The Energon Pub

by **DJLazer** » Tue Mar 29, 2011 11:52 pm

I just bought my Turbo Tracks and there are already serious problems with this. So what shpould I do? Let Tracks hold his gun in his left arm? What's your thought.

News Credits: 241 · by **Jelze Bunnycat** » Wed Mar 30, 2011 12:57 pm

I'm noticing a disturbing trend here. I've seen a lot of people complaining about stress marks, and it all started with the RtS line, on figures with open hands!

Coincidence? I don't think so, I think it's more like a design flaw with those hands. Heck, Animated Arcee is one of the worst offenders in that area. Even my Cybertron Jungle Planet Megatron has a stress mark in his hand.

Website · by **RK_Striker_JK_5** » Wed Mar 30, 2011 1:17 pm

Yeah, I do not like these open hands. A recipe for fractured toys. Gimme closed fists and peg holes, please!

News Credits: 7 · by **alldarker** » Wed Mar 30, 2011 2:18 pm

Man, that sucks big time. I haven't opened RtS Tracks yet (or United Tracks for that matter), but I've already seen light stress marks on Wreck-gar's hand after carefully sliding his weapon in, and I don't even dare let Voyager Bludgeon hold his katana. It's a good thing that of my other recent acquisitions, Perceptor doesn't have a weapon, and Scourge does have the closed fist / peg hole.
Does this mean that all these weapons are going to have to stay in their holders and sheaths just for fear of breaking these open-handed toys?!

News Credits: 2 · by **paul053** » Wed Mar 30, 2011 8:47 pm

Hasbro should just drop the open palms idea. I've been ranting about this for long. Open palms may look good but looks strange when holding weapons and not that practical. Some are too tight, some are too loose. How many TFs on my shelf are not holding any weapons? None. Even the weaponless Classics Bumblebee and Perceptor are holding something (Bumblebee is holding Prowl's gun, Perceptor is holding Blurr's rifle with some special way). Glad I see Warpath is back to fist hole.

News Credits: 60 · by **fenrir72** » Thu Mar 31, 2011 8:57 am

I compared their hands, Wreck gar (another offender) and Wheeljack. Both share the same design. So WJ has the potential of developing stress marks too. Not confirmed yet on G2 Optimus Prime.

by **joesaysso** » Thu Mar 31, 2011 10:53 am

I don't have any of these figures mentioned here so I can't really comment based on experience BUT a lot of people have been mentioning/complaining that these newer figures are coming out with cheaper/softer plastic. Quite a few threads in fact, over the last couple weeks have mentioned this. This could surely spell disaster for the open hands if indeed this softer plastic issue turns out to be legit.

As I look on my shelf, the only comparison I could see is the 2007 concept camaro Bumblebee. His hands don't seem to be wearing from holding his weapon and the plastic feels good and tough.

It will be a real shame if Hasbro ends up ruining this otherwise great line of figures.

News Credits: 2 · by **Twitchythe3rd** » Thu Mar 31, 2011 12:26 pm

fenrir72 wrote:I compared their hands, Wreck gar (another offender) and Wheeljack. Both share the same design. So WJ has the potential of developing stress marks too. Not confirmed yet on G2 Optimus Prime.

Acctually it has been. There was a thread about it a few weeks ago.

Edit: Found it. http://www.seibertron.com/energonpub/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=74712&p=1195373&hilit=rts+prime+stress+marks#p1195373

News Credits: 2 · by **Nemesis Destron** » Thu Mar 31, 2011 2:26 pm

FRAK!!!! I haven't noticed but I guess I gotta keep an eye open on this BS. :-x

News Credits: 2 · by **Nemesis Destron** » Mon May 09, 2011 9:21 am

Okay anyone else out there have this? Like an idiot I didn't catch it at first but after only 2 times of placing Scrapheap's axe in his grip I noticed what looks like a stress mark. How much should I worry? Did anyone see this with either Wreck Gar or Scrapheap?

News Credits: 241 · by **Jelze Bunnycat** » Mon May 09, 2011 9:39 am

Nemesis Destron wrote:Okay anyone else out there have this? Like an idiot I didn't catch it at first but after only 2 times of placing Scrapheap's axe in his grip I noticed what looks like a stress mark. How much should I worry? Did anyone see this with either Wreck Gar or Scrapheap?

As said before, every figure with open hands seems susceptible to those stress marks, though the mileage may vary. It's also possible those with black hands are mostly unaffected, or least it's unnoticeable.

I've yet to see multiple reports on thumbs actually breaking off, but it's still better to be safe than sorry. It's still possible that it's a sign of the plastic "breaking in" as it bends.

One final thing: please be careful with the rubbery handlebars on the Wreck-Gar mold. Those have broken off more than once, mostly by moving them by hand. Always use the Automorph with them when changing to robot mode.

News Credits: 2 · by **Nemesis Destron** » Mon May 09, 2011 11:26 am

JelZe GoldRabbit wrote:
Nemesis Destron wrote:Okay anyone else out there have this? Like an idiot I didn't catch it at first but after only 2 times of placing Scrapheap's axe in his grip I noticed what looks like a stress mark. How much should I worry? Did anyone see this with either Wreck Gar or Scrapheap?

As said before, every figure with open hands seems susceptible to those stress marks, though the mileage may vary. It's also possible those with black hands are mostly unaffected, or least it's unnoticeable.

I've yet to see multiple reports on thumbs actually breaking off, but it's still better to be safe than sorry. It's still possible that it's a sign of the plastic "breaking in" as it bends.

One final thing: please be careful with the rubbery handlebars on the Wreck-Gar mold. Those have broken off more than once, mostly by moving them by hand. Always use the Automorph with them when changing to robot mode.

Thanks JelZe GoldRabbit for that last tip about the handle bars!

Website · by **Flux Convoy** » Mon May 09, 2011 12:08 pm

Here's a pro-tip for those open hands. Slide the weapons in instead of popping them in. If that can't be done, find a different weapon to use. Otherwise it's gonna end in disappointment. The only figure I've got with open hands that I forced the weapon into was ROTF Bludgeon who seems ok for now. Only did it the once so far.

News Credits: 3 · by **Kibble** » Mon May 09, 2011 12:19 pm

It's a little known fact that RTS actually stands for reveal the stress-mark...

News Credits: 15 · by **PrymeStriker** » Mon May 09, 2011 1:25 pm

Put it in his left hand. Who said transformers couldnt be left handed?

News Credits: 241 · by **Jelze Bunnycat** » Mon May 09, 2011 1:35 pm

Gyrotron wrote:Put it in his left hand. Who said transformers couldnt be left handed?

Primus, for he was "right"eously handed himself. Decepticons however are an exception as they're sinister, thus left-handed. Ask your Latin teacher

by **Motorthing** » Mon May 09, 2011 2:16 pm

Tracks' Gun seems to have a slighly wider peg to it than say, Jazz's as it doesn't want to fit in practically any other "closed fist" former I've tried it with so that probably isn't helping the issue. It's doing the same to my Wheeljack.

The Gun that RTS Jazz has seems to fit fine so the Open hands/closed hands issue doesn't come into play there, but i too have wondered why the complete design/aesthetic change from the standard (and practical) fist to the more stylised open hands? It looks good in some cases (Jazz) but less good in others (Windcharger and Wheeljack) and I also like my bots to have at least one fist for when the fighting starts! They don't just slap each other y'now.....

News Credits: 15 · by **PrymeStriker** » Mon May 09, 2011 2:50 pm

JelZe GoldRabbit wrote:
Gyrotron wrote:Put it in his left hand. Who said transformers couldnt be left handed?

Primus, for he was "right"eously handed himself. Decepticons however are an exception as they're sinister, thus left-handed. Ask your Latin teacher

Mmm, don't have a latin teacher. But anyone can be left handed. Red Alert was. *Points to gun hand*

News Credits: 127 · by **Counterpunch** » Mon May 09, 2011 3:02 pm

Flux Convoy wrote:Here's a pro-tip for those open hands. Slide the weapons in instead of popping them in.

This, seriously people, this.

News Credits: 12 · by **robofreak** » Mon May 09, 2011 10:43 pm

JelZe GoldRabbit wrote:
Gyrotron wrote:Put it in his left hand. Who said transformers couldnt be left handed?

Primus, for he was "right"eously handed himself. Decepticons however are an exception as they're sinister, thus left-handed. Ask your Latin teacher

War For Cybertron Prime is a lefty. You can tell by the positioning of the ammo clip in his gun.

by **Doubledealer93** » Mon May 09, 2011 10:47 pm

my wreck-gar has the same problem

i used a hair dryer on his hands and after a while one of the hands was fixed, but the other one still has a really big stress mark on it. us a hair dryer and it should go away after a while of using it. just dont use it too much as though the paint melts like on my wreck-gar

Counterpunch wrote:
Flux Convoy wrote:Here's a pro-tip for those open hands. Slide the weapons in instead of popping them in.

This, seriously people, this.

but with wreck-gar you cant really do that :/

News Credits: 60 · by **fenrir72** » Tue May 10, 2011 12:05 am

The reason I surmise for the open hand design is cost. Less plastic for an open hand than on a closed fist.

And yes, even without slipping it(the weapon) my United Wreck-gar already had a stress mark.

Website · by **Flux Convoy** » Tue May 10, 2011 2:46 am

Doubledealer25 wrote:my wreck-gar has the same problem i used a hair dryer on his hands and after a while one of the hands was fixed, but the other one still has a really big stress mark on it. us a hair dryer and it should go away after a while of using it. just dont use it too much as though the paint melts like on my wreck-gar

Counterpunch wrote:
Flux Convoy wrote:Here's a pro-tip for those open hands. Slide the weapons in instead of popping them in.

This, seriously people, this.

but with wreck-gar you cant really do that :/

Yes, you can. I have four of them. They all disagree with you.