Sideshow 1/6 C-3PO

[Lejuan]

Yes, expression counts for a lot. HT's dead stare can make an otherwise exciting figure really boring.

I'm not so impressed with HT that I'll pass on a very decent Sideshow figure in expectation that HT will come along at some point in the future and nail it.

 

[TonTon]

With the Tama and this out there I guess it's surprising that people still wanna see another crack at 3PO--but the Tama is still pretty expensive and this has its own QC and other issues.

There's an assumption a HT will be better in a lot of the posts, probably both wishful thinking but also likely some brand preference based on other purchases. I think this 3PO is actually probably in line with some of the HT SW figures, nice but the head sculpt is a bit off, etc.

Based on HT vast experience with iron man figures both die cast and not, I'll admit to being curious as to what they can do with the droids. But the Tama 3PO and R2 are a couple of my favorites so I'm really not itching to spend money to replace figures I'm happy with.

If they're clearly better, great, but the more realistic outcome is there's going to be some good and bad like there is with a lot of these figures and agonizing over whether it's worth the upgrade will be a PIA. Just look at the HT Boba thread.

I actually really hope they do a TFA 3PO first so I could see what i'd be getting while having zero interest in purchasing it.

 

[TK0083]

Got C3PO over the weekend. Sure enough, already broken from the box. Supplier's gonna help me out

I went ahead and got rid of the chocolate milk weathering on both droids......

 

[The Green Goblin]

Has Sideshow fixed the messed up hands?

 

[EVILFACE]

On something that was already manufactured and shipped?

Maybe for the EST/ROTJ/AOTC/ROTS/TFA figure......

 

[devilof76]

I don't think they fixed it on 4-LOM either.

 

[TaliBane]

I don't think they fixed it on 4-LOM either.

Really? It's something they could fix so easily. Still mulling that figure.

 

[devilof76]

They'd need to make new molds with the hole facing the right way.

 

[EVILFACE]

I think 4-LAME has fixed fully sculpted change out hands.

 

[devilof76]

You're right about the hands, but so wrong about the lame.

 

[JCFETT]

Hey guys - already posted this to my thread (https://www.sideshowcollectors.com/.../170762-jc-fett-collection-2.html#post8646353) but obviously would like to share here as well - for those who want to fix thumbs but don't want to separate the hands completely.



Ok so here is my C3PO "I'm not a surgeon" approach to thumb fix.

BEFORE AND AFTER

Instead of opening the hand COMPLETELY, just open it slightly. Less heart attack, and overall just easier.

Get a fine flat head screwdriver.

You'll see a black spacer between the fingers that's attached to the bottom half of the hand, place the flathead above the spacer somewhere near the center fingers of the hand and apply pressure until it begins to separate from the top half, don't go hardcore, you just need to separate it a little bit to get the thumb out, you may hear a pop, you may also not, don't freak out, sometimes it does that as the pieces separate, DO be gentle at first and EASE the pressure to greater force until you get a big enough gap for the thumb t ball joint to come out.

In some cases once you are able to begin separation at the center of the hand, you may want to place the flathead nearer to the thumb base joint and separate it here, the thumb should easily twist and come out.

Great job, you did it! Here it is. We need to round off the T on that bad girl so we can get more rotation out of it.

Thankfully, the hard part is over. This is the easy part. Don't use an exacto or some sort of knife, your fingers are too precious to lose! Just take out some fine sand paper and round her off. Rounding the side of the T is easy, to round from underneath just place the sand paper at the edge of your desk and slide the bottom of the T joint over it to sand it from under. No big deal. Don't take too much off the joint because then the thumb will just bobble around loose. You want to keep a decent lip there so when you turn it sideways it will hold nicely in the hand halves. You'll end up with something like this

You're a real pro at this. High 5. Whoa, let's get the thumb in there first or it's really just a high 4. Go ahead and slip the thumb back in and twist, you should feel it tight as you've left enough of the T to hold it in place, and that's pretty much it. DONE.

Way to go champ!

I am C3PO Human thumb relations

On a separate note, does everyone else's threepio eyes show the white LEDs like this?

 

[JCFETT]

ah nevermind, I guess those three lights are screen accurate according to some photos I see of anthony daniels in his threepio

move along

 

[Jaymig926]

Awesome Fett thank you !!

 

[TaliBane]

You can also fix the size of the pupils (SSC"s are a bit too "pin-prick" small) so they're closer to the ones on the costume. Makes a nice difference to his 3PO-ness.

 

[JCFETT]

You can also fix the size of the pupils (SSC"s are a bit too "pin-prick" small) so they're closer to the ones on the costume. Makes a nice difference to his 3PO-ness.

you have my attention.. do go on Tali, what's the technique for that?

 

[Raiders March]

Not to answer for Talibane completely... But the hands of a surgeon. He can expand on that

 

[TaliBane]

I realized you can't clearly see what I did in the pic I took below because the pupils are slightly obscured (I'll try to find a better pic.)

But what I did was bought a 1.5mm punch (they are really cheap, I think mine was $1.50) and punched a piece of black plastic (like a document folder.) Then you take some tweezers and slide between the metal eye slots. The plastic document cover is about the right thickness to just sit held in place by the light tension between the slots and the eye.

It's actually pretty easy and even though it's only slightly bigger than the SSC, it's quite noticeable. Mostly because it's a clean black circle up front (like on the costume) not a blurry black circle hidden behind the translucent eye piece, seeming a bit too far back to me.

 

[okko]

Are you all living with brocken pistons?

My figure came brocken and even the replacement arms came like that (actually pretty sure they already broke when SS packed them). They not only break at the outer joint but also inside the slit, it's just much less noticeable. Now SS won't send any replacement anymore, only a discount. I'm seriously thinking about destroying the figure for a full refund, but sucks big time. So, who is living with brocken pistons?

 

[Cr00ky]

Are you all living with brocken pistons?

My figure came brocken and even the replacement arms came like that (actually pretty sure they already broke when SS packed them). They not only break at the outer joint but also inside the slit, it's just much less noticeable. Now SS won't send any replacement anymore, only a discount. I'm seriously thinking about destroying the figure for a full refund, but sucks big time. So, who is living with brocken pistons?

Mine arrived OK and fortunately because of the good folks on this forum I knew to disconnect the outer pistons before moving the arms. Unfortunately one of the inner pistons was jammed in its slot so the connection snapped within the forearm. Given the rest of the figure is OK, I've decided to live with it rather than ask for a replacement and end up possibly with a worse one (the piston does stay in it's slot once posed). Such a bad, fragile design!

 

[TaliBane]

When Tamashii did their 3PO, people freaked out because the (actual, fully functioning) pistons were made thicker than they were onscreen.

Then, Sideshow attempted to make the pistons the screen accurate thickness (though not actual functioning pistons) on their 3PO and have - as widely predicted in this thread pre-release - created a bit of a nightmare for both them, and their customers.

Despite a bit of a miss in the headsculpt, it's a very nice 3PO figure - but this piston thing they should have seen coming a mile away. What they probably should have done is make them with a "snap-on" attachment at both ends and shipped the pistons separate from the arms, or made the piston and fixtures metal.