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Posted (edited)

My crummy luck strikes again! I finally have a break from school so I decided to film my HMR Strike VF-1 toy review. As I was transforming my Focker to gerwalk from fighter the arm broke off. I thought at first it was just the hinge popped free which is no big deal but instead it's the actual metal part that is new to the HMR line in the shoulder broke in two! The metal part. WTF? Maybe a casting issue... looks like the arm is on the ball joint super tight and the ball joint itself has a thin base so at the base it split free as the shoulder rotated. So... I now have a fighter mode only Strike Focker toy. Fortunately, I bought two...

EDIT - if anyone ends up with a junker Focker toy, I'd love to buy an arm off you!

Edited by jenius
Posted

My crummy luck strikes again! I finally have a break from school so I decided to film my HMR Strike VF-1 toy review. As I was transforming my Focker to gerwalk from fighter the arm broke off. I thought at first it was just the hinge popped free which is no big deal but instead it's the actual metal part that is new to the HMR line in the shoulder broke in two! The metal part. WTF? Maybe a casting issue... looks like the arm is on the ball joint super tight and the ball joint itself has a thin base so at the base it split free as the shoulder rotated. So... I now have a fighter mode only Strike Focker toy. Fortunately, I bought two...

EDIT - if anyone ends up with a junker Focker toy, I'd love to buy an arm off you!

Maybe see if someone can make a shapeways replacemnt.

Posted

My crummy luck strikes again! I finally have a break from school so I decided to film my HMR Strike VF-1 toy review. As I was transforming my Focker to gerwalk from fighter the arm broke off. I thought at first it was just the hinge popped free which is no big deal but instead it's the actual metal part that is new to the HMR line in the shoulder broke in two! The metal part. WTF? Maybe a casting issue... looks like the arm is on the ball joint super tight and the ball joint itself has a thin base so at the base it split free as the shoulder rotated. So... I now have a fighter mode only Strike Focker toy. Fortunately, I bought two...

EDIT - if anyone ends up with a junker Focker toy, I'd love to buy an arm off you!

We are seeing this over and over again. I think that due to the new manufacturing processes, new materials and 3D design, we get lighter and more detailed figures, but the casting of these featherweight beauties is not stress tested.

Posted

It could be that there was an air pocket in the diecast. I had this happen on one of two Yamato VF-4G's. Then they went out of business so I could not get the part I needed. Now I have one that is in Permanent fighter mode. I didn't man handle it or anything, I went to bring the arm down and next thing I know I have an arm in one hand and the fighter in another.

Posted

My crummy luck strikes again! I finally have a break from school so I decided to film my HMR Strike VF-1 toy review. As I was transforming my Focker to gerwalk from fighter the arm broke off. I thought at first it was just the hinge popped free which is no big deal but instead it's the actual metal part that is new to the HMR line in the shoulder broke in two! The metal part. WTF? Maybe a casting issue... looks like the arm is on the ball joint super tight and the ball joint itself has a thin base so at the base it split free as the shoulder rotated. So... I now have a fighter mode only Strike Focker toy. Fortunately, I bought two...

EDIT - if anyone ends up with a junker Focker toy, I'd love to buy an arm off you!

would you be able to use small drill bit and a tiny screw to fix this?

Posted

My crummy luck strikes again! I finally have a break from school so I decided to film my HMR Strike VF-1 toy review. As I was transforming my Focker to gerwalk from fighter the arm broke off. I thought at first it was just the hinge popped free which is no big deal but instead it's the actual metal part that is new to the HMR line in the shoulder broke in two! The metal part. WTF? Maybe a casting issue... looks like the arm is on the ball joint super tight and the ball joint itself has a thin base so at the base it split free as the shoulder rotated. So... I now have a fighter mode only Strike Focker toy. Fortunately, I bought two...

EDIT - if anyone ends up with a junker Focker toy, I'd love to buy an arm off you!

Sorry to hear this, it feels like we keep seeing more die-cast failures, but it's probably just random. We never hear about the failures in Japan, since they can just get replacements.

One more reason I hate die-cast in general.. plastic is pretty easy to glue.

Posted (edited)

I'll attach pics later. It's too small for most repairs. A 3d printed part might work. Not sure on JB Weld since I've never used it, if you think it might work after you see the pics I'll certainly try.

Edited by jenius
Posted

Unless you can reinforce it somehow the jb weld will just snap on a piece that thin. A printed piece would probably work as long as the ball isn't too tight in the socket and the replacement material is tight enough.

Posted

My crummy luck strikes again! I finally have a break from school so I decided to film my HMR Strike VF-1 toy review. As I was transforming my Focker to gerwalk from fighter the arm broke off. I thought at first it was just the hinge popped free which is no big deal but instead it's the actual metal part that is new to the HMR line in the shoulder broke in two! The metal part. WTF? Maybe a casting issue... looks like the arm is on the ball joint super tight and the ball joint itself has a thin base so at the base it split free as the shoulder rotated. So... I now have a fighter mode only Strike Focker toy. Fortunately, I bought two...

EDIT - if anyone ends up with a junker Focker toy, I'd love to buy an arm off you!

Can you show this in your review how it broke?

Posted

VF-1J (Hi Metal R 2016) vs Armoured Zentraedi Warrior (Matchbox 1985)

VF-1J = 15 cm

Zentraedi with helmet = 15.5 cm

IMG_20160714_001508.jpg

VF-1J = 15 cm

Zentraedi without helmet = 14.7 cm

IMG_20160714_001733.jpg

VF-1J in gerwalk mode

IMG_20160714_010252.jpg

Pretty sure that Zentran figure is approximately 1/72 scale, with that VF-1S being 1/100ish scale.

Posted

Seriously, that blows. Possibly Shapeways to the rescue?

That "die cast" looks like it has a lot of plastic in it. Maybe superglue?

Posted

Gluing definitely won't do, the shoulders are super tight on those ball joints and would cause tremendous stress when moved around. I might look and see if I can disassemble the arm a bit and loosen the shoulder on the second one I got. After my Arcadia VF0 toys in super gun shy about stuff like this.

Posted

Here she blows:

Focker-HMR-1S-10.jpg

Am sure everyone here feels your pain. :(

There isn't any residual glue left on the ball socket is there? That would be deja vu....

Hopefully you can loosen up the ball joint on the arm first before repairing, else you will be back to square one on torquing the metal joint.

Maybe some sanding on the ball socket + a wash of future on the ball joint would loosen the arm part, whilst maintaining some tightness..

As for the main connection joint on the shoulder, yea that needs to be a metal on metal adhesive...

Posted

Even if you were able to glue the part, the lateral stress on the piece would just break it again. You'd have to drill it out, put a pin in, then use some sort of metal bonding agent. With parts that small, I can't imagine many practical solutions short of shapeways replacement parts.

Posted

I would remove the piece and drill on both parts with dremel. Then I will join both parts with a metal pin and glue it.

Would take time and the piece is very small but I think it can be fixed.

Posted (edited)

I have had good success in replacing ball joints with body piercing jewelry. It obviously doesn't work with all ball joint replacements, since the variety in size for the balls is limited. Every piercing post is essentially a set of two ball joints once the post cut in half. I loctite the threaded balls onto the post, rough the pin up a little bit, then drill and replace. I usually get 14 gauge posts, as that diameter seems to be the most versatile. What I am left with is a surgical steel (!) replacement ball joint. They did wonders for my oldschool Studio Nue Power Suit elbow and hip joints. Your mileage may vary -good luck!

Edited by warrhead
Posted

I think it might be worth it to pick up a cannonfodder vf-1a and use it as a parts donor.

Nice idea. Or even going further do the old high metals have similar joints? Might be cheaper to go down that route heh...

Posted

Yeah, any pointers on removing and replacing those hollow posts used to attach them?

if you are planing to swap out parts, it will be easier to take out the whole shoulder assembly (the diecast and the plastic). isn't it just clipped on?

Posted

Here she blows:

Focker-HMR-1S-10.jpg

ouch! that sure as hell sucks.. has anyone else suffered a breakage with a HM-R toy before this?

if that is die-cast then yes gluing simply won't work at all.. or to such a limited extent especially if the joints are super tight. Could you cannibalize any parts off an original Hi-Metal toy?

Posted

Yeah, any pointers on removing and replacing those hollow posts used to attach them?

While I've never tried to remove one of those pins, I think a roll pin punch might be able to do the trick. Good luck.

Posted

While I've never tried to remove one of those pins, I think a roll pin punch might be able to do the trick. Good luck.

yep that's how I removed them in the past, though not always successfully I might add..

Posted

Wasn't that piece made from plastic on the original Hi-Metals? I don't remember hearing of anyone breaking them the first time around, so maybe the plastic was just a better material to use.

As tiny as that piece is, I do want to think that if you could drill the ball and mount out, you could replace the pin with a stronger metal. Might need some serious metalworking tools to do it precisely though.

Posted

VF-1J (Hi Metal R 2016) vs Armoured Zentraedi Warrior (Matchbox 1985)

VF-1J = 15 cm

Zentraedi with helmet = 15.5 cm

IMG_20160714_001508.jpg

VF-1J = 15 cm

Zentraedi without helmet = 14.7 cm

IMG_20160714_001733.jpg

VF-1J in gerwalk mode

IMG_20160714_010252.jpg

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