I of course also love my original QMx Picard by Nanjin and his creative team -- it's great. Waiting around for QMx to produce Data, Geordi, Riker, etc. seems unlikely now, so the earlier TNG uniform idea was a good compromise -- just so that Picard is not alone. This was my first ever attempt at dremelling the neck off and hollowing it out. Finesse is key and I may still need to make the "rim" of his neck base thinner so it sits more flush with the neck, but it isn't obvious as long as I don't look for it from the back. It was a fun project.
Yeah. Most people would scarcely even consider it. It's a lot of fun when you get it right.
Sounds like you have a lot of experience with the neck removal procedure. How close to the jawline do you usually go? I did the usual straight across the base of skull of Picard's anterior hairline adjust below ears, then an abrupt downward slope while hugging the jawline left going under the chin with a curve. I took too much from under his chin though, as it does not sit flush on the current neck.
It's a tight line you walk, getting it right. You just need to keep test fitting the head till you get it right.
I normally chop the neck and then refine the interior line till it fits on the neck i am using for that figure.