The Energon Pub

-Kanrabat- wrote:

Mkdlmr wrote:Any recommendations on touch-up paint/markers for scratched/chipped paint on transformers?

It may not be the best way, but good ol' Sharpies do the job. There may be better quality markers that are more suited to plastics. Maybe go to a hobby/art shop and ask the clerk.

Painting the scratches will just be a temporary measure because that paint will still scratch away when new rubbing take place. I'm speaking from experience building my Frankensformers customs.

Thanks! I think this may be the cheapest/easiest solution:

https://www.amazon.com/Permanent-Assort ... NrPXRydWU=

I actually have an older set of jeweler's files that have served me well for adjusting tabs and other areas where the figure rubs against itself/gets stuck...

Mkdlmr wrote:Thanks! I think this may be the cheapest/easiest solution:

https://www.amazon.com/Permanent-Assort ... NrPXRydWU=

They say it's good for plastics and metals. At that price, it's worth it trying out. Just allow the ink to dry for some hours before touching it with your fingers. You'll just make a mess if you don't. Also, try them on some low value toys first to test them out.

Once the repairs are done, post pictures for the results. I'd like to see the effectiveness of these markers.

Keep in mind that black markers are rarely actually black, they tend to be anywhere from a very dark brown to purple when they dry. Cheap markers and even Sharpies tend to just use a very saturated color instead of actual black and it's very obvious when being used with actual black paint or plastic.

Emerje

Emerje wrote:Keep in mind that black markers are rarely actually black, they tend to be anywhere from a very dark brown to purple when they dry. Cheap markers and even Sharpies tend to just use a very saturated color instead of actual black and it's very obvious when being used with actual black paint or plastic.

Emerje

I must add that the color also have some sort of shine to it as well.

I use sharpies to color in the hinges joints, pegs, and ball joints that rub a lot on my customs. The color difference show, but it's acceptable. I'd never use markers on the car's body or armor pieces though. Better off repainting the whole part instead.

-Kanrabat- wrote:

Emerje wrote:Keep in mind that black markers are rarely actually black, they tend to be anywhere from a very dark brown to purple when they dry. Cheap markers and even Sharpies tend to just use a very saturated color instead of actual black and it's very obvious when being used with actual black paint or plastic.

Emerje

I must add that the color also have some sort of shine to it as well.

I use sharpies to color in the hinges joints, pegs, and ball joints that rub a lot on my customs. The color difference show, but it's acceptable. I'd never use markers on the car's body or armor pieces though. Better off repainting the whole part instead.

Thanks! I'll definitely keep that in mind. I'm in no hurry, and the wear is fairly minimal.

I still can't believe there's no article/photo/video documenting the disassembly of G1 Fort Max's hips... Really hesitant to take him apart, but, wow, is the lateral ratchet super difficult to manipulate.

Mkdlmr wrote:I still can't believe there's no article/photo/video documenting the disassembly of G1 Fort Max's hips... Really hesitant to take him apart, but, wow, is the lateral ratchet super difficult to manipulate.

Is that the vintage one, the the Encore 23? Because age may be a factor.
If the joints are too tight, simply loosening the screw should be enough. What works on the small joints should be the same for the big ones.

-Kanrabat- wrote:

Mkdlmr wrote:I still can't believe there's no article/photo/video documenting the disassembly of G1 Fort Max's hips... Really hesitant to take him apart, but, wow, is the lateral ratchet super difficult to manipulate.

Is that the vintage one, the the Encore 23? Because age may be a factor.
If the joints are too tight, simply loosening the screw should be enough. What works on the small joints should be the same for the big ones.

Thanks for the quick reply!

Encore 23. I made sure to get one with double tape to ensure that takara had quality checked it. You can completely remove the single screw; It has no effect on the joint.

Mkdlmr wrote:

-Kanrabat- wrote:

Mkdlmr wrote:I still can't believe there's no article/photo/video documenting the disassembly of G1 Fort Max's hips... Really hesitant to take him apart, but, wow, is the lateral ratchet super difficult to manipulate.

Is that the vintage one, the the Encore 23? Because age may be a factor.
If the joints are too tight, simply loosening the screw should be enough. What works on the small joints should be the same for the big ones.

Thanks for the quick reply!

Encore 23. I made sure to get one with double tape to ensure that takara had quality checked it. You can completely remove the single screw; It has no effect on the joint.

Is it really is hat hard though?
Maybe just play with the joint back and forth (with the screw in) to used it up a little. It should work out.

-Kanrabat- wrote:

Mkdlmr wrote:

-Kanrabat- wrote:

Mkdlmr wrote:I still can't believe there's no article/photo/video documenting the disassembly of G1 Fort Max's hips... Really hesitant to take him apart, but, wow, is the lateral ratchet super difficult to manipulate.

Is that the vintage one, the the Encore 23? Because age may be a factor.
If the joints are too tight, simply loosening the screw should be enough. What works on the small joints should be the same for the big ones.

Thanks for the quick reply!

Encore 23. I made sure to get one with double tape to ensure that takara had quality checked it. You can completely remove the single screw; It has no effect on the joint.

Is it really is hat hard though?
Maybe just play with the joint back and forth (with the screw in) to used it up a little. It should work out.

Yeah... It's pretty tough, and I'd argue I'm above-average in the "muscles department".

I was thinking of trying something like this around the joint:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CVUR8S4/re ... UTF8&psc=1

Thoughts? Thanks!

Mkdlmr wrote:Thoughts? Thanks!

You'll have to make sure that the lubricant is plastic safe. Then, test it on cheaper toys that have hard ratchets and you don't mind to sacrifice.

-Kanrabat- wrote:

Mkdlmr wrote:Thoughts? Thanks!

You'll have to make sure that the lubricant is plastic safe. Then, test it on cheaper toys that have hard ratchets and you don't mind to sacrifice.

Will do. You can see how tough it is to manipulate on this guy's version. https://youtu.be/Onyheu7b_60?t=429 Mine is much more challenging...

So, about that 2010 Unicron. It's the Armada mold, so you'll want to watch out for this:




The Armada mold has something of a cut corner in the form of using plastic-tension ratchets for the knees rather than spring-loaded ratchets. And they can eventually crack and even break outright under the stress of use or even just supporting his robot mode. You might want to reinforce the ratchets on yours with an internal cardboard shim. Getting one of the stands that allows planet mode display would also be a good idea, since it would take weight off his knees.

I never heard of that knee issue. I never experienced it either. It's been years since I transformed my Unicrons. I'll be careful.

Thanks for the heads up.

Mkdlmr wrote:Thanks for the heads up.

You're welcome.

-Kanrabat- wrote:I never heard of that knee issue. I never experienced it either. It's been years since I transformed my Unicrons. I'll be careful.

Mine had felt a bit weak at the knees for a while, and today when I took him down from his shelf to start undoing the dodgy, halfassed G1 paintjob I inflicted on him I found that the right knee was no longer ratcheting at all. So I decided to open the knees up and have a look, and discovered that the right knee's ratchet had cracked in two places and thus lost its tension; the one in the left knee had outright broken into two pieces, although ironically this knee was actually still ratcheting slightly because the broken-off piece had fallen into such a position that it was mating (although very weakly) with the notches in the inner knee.
I fixed them up via inserting cardboard shims and applying Krazy Glue.

I was playing with my G1 Fort Max the other day and noticed that his guns seemed loose in his hands. Any tips to tighten them up a bit? Thanks!

Mkdlmr wrote:I was playing with my G1 Fort Max the other day and noticed that his guns seemed loose in his hands. Any tips to tighten them up a bit? Thanks!

A thin layer of clear nail polish or floor wax on the peg (NOT the hole) should help.

Emerje

Emerje wrote:

Mkdlmr wrote:I was playing with my G1 Fort Max the other day and noticed that his guns seemed loose in his hands. Any tips to tighten them up a bit? Thanks!

A thin layer of clear nail polish or floor wax on the peg (NOT the hole) should help.

Emerje

The peg of the gun is not that long and is made to pop off the hand when pressure is applied. It prevent the peg to snap off inside the hand.

If the gun stay in Max's hand unless you tap it, I advise against any tightening mod.

Thanks for the replies! Is there a safe way to remove the nail polish once it's on?

Mkdlmr wrote:Thanks for the replies! Is there a safe way to remove the nail polish once it's on?

Paint remover I guess? But it may have a nasty effect on plastic.
Safest way is simply to sand it down with a very fine sandpaper.

-Kanrabat- wrote:

Mkdlmr wrote:Thanks for the replies! Is there a safe way to remove the nail polish once it's on?

Paint remover I guess? But it may have a nasty effect on plastic.
Safest way is simply to sand it down with a very fine sandpaper.

I'd strongly advise against sandpaper because it's really easy to overdo it and leave the peg worse than it was initially. Instead, look into non-acetone nail polish remover. They make that specifically for plastic and acrylic nail tips, and should be safe on ABS plastic as well. Go to a reputable beauty supply store and ask, get a bottle with a pump on the top for easy dosage plus some cotton pads if you can.

Nemesis Destron wrote:>:oP

Dafuk?

-Kanrabat- wrote:

Nemesis Destron wrote:>:oP

Dafuk?

Dunno what that's about, but hey! Since this thread has been resurrected, anyone have any idea what the next titan after metroplex will be?

Mkdlmr wrote:

-Kanrabat- wrote:

Nemesis Destron wrote:>:oP

Dafuk?

Dunno what that's about, but hey! Since this thread has been resurrected, anyone have any idea what the next titan after metroplex will be?

No one.

But personally, I do hope for Armada Tidalwave.