Asmus Toys: Gandalf the White

[Wor-Gar]

Awesome futzing job, expecially on the cape. You managed to get those beautiful foldings just with water treat? I find the cape material particulary hard to shape even wet...

Thank you, sir.

Its a canvas material, very stiff, but if you take your time -- and spray down the material as you work with a spray bottle -- it shapes very easily. Cape took me maybe 7-12 minutes.

However, before I put it on, I wetted it, and wrung it out like a wet towel to get some nice creases and folds in it. Then shook it out, pulled the front part with the edge detail smooth, and popped it on the figure for specific placement.

Start at the shoulders and work your way down.

 

[Aumakua]

Just wanted to give a quick comment on the head "issues". 99% of my collection is EB and HT, in fact I think this is my first off-brand received (have a few three-zero GOT on order). My expectations were actually lowered prior to receiving Gandalf based on complaints about the costume and head, this was a good thing (to have lowered expectations). After receiving it, its not that bad, especially the narrow head, it looks worse in pictures than it is in person, in person its not bad at all. I think the weapons are fine, not a ton of detail but not horrible either. The neck issue concerned me at first, along with his head and neck seemingly crooked compared to his torso! I tried just moving it around at first but it just didn't seem right, both the gap and not being centered. So I popped off the head, fiddled with the neck rubber and sockets a little, straightened everything out (think they assembled it wrong). Popped the head back on and everything was straight but it was really hard to get the neck rubber around the socket part, tried it again with some WD40 lube spray, didn't get it 100% perfect but its damn close and I did not have to shave anything on the neck, can hardly see the gap now.

I got mine using $50 worth of AE points so I won't complain at $140 paid, but if they want $200 shipped for future figures I might have a hard time paying that without the HT quality. Gandalf was the primary figure I wanted since I have his UC sword displayed in my theatre room. As far as I know this is the best 1/6 Gandalf out there!

 

[Darklord Dave]

Thanks guys. And OK, here's the quick and simple how-to:


First, here's a comparison of the socket before and after (and the neck differential):

Tutorial:

First, here's what you should see when you pop off the head. Clearly the socket that receives the ball joint is too shallow.

So get a pair of needlenose pliers and pull that socket out. I used a kitchen knife to work the edges loose first. Heat the head if you like, it always helps. Just be gentle. But there's no glue so it will just pop out once you loosen it up.

View attachment 137860

Once its out, you can see the deep hole in the head. Plenty of depth there, but perhaps when the head was cast and narrowed, it tightened the hole.

Anyway, you see the nub on top of the socket plug?

View attachment 137861


I cut that part off with an exacto. I also trimmed to corner's off so that I could get it to slide in easier.


Then I heated the head again -- and shoved that socket inside using the handle part of my needlenose pliers to make it sink in all the way. Here's what it looks like all the way in:


And that's it. Depending on your own head, you may not even need to cut that top portion off. It depends how deep you can push the socket inside.

Hope that helps the few that kept their Gandalf. Once the head is better seated on the neck and shoulders, I don't see the "squished" face quite so much anymore. It really is a very, very nice figure.


I don't have a before-after of the final head mod compared to out-of-the-box but I think there's enough pics of that. Here's a couple of the post head mod:

Hope to have some fully futzed pics up later today of the finished Gandalf....

Good solution, wished I'd thought of it before dremeling the inside of the head.

I took a different approach to the vest, I used a .7 paint pen to go over the black lines with silver. Of course I should have looked at my PF before doing so, the actual embroidery is gold as is the rest of the Asmus vest (although it's hard to tell - could be silver, could be gold). But the silver looks out of place. Luckily I have another vest and I'm going to try the same thing with gold and then mute it with a light white wash.

But all of this modding has really made me appreciate the SSC Gandalf the White PF - the costume on it is truly a marvel.

 

[Wor-Gar]

Thanks, Dave.

Definitely would like to see the vest work when you're done. I'd hate to un-futz my Gandalf now that he's frozen in a good pose... but if I could improve the vest...

 

[superdoug]

So I got my Gandalf yesterday.

Overall I was pretty impressed. The paint and detail on the sculpt is far better than the old SS figures in my opinion. The funny thing was while I liked it right away and my 8 year old daughter was impressed with it my 6 year old son comes into the room takes a look and the first words out of his mouth are "why is his head so skinny".

 

[SurlyJ]

Finding myself looking at this more and more and wanting to get it despite having sold my witch king recently. Will have to rebuy that too... Still think I'm good on Guritz and Gothmog though.

 

[denrep-lilium]

I just pushed the plug into the head slowly and strongly (with a metal tool). The head sits well now, and it seems it pushed the deformed sculpt from inside a bit, to look more like proto, so it looks nicer . And painting is actually good on this one.

 

[hoodonit00]

I just pushed the plug into the head slowly and strongly (with a metal tool). The head sits well now, and it seems it pushed the deformed sculpt from inside a bit, to look more like proto, so it looks nicer . And painting is actually good on this one.

Would't that be some **** if the head sculpt was narrow because the cup wasn't deep enough. It would make sense if the cavity was tapered.

 

[denrep-lilium]

Would't that be some **** if the head sculpt was narrow because the cup wasn't deep enough. It would make sense if the cavity was tapered.

After reading the thread and inspecting mine, I have to admit that it was not assembled rightly and it caused my first bad attitude towards long neck, now its sits right where it should (with NO MODS).
Maybe it is just my imagination, but it seems head did change its look, just a little bit.

 

[ayoldguy1]

I just pushed the plug into the head slowly and strongly (with a metal tool). The head sits well now, and it seems it pushed the deformed sculpt from inside a bit, to look more like proto, so it looks nicer . And painting is actually good on this one.

What tool did you use, specifically?

Thanks

 

[Wor-Gar]

(with NO MODS).

Well, to be fair, the mod IS to push the cup further in.

Also, some of you may be lucky enough to get that cup deeper inside, but how do you know it's actually flush? You guys need to post some pics of your fixes so we can see. I really believe you need to do a little more than just push the plug in more. I think you need to cut off the top 'bump' and trim the sides of the edge to truly get that socket deep inside where it belongs so the head sits correctly. I pushed mine first before making trims -- and couldn't get it deep enough to look perfect. Once I made the cuts, it fit much better.

But look, anything is an improvement over how it is shipped to you.

 

[Sankari]

Nice fuzzing , but I'm holding out for Gandalf the grey. I wasn´t too satisfied with the sculpted hair on this one

 

[denrep-lilium]

The tool was a spoon

 

[Gipetto0812]

awesome work Wor-Gar!!!

 

[SithThundercracker]

I cutted the cap, Wor-Gar, and gained about 3-4mm. Enough to make the gap almost disappear. Nice solution!

 

[Wor-Gar]

Excellent! Glad it worked. Thanks again, you all.

I really hope everyone who got this figure will try this fix. Simplest way ever to seriously improve a figure. I hope Asmus takes note for any future issue like this before they just ship it out.

 

[Asmus]

Excellent! Glad it worked. Thanks again, you all.

I really hope everyone who got this figure will try this fix. Simplest way ever to seriously improve a figure. I hope Asmus takes note for any future issue like this before they just ship it out.

Roger that !

Hope the Open Production Program will avoid this kinda thing happen again.

 

[Husker75]

Got my gandy yesterday, love him! The head mod is easy, and really makes this a perfect figure for me. Still way better paint wise and sculpt wise than the sideshow one. I love that figure, but come on guys.. no comparison. It's mostly sideshows crap paint (which is funny, because gandalf the grey was considered one of the better paint jobs they'd done) that makes it inferior to this.

I can't wait to start futzing with mine more. I will also probably take the advise on painting the black lines on the vest. I like it all a little more muted and white looking, but that's kind of my personal preference.

Good job Asmus. Hope the future figures can avoid the head issues. I'd also be very careful with pricing. You approached hot toys level with this guy, and he didn't have enough accessories to really justify that.

Big big thanks to WorGar for the always amazing futzing and head fix tutorial! You help make my figures pop! Love reading your tips!

 

[Wor-Gar]

Thanks, Husker! Really happy it helped!

Now some of you guys owe pictures in this thread to keep the love going.

Roger that !

Hope the Open Production Program will avoid this kinda thing happen again.

Really excellent of you guys at Asmus to be listining to us like you do, and actually make the effort to inact good suggestions. Even to the point of building an Open Production Program for synergy between you and your client base.

I think it's really smart in this day and age of mass (and immediate) communication.

 

[hoodonit00]

Thanks, Husker! Really happy it helped!

Now some of you guys owe pictures in this thread to keep the love going.




Really excellent of you guys at Asmus to be listining to us like you do, and actually make the effort to inact good suggestions. Even to the point of building an Open Production Program for synergy between you and your client base.

I think it's really smart in this day and age of mass (and immediate) communication.

I haven't done anything with mine yet. and I'm going away this weekend. Maybe sometime next week. Asmus I hope there is an update on Aragorn soon.