The other side is just as bad, but hasn't come off yet

 

Yeah, I would try and get an exchange

 

Damn! Guessing this was caused by the installation of the hand/wrist, some of the other breaks I’ve seen there stem from those sockets that the pegs plug into. Guessing they were jammed in there at an angle during installation.

Were the cracks seen from within the forearm, viewable without the hand removed? Also were the hand joints pretty tight before the parts cracked off near the socket?

 

Cam anyone remember the option to choose to get a replacement? I've tried a few and only get refund options... I used a gift card, too (bought especially) so I don't even get the funds to buy elsewhere...

 

I could see the lower crack (those where it came away) initially. Once it cheap away, I noticed the upper left bit before removal, but couldn't really see anything on the outside.

Ironically, that one closed up fine (tighter, but not silly tight) on first transformation, and the other (right hand) wouldn't. I fiddled with that one, and it's now solid with no signs of damage. Typical!

 

I go back and forth between being dismayed by breaks on these things to being amazed that the engineering is so good that it can have so many tiny, moving parts that have as a high a tolerance for ham fisted fiddling as they do.

 

Looks like Amazon JP doesn't have any in stock, which is why you're not seeing a replacement option. That's only available when the item is in stock at Amazon, and not 3rd party sellers.

 

Amazon is out so all you may be able to do is a return which isn't exactly bad as there will probably be another run fairly quickly.

 

Just transformed. I can’t find any stress marks or breakage. Over I really like this figure but those floppy ankles are pretty disappointing considering the price.

 

The plastic is just too brittle...

 

Weirdly, it comes up with amazon.com as a seller if I go buying options...

Edit. It's a marketplace seller but shipped by amazon

 

I'm pissed because my ankles are good, the wings are all good, so I just need a new left arm  

I take it nobody reckons it's salvageable? @BrutiKing or @Jarrod ?

 

Normally I would use and recommend his videos for anyone needing help for transformation, but in this case he seemed to rush it and several of the movements look like they could cause a break. Or they are just making things more complicated. For example he doesn’t get everything out of the way on the wings before rotating the nose. PrimeVsPrime broke his copy during transformation so I wouldn’t use his example either. I also recommend tabbing the main wings into the back before inserting the blue tail fins inside the wings. Also when I tab the main wings into the back, I keep the wings sticking straight out from the back. This provides a stronger structure to push with. But you may not need to do this if your tabs go in easily. Mine are quite tight so it requires quite a bit of force on the wings.

 

What puzzles me is that those blue forearm pieces feel tough. The only fix I can think of is using some kind of super glue. However I’m not sure if removing the hand, gluing the cracked pieces, then reinserting the hand if the glue dries, will recrack the piece.

It does look like the hand peg on yours does have excess flash, not sure if that added tightness to the socket and contributed to the breakage. Trimming that excess flash might help in reinserting the hand and taking tension off of the socket(should you glue the cracked pieces back on)

Does anyone know what paint was used on MP-52? The forearms are molded in blue plastic but also painted blue on the outside. I’m thinking if it was enamel and the surface wasn’t treated properly before painting, that could be what’s breaking the plastic through chemical reaction. Just a theory. If it was acrylic it wouldn’t be an issue.

 

Just a late post and can't seem to find the OG poster.

This concerns the "sandwiching" of the blue stabilizers to the back wings.

Iirc, it was mentioned that instead of folding the flap closest to his shoulder intakes under the stabilizers to over it, won't doing the latter increase the stress on the aforementioned peg hole that is said to be prone to cracking out of the box?

Though doing so cosmetically hides the blue on the top side it well, causes potential stress on the peg that holds the blue stabilizer.

And a heads up, the inner intakes paint is kind of thin. so be careful mounting it to his shoulders if you finger nails are sharp. I scratched both  though the paint sort of chipped off not instantly. 

 

How is it done (a nice to know moment), the treatment of the plastic? Heating or chemical ways? I'm more of a "civilian"/noob when it comes to modeling techniques.

 

I think most MP figures use some form of synthetic lacquer/acrylic. Alcohol removes it quite easily. If it was enamel it would require some sort of thinner to remove and probably mess up the plastic in the process.

 

well flash,would explain why the arm doesnt completely close for some people with the hand extended out.

 

To me, that could explain the cracks on Hound(IIRC most, if not all, were on painted pieces) and the cracks on MP-52(save for the ankle joints which I think aren’t painted).

 

Honestly Hound's plastic felt unique for lack of a better word compared to the later releases. Not much of a fan of the plastic used for 45,46, and 47, maybe they were designing it to be lighweight but feel really flimsy in comparison to other releases. It should have felt more like Tigatron who also has a matte finish.