There is a technique shown in the video I posted earlier:

 

My experience is that FansToys, Maketoys, Perfect Effect all use very high quality and robust plastics for their figures (past and present). They definitely feel stronger than the kind of plastics that TT use.

Like some here already said, we can't rule out the possibility of TT changing the plastic mixture to cut cost.

It's telling when MP-43 KO has better quality/stronger plastic vs the official version.

It's just the reality of corporate greed and exploitation (of fandom's loyalty).

 

Got my replacement Hound and this one had a crack on the back of the neck. Luckily the old one is not perfect but way better than this one. Swapping windshields was pretty easy however I needed to swap the neck mechanism since the old one was bent and that led to having to knock some pins out. It was tough but in the end I have a nearly flawless Hound. Im happy with the figure but it really sucks having to go through combining figures to get a good one. It also sucks that I need to pay out of pocket for return shipping back to Amazon even though they refund the money later. It was $50 for priority mail shipping for a 1lb box  

 

That crack is due to paint being applied to parts of that joint, resulting in a tighter fit of the parts that stresses the plastic.

I’m glad you were able to swap out parts and get a fully undamaged copy out of it. I’d recommend also doing this fix I posted to prevent that crack from happening.

 

Before I lay into you for touting ignorance like accepted fact (you don't know me or have the slightest notion of what I am or am not "familiar" with) I'll ask you to please explain this statement.

Happy to report my copy is fine. That said I'll be VERY careful transforming in in the future. The plastic does feel much thinner than previous MP's. The head assembly bugs me. However the tiny toon wheels don't bother me as much as I thought they would. I can see the + release replacing the clip with a flat sided version.

Very sorry to hear of all the bad QC issues others are having. So sorry guys. That really sucks.

 

Man, those black leather gloves creep me out.

 

I don't disagree  

 

Thank you! Yes I did sand the parts a little bit and added some shock oil  

 

Sidebar... I'm normally not into model making or RC stuff. When you guys mention shock oil, what type (I'm assuming silicon?) and weight do you guys use?

 

So does shock oil plus warming up the problem areas with a hairdryer seem like the best course of action to prevent breakage?

 

It's a gamble. Might be best to ask her to ask about the return policy for the store she will buy it from. If they accept returns/exchanges, might be good to ask her to inspect for damage before the return/exchange cutoff date.

 

Man, I totally feel for you guys with the breaks. I've had the last 3 MPs have issues (not even counting Siege) right out of the box.

That said, I transformed him back to Jeep mode and so far so good.

HOUND: ACCESSORIZE!


JEEP TOO SMALL!!!



I really like this canopy, I wish I could explain why. But off into storage it goes.....


And into my S1 shelf he goes. Grapple is Hauler. I don't care what people say. DON'T @ ME BRO!!!  

 

Silicone RC shock oil. I use 25 or 30 weight.

That would be my recommendation. Let it sit overnight after you apply the oil before you attempt to manipulate it much.

 

Got my copy of Hound a few days ago and happy to report there are no breakages (yet). After the last three MPs I bought and had problems with, this was a make-or-break figure for me. Unfortunately, I'm still pretty disappointed. There's simply no way this type of figure will be able to withstand multiple transformations. Design-wise it's amazing, but the materials are dreadful. My right leg ratchet is much stronger than my left, the yellow paint apps are lazy and already chipping, and I'm surprised no one's harping on the fact that for a figure toting hyper articulation he can't even move his legs back.

The recent string of overpriced, QC-ridden releases have really got me rethinking my collecting habits. I'm in the process of moving and have spent the last few days arduously transforming and boxing all my MPs, and the difference in quality between those older figures and these new ones is astounding. After finagling with MP Inferno and Sunstreaker and then going to this guy and Bumblebee 2.0, it's crazy to think that we're paying more for these now.

For me, the bottom line is that these figures aren't enjoyable anymore. They're not toys—but they're not statues either. I'm terrified of transforming them because of the inevitable paint chips or stressed hinges that would likely follow. It's a shame because I think the transformation would have been much more enjoyable if I wasn't scared of breaking or stressing each and every part. If and when the inevitable KO comes out, I'll be switching instantly. Hopefully these newer figs will be able to hold their value, but I have my doubts.

While I'm not swearing off collecting completely, I'll definitely never pre-order an official MP ever again, nor will I skew toward buying a figure simply because it's an official. I really hope Takara publicly acknowledges these issues and starts implementing better QC. I'm happy to pay top dollar for top figures, but these aren't it.

 

Nice, thanks dude - I shall definitely give that a go. Thanks a lot. Although the whole murder gloves and knife-instead-of-a-spludger thing is proper unsettling!

 

Yeah it makes me feel like I'm watching something that...I'm not sure I want to be watching   But I just came across this last night, so I'm going to try the fender trick next time I transform him as well.

 

This is the one I got. Bought it 8 years ago and its gonna last forever. You just need to apply a tiny drop and it works wonders on tight joints.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0006N6S6G/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

Thanks for the link!

 

would a ptfe be fine here?

 

If only there was a hint of tracks in s1. It would be a lot easier to limit the parameters of my collecting