How To Solve The Issue Of Dinosaur Figures That Wouldn't Stand?

[Prehistory Resurrection]

So some figures in my collection, including the ubiquitous, famous Papo Green running T-Rex and the 2008 Safari Ltd Velociraptor wouldn't stand. Any advice? Will hot water really solve the problem?

[thomasw100]

So some figures in my collection, including the ubiquitous, famous Papo Green running T-Rex and the 2008 Safari Ltd Velociraptor wouldn't stand. Any advice? Will hot water really solve the problem?

I just had that problem with my PNSO Deinocheirus and Therizinosaurus. I did the hot water treatment, i.e. boil water, let it cool down for a minute and then put the feet and legs of the figures inside for about half a minute. The PVC would become very soft and you can bend it like you want it to have. Then let it cool down to room temperature. After that, both figure would stand again. Of course the open question now is for how long as the warping in response to pressure will happen again. But then you can repeat the hot water treatment. Another option is of course to put Blue Tack under the feet. This whole issue is a reason why I prefer quadrupedal dinosaurs over bipedal ones.

[Prehistory Resurrection]

T @thomasw100 Thank you very much! Will try the hot water treatment and see how it goes.

[Over9K]

I try the water thing, but the figures usually just re-warp.

Now, depending on the severity of the warping, I either work on the feet, or make a base for the figure.


Making a base is easiest. You simply make an Apoxie Sculpt (binary air-cured clay) base, and before it is cured, you push the figure's feet into it slightly, to create "footprints" that support the figure in a balanced pose, and then allow to cure. With Apoxie, it is also adhesive by nature, so if you leave the figure on it during curing, the base is permanently attached to the figure, which offers the highest level of stability.

Here are some examples.








Of course you can paint and detail your bases. I leave mine naked because I use them in diorama set-ups for photography, and I like to be able to change scenery around the base.

I have also used Sculpey III, an oven-cured clay, to make bases. Since Sculpey is oven-cured, you have to cure the clay without the figure on  it, so your footprints that hold the model have to be clean, but this method works very well too.

These two are sculpey bases. Note the REBOR Killer Queen's legs. She is WAAAAY warped, yet she stands perfectly stable on this base, despite not being attached to it.






Bases are the best solution for figure that just will not stand. For wobblers, figures that stand, but not very well, I use a different method: Toe Sausages.

First, determine which foot, or toes (its usually the forward foot warping, lifting one or more toes that is the cause) and make small 'sausages' of Apoxie Sculpt, and put them under the offending toes. It usually only takes one or two, and because I use the brown Apoxie, they almost disappear becoming invisible. I have stabilized several figures this way, including a Papo Runner Rex, a Safari Furry Rex, REBOR Carnotaurus, PNSO Quinzhou, W-Dragon Giganotosaurus. The only company that I own, that has never sold me a warped, or warping dinosaur is Nanmu.

The sausage method is my preferred method now, and my go-to solution. I don't bother with water anymore.










Hope this helps!

[Prehistory Resurrection]

@Over9K Thank you very much for the valuable info! The toe sausages method seems so simple yet efficient. Maybe I'll go for this method then.

[thomasw100]

The toe sausage method is a very interesting approach that I have not yet heard of. So thanks for explaining this in detail. I have used the hot water method with some success, but I am worried that over time when repeated several times this may result in the paint coming off. So I am definitely interested to find an alternative method that is more permanent and puts less risk to the paint of a model. I still have one question. What is the advantage of using the Apoxie Sculpt for producing the toe sausage compared to just using Blue Tack?

[Ikessauro]

What is the advantage of using the Apoxie Sculpt for producing the toe sausage compared to just using Blue Tack?

I might be wrong here, since I never used these products before, but I think Apoxie is a permanent thing, it is after all, epoxy and dries really hard and if left to dry on the model, will be forever attached to it. Blue Tack as far as I know is a more removable solution, that if needed can be cleaned off of the model, because it does not dry and harden.

[Over9K]

What is the advantage of using the Apoxie Sculpt for producing the toe sausage compared to just using Blue Tack?

I might be wrong here, since I never used these products before, but I think Apoxie is a permanent thing, it is after all, epoxy and dries really hard and if left to dry on the model, will be forever attached to it. Blue Tack as far as I know is a more removable solution, that if needed can be cleaned off of the model, because it does not dry and harden.

That's pretty much it, other than to say that, because it never cures, Blue Tac can have a tendency to 'squish' under the weight of the model after time, and you have to freshen up the sausages from time to time to avoid falls. Blue Tac is also slightly sticky, so the sausages occasionally stick to a shelf, when you move the model.

All that said, I used Blue Tac for a while before going permanent with the Apoxie.

[Prehistory Resurrection]

Update: I found out that some that can't stand well on a specific surface will stand without issue on another one. But there are others that still need one of the above mentioned treatment methods.