have anyone Experience about Pieces on Macross kits tends to snap off with barely any Efforts?

[Alita_is_Best_Valkryie_gal]

i've happen to own and Bought a VF-31J and Sv-262Ba Model kits. after Finishing the Nightmare of a Model kit of the Draken. i was Building the VF-31J Half way throu on the legs. when i got to the feet, the Piece for the ankle was Snapped. Like it Snapped off without any effort. as soon i used a other Piece, it was also Snapped off. i couldn't even finish the Kit and now it's sitting dust on Storage.. i wonder if the VF-25s and the Yf-28 Lucifer suffer that same fate... or it's just on my copy.. i was thinking to buy the VF-25S with the V.F.G girls. i will send the picture if anyone is Interested

[Sanity is Optional]

Was it the gold piece? Gold plastic is notoriously brittle.

I've only snapped one part building macross kits (VFG, VF-1, VF-25, VF-27, VF-31, SV-262), the neck part of the VF-27. Glued it back together, reinforced with a rod and kept building.

So, you may have just been unlucky with that particular kit/runner being more brittle than usual.

[Alita_is_Best_Valkryie_gal]

1 hour ago, Sanity is Optional said:

Was it the gold piece? Gold plastic is notoriously brittle.

I've only snapped one part building macross kits (VFG, VF-1, VF-25, VF-27, VF-31, SV-262), the neck part of the VF-27. Glued it back together, reinforced with a rod and kept building.

So, you may have just been unlucky with that particular kit/runner being more brittle than usual.

 

 

i've actually Research about the VF-25 and the VF-31J. 

 

You're Correct about the Gold Plastic. it's not just my Copy. but Everyone's Copy of the VF-31 series. I don't why Bandai Realeased the same Kit for the new Delta Movie with that same Flaw. 6 years later and they never Decide to update the Mold and acted like "yea. this piece of crap Gold brittle  piece is good. if it ain't Broke. don't fix it."  Glad the VF-25 series don't have the same Problem

 

[Sanity is Optional]

9 minutes ago, Alita_is_Best_Valkryie_gal said:

i've actually Research about the VF-25 and the VF-31J. 

 

You're Correct about the Gold Plastic. it's not just my Copy. but Everyone's Copy of the VF-31 series. I don't why Bandai Realeased the same Kit for the new Delta Movie with that same Flaw. 6 years later and they never Decide to update the Mold and acted like "yea. this piece of crap Gold brittle  piece is good. if it ain't Broke. don't fix it."  Glad the VF-25 series don't have the same Problem

Well, not everyone's, since my original release VF-31J is fine.

The horn did break when I moved though, need to glue that back together.

Did you use any paint or panel liner (Tamiya, for instance) on the gold plastic?

Tamiya panel liner especially does not play nice with Bandai plastic.

 

[Alita_is_Best_Valkryie_gal]

1 hour ago, Sanity is Optional said:

Well, not everyone's, since my original release VF-31J is fine.

The horn did break when I moved though, need to glue that back together.

Did you use any paint or panel liner (Tamiya, for instance) on the gold plastic?

Tamiya panel liner especially does not play nice with Bandai plastic.

 

Actually, Admittly, i never use Any of those. at all. im just a straight Builder and apply stickers so it won't bug me for Canon n stuff. All of the other parts fits and secure. just the Ankle clip just snapped off out of nowhere.

[Sanity is Optional]

Odd, might be unlucky, or maybe it was a bad batch of plastic.

Could try gluing it back together if it's just a snap. If it's full-on disintegration, you could try getting a replacement gold runner.

[Alita_is_Best_Valkryie_gal]

1 hour ago, Sanity is Optional said:

Odd, might be unlucky, or maybe it was a bad batch of plastic.

Could try gluing it back together if it's just a snap. If it's full-on disintegration, you could try getting a replacement gold runner.

nah, one of the Ankle Clip's chip went missing.. so it's pointless to Repair it. i tried to glue it, but it won't stick

[kajnrig]

I've built maybe a dozen kits (I'm assuming Bandai 1/72 transforming kits) across the Frontier/Delta lines, and I've never had an issue with gold plastic snapping apart. I tend to be extra careful with Bandai's Macross kits, though, due to the delicate nature of so many parts and mechanisms. Were the parts in question broken on the runner before you even touched them? Or did they break while you were fitting them to the leg? while you were attaching the "feet"/thruster nozzles?

If the former, I'd agree it might just be the plastic. If the latter, perhaps you're attaching them incorrectly. (I don't say that as an insult. The instructions aren't particularly clear sometimes.) Pics would help.

[Yelnenu]

Oh that golden ankle joint clamp bit on the VF-31 kits? Yeah, yeah, that one is... awkward, to say the least. I've broken so many of them it's downright ludicrous.

Mind you, it's usually fine if the kit is relatively new - I built one of the new VF-31Fs with lilldrakens recently and those held no problem. Plastic inherently degrades over time however and lose flex to become more brittle, and that affects those ankle joints in particular really bad - the other golden parts are fine, they don't need the flex, it's just that one ankle joint clamp thing because of how it's built. Even more frustratingly, that part is barely visible at all when the kit's assembled and there's no real reason why it couldn't just have been made out of the more flexible grey plastic that most of the joints are made out of which would've basically solved the problem. Alas, it's the one major flaw of an otherwise pretty solid kit - outside that one part or the head laser on the VF-31Js, I've not really had any problems with the VF-31 series - unlike the VF-25s (and YF-27s) where the knee joint is a bit underdimensioned and I've had a few just break apart on me on movement or assembly due to the plastic having become too brittle with age.

Anyway, while I've had some occasional success with gluing and pinning the clamp back together again, the most successful solution I've found is to basically just get rid of the clamp bit by sanding it down or cutting it off with a dremel or the like and then making your own clamp using sheets of ABS plastic wafered together, usually with a pin down the middle of the clamp to keep it solidly in place. It's a bit awkward because there's not a lot of space for material while still keeping the ankle tilt, but for me it's been generally tight and durable than trying to just glue together the original clamp. Fortunately the joint's not really visible even in battroid form, so it doesn't matter if the solution ends up kinda ugly so long as it works.

Edited May 22, 2021 by Yelnenu

[pengbuzz]

One issue I've had with Macross models; whenever I think about buying one, my wallet breaks! O.o

[peter]

I discovered how fragile the Hasegawa VF-1 kits are......broke the battroid in two places just posing it for photos, so I've decided to just build them, pick one pose and never muck around with it again. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[pengbuzz]

25 minutes ago, peter said:

I discovered how fragile the Hasegawa VF-1 kits are......broke the battroid in two places just posing it for photos, so I've decided to just build them, pick one pose and never muck around with it again. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hasegawa seems to have issues with heir plastic (found this out personally when trying to build a 1/72). Suggestions for you battroid:

1) I would drill those arm pins out and replace them with ABS.

2) Glue the lower ring back into place, then reinforce with a plate of styrene or ABS, then redrill the hole and remount the joint.

3) Get a nice stiff drink for the both of us bro; just had to remove a thumbprint from the paint job I just busted my can trying to redo. O.o

 

[peter]

11 hours ago, pengbuzz said:

Hasegawa seems to have issues with heir plastic (found this out personally when trying to build a 1/72). Suggestions for you battroid:

1) I would drill those arm pins out and replace them with ABS.

2) Glue the lower ring back into place, then reinforce with a plate of styrene or ABS, then redrill the hole and remount the joint.

3) Get a nice stiff drink for the both of us bro; just had to remove a thumbprint from the paint job I just busted my can trying to redo. O.o

 

Haha, will definitely do that for future Hasegawa builds.  This one is back together and on the self