The Energon Pub

Sabrblade wrote:Well, this is one way to give us a new kind of Seeker mold.

Ba-dum tsss

Transformers/The Last Of Us crossover.

Update on the Nacelle mold that... may not actually be mold:

https://twitter.com/damnyouwillis/status/1697973275198902778

It's not mold! It's release fluid they use to get the plastic out of the metal tooling.

My wife isn't a biologist, but she pointed out it would not make sense for a fungus to be attached to plastic but not cardboard. Especially since it's always in the same part of the figure. That's not how mold works.

^ That's what I kept trying to wrap my head around, how in the world would mold even be able to grow on plastic unless it was sitting in actual mold for several years. If it was a simple case of them being stored in damp conditions where the mold would first appear on cardboard packaging, it would then be so sever there in order for it to move to the product.

Something about this supposedly being mold never made any sense to me.

Till-all-R1 wrote:^ That's what I kept trying to wrap my head around, how in the world would mold even be able to grow on plastic unless it was sitting in actual mold for several years. If it was a simple case of them being stored in damp conditions where the mold would first appear on cardboard packaging, it would then be so sever there in order for it to move to the product.

Something about this supposedly being mold never made any sense to me.

For assurance, I did Google "mold on plastic", and it can actually happen. The circumstances for that to happen are quite specific however; molds have a hard time breaking down plastic into something they can actually process (tho some of the fillers are easier), but if there's an, o say, a crack that allows it to get to the center and take hold, it can stick around.

That said, glad we got an answer on what it actually is (and making us look silly in the progress. Our fault entirely). Better update that News Item.

Jelze Bunnycat wrote:

Till-all-R1 wrote:^ That's what I kept trying to wrap my head around, how in the world would mold even be able to grow on plastic unless it was sitting in actual mold for several years. If it was a simple case of them being stored in damp conditions where the mold would first appear on cardboard packaging, it would then be so sever there in order for it to move to the product.

Something about this supposedly being mold never made any sense to me.

For assurance, I did Google "mold on plastic", and it can actually happen. The circumstances for that to happen are quite specific however; molds have a hard time breaking down plastic into something they can actually process (tho some of the fillers are easier), but if there's an, o say, a crack that allows it to get to the center and take hold, it can stick around.

That said, glad we got an answer on what it actually is (and making us look silly in the progress. Our fault entirely). Better update that News Item.

Thanks for bringing this to everyones attention, just in case. I don't think any of us look silly about it. In the days of "pandemic", fentanyl in every drug, actual killer viruses, myocarditis from vaccines, plus the many other possible threats from things that should be safe, it is a reasonable reaction to be cautious at first. Then find actual answers.

So far my Nacell is fine, I wonder if the figure is going to be retroactively added to the Toxictron line.

Good to know it's likely not a fungus! Still hope this gets rectified nonetheless because that'd suck having a splotchy mess on your copy.
Makes me feel a bit more confident to get one later. Maybe even as Chuckdawg suggested with a rerelease in the Toxitron line (though hopefully they consider using the Thrust mold instead in my honest opinion).

SpaceEagle wrote:Good to know it's likely not a fungus! Still hope this gets rectified nonetheless because that'd suck having a splotchy mess on your copy.
Makes me feel a bit more confident to get one later. Maybe even as Chuckdawg suggested with a rerelease in the Toxitron line (though hopefully they consider using the Thrust mold instead in my honest opinion).

It comes off with water

chuckdawg1999 wrote:So far my Nacell is fine, I wonder if the figure is going to be retroactively added to the Toxictron line.

I see what you did there...

Jelze Bunnycat wrote:

Till-all-R1 wrote:^ That's what I kept trying to wrap my head around, how in the world would mold even be able to grow on plastic unless it was sitting in actual mold for several years. If it was a simple case of them being stored in damp conditions where the mold would first appear on cardboard packaging, it would then be so sever there in order for it to move to the product.

Something about this supposedly being mold never made any sense to me.

For assurance, I did Google "mold on plastic", and it can actually happen. The circumstances for that to happen are quite specific however; molds have a hard time breaking down plastic into something they can actually process (tho some of the fillers are easier), but if there's an, o say, a crack that allows it to get to the center and take hold, it can stick around.

That said, glad we got an answer on what it actually is (and making us look silly in the progress. Our fault entirely). Better update that News Item.

Yes. That scaremongering clickbait needs to be amended right away.

On the subject of the regular line... Did the US release of Armada Optimus get postponed to 2024 or something? Or is Hasbro's US distribution network just completely hopeless at this point? I know it's been doing wonders for my Lego Star Wars collection.

AcademyofDrX wrote:

SpaceEagle wrote:Good to know it's likely not a fungus! Still hope this gets rectified nonetheless because that'd suck having a splotchy mess on your copy.
Makes me feel a bit more confident to get one later. Maybe even as Chuckdawg suggested with a rerelease in the Toxitron line (though hopefully they consider using the Thrust mold instead in my honest opinion).

It comes off with water

I figured one could wash it off, just more concerned with more seeping out later down the road. I'm not an expert on plastics or anything so I ain't sure!

ZeldaTheSwordsman wrote:On the subject of the regular line... Did the US release of Armada Optimus get postponed to 2024 or something? Or is Hasbro's US distribution network just completely hopeless at this point? I know it's been doing wonders for my Lego Star Wars collection.

Mine arrived just fine, currently in the US right now myself.

SpaceEagle wrote:

AcademyofDrX wrote:

SpaceEagle wrote:Good to know it's likely not a fungus! Still hope this gets rectified nonetheless because that'd suck having a splotchy mess on your copy.
Makes me feel a bit more confident to get one later. Maybe even as Chuckdawg suggested with a rerelease in the Toxitron line (though hopefully they consider using the Thrust mold instead in my honest opinion).

It comes off with water

I figured one could wash it off, just more concerned with more seeping out later down the road. I'm not an expert on plastics or anything so I ain't sure!

Not a worry in this case, since it didn't seep out of the plastic in the first place. It's the stuff they grease the molds with to keep the plastic from sticking.

ZeldaTheSwordsman wrote:

SpaceEagle wrote:

AcademyofDrX wrote:

SpaceEagle wrote:Good to know it's likely not a fungus! Still hope this gets rectified nonetheless because that'd suck having a splotchy mess on your copy.
Makes me feel a bit more confident to get one later. Maybe even as Chuckdawg suggested with a rerelease in the Toxitron line (though hopefully they consider using the Thrust mold instead in my honest opinion).

It comes off with water

I figured one could wash it off, just more concerned with more seeping out later down the road. I'm not an expert on plastics or anything so I ain't sure!

Not a worry in this case, since it didn't seep out of the plastic in the first place. It's the stuff they grease the molds with to keep the plastic from sticking.

That's a relief, hopefully other people who've had this issue with their copy learn about this so it's not all doom and gloom!

ZeldaTheSwordsman wrote:Yes. That scaremongering clickbait needs to be amended right away.

I refuse, not until Hasbro addresses it directly. The whole "it's just mold release" is still just a theory as far as I'm concerned. If it really is then why have we never seen it on another Transformer before? Why is it fuzzy? Mold can grow on plastic, we've all seen mildew develop on toys, it only takes a little moisture and none of know what the conditions are like in that factory. Until Hasbro says otherwise I'm going to remain cautious and recommend others do the same.

Emerje

I better make sure mine is good when it shows up.

Emerje wrote:

ZeldaTheSwordsman wrote:Yes. That scaremongering clickbait needs to be amended right away.

I refuse, not until Hasbro addresses it directly. The whole "it's just mold release" is still just a theory as far as I'm concerned. If it really is then why have we never seen it on another Transformer before? Why is it fuzzy? Mold can grow on plastic, we've all seen mildew develop on toys, it only takes a little moisture and none of know what the conditions are like in that factory. Until Hasbro says otherwise I'm going to remain cautious and recommend others do the same.

Emerje

I do hope this is addressed regardless, because it's still honestly concerning because even if it isn't mold and just something seeping out of the plastic, that's still pretty dang nasty! And probably still uncomfortable to get on the skin.

Sabrblade wrote:Update on the Nacelle mold that... may not actually be mold:

https://twitter.com/damnyouwillis/status/1697973275198902778

It's not mold! It's release fluid they use to get the plastic out of the metal tooling.

I've had toys arrive with that stuff on them and that is not at all what the mold release stuff looks like, or at least what it used to. Last time I had that happen with a Hasbro product was the TRU MP Grimlock reissue. That stuff had the consistency and feel of petroleum jelly and was more or less clear.

My copy is thankfully clean. Crisis averted.

ScottyP wrote:

Sabrblade wrote:Update on the Nacelle mold that... may not actually be mold:

https://twitter.com/damnyouwillis/status/1697973275198902778

It's not mold! It's release fluid they use to get the plastic out of the metal tooling.

I've had toys arrive with that stuff on them and that is not at all what the mold release stuff looks like, or at least what it used to. Last time I had that happen with a Hasbro product was the TRU MP Grimlock reissue. That stuff had the consistency and feel of petroleum jelly and was more or less clear.

Yeah, it was always my understanding that mold release for injection molds is oily and very thin, anything thick could effect the molding.

I can't believe one random person on Twitter saying it's mold release with no evidence is enough to get people to make a 180 on the issue.

Emerje

Emerje wrote:

ScottyP wrote:

Sabrblade wrote:Update on the Nacelle mold that... may not actually be mold:

https://twitter.com/damnyouwillis/status/1697973275198902778

It's not mold! It's release fluid they use to get the plastic out of the metal tooling.

I've had toys arrive with that stuff on them and that is not at all what the mold release stuff looks like, or at least what it used to. Last time I had that happen with a Hasbro product was the TRU MP Grimlock reissue. That stuff had the consistency and feel of petroleum jelly and was more or less clear.

Yeah, it was always my understanding that mold release for injection molds is oily and very thin, anything thick could effect the molding.

I can't believe one random person on Twitter saying it's mold release with no evidence is enough to get people to make a 180 on the issue.

Emerje

To be fair, David Willis isn't some random person.

Sabrblade wrote:

Emerje wrote:

ScottyP wrote:

Sabrblade wrote:Update on the Nacelle mold that... may not actually be mold:

https://twitter.com/damnyouwillis/status/1697973275198902778

It's not mold! It's release fluid they use to get the plastic out of the metal tooling.

I've had toys arrive with that stuff on them and that is not at all what the mold release stuff looks like, or at least what it used to. Last time I had that happen with a Hasbro product was the TRU MP Grimlock reissue. That stuff had the consistency and feel of petroleum jelly and was more or less clear.

Yeah, it was always my understanding that mold release for injection molds is oily and very thin, anything thick could effect the molding.
He is one of the people behind TFWiki iirc
I can't believe one random person on Twitter saying it's mold release with no evidence is enough to get people to make a 180 on the issue.

Emerje

To be fair, David Willis isn't some random person.

Sabrblade wrote:

Emerje wrote:

ScottyP wrote:

Sabrblade wrote:Update on the Nacelle mold that... may not actually be mold:

https://twitter.com/damnyouwillis/status/1697973275198902778

It's not mold! It's release fluid they use to get the plastic out of the metal tooling.

I've had toys arrive with that stuff on them and that is not at all what the mold release stuff looks like, or at least what it used to. Last time I had that happen with a Hasbro product was the TRU MP Grimlock reissue. That stuff had the consistency and feel of petroleum jelly and was more or less clear.

Yeah, it was always my understanding that mold release for injection molds is oily and very thin, anything thick could effect the molding.

I can't believe one random person on Twitter saying it's mold release with no evidence is enough to get people to make a 180 on the issue.

Emerje

To be fair, David Willis isn't some random person.

He's never worked in a plastics factory has he? I'm going to guess he's no more an authority on this than any of us.

Emerje