My Gakken Alpha has a sore foot!

[jenius]

Sorry, I'm a newbie so if this is in the wrong place I apologize. Anyway, I just got my first 1/35th Gakken and I have a problem with it's right foot. Has anyone out there ever taken these Alpha's legs apart or is it a seriously bad idea? Anyone ever modify a Gakken Alpha? Really, I just want to know how I can get this right foot that is stuck pointing downward to release so that I can stand him without him looking like he's standing on his tippy toe.

Edited January 6, 2005 by jenius

[drifand]

If you've dared to disassemble pricey vintage mecha toys before, the Gakken 1/35 is no problem at all. I think the only worry is how to deal with the irreplaceable stickers that cover across both halves of the leg. For folks who don't care about "MIB" resale value (like me), simply use an exacto blade to slice the stickers neatly down the middle along the seam line before taking the leg apart. No one will really notice after you put them back together, AND it prevents any unsightly peel-off marks and sticker-curling.

As for the foot, you'll find that it uses a small plastic "clicker" rubbing against a row of raised grooves (also plastic). On some Alpha's, these grooves/studs have worn out (bad!) and the floppy foot won't lock in any position. OTOH, some toys have the clicker rammed-up tight against some of these grooves at a sharp angle, like in your case. Forcing the issue will probably either destroy the clicker or grooves. So you should take it apart, then apply some lube to the grooves (Teflon lube for bike chains is not bad). I've done the same for 2 of my Alphas, as well as repaired the broken hip-joint "clickers" on another. That's why ALL-PLASTIC construction isn't as appealing to me - durability suffers!

Good luck!