Mattel's Monster High

[Harbingerboy]

The bodies are a different design...

While I think the CaM sets are fun for kids, I don't think they display well with the limited color of torsos available. I'd planned to pick up the 3-eyed monster set and try to pop the head on an extra basic Abbey, but I'm not sure if that would even work.

[BlackKnight]

Bought the Create a Monster Skeleton and Bee today ...
Are the Torso's Sold seperately ? I don't understand ...
Saw the New Draculaura's Car too.

[Harbingerboy]

Bought the Create a Monster Skeleton and Bee today ...
Are the Torso's Sold seperately ? I don't understand ...
Saw the New Draculaura's Car too.

The torsos are only sold in the 2 deluxe starter sets...and even then there's only one per set. So basically for all the different combos (Insect girl, 3-eyed Monster, Skeleton, Vampire, Werewolf, Sea Monster, Dragon) there is only one pale grey torso and one pale pink torso, regardless of what color limbs & face you've purchased to attach.

[BlackKnight]

The torsos are only sold in the 2 deluxe starter sets...and even then there's only one per set. So basically for all the different combos (Insect girl, 3-eyed Monster, Skeleton, Vampire, Werewolf, Sea Monster, Dragon) there is only one pale grey torso and one pale pink torso, regardless of what color limbs & face you've purchased to attach.

Thats sorta Stupid ...
They Need to make a Torso with Thighs and Shoulders Sold Seperately.
My Kids Have popped the Hand and Forarms off of these on Accident ...., If I can get the Legs off ..., looks like Buying 1 of these that sits around the pegs is the way to go to try and customize these ....

[rche]

^^ that is what I am thinking, BK. Tho the build a monster torso is a different design than the regular gals. I still think one of the regular figures could be modded to work with the add on kits, tho. Just haven't had the time to pick one up and mess with it.

[Werewolf]

I still think one of the regular figures could be modded to work with the add on kits, tho. Just haven't had the time to pick one up and mess with it.

It would need a lot of work. The bodies are not modular like Megos and are not meant to come apart. The standard torso's hips are hollow and the legs are strung. You would have to make hip pins to snap the CAM legs onto. The neck joint would have to be heavily modded too. You'd also probably have to crack the torso open as well to get the shoulders out.

I'm not saying it would be impossible for the super talented customizers here. Just that it would be a heck of a lot easier (and probably cheaper) to spend the $20 and get a CAM starter set. I too wish they came with two torsos, but it's still a really good deal considering all the parts (heads, wig, limbs and outfits) you get.

[BlackKnight]

^^^ Thats Spending 20 x Like what 6 if you want all the Characters ..., then you got an Arse load of Extra Parts Nobody is gonna really want either without the Torso, Thighs and Shoulders .... Limiting these parts, wasn't really thought out too well imo ..., Unless There is a Body coming to be sold seperately too ..., It's the only Idea that makes sense to me.

[rche]

We are thinking like adult collectors who want to have complete versions of the characters rather than kids who would have fun kitbashing and swapping parts out.

None of my daughters MH gals are wearing their original outfits. I doubt that she would make any of these straight-up. I would suppose she would see it more as one monster that has several options rather than the parts to build several monsters.

[BlackKnight]

I scored a 10 Buck Swimwear Wolf Chick ...
Stripped her down ..., Popped off Her head pretty easy ..., Put the Skeleton Head on her pretty Easy. Pulled her Arms out, and the Holes are a touch smaller, I think I just gotta drill em out bigger ..., The Trick is the Knees ..., If I get her switched out, I'll post a pic.

[Werewolf]

I scored a 10 Buck Swimwear Wolf Chick ...
Stripped her down ..., Popped off Her head pretty easy ..., Put the Skeleton Head on her pretty Easy. Pulled her Arms out, and the Holes are a touch smaller, I think I just gotta drill em out bigger ..., The Trick is the Knees ..., If I get her switched out, I'll post a pic.

That's awesome. I tried removing the head off of an extra Draculaura and it felt like it was gonna break and I gave up. Same with the shoulders. Looking forward to seeing how yours turns out.

[BlackKnight]

This wasn't real Easy ...



So I took a Clawdeen Swimwear Figure for the Body ...
I couldn't bring myself to tearing apart 1 of em ..., that I thought was real well done.

The Heads got this like little mount that sits up in the head, off of the ball Joint ..., it's really mis shaped, and has lots of different shapes to it actually. You have to pull a little at a time ..., and keep pulling with a touch of force. I got mine out without breaking the piece, but could see how someone could break it ..., and I really don't even know if you actually need it for the head, I just kept it, and slid it back in .

The Forarms pull out real easy .. It looks like about a 2mm hole .., and the New Arms for the Custom 1's are about a 2.5mm .., so I just drilled a touch larger hole with my 2.5mm bit, and the new arms popped in like they were made for it .

The Calfs ...
Well, this is where it gets ugly, and you might wanna Know how to use a Dremel . I basically had to break the old legs off. I tried just heating up some water, and pulling them out, but they are fasened in the Thighs some How on the other side of the Plug. I used my Dremel to sand away the Axcess Crap..., Then Drilled the old Plugs out ... up sizing my drill bit 3 times, till I was the size of the actual Hole, Then cleaned them up with my Dremel. Once Everything was cleared, the Port for the New Build a Monster Thighs slide right in, like they Belong.

So as far as the Head, Forearms, & Calfs go ..., it isn't too Bad. I would assume the Shoulders are like the Calf Pins ..., and would be a serious Pain to replace . I wouldn't even Mess with the Thighs I don't think ....

I think I can paint the Body How I want it ...
I don't really care for Much else that this Skeleton Kit came with ..., and Wanna Probably Customize this How I wanna ... I wish Her head didn't have the Hole in it ..., and the top part for hair ..., I was thinking about rolling Bald Headed for her ..., but might Add a Pony Tail Now ...

If people are just buying Multiples of the Dragon/Wolf kit for the Torsos, Thighs and Shoulders ..., lmk ... I could use the Dragon Kit ( Just all Body Parts )with the Hair and the Wolf Kit ( Just all Body Parts with the Hair).

[Werewolf]

This wasn't real Easy ...

Neat! Awesome job and an excellent tutorial too.

And nice work on getting the head off without breaking the neck pin. Barbie heads are attached the same way and they are designed not to come off. You obviously can but it's very difficult to do without breaking the neck pin and or damaging the head. So, again, props on that. I've broken a few Barbies I tried to restore by trying to head swap them like that.

[rche]

That is pretty much what I thought would need to be done for the add-on kits. (bee, 3eyed, and skeleton). The deluxe kits - dragon vampire sea-creature werewolf - look like the thighs and upper arms are pretty standard so really the extras are with the heads, calves, forearms/hands, and the costumes (which I have read are not as good of quality as the regular figures).

So, I suppose you could do the same sort of kitbash with the extras from one of the deluxe kits.

BK - I have already seen folks parting these out on ebay, but you will end up paying more with an extra body than you would if you just bought the set.


edit: I see that the Dragon figure has scale textures on the upper arms and thighs, tho it comes with a blue torso in the kit??

[rche]

btw: BK - do you recall what the final bit size was for the lower leg plug?
thanks

[BlackKnight]

Riche ...,
I dunno that Size bit for the Thighs ...
It doesn't say on the Bit, it's just 1 I use for my resin stuff ...
I pilot drilled about 3 sizes till I had most of that other pin outta there..., then used my dremel to clean it up. Once you remove that other pin completely, and I believe you have to do it completely ..., then the create a Monster pin will just slide into place , you shouldn't have to make the hole bigger, if that makes sense.


I guess I should just try and find that Dragon/Wolf set .... This line is always just a complete Pain in the Arse to find here.