The Energon Pub

I've taken apart some of my TFA figures to tighten up the joints and noticed that the hips of Sentinel Prime and the elbows of Soundwave have "double" ball joints. There's the normal ball joint that is inserted into a larger ball joint, which is then connected to the limb.

Has anyone seen this in other Transformers figures? Is this a relatively new type of ball joint?

How do you take the hip apart for TFA Soundwave?

So...one ball is bigger than the other?

shonenfan4 wrote:How do you take the hip apart for TFA Soundwave?

Read closer: Sentinel Prime's hips, and Soundwave's elbows

To illustrate, here's an image of Sentinel Prime, look closely at the hips:



Both the hips and the legs have a socket, and are connected via a "double ball", thus making a double ball joint. It's a first to my knowledge, as I haven't seen any other figures use that concept. A combination ball and swivel joint is far more common.

I THINK they may be used on Beast Machines Scavenger.

I seem to have a vague memory of using them for the shoulder joints on my Gore kitbash.

Burn wrote:I THINK they may be used on Beast Machines Scavenger.

I seem to have a vague memory of using them for the shoulder joints on my Gore kitbash.

Just for you I checked it, and you're right: they're in the elbows.

Classics Grimlock. But it's not really a ball joint on the outside, it just looks like one but doesn't work the same - it only rotates.

Thanks for the info, folks!

Yeah, the double ball joint set up is interesting. I didn't notice them on SP and Soundwave when I first got them as I just transformed them and put them up for display. They're neat joints!

JelZe GoldRabbit wrote:

shonenfan4 wrote:How do you take the hip apart for TFA Soundwave?

Read closer: Sentinel Prime's hips, and Soundwave's elbows

To illustrate, here's an image of Sentinel Prime, look closely at the hips:



Both the hips and the legs have a socket, and are connected via a "double ball", thus making a double ball joint. It's a first to my knowledge, as I haven't seen any other figures use that concept. A combination ball and swivel joint is far more common.

Good thing I didn't try to take mine apart.

They're not difficult to take apart but I only did so because SP's legs were flippy floppy at the hips.

Yeah, I got yer double ball joint right here, buddy! *grabs crotch*

GuyIncognito wrote:Yeah, I got yer double ball joint right here, buddy! *grabs crotch*

I lold. I'd make a joke about Starscream here, but I value my life.

GuyIncognito wrote:Yeah, I got yer double ball joint right here, buddy! *grabs crotch*

And your avatar is perfectly appropriate!

shonenfan4 wrote:I lold. I'd make a joke about Starscream here, but I value my life.

I'm in the dark here...

JelZe GoldRabbit wrote:

Burn wrote:I THINK they may be used on Beast Machines Scavenger.

I seem to have a vague memory of using them for the shoulder joints on my Gore kitbash.

Just for you I checked it, and you're right: they're in the elbows.

I think Beast Wars also had them, I think Waspinator had them as shoulders and legs.

Dead Metal wrote:

JelZe GoldRabbit wrote:

Burn wrote:I THINK they may be used on Beast Machines Scavenger.

I seem to have a vague memory of using them for the shoulder joints on my Gore kitbash.

Just for you I checked it, and you're right: they're in the elbows.

I think Beast Wars also had them, I think Waspinator had them as shoulders and legs.

I'll have to check out more Beast Wars figures. I only have one Beast Era figure, which is Battle Unicorn. Very interesting design.

It seems to me that double ball joints are used in points where extra maneuvering space may be needed. TFA's arms can be a bit awkward so the extra space around the joint from the double ball joint setup there may have been the designer's solution. Similarly, Sentinel Prime's thighs are fairly small while his lower legs are huge so to space the legs apart more for greater range of movement, a double ball joint was used. I suppose a larger ball end could have been used but it seems like the double ball joint may have been the most practical solution. I'm just speculating.