Soldier Story figure durability

[goaltendah1]

Hi, I have a couple of questions regarding Soldier Story figures and their durability.

I recently bought two SS figures (CIA SOG and EOD) and just now got around to checking out the figures (3 days after getting them in the mail).

I was checking out the mobility of the figure heads to see if they had better range of movement than my Dragon figures (basically to see if I could do a sniper pose) and the head snapped off of the EOD figure at the post that holds the neck to the upper body. I looked at the post and first was surprised to see how small it was to support something that large. The other thing that surprised me was that the post almost seemed to have only been half connected, meaning that the plastic had a break mark (whitening) on only part of it. The other part of the post on both the neck and the upper torso looked like the rest of the body and was smooth, almost like it had never been attached at one point.

Anyways, I thought maybe it was a fluke, so I pulled out the CIA SOG figure to attempt the same thing and met the same exact fate. I was not being rough with either figure, and I found it quite surprising that with a little bit of movement both heads snapped off. It's almost like the rubber grommet in the neck area impeded the movement of the neck when I flexed it.

So, on to the questions, is it possible to repair the post in any way? I tried super gluing the post back together on one, and I had no luck. Is there any way to repair it?

If not, is it possible to take the head off of the neck post and then mount it on one of the newer generation bodies from Soldier Story?

Aside from that, what is a better body (durable and pose able) that I can mount these head sculpts onto? I don't want to buy new bodies if I don't have to, but at the same time I don't want to have to worry about these heads falling off of bodies when I want to pose them.

I don't really want to return the figure to the retailer as I have already modified the weapons, and doubt that I can return them at this point due to that, but I'm a little bummed at this point.

I guess my goal is to find the best body to attach these two head sculpts to that will give me some good durability as well as flexibility of the figure.

Any help would be seriously appreciated. Thanks.

Jeff

[Blu Falcon]

My SS CIA SOG figure arrived BIN with the neck post snapped in half in the same manner you just described, so it's not a fluke. Cheap plastic parts, my friend. And while I like all three Soldier Story kits I have so far (CIA SOG, ODA Team Leader, CIA SAD Night Ops) and even have one on pre-order (SFOD-D Operator), I am very careful about manipulating the heads for posing. Like you, I tried to Gorilla glue the neck post back together but had no luck at first. The glue just would not settle and dry, and so the post would not stay on. It was a clean break, so I just scraped away the glue residue and started over. Be sure to try glue the neck post back on without the head sculpt on it. The sculpt adds too much weight for the glue to take effect and adhere as it should. Also, when attaching the post back on, be sure to blow on it a bit as this helps to speed up the drying process. A small dab of Gorilla glue goes a long way, and once this sucker sticks, it sticks for good. This is the strongest "super glue" I've ever used and I highly recommend it. After I applied these techniques the glue did it's job and got the broken neck post to stick. Now I have no problem manipulating the CIA SOG head sculpt for posing. Your other alternative is to replace the bodies with BBI bodies. Hope this helps.

[Tatuued1]

I had a problem with a flimsy ankle joint on mine with the CIA SOG and snapped a foot off. They definitely need to be treated with kid gloves.

[Phaid]

The Soldier Story necks fit perfectly onto BBI G3 bodies. The figures are pretty much the same, but I've never had any issues with G3 durability.

[Blu Falcon]

I had a problem with a flimsy ankle joint on mine with the CIA SOG and snapped a foot off. They definitely need to be treated with kid gloves.

Yep. And I will add that the feet that came with the ODA Team Leader had connectivity issues. Damn things just keep popping off when posing. Luckily mine came with a spare set of feet.

The Soldier Story necks fit perfectly onto BBI G3 bodies. The figures are pretty much the same, but I've never had any issues with G3 durability.

[goaltendah1]

I think I am going to go the BBI G3 route. I've seen a lot of good things written about them on the forum.

I'm guessing all I would have to do is heat up the head on the G3 body to remove, and likewise on the SS head as well? Is the boiling water route easier or the hairdryer, and which method has the better rate of sucess?

Thanks so far for all of the help guys.

Jeff

[Blu Falcon]

I've used the hot water method without any issues. Just don't leave it in too long.

[oliver]

Sorry to hear about your luck. I think SS is putting out some great kit these days and their figures overall look great.

Having said that, I REALLY hope SS is checking out the forums and making notes. Actually, I hope ALL manufacturers check the forums and take notes. For what we pay for a high end figure these days - I don't care whether it's a sandbox toy or not - basic posing should NEVER cause breakage failures like that. Come on , Mr. Manufacturer, if you're going to go to so much trouble to design these amazing poseable figures and then charge us for them you need to build them with better plastic.

Good luck with the fix.

P.S. / Edit Note: A good example and proof of the existence of precision fitting plastic that is built for war ... Have any of you ever stepped with your bare feet on a LEGO action figure (you know those cool little Aqua Raider SCUBA guys or Star Wars figures that come with their boxed vehicle sets)? Well, I have, and I can tell you even though those things have what look like some pretty thin material on their joints you might as well be stepping on Ninja throwing spurs. I weigh over 170lbs and I estimate the current score at LEGO action figures 20 pts : 38oliver's feet 0. Superior plastic does exist.

[fioski]

Yes, it is very true, if you are going to turn the SS figure into a sniper, the head will come off. I tried it on the EOD, Then on, I never did it . IMO for a sniper, BS is the best. The ODA, the feet issue was likewise another one, but ToySquare fix it by giving another set of feet for all my ODAs.

[skip1_6]

The new SS body is alot better, IMO. The body that comes with the Vietnam figure is closer to HT than BBI. Although the neck post is solid with a central pivot, it looks better without a t-shirt. The arms/ legs articulate nicely, and the flexible rubber hips give a more realistis look. The only problem with the G3 is th barrel chest and "superwide" shoulders that have to be modified. For ease of use, I have a new favorite.

[pukingdog]

The earlier, rather minute connector posts are a bad design. Had the same thing happen to me, just hadn't talked with anyone else yet. It's great if they've improved/strengthened it, as hi-speed gear and unis will only hold so much charm at today's prices.

[jimmymcwicked]

i find the bodies to be loose and unable to balance in poses. i have just two of their figures and probably will not buy any more unless the nudes are vastly improved or if the uni/equipment is amazing (though in soldier story's defence, they often are pretty close).

[rhinestone_fuel]

So, on to the questions, is it possible to repair the post in any way? I tried super gluing the post back together on one, and I had no luck. Is there any way to repair it?

My EOD was DOA, too, when I got it out of the box. Here's what you can do to repair the neck post:

1. Carefully pry the ball joint from rubber gasket at the base of the neck.
2. Using pliers, heat the pointed end of a safety pin with a candle and create holes in the centres of the neck post and ball joint. Push the pin as far as you can with the neck post; half way through only with the ball joint. Pull pin before plastic hardens.
3. Cut a section of the safety pin and use it as a metal support for the neck post. To keep pin in position, put a drop of Krazy Glue on it and insert in the hole of the neck post.
4. Before proceeding to the next step, test-fit the pin and ball joint for the correct height and length. Trim exposed part of the pin if necessary to achieve proper height or length.
5. Put a drop of Krazy Glue on the exposed part of the pin and insert ball joint. Let dry.
6. Put lotion or hand soap on the ball joint and carefully re-insert head sculpt.

I hope this works for you as it did mine.

[Blu Falcon]

My EOD was DOA, too, when I got it out of the box. Here's what you can do to repair the neck post:

1. Carefully pry the ball joint from rubber gasket at the base of the neck.
2. Using pliers, heat the pointed end of a safety pin with a candle and create holes in the centres of the neck post and ball joint. Push the pin as far as you can with the neck post; half way through only with the ball joint. Pull pin before plastic hardens.
3. Cut a section of the safety pin and use it as a metal support for the neck post. To keep pin in position, put a drop of Krazy Glue on it and insert in the hole of the neck post.
4. Before proceeding to the next step, test-fit the pin and ball joint for the correct height and length. Trim exposed part of the pin if necessary to achieve proper height or length.
5. Put a drop of Krazy Glue on the exposed part of the pin and insert ball joint. Let dry.
6. Put lotion or hand soap on the ball joint and carefully re-insert head sculpt.

I hope this works for you as it did mine.

That's pretty inventive. May have to try that one myself.

[mx22]

This is Soldier Story S1 body - copy of BBI, but made out of horrible plastic. I've broke a few of them trying to get them prepared for loose gear sales. The good news is of course that Soldier Story since then upgraded to S2 body - from Vietnam CIA SOG if I remember correctly. It's much better and much more durable.

Alexei

[Blu Falcon]

lol

I was just doing some bashing and the lower leg of my CIA SOG figure just split in half for no reason at all, right down the middle where the two halves meet. No mishandling, no crazy poses or anything.

[Jeffajab]

Holy crap, I'm glad I read this thread. I will definately be more careful with my SS1 bodies...

I'm wondering if the "head/neck snap" ever happens on Hot Toys bodies. I have a Hot Toys body (Ranger SCAR) that "clicked" when I moved the head around because the parts connecting the neck post to body (the flat part) were not entirely glued together. I was scared to death move the head, or take it off, but did and super glued the part.

Lastly, I've done the "rod" technique to repair some other body parts, namely a hand to wrist peg that snapped off (on a pair of Dr. Firgures gloves).

[mx22]

lol

I was just doing some bashing and the lower leg of my CIA SOG figure just split in half for no reason at all, right down the middle where the two halves meet. No mishandling, no crazy poses or anything.

Unlucky you
I had Seal Team 10 figure "broken" in half right out of the box. But it wasn't a problem with plastic or figure - rather how the person who assembled it together did it. It can be put together and stay as one piece in straight position and as long as you do not move torso too much, it's fine; the joint that keeps upper and lower parts together was cut a bit too short...

Alexei

[mjw664]

I've broke the right arm off a few times on my g3 figures,but always been able to glue them back on. I do mess around with them "play" if you like when i'm bored.............hold on, what a good idea for a new thread, "how many of us "play" with our fugures?" ha ha

[Phaid]

I put together one of my two SS Seal Team 10 guys yesterday and messed around with the head a bit. Since I have two of him, I wanted to use a different headsculpt on one of them, so I tried doing a headswap with a SS CIA SOG nude. I was able to pull the heads off both figures no problem, being careful of course. Unfortunately, while they can be swapped, they don't really look right because of the different neck lengths. Turns out the feet on the new body don't really work with the old figures either (they are too loose in the sockets). So I wound up just completely swapping the bodies.

I'm not sure how I feel about the new SS body. It's definitely a lot more realistic than the S1 / G3 and I think it wears clothes better, but I do think the fixed neck is pretty limiting for posing. In the case of the Brad Pitt SEAL figure, the skin tones of the head and body are completely mismatched, so he has to have something covering his neck/throat or he will just look weird.

In my experimenting I did discover one good thing about the new SS body, though: if you put too much strain on the neck joint, the ball will just pop out of the socket on the body, instead of the connector breaking. All you do then is pull the ball/connector out of the head, pop it back into the body, and impale the head back on the point of the connector. And, if you do manage to break the connector, you can easily replace it. So they definitely did think about the design for this new body.

[Sharppointything]

After all the faffing about trying to get a non-SS head to the body I eventually managed only to have the bloody foot snap off when I tried to put the shoes on. What's this Gorilla Glue? Is it sold in the UK?

[Jeffajab]

I don't know that I'd use Gorilla Glue to repair a figure. It takes forever to dry and expands potentially leaving unwanted excess around repair. A superglue, i.e., cyanoacrylate type glue, should be fine...

After all the faffing about trying to get a non-SS head to the body I eventually managed only to have the bloody foot snap off when I tried to put the shoes on. What's this Gorilla Glue? Is it sold in the UK?

[jonbondave]

i've got two SS figures, seal team 10, head fell off. ODA, feet fell off. no biggy though, got em both working. what ithink is odd is the height difference between the two. the ODA is a nearly a head shorter than the seal. Which is ok with me, he looks rather stout and husky while the SEAL looks pretty tall and lanky.in terms of the gear, the figures are amazing though

[Jimmy C]

While trying to remove a head/neck post, the figure came apart at the chest. I'm unable to put it back properly, but I don't think any piece broke there. I then continued to try to remove the neck--it broke at the ball connector.

Jim

[Blu Falcon]

I haven't had any issues with the SAD Night Ops figure yet, so hopefully I can finish putting him together without anything breaking.

[vicnuts]

I just received a loose AA Saw Gunner with the shoulder completely busted off. What can I do - i'm so new at this I know nothing about dremels or modding except the bits i've read here. Simply try to switch to a BBI body? What about one of the AA dragon bodies? Ofcourse i'll just return it but should it happen again....

[klaby]

Ok let me get this straight...you paid $150+ for a figure and it breaks like a tooth pit!

[rogerbee]

Sorry you guys are having trouble with your S1's, maybe they copied a G3 by mistake. With my G3 (not 3.5), I had an arm snap completely off at the top of the upper arm and a piece of the side of the chest broke off leaving a nasty crack.

Moving over to the S2 is a good move. Mine came all the way from HK to the UK in an un-padded jiffy bag and survived intact!

CHEERS!

[nomelrw]

UH oh. Starting to feel a lot of the "luv" slipping away. I had a loose head on my PLA India China figure but I just pushed it back on. My EOD nude was purchased from Alexei out of a box of nudes but is ok. I will have to try beat up some of my figures more. This is making me nervous. The gear is awesome and they don't cost $150.

[lurpdog101]

I have great difficulty with the heads on the bodies...got a Seal Team 10 nude, and couldn't move head, came off, and now the rubber seal holding the head has come undone. I also find it extremely difficult to get the heads back on. Probably just me.