Yamato 1/60 VF-19S/F/P - All Variants

[xrentonx]

Can someone explain to me what the deal is with the VF-19 ankle joint? People keep complaining about it, but I don’t have an image in my mind as to what the problem is. It’s just a ball joint, right? Is it just loose, or is there some limitation in the range of movement? Is it a design flaw or a QA issue?

It's not a deal breaker by any means but some people (myself included) felt the ball joints were a poor design choice on an otherwise fantastic toy. Basically forward and backward tilt on the ankle sucks. Wanna stress...NOT a deal breaker!

[Mommar]

Can someone explain to me what the deal is with the VF-19 ankle joint? People keep complaining about it, but I don’t have an image in my mind as to what the problem is. It’s just a ball joint, right? Is it just loose, or is there some limitation in the range of movement? Is it a design flaw or a QA issue?

Design flaw. The ankles simply don't rotate back far enough. Or, rather, they CAN rotate back very far but after that they'll be ridiculously loose from then on. Though to be honest my 19P had a floppy left ankle right out of the box.

[Chronocidal]

It's really only an issue if you like gerwalk mode a ton, since it makes balancing the valk very difficult in that mode. You either get the nose really low to the ground, or you stress out the ankle joints pushing them back, and they become floppy in battroid.

There is a set of screws you can loosen/tighten to help work out the issue, but it's really just a lousy ankle design for some reason.

[Renato]

Maybe I'll try to make a stabilizer chock for the ankles with Shapeways.

Sounds intriguing.... How would that work?

[MacrossChiu]

I don't know where to post this question. If I am doing it wrong, please remove this post. Thanks, Admin!

I have a Bandai Hi-Metal VF-19 Kai Fire Valkyrie. The ball join between the hand and the wrist is kindda loose, so its hand can't hold anything with a little weight at all.

What can i do to fix it? please help, thanks!

[Chronocidal]

Oh, for loose joints like that, you might be able to do a few things.

A quick trick for something that small might be that you could stuff a layer of saran wrap into the joint to stiffen it up.

More extreme trick would be to put some super glue on the ball joint, and move it around while it dries to firm up the joint a little.

[Chronocidal]

Well... speaking of design flaws.. I may drill out the shoulder pivots on my 19P so I can pin them like the fire valk... not so they open.. but so I don't send the freaking shoulders flying across the room trying to pull them up. <.<

Yeah, I had to do some minor surgery on my 19P out of the box. The shoulders would NOT open. I know I recommended using a plastic spoon before.. yeah, that spoon snapped trying to pry up the shoulders on this one. I also am pissed that they cut corners and removed the actual hinge from the shoulder, because that metal pin would have done a great deal to keep the upper halves of the shoulders attached when I was trying to pry up the shoulders by them. My right shoulder top is now completely loose, because I popped the glue.

I finally got them open by prying with a screwdriver on the back inside of the shoulders, pressing against the upper arms, which now have a big gouge where the tip pressed. I promptly shaved off most of those stupid tabs on the legs, which seem to have gotten bigger with each successive release. Now the shoulders actually open without tools.

[VF5SS]

Sounds intriguing.... How would that work?

Well if the need is to display the ankles at extreme angles, I could try to make a part that clips around the metal rod part of the ankle and then braces itself against the inner part of the leg.

[Mommar]

Well... speaking of design flaws.. I may drill out the shoulder pivots on my 19P so I can pin them like the fire valk... not so they open.. but so I don't send the freaking shoulders flying across the room trying to pull them up. <.<

Yeah, I had to do some minor surgery on my 19P out of the box. The shoulders would NOT open. I know I recommended using a plastic spoon before.. yeah, that spoon snapped trying to pry up the shoulders on this one. I also am pissed that they cut corners and removed the actual hinge from the shoulder, because that metal pin would have done a great deal to keep the upper halves of the shoulders attached when I was trying to pry up the shoulders by them. My right shoulder top is now completely loose, because I popped the glue.

I finally got them open by prying with a screwdriver on the back inside of the shoulders, pressing against the upper arms, which now have a big gouge where the tip pressed. I promptly shaved off most of those stupid tabs on the legs, which seem to have gotten bigger with each successive release. Now the shoulders actually open without tools.

I popped the glue on my right shoulder too. However I stuck it right back on and the thing hasn't moved since then. I transformed it back and forth multiple times since then to take those different sets of pictures and the shoulder has not come off at all.

[Loop]

Can't you guys glue them back?

[Benbot]

I actually had a dream about the ankle joints last night. Even my dream life is sad.

[Chronocidal]

Sure, I can glue the shoulder back down again, but there's nothing to stop the glue from breaking loose again. It doesn't want to actually fit now, and has a tendency to pop up on its own.

Problem is, there's nothing holding it down to the internal part of the shoulder, and the only surface available to lift the shoulder with is that upper piece. It needs that hinge pin in the tip so there's something solid actually keeping those pieces together.

[anime52k8]

Sure, I can glue the shoulder back down again, but there's nothing to stop the glue from breaking loose again. It doesn't want to actually fit now, and has a tendency to pop up on its own.

Problem is, there's nothing holding it down to the internal part of the shoulder, and the only surface available to lift the shoulder with is that upper piece. It needs that hinge pin in the tip so there's something solid actually keeping those pieces together.

if you're pulling that hard on the upper part of the shoulder pauldron when transforming or posing one of these, you're doing it wrong.

[Chronocidal]

That's just the thing though.. The shoulders would not lift. With my 19S, I was able to pop the shoulders up from the legs with a plastic spoon (didn't want to rip fingernails off trying it that way).

When I tried that on the P, the spoon snapped in half, and all it did was break loose the right shoulder cover.

It shouldn't do it anymore because I hacked off a portion of the clips with a razor blade, but those clips on the legs were holding WAY too tightly to the shoulders.

[Mommar]

The shoulders on the P are way too tight. I had the same thing happen and I wasn't pulling up on the shoulder.

[Graham]

Had the same thing happen with my VF-19P. The left shoulder was so tight to unlock in fighter mode that the shoulder armour popped off.

Graham

[Renato]

Well if the need is to display the ankles at extreme angles, I could try to make a part that clips around the metal rod part of the ankle and then braces itself against the inner part of the leg.

Without images, I'm not sure what you mean. The issue with the ankles is that they will not pivot far back enough.

if you're pulling that hard on the upper part of the shoulder pauldron when transforming or posing one of these, you're doing it wrong.

What else can you do, though? I don't see many options in terms of trying to separate the shoulders from the legs, especially since it's the very first step in the instructions.

I don't have that problem (yet), but I think I understand what is happening, and I hope the glue on mine does not weaken to the point that the two halves separate when I pull the pauldrons up to separate them from the legs.

[Chronocidal]

The only other possible way I could find to pry the shoulders up was by taking a screwdriver, and inserting it in the gap that shows above the arms when you remove the shield. You just have to accept that you're going to be damaging the arms while doing it.

If you do that first though, you can shave down the tabs to let them release easier.

[Renato]

You guys are starting to make me nervous now because the last couple of times the shoulders have been even tougher to release than before, for some strange reason... Argh

[anime52k8]

What else can you do, though? I don't see many options in terms of trying to separate the shoulders from the legs, especially since it's the very first step in the instructions.

The only other possible way I could find to pry the shoulders up was by taking a screwdriver, and inserting it in the gap that shows above the arms when you remove the shield. You just have to accept that you're going to be damaging the arms while doing it.

Seriously, it's not that complicated. Just fold the tail fins up and untab the wing roots from the lower legs, then twist the lower legs down and out. It works every time on my -19S.

Edited January 11, 2013 by anime52k8

[VF5SS]

Without images, I'm not sure what you mean. The issue with the ankles is that they will not pivot far back enough.

They seem to on mine but I thought the issue was the ankles getting so loose by attempting this the toy just nosedived forward.

[Renato]

Seriously, it's not that complicated. Just fold the tail fins up and untab the wing roots from the lower legs, then twist the lower legs down and out. It works every time on my -19S.

?? It sounds like it would put a heck of a lot of stress on the shoulder joint itself, because you're basically pulling at it while the clips on the lower legs are still attached to the shoulder pauldrons.

Could you shoot a short video showing exactly how you do that?

They seem to on mine but I thought the issue was the ankles getting so loose by attempting this the toy just nosedived forward.

In Gerwalk, you mean, right? The ankles getting loose because they're being pushed back further than they want to go is a side-effect of the main issue, which is that if it's nose-diving forward, it means that the ankles are not going back far enough to begin with. In other words, the ankles need to go back far enough to offset the centre of gravity so that it does not fall forwards -- it's not a proper Gerwalk pose otherwise. By the time you manage to achieve that, the ankles have become too loose, which in turn affects Battroid, because now the figure won't stand, and you can forget about top heavy stuff like Sound Boosters. When I have a bit more time I will take comparison photos with the YF-19 to illustrate more clearly.

Edited January 11, 2013 by Renato

[anime52k8]

Could you shoot a short video showing exactly how you do that?

I'll try, once I figure out how to get video off my iPod and on to Youtube.

[VF5SS]

I used the twisting method in my video around the 6:00 mark.

[Chronocidal]

Yeah, I tried that. Wasn't enough leverage to get the tabs to disengage, at least not before I decided that that much creaking sound couldn't be good for the shoulders.

I mean, I guess it's really no reason to freak out, since once they're up, it's pretty simple to fix. Its just that you might find yourself having to chase down the shoulder covers if they fly off, and glue them back down.

What concerns me is that this sort of thing just indicates that the molds are deteriorating. The shoulders have gotten harder to pop up on every new release, and when I finally did get mine to lift, the tabs had flash all over them.

[Loop]

I only have 1 cycle on mine and it was really tight, but I was able to get them to lift using a softer floss pick. I jammed it deep in there and pulled up on the shoulder while using the gentle leg twist method and it un clipped. I use floss picks alot when transforming my valks as I don't usually have long enough nails.

[xrentonx]

I only have 1 cycle on mine and it was really tight, but I was able to get them to lift using a softer floss pick. I jammed it deep in there and pulled up on the shoulder while using the gentle leg twist method and it un clipped. I use floss picks alot when transforming my valks as I don't usually have long enough nails.

Un-used, I hope

[Chronocidal]

Well, not a problem anymore, I went and shaved down the tabs on the legs of all my VF-19s that were tough to lift. Fortunately it's an easy mod, invisible (unless you're clumsy with the blade and gouge the legs), and works like a charm.

Unfortunately, out of the three new 19s I picked up this month, each of them have at least one ankle joint with the staying power of jello. They're so loose I can spin the feet like a propeller. Good thing I got them for fighter mode anyway.

[Renato]

[media]

I used the twisting method in my video around the 6:00 mark.

Thanks for that. But yeah, like Chronocidal, I'm weary of trying that.

I have actually transformed it several times in the two weeks or so that I have had it, but I shall have to shave the clips next time I transform it back to Battroid. It will (not) be funny if the shoulders choose this precise time to separate. Is there any recommended way to shave down the clips, just in case?

[Graham]

Not too bothered about the tight shoulder, as I prefer fighter mode for the VF-19P.

Transformed to battroid mode once, but think fighter mode looks the best for this. Love the lok of the leg fins and canards and overall advanced look of the VF-19S/F/P series, compared to the lumpy and less streamlined YF-19/VF-19A.

My perfect 19 toy would be an all grey low-vis VF-19P with a VF-19F head

I'd also kill for a low vis or white VF-19F.

Graham

[Valkyrie Magnus]

I only have 1 cycle on mine and it was really tight, but I was able to get them to lift using a softer floss pick. I jammed it deep in there and pulled up on the shoulder while using the gentle leg twist method and it un clipped. I use floss picks alot when transforming my valks as I don't usually have long enough nails.

Thanks for the tip Loop!

[Chronocidal]

Is there any recommended way to shave down the clips, just in case?

It's nothing really hard, I just used a small one of those snap-off box-cutter types, and used a traditional "thumb push" method, planting my thumb behind the tab, and shaving a little off the hook to round it off.

Basically, I did this:

I just rounded off the hook end of the tabs, so there's a slope in both directions. Well, at least that's what I tried to do, but the tabs are too small to get really picky. I just shaved down the sharp edge that way until the shoulders would snap up and down with just my fingers.

Edited January 12, 2013 by Chronocidal

[Loop]

Un-used, I hope

Of course unused!

I keep a bag around for this reason.

Thanks for the tip Loop!

No problem, it's either I use these or try and grow the pinky nail like in the Yamato videos, but the pinky nail is so not sexy LOL.

[xrentonx]

Pinky nail is definitely not sexy unless you are Lo Pan from Big Trouble In Little China

[kaiotheforsaken]

Got my 19 Kai from a fellow forum member today and it is beautiful. The fighter mode is so amazing I don't even want to transform it, though current space issues may force my hand. I have a 19F coming as well and I'll almost certainly display that one in Battroid mode.

It's been a while since I really bought anything Macross related, but I am loving the stuff I've picked up since Christmas. Yamato is just hitting it out of the park with this newer stuff.