Kenner Alien repair

[Tothiro]

I'm lucky with the seams on mine, which is part of the reason why I am trying to avoid selling it for someone else to deal with the arm.

I've repaired a few Aliens as well as 12" Chewies (they also have this problem). The most secure repair I know is to find a cheap rubbermaid style vinyl top (like peanut can lids, but something thicker) and cut an H shape out of them, where each side of the H is an arrow tip... So I guess more <H> shaped. You'll need one for each arm - You want thickish material so that the two arrow heads press against one another and keep the "plug" from pulling out under tension

Anyway those are your anchors to insert into the arms - with braided or corded elastic looped around the center bars. You can then tie off the elastic as tight as you like, presuming you cut the anchor ends an appropriate size.

[User897]

Interesting. I'm going with a rubber washer, but gotta wait for them to arrive in the mail. I have a string made of stretchy t-shirt cotton, which I will put through the center of the washer and tie a knot. I will then fold the rubber washer and work it into the arm's hole. The washer will then open inside the arm. The other end of the string will be tied around the post inside the body. I'll take pictures of the process this time around.

[Den82]

How can I fix that? Without breaking or making a mess of the whole thing?

[rche]

I've repaired a few Aliens as well as 12" Chewies (they also have this problem). The most secure repair I know is to find a cheap rubbermaid style vinyl top (like peanut can lids, but something thicker) and cut an H shape out of them, where each side of the H is an arrow tip... So I guess more <H> shaped. You'll need one for each arm - You want thickish material so that the two arrow heads press against one another and keep the "plug" from pulling out under tension



Anyway those are your anchors to insert into the arms - with braided or corded elastic looped around the center bars. You can then tie off the elastic as tight as you like, presuming you cut the anchor ends an appropriate size.

The piece that you are emulating is usually still in the arm. Takes some shakin', but you can usually get it back to the shoulder hole.



Den82 - I don't think you should try a repair on that separation. You would probably make it larger or damage the arm in a different location. It looks pretty good as is. If you really wanted to do something about it, I would look for an Alien missing all the usual parts and swap arms with it. Sell the beater off and you would have your repair for close to free, probably.

[User897]

How can I fix that? Without breaking or making a mess of the whole thing?

The seam? Oh God, I haven't a clue. I was blessed with perfect seams on this one, but I do remember one I had before that had some separation. The only thing I could think of that would help prevent further damage would be to heat the arm with a hair dryer before trying to pry it apart. If you can soften the glue inside, that should help get it open. As far as the damage you have to the plastic itself, which looks like someone else tried to pry it, once the arm is opened, use Elmer's Glue to attach the thin piece(s) back to the seam. Elmer's will not damage the plastic and can be safely taken off if needed. That's not to say super glue wouldn't help, as you may want that fix to be more permanent. Just remember what you're working with and any spillage on the toy would be devastating.

[rche]

btw: Kenner's large Darth Vader, Chewbacca, Bionic Bigfoot, and Alien all use just about the same thing for the arm construction. The Alien tends to have more substantial elastic, but the connection idea is the same.

[Den82]

As far as the damage you have to the plastic itself, which looks like someone else tried to pry it

What damage? I see none. It looks no different than the other arm, with the exception of the separation.

[User897]

Oh. It looked to me like some of the plastic had been pushed in, possibly from a prying tool.

[Den82]

Did any of you ever experience a chemical reaction between the figure and dome? I have what looks to be dried up glue on the back where the dome sits, but I am not sure. It's possible somebody attempted to glue the dome on. But I'm wondering if it's just a reaction between the two.

[User897]

I've never heard of it happening. Got a picture?

[Tothiro]

I haven't seen plastimelt from the domes, but that's not to say it couldn't happen under some circumstances I guess? I just haven't seen it - so if it were likely (like 12" Stormtrooper hands/arms for instance) I'd imagine it would pop up regularly.

Rche you're right - but I've actually come across more than one attachment method that seemed ("seemed") factory. I had one with a specialty rubber insert piece that was all one part, with plunger ends that popped into the arm holes. Was very weird - and more likely a vintage fix I suppose, buy I'd be damned to think of what that came off of. I had to shake and extract that stopper when one side snapped. My experience with threading those things in-arm was a real bear too.

Re: arm separation... I agree with the Zen folk. If it's not bugging you, I'd leave it be. If you do tackle it don't use superglue because it will craze the surface and likely whiten when it dries, plus it's ability to fuse this plastic type is limited. There are solvent glues (like a plastruct styrene cement) which will fuse the plastic together, but in a situation like that you want to be very sparing and precise in glue application because it will change the surface texture if there's any external parts coated. So a paintbrush, inside the seam itself, careful not to touch the hand portion (though you might be safe since it's a different plastic type) and then you'd want to brace the arm and wrap/tape it together tightly for the joint to weld. The stuff brushes on and evaporates, but it works by chemically softening the plastic and then allowing them to fuse up and harden again.
It works on WGSKnights torso armor if you have a separation too - it's essentially the same plastic type.

[Den82]

I stink at taking pics...





Looks like it might be thin layers of clean glue (that are dirtied), but I am not sure. Could be a factory thing.

[rche]

I would say that any residue between the dome and the top of the alien head was probably a glue or something a previous owner used to keep the dome from slipping off. I don't think the plastics are dissimilar enough to create a melt situation there.

[Den82]

Well, it still doesn't look that bad.

[mike binion]

I need a right arm if any of you have an extra or an Alien you are parting out.

Thanks, Mike