[windebieste]

hmmmm... lemme see. where were we..?

Oh, Yes! I remember now!

My apologies for not making an appearance here lately and keeping up with these posts. I've been busy. Amongst other things I have been working on a major project that is rapidly nearing completion. I've also been building a web site and generally getting on with my life. Wow... So much happening all at once. Besides, the Christmas and New Year break did provide me with the opportunity to speedily get a few extra posts in very quickly but I will have to slow down now. I have to reduce my output and will only be able to post once a week from now on rather than one post each day.

Anyway, on with the next EXCITING AND THRILL PACKED EPISODE of 'How to Care for your Alien'! Bet you can't wait, right?

Frequently, these old figures experience a looseness in their leg joints at the hips. 36 years hasn't been kind to many of them and some of them have become so loose at these joints they fail to stand up and have to be propped up or lean against a wall or other surface to support them. It's a very concerning experience to have your valuable old Alien topple over onto its face, potentially falling at a distance that can easily cause more damage to the figure.

Luckily, it's a relatively easy process to give the old worn out joints some new firmness and the ability to stand confidently without pitching face first into an embarrassing faceplant.

Disassemble the figure and wrap some teflon tape around the leg spindle and re-assemble the figure. Job done.

Just wind it 'round once and cut it with a pair of scissors.

Yeah. It's that easy. So, what's this strange and magical teflon tape of which I speak?

'Teflon tape' is actually a thread sealing tape that plumbers use to prevent leaks in pipe joints. It is extremely pliable and flexible, strong and perfect for winding around the spindle of the leg so that it reduces the amount of play between both moving parts.

It is also completely adhesive free which makes it perfect for the job at hand as it is easily removed without risk of leaving any sticky residue. Along with its dryness, it is soft and smooth allowing for perfect oil free lubrication so that both surfaces of the torso and leg no longer cause any abrasion within the joint.

The tape can be purchased from all good plumber suppliers in any hardware store. It costs around $2 per spool. An applicaton of just a single winding of tape upon each leg spindle should be an adequate repair for most figures. 2 windings at the most on each leg spindle if the legs are particularly loose.

For such a small cost, you can not only have your old vintage figure standing upright with confidence but you can now also go fix that damned leaky pipe under your kitchen as well. Brilliant!

-Windebieste

By the way, just in case you were curious, I'm about half way through my exploration of this awesome action figure so there's still a lot to go.