David Hingtgen

I've found (very interestingly) that for mine, the broken-off pieces don't fit back on properly--there's a very obvious gap. To me that says that the knurling actually stretches the plastic until it breaks.

If the knurling is in the middle part, not on the ends, that shouldn't be a problem. (that's how it should have been in the first place). IMHO it's been a design error since the beginning---a knurled pin shouldn't rotate, the plastic piece should rotate around it. That's how it is in just about every pinned joint in every Gundam, Transformer, and Valk toy ever. Except the V2 VF-1, where the parts are too stiff or something, and the knurled pin rotates inside the joint, chewing the ends apart from the outside.

Thing is---both sides of the shoulder pass over that nub for every transformation in each direction, but only the side with the knurled pin ever breaks. Also, the shoulder hinges are identical--there is no left/right part---both shoulders use the exact same hinge. Yet they break in almost perfectly equal numbers. So location/use/position has little effect.

I've already said--I like the flightsuit. A lot. I most certainly would NOT buy a naked model/statue etc.

Be sure to transform them once or twice. They arent' broken out of the box THAT often. But most break with less than a dozen transformations, often in the first couple.

I would so play "sold out Shepard" in Dr Pepper armor. With bonus in-game dialogue. "The Geth must be stopped---right after I chug down a cool, refreshing Diet Dr Pepper"

I think the majority of broken hinges are on "very light grey" valks, due simply to the fact that Roy's was the very first, and probably the most popular.

To anyone waiting for VF-1 shoulders: It may help to post pics of your broken shoulders here: http://www.macrossworld.com/mwf/index.php?showtopic=32126 We're going to send the pics to Yamato to try to convince them that we need a big batch of just shoulders.

New pins won't help the many valks that have actually lost chunks of plastic, we need the whole hinge itself.

I haven't transformed my VF-1S since I first saw a crack (months ago)---and just in merely moving them to photograph them, the left one lost a big chunk, and the right one split all the way open. See my first post.

I started a new thread just for broken shoulder pics here: http://www.macrossworld.com/mwf/index.php?showtopic=32126 If you could, post them in that new thread. I'll move all the ones already posted here over there later.

We're trying to get as many different pics of V.2 VF-1 toys with broken shoulder hinges as possible, mainly as evidence to Yamato that this problem: 1. Is more common than they think 2. Has many people that still are waiting for replacement parts, months after they broke So----if you've got a VF-1 with a broken shoulder hinge, post a pic of it here. Have 3 valks with 5 broken hinges? Post 5 different pics if you can. Don't worry too much about quality---while clear, obviously-broken pics are nice, we're mainly looking for sheer numbers here. Use your cell phone or web cam if you have to, just post photos of your cracks/chips/breaks. We want as many broken VF-1 photos as possible. LEFT shoulder: RIGHT shoulder: Piece of left hinge:

I am going to drink nothing but Diet Cherry Dr Pepper for a while: <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< 20/16/14 OZ BOTTLES: Look under the cap of specially marked 20 oz., 16 oz. and 14 oz. bottles of Dr Pepper®, Dr Pepper Cherry, Diet Dr Pepper and Diet Dr Pepper Cherry for the game code ("Code"). Codes will be available under the cap on bottles from January 1, 2010 through March 31, 2010 and from July 1, 2010 through December 31, 2010 in participating markets. -- Unique Downloadable Content (DLC) for applicable EA games (games subject to change) - Mass Effect 2, Battlefield Heroes, The Sims 3, Spore, Battlefield: Bad Company 2 plus additional games may be available based on EA game release dates. Once all DLC content has been redeemed various options of other electronic downloads will be available as prizes. <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< Of course, I didn't win a Camaro from their last promo, but I figure there's much greater odds with this.

It should at least have a snippet of new info. (hopefully) (I wasn't really expecting new lineart or anything)

I think we should send pics of every single VF-1 with broken shoulders. Not only do they need to know that it's a current problem, but ALSO that there are still MANY people who have been waiting for months and months for replacement parts for ones that broke long ago. Again---I think numbers will count for more than clarity in this situation. Send cell phone pics if you have to. Just get pics of your broken valks so we can send them to Yamato--and that they can see pic after pic after pic after pic of broken valks. (the impression I get is that they still think this was a rare issue for the early ones, and that only like 5 broke) We need to convince them otherwise.

Seriously---everybody, post pics. I say we flood Yamato with pics of broken shoulders. Doesn't matter if they're clear or not, just show your broken Yammies. (and we really need to split this into another thread) Maybe I'll start one just for pics of broken shoulders.

Hopefully, a 1:6 pre-painted flightsuit Grace.

Can we all send pics of our broken shoulders? If you present them with 100 different photos of 100 different broken valks...

Whatever happened to the Grace article in #37? (I think it was 37)

Can you ask them for about 50 sets of smooth-pinned hinges for replacements? (at the very least, please let them know there's still a lot of VF-1 owners who have been waiting for months and months for parts and still have broken valks)

Rabidweezil wins for first clear pics.

Chronocidal--brighter light. Just from looking at your pics I think that'll help more than a new camera.

Triad's Barenless set is back: http://www.triadtoys.com/product_info.php?products_id=1859

pondo--there's already several threads about it. This thread is not for that, this is purely a poll.

I have no idea. I just plan to present all this evidence to Graham and see if he can get a big box of just shoulders or something (since shoulder breakages are a hot topic between him and Yamato now). Even if such a thing happens, distribution may be an issue. And your last sentence is another point I'd like to try to get across to Yamato---we just need the hinges, not the entire arm assembly.