Helpful Fixes and Mods for Transformers Studio Series Bumblebee and Blackout

Friday, April 13th, 2018 10:14PM CDT

Categories: Movie Related News, Toy News
Posted by: william-james88 Views: 23,948

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While the Transformers Studio Series has been hotly anticipated, the initial reactions have been mixed. There are some stellar pieces while also some odd engineering and manufacturing decisions. The biggest ones being the car roof for Bumblebee missing a pin and Blackout's bizarre hand orientation.

So, two in our community came up with fixes which they sent us and we in turn share them with you.

This Bumblebee fix comes from Carnivius_Prime:

Carnivius_Prime wrote:I put a thin layer on the insides of the clear plastic joint (after having removed that whole roof piece from Bee) with just a smidgey bit more on the tiny bumps that supposed to fit into the tiny little gaps of the yellow piece. I let it dry for a while then put it back on and it fit much tighter. Of course a proper pin the way through like you say would have been nice but this seems fixed enough for me.

I even just held him up by the roof and shook him a bit and it's still fine.

This mod for Blackout's hands comes from Hip-Hoptimus Rime

Hip-Hoptimus Rime wrote:
I pulled his hands off and mounted them back on the arm 90degs over. It's not pretty but I think it looks and works better.

I modded them so they are now vertical instead of horizontal, i.e. in a more natural position. They still pivot up and down, but the hand is now vertical. It's not easy to get that wrist pin out, and the end result is not as pretty as I would like (the hands are now visible in alt mode, almost exactly like the Voyager mold), but it works. Once the wrist pin gets pulled, you drill a hole perpendicular to the original hole so it intersects it. It should be near the middle of the cylindrical section, just about in line with the base of the thumb.

You'll need a small screw to secure the hand through the inner pin bracket and the new hole, so the hand pivots on the inside of the space where the hand was originally. This leaves some empty space, which you can fill in by gluing on some little bits of kibble from some other robot or whatnot (I haven't done this yet). There is some minor trimming involved to get the hands to fit nicely in alt mode. You end up with the hands visible, much like the Voyager mold, but they look like helicopter equipment to me.

Interestingly, once you have the hand off, there is another way to mount it so it pivots side to side, instead of up and down. Just drill a hole for a screw in the rear edge of the flat body part of the arm, near the Air Force emblem. Then screw into the hole for the original pin, rather than the new hole (if you've already drilled it).

Hip-Hoptimus made other mods to this figure, which can all be found here.

Credit(s): Carnivius_Prime and Hip Hotimus Rime

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Re: Helpful Fixes and Mods for Transformers Studio Series Bumblebee and Blackout (1952758)
Posted by Emerje on April 14th, 2018 @ 12:21am CDT

Found Deluxe wave 1 at Walmart today. Didn't try to buy them so I don't know if they were sticking with the street date or not. Looked like a full case was there.

Emerje

Re: Helpful Fixes and Mods for Transformers Studio Series Bumblebee and Blackout (1952766)
Posted by LevelRage on April 14th, 2018 @ 1:32am CDT

Probably gonna do that hand trick with Blackout once he comes in, wich I hope is soon, TFSource has yet to say he's shipped yet and I'm guessing he and Grimmy won't ship out till the around the 20th (release of the Takara versions if they can be called that) as for Bee, I'll probably leave him as he is. The roof does't bother me all that much, but that's probably because I leave him in bot mode.

Re: Helpful Fixes and Mods for Transformers Studio Series Bumblebee and Blackout (1952776)
Posted by Nathaniel Prime on April 14th, 2018 @ 3:16am CDT

Can someone post a picture of a fixed Blackout in alt mode? I want to see how the hands look in helicopter mode. As for Bumblebee, if a pin was put into one of those hinges, it would have been really fragile on such a small figure. I would rather have the roof pop off instead of it breaking. I'm glad someone found a way to fix these figures' issues( Blackout's hands don't bother me at all though) ;)^

Re: Helpful Fixes and Mods for Transformers Studio Series Bumblebee and Blackout (1952822)
Posted by Rated X on April 14th, 2018 @ 11:47am CDT

I dont understand why you cant just remove the pins and swap the hands from left to right so they are the other way around? With the toy in hand now, it almost seems like a mass assembly error. Wont they fold in the same upside down? Maybe there will be a 3rd party fix one day for those who dont know how to pop pins. Id be willing to drop up to $30 on some new arms with better hands.

Re: Helpful Fixes and Mods for Transformers Studio Series Bumblebee and Blackout (1952826)
Posted by Autobot Roadburn on April 14th, 2018 @ 11:50am CDT

I've got a Grimlock waiting for me at Target, so once I pick him up later today my Studio Series collection will be complete! This is the only line I've wanted to go all-in on this bad in years, and again I'm ridiculously lucky I found Thundercracker.

Re: Helpful Fixes and Mods for Transformers Studio Series Bumblebee and Blackout (1952880)
Posted by wheelhousean on April 14th, 2018 @ 5:16pm CDT

For my Blackout figure, I chose to keep them horizontal, but swapped the right and left sides and rotated them 180 (those pins were no joke!). I then dremeled inside the arms to allow the hands to fold back up without showing in alt mode.

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The hands unfortunately can’t swivel like Hip-Hoptimus’s, but I am very happy with how it looks! I also customized my Scorponok using the legends class figure from the first movie. I just need to figure out how to mod the legs to fold down so it can still store in the helicopter.

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Re: Helpful Fixes and Mods for Transformers Studio Series Bumblebee and Blackout (1952884)
Posted by wheelhousean on April 14th, 2018 @ 5:30pm CDT

Rated X wrote:I dont understand why you cant just remove the pins and swap the hands from left to right so they are the other way around? With the toy in hand now, it almost seems like a mass assembly error. Wont they fold in the same upside down? Maybe there will be a 3rd party fix one day for those who dont know how to pop pins. Id be willing to drop up to $30 on some new arms with better hands.

I thought it was an assembly error too and figured as well that it’d be an easy fix... then I transformed it after having spent over an hour figuring out how to get those dang pins out. I really didn’t want to dremel it, but I was determined to make this work!

Re: Helpful Fixes and Mods for Transformers Studio Series Bumblebee and Blackout (1952921)
Posted by Hip-Hoptimus Rime on April 14th, 2018 @ 8:53pm CDT

Nathaniel Prime wrote:Can someone post a picture of a fixed Blackout in alt mode? I want to see how the hands look in helicopter mode.

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So yeah, the hands kinda stick out, but I personally don't mind because they work and look better in bot mode.

Re: Helpful Fixes and Mods for Transformers Studio Series Bumblebee and Blackout (1952982)
Posted by Autobot Roadburn on April 15th, 2018 @ 3:18am CDT

Thanks to Target getting some Studio Series figures in yesterday (finally got Grimlock, which turned out to be the last SS figure they had in the store) and generally getting lucky finding Thundercracker a while ago at ToysRUs, that marks a currently completed Studio Series collection! I have to say how much I love this line so far, aside from a couple fiddly parts and loose/shallow pegs I really can’t find much to complain about. I’ve waited for Blackout for 10 years and wasn’t disappointed, and Grimlock is just a godsend after all his other awful toys. Bring on wave 2!

Re: Helpful Fixes and Mods for Transformers Studio Series Bumblebee and Blackout (1953011)
Posted by Nathaniel Prime on April 15th, 2018 @ 7:13am CDT

Hip-Hoptimus Rime wrote:
Nathaniel Prime wrote:Can someone post a picture of a fixed Blackout in alt mode? I want to see how the hands look in helicopter mode.

[attachment=2]IMG_20180414_204216865.jpg[/attachment]

[attachment=1]IMG_20180414_204234087.jpg[/attachment]

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So yeah, the hands kinda stick out, but I personally don't mind because they work and look better in bot mode.

The hands sticking out in copter mode don't bother me too much, but I would rather have them in their original orientation. It doesn't hurt robot mode too much and copter mode isn't bothered at all. I'm still happy that you guys found a solution to thus though :APPLAUSE:

Re: Helpful Fixes and Mods for Transformers Studio Series Bumblebee and Blackout (1953024)
Posted by Va'al on April 15th, 2018 @ 8:41am CDT

A number of Seibertron.com community members - such as westjames/notirish - have been sending us a notification of what appears to be a rumoured new figure in the Transformers Studio Series line - or at least, a new backdrop appearing on the TFCN fan group, and leading to speculation of either a new Megatron or Sentinel Prime figures appearing later in the line, once the current waves are dealt with.

The backdrop appears to depict the Chicago Bridge scene from Dark of the Moon, which features both of the characters, alongside Optimus Prime. As many fans have been asking for a bigger truck Megatron this might be a good outlet, but so far there have been no repeats, so Sentinel may equally be feasible - what do you think? Let us know in the discussion!

[quote]A new background for a mystery #StudioSeries figure. This takes place on the Chicago Bridge where Optimus and Sentinel fought, and also looks like the shot where Megatron said “who would you be without me?” Swipe to see each shot. Do you think this will be for Megatron or Sentinel? If they did make Megatron, my guess would be that he would have the desert as his background, but I would love a DOTM Megatron update. Sentinel could also use an update, so it could be him. #TransformersStudioSeries #Megatron #SentinelPrime[/quote]

Re: Helpful Fixes and Mods for Transformers Studio Series Bumblebee and Blackout (1953025)
Posted by -Kanrabat- on April 15th, 2018 @ 8:46am CDT

GIVE US LEADER DOTM LEGATRON ALREADY! :michaelbay:

Re: Helpful Fixes and Mods for Transformers Studio Series Bumblebee and Blackout (1953029)
Posted by Rated X on April 15th, 2018 @ 9:05am CDT

Not interested in sentinal prime. I dont think DOTM Megatron needs a new figure personally. Then again I have the nice Takara edition. If its gotta be DOTM, I would much rather see Hatchet or Roadbuster with an armored car mode. It also wouldnt hurt to release Leadfoot for everybody who didnt grab the expensive one or the KO. Also can anyone say deluxe Soundwave? In silver paint of course.

Re: Helpful Fixes and Mods for Transformers Studio Series Bumblebee and Blackout (1953032)
Posted by Agent 53 on April 15th, 2018 @ 9:46am CDT

I'd go for either but the speculators are missing something. While it would be ridiculously lazy Optimus was on that bridge as well, an he already has a studio series figure, all they'd need to do was change his abs. Personally I'd expect Sentinel though, because of all 3 members of that fight Optimus and Megatron already have toys in this line, though both have other bodies as well. Something I'd like is a more screen accurate protoform.

Re: Helpful Fixes and Mods for Transformers Studio Series Bumblebee and Blackout (1953036)
Posted by -Kanrabat- on April 15th, 2018 @ 9:52am CDT

A leader DOTM Megatron in scale would be possible. The cab itself of the truck would be the same size as the voyager Optimus cab, not counting the trailer. The trailer would then compact a lot to make DOTM leader Megatron the same size as the "ROTF" voyager Megatron. Sure, it would be a small leader, but it would be the same thing with voyager Optimus. The number of parts and engineering would justify the category and the price.

Re: Helpful Fixes and Mods for Transformers Studio Series Bumblebee and Blackout (1953040)
Posted by EvasionModeBumblebee on April 15th, 2018 @ 10:04am CDT

My money's on it being Sentinel, but I'd be really happy with any of the three from this scene!

Re: Helpful Fixes and Mods for Transformers Studio Series Bumblebee and Blackout (1953047)
Posted by Lore Keeper on April 15th, 2018 @ 10:26am CDT

EvasionModeBumblebee wrote:My money's on it being Sentinel, but I'd be really happy with any of the three from this scene!

I'm not so enthused on this one. Sentinel already had a fantastic leader toy and isn't someone I would think is in need of an update. But then again, neither was ROTF Optimus, so I guess having him in scale with the rest of SS is a huge plus for some people. I'm with those that say a SS Soundwave would be a great pick from this movie.

Re: Helpful Fixes and Mods for Transformers Studio Series Bumblebee and Blackout (1953064)
Posted by Spider5800 on April 15th, 2018 @ 11:48am CDT

The important thing here is they're continuing the line. Hopefully we get a voyager or leader sized Bonecrusher and some of the other characters who've never had a toy released from this (Leadfoot, Dino, Mercedes Soundwave, Scrapper, take your pick) and it's not just a bunch of new molds of characters we already have tons of toys for (although no doubt we'll get ANOTHER Bumblebee for his new movie, and wouldn't shock me to see a Ratchet repaint to match his DotM color scheme).

Re: Helpful Fixes and Mods for Transformers Studio Series Bumblebee and Blackout (1953076)
Posted by Hip-Hoptimus Rime on April 15th, 2018 @ 12:55pm CDT

wheelhousean wrote:For my Blackout figure, I chose to keep them horizontal, but swapped the right and left sides and rotated them 180 (those pins were no joke!). I then dremeled inside the arms to allow the hands to fold back up without showing in alt mode.

I thought of doing that, I like how it looks. And I agree, those pins were brutal!

Re: Helpful Fixes and Mods for Transformers Studio Series Bumblebee and Blackout (1953088)
Posted by ZeroWolf on April 15th, 2018 @ 1:30pm CDT

Spider5800 wrote:The important thing here is they're continuing the line. Hopefully we get a voyager or leader sized Bonecrusher and some of the other characters who've never had a toy released from this (Leadfoot, Dino, Mercedes Soundwave, Scrapper, take your pick) and it's not just a bunch of new molds of characters we already have tons of toys for (although no doubt we'll get ANOTHER Bumblebee for his new movie, and wouldn't shock me to see a Ratchet repaint to match his DotM color scheme).

We were supposed to get a bumblebee based on his vw beetle alt in the first wave buy then the film was pushed back so they gave us the camero instead with the beetle coming later (along with the rest of the toys to advertise the movie)

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