The Energon Pub

posting this one on the toy forum as well because of how horrible it is
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yup, you read the title right, I **** BROKE IT ALREADY! While I'm not totaly surprised, I am absolutely pissed and almost completely panicked. Of course this kind of thing is inevitable with fan made toys, especialy if you're more of a 'play with your toys' kinda guy like I am... what? That's what toys are for aren't they?!

Anyway, I'm still thoroughly ticked that this happened and I'd like to pose the question to anyone else out there who either has problems with the armor, has broken it as well, or wishes to perform their own mods on it.

What the HELL do you do with a head breaking off?!

Doh, that sucks! Post some pics, maybe someone can assist.

On a side note, I don't think this was designed to be a toy though. Kinda a slap the armor on and stick it on the shelf type of item, imo.

I'm curious to know how exactly you broke the head off. I mean, were you smashing UM into another TF or something? Its not like it just pops off, its on there pretty good.

Bonger wrote:Doh, that sucks! Post some pics, maybe someone can assist.

On a side note, I don't think this was designed to be a toy though. Kinda a slap the armor on and stick it on the shelf type of item, imo.

First Gen wrote:I'm curious to know how exactly you broke the head off. I mean, were you smashing UM into another TF or something? Its not like it just pops off, its on there pretty good.

I realize it's more of a display item than a toy, but I figured it could stand up to being posed and assembled/disassembled. The part that broke was the 'supposed' ball joint that would allow him to look all over the damned place... now I wonder if that thing was EVER supposed to move because once it did, it moved clean of his neck and into my palm!

Maybe you got a faulty one. My set can move his all over the place with no problem. I've taken the armor on and off a few times.

Did the neck ball joint itself break or the head won't go back on?

First Gen wrote:Maybe you got a faulty one. My set can move his all over the place with no problem. I've taken the armor on and off a few times.

Did the neck ball joint itself break or the head won't go back on?

The 'ball' part of the joint is still inside the head... the part that connects the ball to the neck is the bit that's broken.

Shadowstream wrote:

First Gen wrote:Maybe you got a faulty one. My set can move his all over the place with no problem. I've taken the armor on and off a few times.

Did the neck ball joint itself break or the head won't go back on?

The 'ball' part of the joint is still inside the head... the part that connects the ball to the neck is the bit that's broken.

that sounds like a faulty piece. I can move my ones head around no issues. Try contacting the store you got it from for a swap out. If not, a dab of superglue might be do trick.

Bonger wrote:

Shadowstream wrote:

First Gen wrote:Maybe you got a faulty one. My set can move his all over the place with no problem. I've taken the armor on and off a few times.

Did the neck ball joint itself break or the head won't go back on?

The 'ball' part of the joint is still inside the head... the part that connects the ball to the neck is the bit that's broken.

that sounds like a faulty piece. I can move my ones head around no issues. Try contacting the store you got it from for a swap out. If not, a dab of superglue might be do trick.

That's a joke, right? BBTS is sold out of the figure and there are warnings on the bottom of the box that state these things cannot be replaced. As for the superglue fix, I don't think that'll do any good. The ball is completely trapped and I cannot get it to move at all, let alone completely remove it to glue it back in.

UNLESS someone knows a trick to removing broken ball joints from their sockets?

Nope, no joke. There was a post a few days ago where someone received theirs missing a part, and BBTS sent them the part.

Here it is:

viewtopic.php?f=4&t=45634&p=820137&hilit=city+commander#p820137

Bonger wrote:Nope, no joke. There was a post a few days ago where someone received theirs missing a part, and BBTS sent them the part.

Here it is:

viewtopic.php?f=4&t=45634&p=820137&hilit=city+commander#p820137

Well... I'll try that before I do anything else to see what I can get, but to be honest the whole armor isn't without flaws and I was more or less considering using this as an opportunity to modify the whole thing.

Shadowstream wrote:

Bonger wrote:Nope, no joke. There was a post a few days ago where someone received theirs missing a part, and BBTS sent them the part.

Here it is:

viewtopic.php?f=4&t=45634&p=820137&hilit=city+commander#p820137

Well... I'll try that before I do anything else to see what I can get, but to be honest the whole armor isn't without flaws and I was more or less considering using this as an opportunity to modify the whole thing.

You have guts. I'm way too chicken to play around with modifying a 70 dollar custom.

Oho... I hope you can get it fixed soon.

I'm doubly glad I didn't buy one now, I'd literally be in tears at this point.

You could use a pair of needle nose pliers and grab a hold of the ball trapped in the head, and pull it loose.

Use Epoxy or a really good Super Glue (brand name, make sure it's brand name, no junk stuff) and reattach the ball to the post and carefully find a way to hold both pieces together with a clamp of some sort, of apply weight while the glue cures. If you're lucky, the glue or the epoxy will seal the crack like it never happened.

If you get that to work, you might want to loosen the ball joint socket a bit, so when you reattach it, it doesn't require as much force. And...once it's back on, carefully move the head if need be.

I wouldn't say it's hopeless, there's always a way around these obstacles.

Now all you need is a little enrgon, and a lot of luck.

Bonger wrote:You have guts. I'm way too chicken to play around with modifying a 70 dollar custom.

I am too, but seeing as it's broken already I figure why not go all the way with the repairs? Find a way to make him stand up strait, allow some better fitting for the leg armor, add a new ball joint to the neck, maybe put ball joints in the wrists or put in fully articulated hands, perhaps light piping in the head, and an LED light in the BFG? Okay... perhaps that may be a bit ambitious for my skill level, but you have to admit those kind of things would be a nice mod to the thing

[quote="Shadowstream"That's a joke, right? BBTS is sold out of the figure and there are warnings on the bottom of the box that state these things cannot be replaced. As for the superglue fix, I don't think that'll do any good. The ball is completely trapped and I cannot get it to move at all, let alone completely remove it to glue it back in.

UNLESS someone knows a trick to removing broken ball joints from their sockets?[/quote]

Get me a scan of the balljoint. I wasn't able to pick up a City commander (DARNED YOU DELAYED PAY!) so I'd have to see it, but I might be able to figure something out. I've had to repair alot of figures.

My Magnus upgrade just came. The head came off as soon as a turned it. I've emailed toyarena.com to see if they'll do something for me, in the mean time his head is stuck on with blu-tak. It's non-glueable plastic

I don't like his enormous gun but I knew that before. It's rather hard to find good poses for him but I guess I'll just have to keep playing with him till I find more I like!

um... don't mind the background clutter

Damn, I just came online and posted the same thread. Yep, his head came off in my hands. Glue doesn't work, neither does epoxy resin. I've emailed the shop, in the meantime i'm using a lump of blu-tak.

Actually, it's white-tak and it looks like he's wearing a neck brace.

Mykltron wrote:My Magnus upgrade just came. The head came off as soon as a turned it. I've emailed toyarena.com to see if they'll do something for me, in the mean time his head is stuck on with blu-tak. It's non-glueable plastic

I don't like his enormous gun but I knew that before. It's rather hard to find good poses for him but I guess I'll just have to keep playing with him till I find more I like!

Quite the dilema this is. I half wondered if I aught not try the heated pin fix where ya put a tiny hot pin through the broken parts and meld them back together. I actualy meant to do that with my old Wing Zero custom kit.

You know, if all this isn't ironic enough I was talking about some other sap who breaks things at the exact time I broke mine.

Jeez, bad news. This is looking like an epidemic.

Merged two topics into one and modified the title slightly for people to identify.

Sorry to hear that you guys are having City Commander issues. Mine has some loose panels but his neck is fine.

Hopefully the stores you bought them from will replace the broken parts for you. Good luck.

Mkall wrote:Merged two topics into one and modified the title slightly for people to identify.

And now it looks like I posted almost the same post twice in the same thread!

If you ordered from BBTS shoot them an e-mail. I started the thread that was referenced earlier about the missing piece. They were showing to be sold out, but I got my missing piece within a week. I would imagine they probably retain a few sets for these types of situations. Anyway I haven't tried to move the head on my set, and now I sure as hell won't try. It also makes me a little concerned about the strength of the plastic in the "boot" area since it requires some force to get it fit. Good luck!

Mykltron wrote:My Magnus upgrade just came. The head came off as soon as a turned it. I've emailed toyarena.com to see if they'll do something for me, in the mean time his head is stuck on with blu-tak. It's non-glueable plastic

I don't like his enormous gun but I knew that before. It's rather hard to find good poses for him but I guess I'll just have to keep playing with him till I find more I like!

Sand with 600 clean with denatured alcohol and then soapy water. Pray you got the release agent off then try to glue it again. If that process doesnt work Norton/3M some chemical company makes a TPO adhesion promoter for a 2 part urethane plastic/rubber repair made for sticking anything together...but hell you would spend more money buying that stuff. Or you could try a bumper repair kit...they range from $20 on up. But try the denatured alocohol first