/shape/apply it) and full cure time will be in the instructions.
Putty style 2-part epoxy is usually workable by tools or sandpaper to do any final shaping once it is fully cured.
You'll want to wash your hands soon after applying putty style two part epoxy, it tends to leave a film on your skin.

There also is '5 minute' clear liquid 2-part epoxy that will dry clear, hard & non-sticky, is permanent, and you can brush on. It comes in a syringe style dispenser usually so you get equal parts. You squirt out how much you want, cap the container, mix it, apply it, then usually throw away what you used to mix and apply it.

If you haven't used epoxy before definitely do some testing/experimenting on some junk/scrap material to see how you like it before you use it on a figure.

Sat May 02, 2015 10:00 am

Thank you, that's exactly what I needed to know.

But also, what about superglue? how does it compare to nail polish and epoxy?

News Credits: 60 · Sat May 02, 2015 10:08 am

Chimera245 wrote:Thank you, that's exactly what I needed to know.

But also, what about superglue? how does it compare to nail polish and epoxy?

Stay away from superglue kimosabe! It will wreck the plastic!

Sat May 02, 2015 10:26 am

Ah, good to know.

Is there a quality difference between putty and liquid epoxy? Or is it all the same once it dries?

Just out of curiosity, though, how does superglue wreck the plastic?

News Credits: 3 · Sat May 02, 2015 11:07 am

Chimera245 wrote:Ah, good to know.

Is there a quality difference between putty and liquid epoxy? Or is it all the same once it dries?

Just out of curiosity, though, how does superglue wreck the plastic?

Similar once they dry, mostly the difference is how you mix and apply them, and the color. Putty is going to be a mix of the two component colors, yellow and blue make a green when it's properly mixed for example. Putty handles like a clay or play-doh, shape and let dry, or squish/force into your repair area. The clear liquid is going to come out clear, sometimes it can be a little milky. It handles like honey, and you want to mix it in small batches. The 5 minute clear stuff can be a bit more soft/flexible if you use it over a large area.

Superglue tends to bond chemically and/or chemically attack plastic and leave chalky marks around the glue if you use too much. It also can have the same flaking/chipping/rubbing off issues as nail polish. It also often smells bad and can be hard to work with (gluing fingers together, etc) It does work, just sometimes too well.