Warping issues on PVC figures: share your experiences and remedies

[Reptilia]

Just a few days ago I took out my Papo figures from the storage box in the basement, where I kept them for the last four months or so. I figured the hot season was well over and was about time to bring them back on display. Unfortunately I had an unpleasant surprise unwrapping the Baryonyx: on the right leg (the one that is stretched out) the third toe is now warped, to the point that is touching the middle toe. Also the left front limb has been affected, the finger claw is almost touching the head now. Ironically the figure wasn't able to stand anymore when I packed my collection before the summer, while seems that it has reverted to the original balance, cause it doesn't have standing issues as of now. I have no such problems with any other Papo figure in my collection, and I think that is due to the material the Baryonyx is made of, which feels a lot more softer than previous models. This year's theropods feels quite sturdy too, so I wonder why Papo used a softer material for the Baryonyx. Maybe because of the complexity of the sculpt? I don't know. Anybody else experienced the same or similar problem?

[Shonisaurus]

I honestly do not know what happens with some figures of Papo dinosaurs but I for example bought the second adult spinosaurus and the same problems have arisen that the first one has become sticky. That has not happened to me with any figure of Papo. It may be that the material is soft or defective.

I tell you about spinosaurus and it's the second one I bought and despite the care I had the bad experience that soon became sticky to the touch like the first and that I've put it in a damp place and not I bought it precisely from a pirate company (I bought it from the Museum of Natural Science in Madrid). No wonder what happened to your baryonyx Papo the same thing happens to me with the two versions of oviraptor that lose their balance.

I understand that the material with which Papo works is too ductile and prone to show deficiencies and to warp or deteriorate even if it is cleaned or protected from light. I think it's a manufacturing problem.

[tyrantqueen]

The worst case of warping, for me, was the Papo Spinosaurus. It spent all of its time on my shelf leaning forward on its forearms, because the legs were too warped to support it. I don't own that figure any more....

[Lanthanotus]

Scalding hot water allows the material to remember its former position if the bending force did not apply for too long a time. Also, hot water allows for bending and repositioning body parts of not too thick material. You also should avoid submerging glued parts (as shoulder "joints" or articulated jaws, as the heat weakens the glue).

The hot water method however is sometimes just a temperorary remedy, especially when thick body parts were bend or a heavy weight lays upon the part of the body. The WS Feathered Tyrant for example stood firm for a while, but its sheer weight bend the legs just a tiny bit so it toppled. Hot water could not help for long as the figure is just too heavy and the legs are too strong to have them repositioned for eternity without the help of wire or such.

[PhilSauria]

I have had my Safari feathered rex for a couple of months now, seemed to be standing okay and as I took it off display to give a visitor a closer look the other day it took a nose dive straight away. Turns out that it had been standing so well by virtue of its tail being tucked under the tail of a nearby figure and that kept it upright. What I have been doing for some of the 'now I stand now I don't' figures is making bases out of air dried clay. If you press the feet into it and let it dry around them once you put them back in after painting the base they tend to stay put (and upright) in the recessed area, no glue required. As you mention the hot water treatment - I have tried that and have also found it to be a temporary fix. I don't have an issue with bases and prefer them to props and poles or the like. Looks more natural, especially if you dress them up with rocks and plants etc.

[Neosodon]

Making bases out of clay is actually not a bad idea. I use clay bases for my plants but never really thought about using them on any of my dinosaurs.

[sauroid]

does the clay stick permanently to the plastic parts?

[PhilSauria]

A lot of the stuff you can find in art and craft stores will wash off quite easily with no harm done to the feet of the figure. I leave the figure standing in place so the the clay does not change shape during drying and therefore the feet of the figure fit neatly back into the depressions later. The figures can be taken off the stand quite easily. The stuff dries to a fairly firm condition in about a week and can be painted or sanded as required. Mont Marte clay is the brand I found locally (here in Australia) but I believe it is an international company. I initially intended to use it for Dinosaur models but it dries too quickly to allow as much working and detail as I'd like to achieve. Currently looking for a better medium for that.

[Reptilia]

Nice idea that of building clay bases.

[Digibasherx]

I found that a blow dryer works better than hot water.  You can heat the plastic quite quickly and then you can cool it with cold water.  My Battat Tyrannosaurus' tail fix stayed this way to this day for the most part, the end started to droop slightly but this method has been tested on several types of plastics and resin and it doesn't seem to cause damage and is more controllable than hot water.