22 replies to this topic

[TeufelHund]

I recently acquired a MISB copy of Race for the Stolen Treasure (Indiana Jones) and passed all the minifig parts to my 3 year old to build for me while I built the rest of the set.

For some reason all the German Soldier minifig heads are now stuck fast to their bodies (thankfully he lined them all up pretty well with the front of the figure) yet strangely Indy's head comes free easily.

Any one else experienced this problem? I am a huge guy and no amount of basic physical tugging looks like it will do any good. I was thinking about maybe using some detergent distileld in water to loosen them but I don't want to damage the prints on the torsos. Any ideas?

[SlyOwl]

Pop them in hot water? It seems to be the solution to quite a lot of Lego problems!

[mikey]

I have had this problem when I bought older MISB sets, when they used to attach the head to the torso.  You might have already tried this, I found twisting the head loosened up the connection.  Once it is rotating nicely, then it can be pulled off easily.

[Modulex Guy]

SlyOwl, on 09 June 2011 - 09:17 AM, said:

Pop them in hot water? It seems to be the solution to quite a lot of Lego problems!

...but not too hot to damage the plastic.

Water that is slightly above warm works well to "loosen" the head.

[SlyOwl]

Polish Guy, on 09 June 2011 - 10:02 PM, said:

...but not too hot to damage the plastic.

I've tried to melt Lego on numerous occassions - and the only successful time was with a naked flame (don't worry, I did it to an already broken piece!). Boiling hot water, right under a desk lamp + magnifying glass - no avail!
I did put a ribbed hose in hot water once (it's made from a softer plastic) - it lost some definition, but nothing too bad.

[Jargo]

WD40 or some other oil type solution. If it'll work for stuck tight nuts and bolts it'll work on stuck tight lego bricks.

[Modulex Guy]

Brickenhead-town-dweller, on 11 June 2011 - 04:07 PM, said:

WD40 or some other oil type solution. If it'll work for stuck tight nuts and bolts it'll work on stuck tight lego bricks.

I would not use that on LEGO, the stuff has a harsh smell and it is almost impossible to get off.

[prateek]

Just use pliers to yank it off, but make sure to use padding so the head doesn't get damaged.

[brickmack]

Sometimes I use those rubber grip things used for removing stuck bottle caps, but you have to be careful not to rub off the printing. Sometimes with new sets the heads get stuck on, and the only way to be sure it doesn't happen is to slowly push the head down when you are first putting it on, while twisting it in alternating directions.

SlyOwl, on 11 June 2011 - 03:28 PM, said:

I've tried to melt Lego on numerous occassions - and the only successful time was with a naked flame (don't worry, I did it to an already broken piece!). Boiling hot water, right under a desk lamp + magnifying glass - no avail!
I did put a ribbed hose in hot water once (it's made from a softer plastic) - it lost some definition, but nothing too bad.

Hot water won't melt LEGO, but I think it will make it brittle over time.

[Red Bricks]

Hot water would do it, Never use soap, it severely deforms your minifigure, That takes me back to 2007  

[Devorath]

I placed the new SW Trooper head inside the CMF Gorrilla 'hat' piece, and now it's stuck. Does anyone have a way to get a minifigure head out? I have tried twisting the head, and trying to pull the head out, but I did these to no prevail. I would like some suggestions, as I want to use the head for a Gambit minifigure.
Thanks

[Spitfire2865]

Put a brand new torso on it? and then pull?
Or maybe use some sort of tool like tweezers.

[LegoCityMann]

Use a Technic pin or a Technic beam, usually works for me.

[Boxerlego]

Needle nose pliers work great.

[Leo Crimson]

You could also try sticking the head-hat onto the neck of another minifigure and try pulling it off that way. I did it a couple times for my hoods.

[Sid Sidious]

If you use pliers, try putting a piece of cloth over the tips so the head isn't scratched mercilessly.

[costabkz]

Needle nose pliers work great.

[Spider-Man]

Sid Sidious, on 22 April 2013 - 02:34 AM, said:

If you use pliers, try putting a piece of cloth over the tips so the head isn't scratched mercilessly.

This!! I have damaged one head too many that way Luckily they weren't ever really important ones...

[obsidianheart]

I once saw a tutorial where a guy would put a technic pin in the neck socket, then put a lightsaber blade type bar in the technic pin. The one time I tried it (with a 3rd party helmet, though), it didn't work, so your mileage may vary.

[Saint]

Put it on a torso, create a little bit of friction ( like snapping it half , but not so drastic ) and pull the helmet ( or gorrilla head ) off. Works for me .


grtz Saint

[A2L]

For me the cotton bud works very well. I just insert it and push it out genly at an angle. The head comes out neatly without damage or scratches. You have to use the full cotton buds, not the thin soft ones for babies. I use J&J.

[Brickdoctor]

Saint, on 22 April 2013 - 09:43 AM, said:

Put it on a torso, create a little bit of friction ( like snapping it half , but not so drastic ) and pull the helmet ( or gorrilla head ) off. Works for me .

That's what I do, too. I did have one head once that was particularly tough to get out: I'd put a Vader head (Chrome Vader's if it makes any difference.) into the helmet of the CMF S9 Knight, and couldn't get that one out. Ended up using a Technic axle and wiggling it around a bit, and then tried again with the torso, wiggling it again before doing the "bend and pull" method Saint described, and it came out fairly easily. (I used a Technic axle and not a pin because the axle can be slid in and out without creating enough friction to push the head back in if you've gotten it a little bit out. That effect was avoided when I went back to using the torso by twisting the torso as I eased the neck pin back into the head.)

[ronnyyun]

Use a Technic pin or a Technic beam, usually works for me.