Loose joints Repost
I ask permission to our beloved founder of dannychoo.com and figure.fm, Danny Choo, to post this old post of his titled: "Fixing Loose Joints". I had a reason ofcourse because I myself have a bit of a loose joint/s on my gunpla. But reading the article still leaves me quite restless. And ofcourse, I need the opinion or tips to those who already tried his founder's method. Before that, for those who are new to gunpla or those who are having problems, take a look of his founder's method. The question/s will be asked later.
Danny wrote: Whether you are a collector of Fix Figuration, HCM Pro, MG or PG Gundams - we all share the same problem of loose joints. Some of these joints wear down over time, some come loose out of the box which is a pain in the left buttock.
I would like to share with you a technique which I recently started - but please do so at your own risk! Please dont blame me if you glue your left middle finger behind your right ear!
What you do is to get some of this - its a bottle of that white glue for wood - I guess most of us remember using this at school making useless stuff out of wood. What you need to do is to splodge the glue over the joints, put back the leg/arm or whatever and then leave it over night. When it dries, it will leave a clear white plastic film around the joints. initially, the leg/arm needs a bit of a tug to get it to move but once thats done you should find that the joints feel much more sturdy.
I have done this for Mudrock and HCM Pro Guncannon and it works a treat. This technique also works for loose armor and weapons.
Danny wrote: A splodge on the ball joint...
Danny wrote: And a splodge on the joint. Don't forget to put the leg back on before leaving it to dry or you'll have problems getting the leg back on.
As far as I know, this doesn't work on real body parts but you can always try it on your best friend.
You may need to repeat this process as the joints may become loose again after a while - but that really depends on how rough you are with your toys - also depends on the model too. My guncannon has endured repositioning for quite a while now and is still mean n sturdy.
Now here are my questions:
Does this apply to polycap ball joints only? *dumb question*
How about HG's like 1/144?
How about non-polycap joints?
Any back fires or side-effects we should look out?
Any other alternatives?
And so much more.
Now I'm not asking this question for my own benefit but also to those who had the same question. So pro's, shower us with tips!
for me i use elmers glue you know the used to stick papers...
-Does it only apply to poly-capped ball joints? No, it could also work for some types of peg joint (for example, the pegs that use a cross instead of a solid bar, like the strike freedom's pelvis joint, the Zaku II 2.0, and related)
-It applies to any model or figure, given that there is enough space for the glue to work effectively.
-It also works for some non-polycapped joints, as long as it is a closed cavity, and not like a ball-and-socket with a small rectangular hole in the socket joint.
-Using white or carpenter's glue tends to have the side-effect of oozing out of the joint if it's too snug, or if you applied too much glue.
-Super glue can be used as an alternative, but be warned: it's best to apply a thin layer on the male connector (peg, ball, etc.),, let dry, and then test the joint. If it's too loose, add a bit more. If too tight, sand a bit down, or let it wear in. If you let it dry while it's in the female connector, it might fuse the joint, rendering the entire thing screwed. I personally use super glue, as it's quick-setting and readily available around here.
i always use the super glue, might have precaution on some part
even if its too thin or too much, always sand it with a 1000 grit sandpaper
or else, there's a chance for it to stuck on "plastic to plastic" joints
2 or 3 layers of topcoat.. Fixes anything loose on the gunpla.
Or tightens the one already tight... Happenes to my H2 and she broke due to her tightness... ^^;
I don't use really use this stuff unless it's loose..
I used this method to fix Figma Nanoha's bangs, mine as well as one I gave to a friend. I used Decupage (however the hell that's spelled), which is basically watered-down white glue. Since it was watered down, though, it took a stupidly long time to dry. >.< Worked well on my friend's Nanoha, but I think I pulled the bangs apart too soon on mine.
i should try that on my 00 raizer. its always sagging from front and back due to its raizer parts
what Gundam is that...looks so familiar...kinda a mix of the MkII and ALEX
Oh have I neglected to mention that this gundam was the Gundam Mudrock?
I appologize...this is one tiny mistake in my part.
whoa, pretty cool.
I remember reading Kawaguchi meijin saying using the normal plastic bag, cut out a suitable round shape and put it between the joints.
well, that would lead me to uncertainty....did it work well on your part?
I think that's in danny's old post !!!
It is...just have a repost due to my lack of certainty.
tamiya cement anyone?
hmm..that sounds expensive...how much?
you know nail polish? its basically the same ^^,
wow, an unexpected alternative...0_0
nail polish works best - it doesnt burn the plastic as superglue/cement does, and it doesnt get loose fast after moving around like crazyglue does. just apply a thin applycation on the parts and you're good to go.
White Glue is a good idea, since most of these glues are mild and will not affect plastic in any way. All it does is dry and create a thick layer over the joints.
Don't use Tamiya cement. It won't harm Polycaps or ABS plastic (most Gunpla joints are made of these), but if you're not careful, it will melt other parts of your Gunpla--the ones that are made of Polystyrene (PS). Check your manual first.
Nail Polish is either Lacquer or Acrylic--i.e. it's pretty much paint. I would recommend against using too much of it on joints, because it may also cause the opposite problem--breakage. I paint my kits, so some paint actually serves to tighten the joints, but I've broken a few joints because of that as well.