customizing figures

Hey guys I'm lookingfor some help getting the players off the platform without cutting the man off at the ankle, any help?

Also how do you guys bend limbs? I tried a lighter and ended up with candles or mush ( and a little bit of a high from all the smoke) ugh!

I'm havin a great time makin my own figures (5 so far) but the ideas of poses I want to make involve bending legs and arms or straightening them out a little, thanks

[5-13 Studios]

i prefer to use an exacto knife to remove the feet from the platform. lay the figure on it's side, place the blade at the base of the foot and rock the knife back and forth while applying pressure, and you will create a clean edge for reglueing.
lighter....don't hold the flame to the figure for too long (not more than a second or two at a time), and keep the flame moving across the part. don't just stick the flame in one spot and leave it there, unless of course you are trying to create the human torch. be ready to work quick, because the plastic will get very soft, very quickly. another option is a heat gun (paint stripping gun) from a hardware store. this MIGHT make things easier, but you may run the risk of melting the entire figure all at once. whichever you go with, i think that the most important thing is to not apply direct heat/flame to one spot for more than a couple of seconds. now that you've melted a couple, maybe practice on their other limbs to get the hang of just how long to apply heat.
hope this helps.

Hey Errin,

Hope all is well out there in Lollyland and that you're having fun playing in the LAEFL.

I would strongly recommend using a candle - which stays stationary - and a pair of needle-nosed pliers to hold your figure by the platform.

Hold the figure about 4-5 inches OVER the flame. You don't have to see the flame touch the figure. The invisible flame is hot enough to do whatever you need. If you don't believe me, then touch your figure to see! Also, doing it this way you won't get burn marks.

If 4-5 inches isn't enough (TWSS! ) then get closer, say 3-4 inches. The key is to make the plastic warm enough to overbend it a lil bit where you want it and then run cold water over it to "lock it in."

Good Luck.

[Reginald Rutledge]

Errin,

I don't know what figures you're using but these tend to work very well for me. Here's an Anatomy of Polamalu.

The last two are the first two. It really does not matter if burn marks are on it because those will be covered up by the pant any how. I think cold ice water submerging will be the best ticket because its right there.

Reg

Thanks for the tips guys, I'll give them a go today, thanks for the pics reg!

Sometimes my common sense doesn't work on days that in Y!

[Coach K-LO]

great post Uncle Reggie, that is a great explaination.

[WEIRDWOLF]

I invested in a jewelers saw off of ebay. The cut is so thin you lose almost nothing and it zipps right through plastic and works great for cutting under the feet to get it off the base. The only drawback is you have to be very careful with the saw blades as they are super thin.

Heres a link to one on ebay but there are 100's for under $12.00.
http://cgi.ebay.com/T34-Wood-Handle-...QQcmdZViewItem

thanks wolf I'll check it out!!