Taking apart kit

[nekromantik]

Hi
I dont know much about vinyl kits but am I right in assuming you cannot take a alien kit for example and remove the leg after its been glued on for a few years? I mean if the leg was glued in too high up, is it possible to twist the leg back down into correct position? Without actual taking the leg out of the model as that would damage it as its been glued.

 

[thundergod]

It difficult to say without seeing exactly what you mean . It could be possible to heat the model until the vinyl softens and re-position the part . Try and post some pics .

 

[nekromantik]

Here is a picture. Want it to be turned clovkwise. Need pic of how I want it? Here you go.

 

[thundergod]

Right then , I'd try heating it in some hot water and trying to work it loose . If this was not sucessful , I'd use a razor saw or VERY sharp blade to cut the leg free . Then use a piece of brass or aluminium rod to form a "pin" to reconnect the leg . Is it the "Halcyon " kit ? I made one of these for a friend when it was first released years back . You'll most likely need to invest in some rod to make some kind of support or stand for it anyhow , because it's a difficult model to get to stand correctly . Hope this is some help .


( Edit , just spotted that it IS the Halcyon Kit !)

 

[nekromantik]

Right then , I'd try heating it in some hot water and trying to work it loose . If this was not sucessful , I'd use a razor saw or VERY sharp blade to cut the leg free . Then use a piece of brass or aluminium rod to form a "pin" to reconnect the leg . Is it the "Halcyon " kit ? I made one of these for a friend when it was first released years back . You'll most likely need to invest in some rod to make some kind of support or stand for it anyhow , because it's a difficult model to get to stand correctly . Hope this is some help .


( Edit , just spotted that it IS the Halcyon Kit !)

Yup it is. I bought it from ebay seller for around $70.
Do you think its better to send it back then try and fix it?
You noticed the leg is in the wrong position right?
Thanks

edit: here is a rough picture of how she stands at the moment, as you can see the front foot aint on the ground instead the "heel" at the back of the foot is used.

 

[necronomicon]

l would either try a hairdryer to soften the plastic, but probably l would saw off the ankle, and relocate the foot in the correct position, fill it up and repaint it....it's a bit work, but fun....

 

[nekromantik]

l would either try a hairdryer to soften the plastic, but probably l would saw off the ankle, and relocate the foot in the correct position, fill it up and repaint it....it's a bit work, but fun....

Yeah I will try hair dryer method. Do you think it looks wrong? As in pose and position.

Sent from my HTC Sensation XE with Beats Audio

 

[necronomicon]

Yeah I will try hair dryer method. Do you think it looks wrong? As in pose and position.

Personally l don't think it looks wrong at all, so if you for instance could fix it to a nice looking display base (or diorama?) then l would go for that! Having said that, l must admit l'm not an alien "expert", l do know and love the movies, but if this walking is correct l don't know to be honest....

 

[thundergod]

The Halcyon Queen is a good model , so I'd definately keep hold of it ! Fixing the position of the leg(s) isn't that big of a job , but if you're not experienced with vinyl kits , it can seem a little daunting . If the hot water has no effect , then try the hair dryer , as Necronomicon advises . You should be able to re-position BOTH legs so that the feet touch the ground/base satisfactorily . As I said before , the Queen benefits from being fixed to a base with a rod ( between the legs) to support the weight of the model , because it WILL droop over time due to the thin nature of the legs and ankles .( It's possible that this is what has happened and why the legs appear to be in an odd position ). You could even do this and get away with the feet not being perfectly flat to the ground by "landscaping " the base in the form of a diorama . Have a go , you'll be surprised how easy it is and it will be worth it , 'cos as I've said , the Halcyon Queen is a great model and it looks like yours has been painted to a pretty good standard .

This isn't your model , but this is the sort of thing I'm talking about .

 

[toylion]

Have you tried pulling the leg outward away from the body? If it's a vinyl model then he probably used super glue and the glue being old can be broken. I have old vinyl models I have to re-glue all the time cause the glue get brittle and breaks off at the seams. Better then hacking it up. The model shop also sell super glue remover.

 

[nekromantik]

Thanks guys.
She looks she is bending down more and her hand nearly goes down to her feet
If I can get move the leg then she will also look taller.
Will try the hairdryer and hot water tomorrow.
Is there any chance of it cracking or breaking if I heat it and try and twist it?

 

[toylion]

Thanks guys.
She looks she is bending down more and her hand nearly goes down to her feet
If I can get move the leg then she will also look taller.
Will try the hairdryer and hot water tomorrow.
Is there any chance of it cracking or breaking if I heat it and try and twist it?

It's vinyl and will get very soft and pliable, so no chance of cracking.

 

[nekromantik]

Thanks
Would I be able to twist the leg and turn it after heating or would I need to remove the leg? Thats if the heating trick works.

 

[thundergod]

It depends on how well the glue's bonded the parts . As stated earlier in the thread , "old" superglue has a tendency to become brittle and can simple crack when put under stress . It's pretty unlikely that the vinyl itself will break . Not impossible , but unlikely . When treated by heat , the legs will become VERY flexible and if cooled down under a cold tap ( you can even stick the model in the fridge for a few minutes ) will set in the new position . Vinyl can be a very forgiving material compared to "regular " plastics or resin and the first time I worked with vinyl , after years of building plastic models , this flexibility came as quite a surprise !

 

[toylion]

I would heat the vinyl up to cut it with an exacto knife. Cut like butter when softened.

 

[wax murderer]

Okay, 2 things about Super-Glue...First, it has almost no tensile strength. so lateral stress will break it fairly easily. If you're not willing to try that, get some acetone.Acetone is THE solvent for cyano-acrylate. Just paint it onto the glue and let it do it's solvent thing. Of course, it will also most likely eat the paint as well, but it shouldn't bother the vinyl...PS

 

[nekromantik]

Thanks for the help guys.
I will try the cutting as a last resort as I would need to get a drill and tools for it and wont be cheap!

The Acetone idea is good however I cant do that as there is no way to get to the joint as it goes into the body and there is no gaps to put it into. Otherwise that would been the best idea.

If I can heat the socket where the leg peg goes into and it gets soft then the leg should be able to turn if I can break the glue that way.