How2Do : Removing Heads From 5" Figures (The Boil & Pop Method)

[@menkomonty]

The boil and pop method is pretty much how I disassemble my figures when I do a custom. I find it the most simplest way of disassembling my figures and I can make myself a cuppa while I'm at it.

[@CaptainJimiPie]

It is a good method of doing it, personally I prefer the cutting method, partly because it's quicker but also I'm not worried about retaining articulation in my figures as they're only going to go on display rather than be used for anything

[@menkomonty]

Same here. I just make custom figures for display pieces only.

[@rhyanbennett2629]

Menko Monty would you do any video showcases of your customs? I’d be most interested.

[@TidmouthYard]

I tend to split the torso piece apart with a knife. It's the easiest way of getting the arms and legs out without stretching them too.

[@CaptainJimiPie]

That is another method of doing it that as you say stops the plastic warping and stretching but the problem with that is that you can sometimes damage the torso if you're not used to doing it and depending on how well the torso is fixed together

[@TidmouthYard]

I always make a hole at the seem, somewhere it won't be visible or affect the shape of the figure. A bit of glue or blu tac ensures it stays together if I break the internal pegs.

[@CaptainJimiPie]

Fair enough that is a good way of doing it, I'm never usually that bothered about swapping over arms and legs, I usually saw figure at the waist and then sand down the two halves to glue together

[@rhyanbennett2629]

Tidmouth Yard I do a combination of the two. I put it in biking water and then use a craft knife along the seem if I can find a suitable beginning point, or a normal knife to lever apart both parts from the neck hole.

[@rhyanbennett2629]

CaptainJimiPie man it’s weird going through all these comments of people’s different methods- and I realise that I used pretty much every single one on my most recent (read: first non-repaint) custom in the shape of my ‘Only the Good’ War Master.

[@_henryd_]

So glad I found this video. I'd heard about the method but wasn't too sure on how to do it properly so thanks! I plan on using this on customising a 10th doctor figure to have a coat-less (the brown trench coat) "sticky uppy" hair version of a 10th doctor since the only version of that I can find is the End of Time version with the battered looking suit and since I have 2 spare ten figures (one coat-less with flat hair and one with coat and spiky hair) I thought I might as well use this to swap the heads - but basically thanks, this helped a lot!

[@CaptainJimiPie]

No worries!

[@kori03]

Thanks for keeping us, "ahead". (crawls up in a corner)

[@darraghwalsh2730]

Croissant-Head that was very punny

[@CaptainJimiPie]

Well I do my best to give people a heads up on how to do things haha

[@darraghwalsh2730]

CaptainJimiPie could you do a theory on why the doctor chose his name or why he left gallifrey in the first place

[@CaptainJimiPie]

Not something I'd probably do as both are part of the mystery of the show and whilst there have been hints and things mentioned over the years personally I prefer it to be a mystery

[@darraghwalsh2730]

CaptainJimiPie okay thanks for responding

[@X08-Chill]

Does the 12th doctor figure have a peg hole or a peg? (Wanted to know if this is needed to swap the series 8 Capaldi's head)

[@CaptainJimiPie]

All Twelfth Doctor figures released so far have a peg on the body and hole in the base of the neck so they can be just swapped over

[@X08-Chill]

Thanks!

[@CaptainJimiPie]

No worries!

[@CybermanBill]

I prefer the blow dryer/ heat gun method. To me, it's much more simple and doesn't take that long. It also works for all the other joints. Which do you think is the better way to do this?

[@CaptainJimiPie]

I believe this works on other joints too but I know people do say the heat gun version is quicker. Personally I just prefer to cut and glue pieces as it's the quickest way I've found of doing it and as my figures just get displayed on shelves there's no reason to retain articulation in them

[@samuelliddell6715]

Would it work on a 2010 eleventh doctor regeneration figure so I could swap it with a tenth doctor head?

[@CaptainJimiPie]

Without doing it myself I can't advise on individual figures, but if the head doesn't come off on a peg then I would assume it is possible

[@killianflaherty3423]

Would this method also work on the hands? I have an idea to make a custom Owen from Torchwood but would like it he was able to hold the gun

[@CaptainJimiPie]

As long as the hands are made to be removable (for example the Tenth Doctor figure ones aren't made to be articulated) on the base figure then it should work fine

[@Miru_Man]

Is the articulation the same afterwards, or does it become looser? Also the heads are often a softer plastic to begin with, will this work the same way with say.. an arm?

[@CaptainJimiPie]

To be honest it varies from figure to figure but usually the articulation will be a bit looser, and it will work with arms and legs but as with the head due care and attention is needed to avoid damage

[@Miru_Man]

@@CaptainJimiPie Good to know, thanks!

[@CaptainJimiPie]

No worries

[@AubreySciFi]

Nice mug!

[@CaptainJimiPie]

Thanks haha it's my special tea mug for watching new episodes of Doctor Who

[@doctorwhoproductions834]

CaptainJimiPie I have a special cup for watching doctor who with too

[@ClonePilotSwoop]

This was a very informative video. I first heard of the boiling water technique customizing WWE figures. BUT then found a better method with the hair dryer. So trying to do a headswap on a 3rd Doctor I tried the hair dryer, it didn't work, I ended up tearing the head. Luckily I was putting it on a Regenerated 4th Doctor which has a peg. So I just had to drill a hole into the neck anyway. But wow, I will definitely try this today!

[@CaptainJimiPie]

No worries and the boil method is better than the hair dyer in my experience as a hair dryer is more likely to damage the plastic due to higher heats

[@Simon83O79]

Got any tutorial for putting heads back in?

[@CaptainJimiPie]

I covered how to put them back in at 3:35 in this video

[@Simon83O79]

Hi, Great vid, But im having a lot of difficulty trying to reattach the davros head. It just wont go back in

[@CaptainJimiPie]

Unfortunately without doing it myself I can't really advise on the best way to reattach specific heads, all I can suggest is patience and care to avoid damaging the head or figure

[@Simon83O79]

@@CaptainJimiPie are you on any discords?

[@CaptainJimiPie]

No, sorry not my kind of thing

[@AzzaAllonsy]

What about the donna noble figure?

[@CaptainJimiPie]

I'm afraid I can't advise on specific figures, you'd have to try it yourself

[@DucksFor4]

Please make a updated version

[@CaptainJimiPie]

But there's nothing to update with this, it's still the same method

[@DucksFor4]

CaptainJimiPie Oh sorry I meant can you tell us how to completely take it apart because I need to take a figure completely apart without using anything stupid.

[@CaptainJimiPie]

Ah I see, well unfortunately it's not really something I can do, simply because no two figures come apart or go together in the same way, what works for one might not work for another

[@GeorgeChase1984]

How would you swap heads?

[@CaptainJimiPie]

I'm a little confused what you mean as I pretty much explain that in the video? The ones that are on pegs just swap and the ones that have the pegs on the sculpt you can just soak and squeeze back into the torso as I show in this video

[@Miru_Man]

Your 1 hour early, it's still Tuesday! lol

[@CaptainJimiPie]

Maybe it's still Tuesday where you are but this video went live at midnight local time here in Sweden so I'm actually right on time as far as my channel is concerned haha

[@Miru_Man]

Oh! Sorry, I thought you were in the UK. My bad!

[@CaptainJimiPie]

Nope haha from the UK but I live in Sweden with my partner as she's originally from here and we moved a year ago

[@doctorwhoproductions834]

I'm going to get a couple doctor figures (2nd,3rd etc) and put head on the next doctor to show regeneration

[@doctorwhoproductions834]

Also how do you remove the mushroom peg so you can get a non mushroom peg head on

[@CaptainJimiPie]

If you mean the part that stick out the bottom of the head on figures like this then you can't it's part of the mould of the head, generally the only way I've found to put a head that doesn't have that extra moulded part onto a figure is either to glue or not make your own makeshift peg for it to attach to

[@doctorwhoproductions834]

CaptainJimiPie what if I cut the peg on head and then drill a hole in the bottom of the head then glue the head on the body removable head I.e.the 1st doctors body with the 2nd doctors head

[@CaptainJimiPie]

No idea as I've never tried that myself, but you do risk ruining the head if you start drilling into it, so it's entirely up to you

[@deanohenwood8794]

Do you collect Star Wars figures

[@CaptainJimiPie]

No, I do like Star Wars but not really big on the merchandise