EUREKA! Tighten up those loose joints!

I have discovered a way to tighten up those pesky loose joints. i have been using some of those older Marvel Super hero Showdown figures for customs lately and they have those ball and socket joints at the shoulders and hips (at the top of the legs) which are always terribly loose. I popped off the legs and arms and painted up the inside of the socket with "Plasti- Dip". Let it dry for 4 hours or so and pop them back on and VOILA! Perfect, tight joint. Now I realize that Joes don't have these types of joints, but you could use it to tighten just about any loose joint (accept knees and elbows, I guess unless you could take them apart so you could apply the Plasti Dip inside). At the very least a thin coat will create a rubbery surface that creates enough friction to keep the joint tight, but you could also build up coats to make a joint that's too loose a little snug. Anyway. I'm pretty excited, so I thought I'd share. "Plasti Dip" is really smelly and is available in the tool section of every hardware store. You dip the handles of your tools in this stuff (wrenches, pliers, etc) in order to create a rubbery grip. Or to tighten the joints on your figures.

Thanks very usefull! I also heard nail polish was good to use.. not sure what color.

Originally Posted by mikevoltz

Thanks very usefull! I also heard nail polish was good to use.. not sure what color.

Nail polish? You can't buy nail polish at a hardware store. Geez... it's bad enough I spend so much time in toy aisles... now I've gotta' be seen buying makeup? I'll stick with the Plasti- Dip. ;)

You could also just wrap some tape in the joint.

Or fill it with Apoxie.

Or dried bubble-gum.

Or Spirit Gum.

Or pour some juice and let it dry.

Or stare it down until it stops being loose xD

Yeah Plasti-Dip is useful for a lot of stuff.

I use super glue...I just put a drop or so on the hip joint and slowly work it around until it tightens up

Linked this to the tut. index, thanks !

It also works to de-gray Mego heads and in some cases, Stormtroopers. I'll try and find the site, but it involved Bleech-White (the stuff for your whitewalls) and Plasti-dip. Good idea. Thanks for posting.

I've used modeling putty for loose heads and hips on 25th figs. Just fill the hole on the head with it, place it back on the fig, and moveit around a bit. I experimented with it on the hips of a fig-just squirted a bit in and tamped it down with a toothpick. Seems to work okay.

For sloppy knees I take the leg apart and shim them with tiny washers, (either 2.5 or 3mm I think but I dont remember) Any good Hardware or hobby shop oughtta have em. tightens them up and fixes the side to side movement too

Plasti dip has many great uses it's true. And it's good on toast.
(don't try this at home kids! It's a joke.)