Post pics of VF-1 broken shoulders here!

[Silvestri]

Picked this one up in October when HLJ had their free shipping blitz if you used Paypal and opened it just after Christmas.

It's a Fokker with a knurled hinge pin.

[jenius]

[David Hingtgen]

We're trying to get as many different pics of V.2 VF-1 toys with broken shoulder hinges as possible, mainly as evidence to Yamato that this problem:

1. Is more common than they think

2. Has many people that still are waiting for replacement parts, months after they broke

So----if you've got a VF-1 with a broken shoulder hinge, post a pic of it here. Have 3 valks with 5 broken hinges? Post 5 different pics if you can.

Don't worry too much about quality---while clear, obviously-broken pics are nice, we're mainly looking for sheer numbers here. Use your cell phone or web cam if you have to, just post photos of your cracks/chips/breaks. We want as many broken VF-1 photos as possible.

LEFT shoulder:

RIGHT shoulder:

Piece of left hinge:

[General Chaos]

[m0n5t3r]

checked my valks...

apparently i wasn't able to remove enough of the knurling on one of the shoulder hinges on one of my 1S Fockers that has been on display in battroid for the last year... disassembled it already and i just took a pic before i try to fix it... i didn't notice it at first coz it cracked at the back part instead of the usual place.

...and does this count?... there are still some micro-cracks/stress marks that can be seen even after i had removed the knurling way back last year...

...all the others seem to be fine.

Edited January 7, 2010 by m0n5t3r

[GGemini]

Sorry for the crappy cellphone pic... here are two of the 4 I have replaced: The right arm of a VF-1J and the left arm of a VF-1S.

Edited January 7, 2010 by David Hingtgen
Tweaked pic

[Omegablue]

My Millia and Max 1J have extremely floppy shoulder joints. No point posting pics. But can you replace them? As well a Max's wing?

[BlueMax]

All except the Strike 1S, which I have known for a long time to have this issue on both shoulders and subsequently fixed with epoxy, were peacefully in their figher modes ever since they were out of the boxes.... but after Graham got Yamatoed and began soliciting for pictures, I figured that I should do my part to get yamato to wake up their f**king idea.

I am not even transforming them, I am simply just bending down the leges and slightly swung the arms out to have a better view, and lo and behold:

Of the 5 VF-1 V2s on dssplay(Hikky Strike/Super VF-1A, Roy Strike/Super VF-1S, Roy VF-1S, VF-1J CF color, VF-1A CF and VF1D)

3 have broken shoulders (Both the Roys + Hikky Strike/ Super 1A)

Both Hikky Super 1A shoulders (with cracks on more than 1 part on one of the assemblies)

Both Strike Roy shoulders

1 Roy standalone shoulder

Now the even more scary thing is that multiple parts of the assemply has crack rather than just the area at the extreme end of the pin... thus mending is more complicated.

Edit: I have all the normal (non limited, non-weathered) VF-1 v2 releases, save for DYRL Max 1A, and I don't have the time to go through each and everyone of them, but i guess I have no doubt that I'll have more cracks to report when I finally get to open all of them up for display when I finally get my own apartment

Edited January 7, 2010 by BlueMax

[Desty_Nova]

Roy with both shoulders cracked and one of the replacement shoulders I ordered. If I find the other cracked replacement shoulder I'll post that too.

[mr.chogokin]

Say hello to the VT-1 patient zero.

Can we have the authoritative word on how in partaking in this activity help us? I certainly hope it's not another "help us help you (the next time) promissory" again. There has been too many screw-ups on this VERSION 2 already. I skipped the previous version 2s and bought the VF1D after it got a clean bill of health. The VF1D convinced me to get the VT-1.

As far back I know, these problems has been complained to death. So what do we do when these pictures turn out to be as useless as the old posts?

Edited January 7, 2010 by mr.chogokin

[mr.chogokin]

close-up.

[mr.chogokin]

they released a first year anniversary of the VF-1S Roy Fokker with, super/striker parts, and a keychain light. Does this one suffer from the shoulder problem, and theres another just like it but hikaru paint job?

If you are ordering from the likes of HLJ, you can email them to ask if those units' shoulders have knurled pins or not. If the answer is not favorable to you, you can cancel the order. I think I'll practise this if I every buy anything Macross by Yamato from HLJ.

[Valkyrie addict]

uhh...I thought Yamato needed pictures of VT-1 with the knurled shoulder pins and it subsequent breakage, not every broken shoulder

at least, that's what I understood from Graham's post about Yamato on the GBP thread

[BlueMax]

uhh...I thought Yamato needed pictures of VT-1 with the knurled shoulder pins and it subsequent breakage, not every broken shoulder

at least, that's what I understood from Graham's post about Yamato on the GBP thread

Yep, he did actually ask for pics of broken shoulders

[BlueMax]

I have just gottem my GBP set today, and and I opened it, and presto! Cracked left shoulder!

Edit: D'oh! The picture did not attach.... I'll have to do this another time

Edited January 7, 2010 by BlueMax

[94medition]

Just checked all my v2 VF-1 (1S Hiki Strike, 1J Hiki, 1A Max TV, 1A Kaki TV, 1D). No broken shoulder, yet. 1D is the only one got knurled pins! The 1J Hiki, which I only transformed twice and display in Battroid, got a bad stress mark on one shoulder even with the smooth pins. Guess I will display this one in Figher mode.

My VE and VT are on their way from hlj. I will check when I got them.

[Rabidweezil]

I have just gottem my GBP set today, and and I opened it, and presto! Cracked left shoulder!

That's encouraging. My GBP is in customs right now. Can't wait to see if paid $150 for a broken figure

[Valkyrie addict]

That's encouraging. My GBP is in customs right now. Can't wait to see if paid $150 for a broken figure

Sorry mate but you did, Yamato told Graham that all GBP were bundled with overstocked old VF-1J's with knurled pins

[David Hingtgen]

I haven't transformed my VF-1S since I first saw a crack (months ago)---and just in merely moving them to photograph them, the left one lost a big chunk, and the right one split all the way open. See my first post.

[eugimon]

I haven't transformed my VF-1S since I first saw a crack (months ago)---and just in merely moving them to photograph them, the left one lost a big chunk, and the right one split all the way open. See my first post.

David, that's what happened to my hinge. I made that metal sleeve as an insert and it has been holding up fine now.

[Phalanix]

Poo..... I just received 4 v2 VF-1's (DYRL Roy, Hikaru, Max and Kakizaki)

Will check out the shoulders and post pics in a bit (if broken).

Edited January 7, 2010 by Phalanix

[David Hingtgen]

Be sure to transform them once or twice. They arent' broken out of the box THAT often. But most break with less than a dozen transformations, often in the first couple.

[Birdman]

One of the first v2 Roy -1S's. Transformed twice and been in my display case in Battroid mode ever since. It was fine when I first got it - I don't 'play' with them and there are no kids/pets in my house either, so I guess they disintegrate on their own. My v2 Hikaru -1A looks fine so far but I've only transformed it once and then stored it in its box. My just arrived VT-1 definitely has 'knurled' pins which really ticks me off as I expected this issue to have been fixed long ago. I will not purchase anymore v2 VF-1's until this issue is resolved and replacement parts are easily available.

cheers

[Kicker773]

Man this thread is not encouraging in getting the new 1/60 V2..

[VF-18S Hornet]

AS soon as I finally got around to transforming my VT-1 I accidently got the shoulder caught on that peg and snapped the hinge on shoulder backing and here the proof

and after I had tried to apply the gun pod from my VF-1D the arm came off

Should I contact HLJ or triy to super glue the piece that broke off

Edited January 7, 2010 by VF-18S Hornet

[m0n5t3r]

yikes! that's way worse than VT-1 patient zero. and here i thought i was the only one that got a VT-1 w/ them bad pins.

[charger69]

I have two first batch of VF-1s, Hikaru VF-1A DYRL and Roy VF-1S DYRL with four cracked shoulders

And I don't want to touch them to avoid to deepen the crack on their shoulders...

[Phalanix]

Just checked the following that I received:

DYRL VF-1A Kakizaki - Smooth pins, no cracks / stress marks out of the box.

DYRL VF-1S Max - Smooth pins, no cracks / stress marks out of the box.

DYRL VF-1S Hikaru Plus (the one with light) - Smooth pins, no cracks / stress marks out of the box.

DYRL VF-1S Roy Plus (the one with light) - Smooth pins, no crack, one part of the left shoulder have slight stress mark out of the box.

Low Vis. VF-1S Roy - Smooth pins, no cracks / stress marks out of the box.

That said, I've only transformed the slightly once. So they may crack / stress in the near future after some more transformations. I think the stress mark / cracks happens when you swing the arms out - that little nub that locks the arm in place when in Gerwalk/Battroid seems like a likely culprit? But you guys probably already know that... lol

I took pics of them all, but I guess there's no point in uploading them since there's no damage (yet).

*pic uploaded of that nub, hope you don't mind me re-using your pic, David*

Edited January 7, 2010 by Phalanix

[David Hingtgen]

Thing is---both sides of the shoulder pass over that nub for every transformation in each direction, but only the side with the knurled pin ever breaks. Also, the shoulder hinges are identical--there is no left/right part---both shoulders use the exact same hinge. Yet they break in almost perfectly equal numbers. So location/use/position has little effect.

[SpaceCowboy]

Ugh - I have a Hikaru VF-1A and sure enough the left should has a crack in it...damnit Yamato...

[Chronocidal]

Just checked the following that I received:

DYRL VF-1A Kakizaki - Smooth pins, no cracks / stress marks out of the box.

DYRL VF-1S Max - Smooth pins, no cracks / stress marks out of the box.

DYRL VF-1S Hikaru Plus (the one with light) - Smooth pins, no cracks / stress marks out of the box.

DYRL VF-1S Roy Plus (the one with light) - Smooth pins, no crack, one part of the left shoulder have slight stress mark out of the box.

Low Vis. VF-1S Roy - Smooth pins, no cracks / stress marks out of the box.

Good to hear the Roy reissues are fixed, I might actually consider ordering one, and leaving my first edition in fighter mode.

Out of curiosity, do either the Roy or Hikaru have the new nose hatch?

[m0n5t3r]

I just double checked my VF-1D and the pins are the good ones, thankfully.

for those thinking that their VF-1Ds have the smooth pins... better check again...

they may look like this (no visible knurling on either side) -

but there's some little extra metal on top of the knurling that hides it when it's slotted in the hole.

<----- paranoid

[Chronocidal]

Double checked, and something weird is afoot.

I think even the FIXED pins have a small amount of knurling, just not as much as the first releases. Technically, this makes sense, since you need something to hold the pins in.. completely smooth ones would be more likely to fall out.

I think the newer pins might just have reduced knurling. I checked my VF-1D, and the pins look to be smooth on the ends, and look considerably smaller than the first editions, BUT: I looked behind the hinges, in the gap between pieces, and I can see a ridged section of the pin inside the joint. My 1D is also stress mark free though, so either it's brand new and the pins haven't had time to stress the joint, or they are actually smaller.

Can anyone confirm that the newer pins are actually completely smooth? I realize, this requires taking apart valks that seem to have nothing wrong with them, but I know there are customizers out there that do it all the time (I'm afraid to do it personally, since removing the pin might break it completely ) Are the newer shoulder pins completely smooth, or do they still have a small amount of knurling?

[Phalanix]

Can anyone confirm that the newer pins are actually completely smooth? I realize, this requires taking apart valks that seem to have nothing wrong with them, but I know there are customizers out there that do it all the time (I'm afraid to do it personally, since removing the pin might break it completely ) Are the newer shoulder pins completely smooth, or do they still have a small amount of knurling?

That is definitely a good point. Mine probably does have knurled pins, but definitely can't see any signs of it, at least without taking it out (or having the hinges crack).

[jodokast]

I'd post some pics too, but no camera handy.

Have a Strike Roy VF-1S and VF-1J Hikaru that both have cracked shoulders. Both of Roy's are broken and Hikaru has 1 broken and the other with stress marks about to break. Sadly these have never been transformed since I received them and left in fighter mode.

Did the same thing as BlueMax, only moved the legs to see the shoulders and BLAMO!... (will post pictures later)