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Category: Figure Collection Topic


Just How Well Have Your PVC Figures Aging Through Time?

Filed Under: Featured, Figure Collection Topic, Otaku Home screen, Other Figures, Project
Mar.16, 2010

A few months ago, blogging comrade Blowfish asked me about how well has my figure collection aged through the years.  I promised him I would look into it because I just so happen to have a pair of identical figures that remained unopened for the past 6 years or so.  I am sorry Blowfish >.<;  I kept pushing this out and out and out and now I realized that I pushed it out for 4 months!  But today, I am going to make good on my promise and do what I said I was going to do 4 months ago!  Here I present to you the pair of Pia Carrot 3 Hasegawa Akemi Floral Mint Type made by Kotobukiya back in January 2004.  The figure on the your right hand has been opened since the day it arrived at my house but it has been under the protection of my dust shield since there; on the other hand, the figure on your left has stayed in the box during this entire time, no accidental exposure to Ultraviolet light, minimum contact with air, etc.

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I have always considered Ultraviolet light and oxygen the two biggest enemies to my figure collection, so I have made it a point to never expose my figure collection under direct sunlight for an extended period of time since it can cause chemical reactions to the PVC or painted surfaces of the figure.  Oxygen on the other hand, is an extreme active agent that can react with just about anything, including but not limited to paint, plastic, metal given enough time.  Obviously, I cannot eliminate oxygen since I do not have a vacuum sealed display cabinet, but I have taken steps to slow down the oxidation process by restricting airflow to my figure collection through my Dust Shield +1. View Full Article »

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Wolfhinrich’s World First Anniversary

Filed Under: Dollfie Dream, Eroge PC Game, Figure Collection Topic, Otaku Home screen, Photo Shoot & Review, Project
Feb.05, 2010

Like a blink of an eye really, one whole year has gone by and I have finally achieved one of the major milestone of any bloggers – hitting the first anniversary!  I must thank you for all of your support, visits, clicks, comments and encouragement!  Looking back when I first started blogging, my original goal was to introduce myself to the worldwide of Otaku that I – Wolfheinich exists here!  I think I have mentioned in the past, I was very much like a closet otaku, I have little real life friends that share my interest, I have no way to share my joy of unpacking my new figures or do I have anyone to converse with how cute this 2D girl is or what not.  What I desire most, is to seek out to like minded otaku who can share my interest, making new friends.

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Stumbling onto Dannychoo.com was a major turning point for me, I never knew there is an online community like that before!  After spending a few days on Danny’s site, I decided I too want to become a blogger so I can really introduce myself to the community.  After one whole year, I am confident to say that I have achieved way more than what I had in mind.  I have made a bunch of new friends, gotten into Dollfie Dream (which is like the greatest thing since sliced bread), and even traveled to Japan to see Odaiba Gundam, Kamen Rider Decade and Evangelion 2.0 movie with fellow Dannychoo member Fumoffu.

Let’s take a quick look at the transformation that Wolfheinrich’s World has gone thru in the past year!  I really had no idea what to blog about at the beginning, so I started off with a my room post soon after I began! View Full Article »

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Ikea Detolf Dioder Project Final Phase

Filed Under: Featured, Figure Collection Topic, Otaku Home screen, Project
Jun.25, 2009

Exactly a month ago on the Memorial Day weekend, I started that Ikea Detolf Dioder Project in which I have finally managed to install the much needed lighting system to my Ikea Detolf, however, I left a vital part of the project unfinished on that day – to manage the exit wiring harness.

I really didn’t know what to do at that time, first each of the Dioder has the exact length power cable toward the transformer, meaning by the time the I finish routing the cables inside the Detolf, the exit wire length would be different for each of the cable.  See the power adapter hanging in the middle of the air?  Just bloody awful looking >.>;

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Asuka Langley Soryu 造形補完計画 (Shapeup Completion Project)

Filed Under: Figure Collection Topic, Otaku Home screen, Project
May.24, 2009

It’s been ages since I have acquired the Amie-Grand Asuka in summerwear, I have always liked her but there is a serious problem with this PVC figure…

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Picture Source: Hobby Link Japan

Overall, this is a fairly nice Asuka figure, nice facial expression (I like the deredere Asuka), the painting is good, just about everything is good except this figure can’t stand straight!  Like I have talked about in one of my earlier figure collection topic.  This figure has tortmented me for ages and I have tried various different techniques to try keep her straight.  I tried tipping her over, putting something under her base and even tried to glue her feet down to the base.  None of those techniques worked.  While I was working on my Detolf Dioder project earlier today (This Asuka has always been inside the Detolf), I finally decided to put an end to this problem.  But none of the previous techniques had worked before, what could I possibly do?  But I am an Engineer, I have to figure out a way around the problem!  Finally, it came to me… I need to pin her down like what people do with their resin kits!

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My Ikea Detolf Dioder project

Filed Under: Featured, Figure Collection Topic, Otaku Home screen, Project
May.24, 2009

Today is another very productive day in the Memorial Day weekdend.  I finally got myself together to complete the Detolf Dioder project that I have been putting off for months.  Unlike the current trend in the figurine collectors community, I have not been a huge fan of the Ikea Detolf due to it’s inability to adjust shelf height, and therefore, inefficient use of the precious little space that I have in my room (notice the huge empty space above the figurines above the 2nd shelf?).  However, I do have a Detolf in the little corner of my room where it’s most suitable and I have finally decided to put the Ikea Dioder strip on it.

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Figure Collection Topic – Dust shield +1

Filed Under: Figure Collection Topic, Otaku Home screen, Project
Mar.29, 2009

I have been making great progress for the past few days, the new Billy, new Expedite, and right in the middle of all that, a new idea came to me on how to improve my dust shield.  Dust is the one of the greatest enemies of collectors in general, whether it is China dishes, or Japanese Anime Figurines; it doesn’t matter, dust is still the one of the greatest threat to all of us.

I have discussed how I use 3M film to protect my figurine collection from dust, but there was always a big flaw in my original plan.  The fact that I leave the bottom edge open for easy access has led to some figurines being covered in dust due to air draft from some of my computers.  As anyone who has done failure mode analysis would tell you, prevention is always weighted more importantly than detection.  Cleaning the dust after you see them is in no way as effective as preventing the dust from accumulating in the first place.  It’s also my believe that dust get attracted to object because of the charged ion in the air within indoor environment.  Conventionally, you would use a brush to brush off the dust, but that alone could generate static charge on the surface that ended up attracting the dust again.  Have you ever gotten the feeling why you can’t quite brush the dust off?

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Figure Collection Topic – Dust off

Filed Under: Figure Collection Topic, Otaku Home screen
Feb.21, 2009

I would really like to hear how you all fellow collectors try to keep dust out of your figure collection.  Personally, I have been using this particular 3M product for many years.

Originally, I use this to protect my precious poster from dirt and dust, day to day wear and tear.  But when my figure collection grew from just a couple to over a hundred, it’s starting to get out of hand.  And since most of my earlier collection were made from polystone or cold cast resin, its better off that I don’t touch them at all (since they are rather rigid and brittle).  The result is like this:

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I use the double sided tape to tape off the top, left and right side of my bookshelves, leaving the bottom side open for easy access.  This solution does not completely eliminate dust, but it cut it down quite well.

Edit: Add more pictures

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Figure collection topic-Leaning figures

Filed Under: Figure Collection Topic, Otaku Home screen
Feb.19, 2009

Here I want to talk about one of the most irriating issues for most collectors – the figure can’t stand up straight.

Hi, I am Lamia Loveless

Hi, I am Lamia Loveless

And I am leaning over!

And I am leaning over!

So, just why do they lean over like that?

Here I shall attempt to explain the mechanics behind the leaning figures.   There are several factors that can contribute to this phenomenon:

  1. Material stiffness
  2. Temperature and Relative humidity
  3. Weight distribution

Back in the early days of figure collecting, most of them were done in cold cast resin.  PVC figures were no where near as popular as it is today.  Cold cast resin figures are stiff, they generally don’t deform under normal circumstances.  PVC figures on the other hand, behave a lot different when expose to high temperature (take a hair dryer, blow at your PVC figure and you will know what I mean).  Nowadays, most manufacturers incorporate ABS resin into their figure to achieve better support and weight balance.  However, ABS resin is not immune from deformation or stress relief under high temperature and humidity either.  The injection molding process of ABS introduces shear stress to the part and cannot be avoided.  When the parts are placed in high temperature and humidity, it can undergo stress relief and deform to where it naturally want to be.  And finally, in order to capture liviness and artistic sense, most figures are sculpted  in ways that often defy gravity.

The chest heavy Mikuru chan simply cannot maintain her position

The chest heavy Mikuru chan simply cannot maintain her position with one leg

This lovely Asuka in summer wear can't manage to stand on her own

This lovely Asuka in summer wear can't manage to stand on her own two feet

While there isn’t a one size fit all solution, not yet anyway… and ultimately, the responsibility lies with the figure manufacturer and sculptor to choose the right combination of material, provide adequate support if required.  Here is an example, this Haruka Takamori from Alter has been standing on one feet for several months now and has yet to show any sign of leaning over.  Now that’s a good design!  The Kotobukiya version doesn’t look as graceful and require an ugly support bar.

I can stand on one feet!

I can stand on one feet!

If this was going to lean over, it should have done so months ago, but it hasn’t happen yet.  And when I pick up Haruka, I noticed it feels fairly light.  Although I don’t think it is necessary, I have positioned Saeki at the right place to offer her back as a support if the situation arises.  Saeki looks pretty sturdy when she is down on all four like that :P

However, under most cases, I have to resort to tilting the figure to a point where it can maintain equibilium.  The Mikuru chan above requires almost 30 degrees tilt to get the job done.  It’s unsighty but it’s still better than having your precious figure playing smooth criminal.  Luckily, out of all the figures I have collected up to this point, less than 5% of them are exhibiting this kinds of problem.

This investigation will remain as WIP, until one day that no Otaku in this world need to fear the smooth criminal.

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