(Original Source: Cybertron.CA - Canadian Transformers News and Discussion - View Single Post - Canadian Kitbashing Tutorials ~Superquad7)

How to Stiffen Your Loose G1 'Bots

This is a quick tutorial on how to “stiffen” the loose joints on your bots in just a few easy steps. For this one, I’m using a really loose G1 Action Master Mainframe. The poor ‘bot can’t even stand up on his own feet (I chose him because he’s got really basic joints.)

1. Clean your bot with sunlight dish soap (an old toothbrush works really nice here):

​

2. Once dry, disassemble your bot. (make sure to keep track of which screws go where):

​

3. Once his arms are off, clean the post/connectors again with a damp rag, make sure it’s dry, then proceed to put a thin coat of clear polish on them, covering the entire post:

​

4. There’s a slot on the upper thigh inner halves which the ball jointed crotch T-bar slots into. That’s where you want pound on the clear but not so much that it drips down the side:

​

5. On the lower leg halves, one side of each feet has a post which actually connects it to his “kneecaps”. These posts are where you want to hit with a thin coat of clear coat:

​

6. Let everything dry for about an hour or so depending on how thick you put the clear coat.


7. Reassemble and enjoy your newly refurbished bot:

​

The only tools needed for this was sunlight, dish soap, a toothbrush, a small Philips screw driver, and a tiny bottle of nail polish/clear coat. The last pic shows how, when he’s put on top of the nail polish bottle, his arms now stay up and his knees don’t buckle. This can also be used for many other lines besides G1. Try it for your Beast Wars, Beast Machines, Animated . . . basically if it has ball joints or posts, [you can] try it.

(Disclaimer: make sure you double check with wifey before you go raiding her makeup kit for new resources)
__________________