Taking the head off a G3?

[InkyMilk]

Hi pony peeps! So, I've finally gotten around to cleaning up alot the entire lot of G3's I found a week ago, but last and waiting is the beautiful Merriweather. I thought something was odd with her when I picked her up...and I realize that when I shake her, it sounds like she has WATER inside of her O_o A lot of water. Since I bought her at a flea market I have absolutely no idea how she got that way...and I'm a little hesitant that there will be major grossness once I open her up, but alas, she can't stay that way!

Problem is, I'm having a lot of difficulty in popping her head off even though I've tried all the usual methods I use with my G1's. So, when it comes to G3's, is the only option just to have to actually cut their necks at the seam? Or...is there some other way I'm just missing? The more I look at her the more I'm grossed out that she has water inside her, and I'm really hoping she won't be ruined because of it.

[Lorelei Redfern]

well  hte way i got the   head off and on my g3s is  to  use a hair dryer and heat the neck fo ra  few moments until it gets soft and then jsut twist  and  pull the head.  (the   same for putting back on stubborn heads

[rybett]

I just took one out of the dishwasher.  Yep, I'm weird!  But, the head came off easily and the body was nice and clean.  Not to be tried with hair though. 

[BlueyBirdy]

I use the same method that Lorelei Redfern mentioned. Be careful when doing this though as the plastic can get hotter than you might initially think.

Finding a gross pony is a rite of passage for all collectors. Most folks have got a battle story or two on the subject!

[bbassel]

I was reading mlp preservation site last night and a method was suggested usind dental floss and i think nail polish remover/acetone and gently saw the head off at the neckline . Check it out to make sure but be careful of the paint as this will remove it. I would only use this method as a last resort though. Good luck with her

[Saja]

Oh that Dental floss idea sounds interesting, might give that a shot when the need arrises!

[LadyMoondancer]

Early G3s have an ENORMOUS amount of neck glue.  I don't know if Hasbro was planning to hide gold there so the elves wouldn't get it or what.

When I used to customize G3s, I would boil some water, dunk the pony in, pull it out, push the pony's head back and forth to loosen it, dunk it again, etc.

Sometimes I would also use an Xacto knife to cut into the neck seam, trying not to cut through the actual plug that holds the head in.   IF I succeeded (and I didn't always), then I would go back to pushing the pony's head back and forth.  If I could get a bit of an opening between the edge of the neck plug and the outer part of the neck, I would often push the end of a pair of needlenosed pliers in the hole and kind of "work it" until it got bigger.

[hathorcat]

I agree with the methods above. If boiling water or a very hot wet cloth around the neck are not enough to soften and remove the glue then I would try a hair dryer or the acetone/dental floss method. Honestly I would try everything possible before you resort to a knife it is far too easy to damage the visible plastic. You can try making several small needle pin marks around the neck seam before the boiling water as it allows the heat to get to the glue. I have also heard people drip acetone down a needle into these marks before boiling.

[InkyMilk]

Thanks guys! I'm thinking maybe she's just going to require hotter water than any of my G1s and both the dental floss and needle ideas sound like they might work too. I was just surprised at how STUCK her head really is O_o

Haha, and crossing my fingers her insides aren't as grody as I'm suspecting xD She's still so pretty on the outside, it'd be a shame to let her stay this way!