Head Fell Off : /

Mimikos Human · Post by **Mimikos Human** » Wed Nov 14, 2018 3:21 am

Everything was great with my doll until this afternoon when I went to reattach her head after taking it off for storage...

It fell off. It looks like the metal nut that should be firmly attached to the underside of the head detached. I can stick it back into the hole, but I can't screw the head back on to more than to where there's a half an inch gap between the neck and the TPE before the screw pulls loose and the head falls off again.

I contacted the manufacturer, and they responded quickly, but I'm currently waiting at "Let me check" (assuming the sales rep is consulting the people that put the dolls together for advice.

Judging from the bottom of the head, it looks like the nut bolts on to the neck isn't supposed to go all the way into the hole/socket in the head, because if it does the screw on the neck will push against the material in the head and make it pop off again. I suspect this is the reason I can't screw it tighter than having a 1-2 cm gap between the neck TPE and bottom of the head.

Any suggestions if the manufacturer doesn't give me any good options?

Knightshift · Post by **Knightshift** » Wed Nov 14, 2018 3:27 am

I had the same thing happen to my JM 80cm elf. Due to slightly over tightening the head, the threaded bolt stayed with the neck. I simply removed it, put a little red Locktight on the upper threads and reinserted it into the head. I highly recommend wrapping the jaws of the pliers with a few turns of electrical tape to prevent the pliers from damaging the screw threads when removing and reinstalling. worked like a charm!

Mimikos Human · Post by **Mimikos Human** » Wed Nov 14, 2018 3:32 am

Knightshift wrote:I had the same thing happen to my JM 80cm elf. Due to slightly over tightening the head, the threaded bolt stayed with the neck. I simply removed it, put a little red Locktight on the upper threads and reinserted it into the head. I highly recommend wrapping the jaws of the pliers with a few turns of electrical tape to prevent the pliers from damaging the screw threads when removing and reinstalling. worked like a charm!

I was thinking of doing something similar. We have different brands of adhesives here, but I get the general picture.

Knightshift wrote:put a little red Locktight on the upper threads and reinserted it into the head.

Is this to say that the head is now permanently attached? I'm a bit of a nomad, moving to Vietnam next month actually. If so, this will mean that she won't fit in the original box.

Mimikos Human · Post by **Mimikos Human** » Wed Nov 14, 2018 4:33 am

Ahh I think I was misunderstanding how the doll was constructed. Looking at this image from another thread:

viewtopic.php?f=215&t=83801

It looks like heads are supposed to be male and the neck female, but when I took the head off I assumed that the head was female and the neck male.

I guess the bolt that connects the head to the body, which can detach from both independently? If that's true, it looks like it got stuck in the neck, and as a result when I unscrewed the head, it pulled out of the head where it was supposed to be permanently fixed?

This is the first time I've removed the head since I brought her home so I don't remember what the head looked like when I unboxed her.

The Romantic · Post by **The Romantic** » Wed Nov 14, 2018 5:12 am

Just to be clear, if you have the standard M16 threaded bolt connection, then there are actually 3 parts. The dolls head with built-in female threads, the dolls body with the same built-in female threads and a separate all male M16 threaded bolt (see pic) that connects head to body. Never over tighten and use rubber washers as needed so dolls head can seat firmly, but softly.

Mimikos Human · Post by **Mimikos Human** » Wed Nov 14, 2018 5:50 am

The Romantic wrote:Just to be clear, if you have the standard M16 threaded bolt connection, then there are actually 3 parts. The dolls head with built-in female threads, the dolls body with the same built-in female threads and a separate all male M16 threaded bolt (see pic) that connects head to body. Never over tighten and use rubber washers as needed so dolls head can seat firmly, but softly.

I just confirmed that 2 seconds ago with a pair of pliers and electrical tape.

When I made my original post, the head came off leaving the bolt that should have been in the head and the part in your photo still attached to the neck. I think I know how to proceed now. I was thinking the part in the photo and the female neck piece were all one part when I started the topic.

I think the reason for the breakage is that I screwed it in crooked and the middle piece didn't go all the way into the neck. When I kept tightening to bring the head and neck together, the force caused the female part in the head to break free. Live and learn I guess.

Mimikos Human · Post by **Mimikos Human** » Wed Nov 14, 2018 6:42 am

For clarity's sake, this is what I started with, hence the confusion.

Looks like part of the inside of the head cracked when I tried to tighten.

Mr Franz · Post by **Mr Franz** » Wed Nov 14, 2018 10:37 am

Yep. Looks like the stud is cross threaded into the neck and when you kept tightening, the other end of the stud screwed too far into the nut attached to the head and forced it out. Just need to get the stud out of the neck, clean up any damaged threads and glue/epoxy the nut for the head back in place.

Mimikos Human · Post by **Mimikos Human** » Wed Nov 14, 2018 12:02 pm

Mr Franz wrote:Yep. Looks like the stud is cross threaded into the neck and when you kept tightening, the other end of the stud screwed too far into the nut attached to the head and forced it out. Just need to get the stud out of the neck, clean up any damaged threads and glue/epoxy the nut for the head back in place.

Yup, that's what I did. Glued the nut back into the head this afternoon and it appears to be holding after letting it set about 6 hours.

The Romantic · Post by **The Romantic** » Wed Nov 14, 2018 3:22 pm

This is why you want to use some rubber washers as well. Placed over the M16 bolt, they will seat between the head and doll and act as a bit of a shock absorber. Allowing her to look side to side but not feel too loose or over tightened.

JackieTreehorn · Post by **JackieTreehorn** » Wed Nov 14, 2018 8:55 pm

I hope you get it all figured out and it turns out well, and I don't mean to make light of your situation, but the title of the thread kinda made me laugh. I thought of this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LjAITRaItKQ

Mimikos Human · Post by **Mimikos Human** » Thu Nov 15, 2018 3:11 am

JackieTreehorn wrote:I hope you get it all figured out and it turns out well, and I don't mean to make light of your situation, but the title of the thread kinda made me laugh. I thought of this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LjAITRaItKQ

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LjAITRaItKQ[/youtube]

lol Me too.