Since I collect for the purpose of customizing, all G1 ponies who enter my home get their internal metal parts removed so that they can be sufficiently cleaned. This means that the tail washer comes out, and the metal clamp gets pried off and replaced with a zip-tie.
However, I can never get the zip-tie as tight as the clamp, and as a result the tail is always a little loosely held together and prone to falling apart. Am I not using small enough ties? Or is there something I'm missing? I'd like to hear what you have to say on the matter, and if you think it's worth the effort.