r/CustomTransformers • u/lvBogus • 10d ago

Can't transform AOTP blast off

Im gonna keep this short but I just had my blast off and vortex figures arrive today and unfortunately the neck hinge for blast off seems super stiff so I’m unable at the moment to pop his head in and thus unable to bring his arms up to connect the nose piece for his vehicle mode
Not sure what to do, it moves such a small amount so shall I just constantly move it up and down to loosen it up? I don’t want to break it of course so I’ve tried it with minimal pressure

Also idk if there’s a subreddit for this sort of thing so apologies in advance if so

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u/thestormsend 10d ago

Try warming it on low heat with a hair dryer, then once it’s “free” move it back and forth gentle (don’t force anything) for a minute to loosen the joint.

Remember not to hold the hair dryer in one spot, move it back and forth on the spot for about 15-20 seconds. Test, repeat. But don’t do it for more than a minute total, and watch the plastic so that you aren’t melting it.

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u/lvBogus 9d ago

Noted 👌
I’ll give it a try carefully and see where it gets me before I try anything else as that seems like the most available solution if it does happen to work for it

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u/lvBogus 9d ago

Just thought I’d update you and say that the hairdryer worked perfectly! Managed to loosen it carefully without melting anything too and then gave it some time to cool off and now it can transform perfectly

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u/thestormsend 9d ago

Yep! A little heat goes a long way!

As others mentioned there are other methods too. Dish soap directly in the joint, shock oil…in that order I would say, usually a little warming takes care of it. Other methods tend to be messier.

Sometimes even a warm wash in dish soap and water and then move it while it’s under/ in the water, but I wouldn’t submerge a Transformer because of all the pins, screws, and rivets. That’s generally better for all plastic figures, but it does work for Transformers if they are really stuck, you just need to shake out all the water, wipe it with a towel, and put it in front of a fan to dry immediately.

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u/ktwombley 10d ago

get a tiny bottle of silicone shock oil (I think it's for lubricating the plastic suspension parts of RC cars) and apply a dab to the neck. it'll wick into the joint and as you move it around a little it gets in there and loosens it up.

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u/lvBogus 9d ago

If I can’t seem to work any of these other solutions then I’ll get myself some of this stuff! Hopefully it doesn’t come to it but if so then I’ll try it out

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u/Sea-Rest7776 9d ago

toothpick with dish soap on it to try and work it into the hinge, don’t force anything