One of my hobbies is assembling and painting miniatures, the optimum way to fix the rear machine gun would be "pinning". Before applying your adhesive of choice use your pin vise to drill out a centered hole/channel in both the barrel and the mount and use a thin metal pin to reinforce the joint. The barrel length will remain the same as the original length, but it will be much stronger.
I used to do that on some of my Ral Partha Battletech miniatures. Putting the small rod in between the chest and legs to allow them to twist at the waist.
The Cobra STUN is one of my biggest GI Joe nostalgia pieces. I remember my grandparents giving it to me as a birthday present and have cherished that vehicle ever since 😁
Forgive me if this has been said already, but Plastruct Plastic Weld (or anything advertised as "plastic cement") is almost always intended for use on *polystyrene* plastic (like plastic model kits and the styrene plastic components that Plastruct specializes in). It melts and fuses polystyrene permanently, but won't bond anything else. Plastic toys are made from a different kinds of plastic, and that flexible-but-still-fragile "glossy" plastic is definitely not polystyrene. Cyanoacrylate (super glue) is a better bet, but even that can't get a bite into the plastic sometimes and results in a fragile bond. Cyanoacrylate glue works GREAT as a permanent bond for PVC plastic, though! Awesome build, I love your restoration videos!
I have that same brand of plastic weld and one thing Amazon reviews pointed out was to shake it vigorously before use. It works maybe 50% of the time I've tried it, but, as others have stated, it really depends on the type of plastic.
Great restoration Video. I still have my original STUN. I definitely be ordering some flags. I just need to find some access panels as both have fallen apart.
Great fix Michael. So many things that can break on the Stun. Might get those flags too for my Stun. The result in the end looks just fantastic. Cobra will be pleased.
Thanks for getting me interested in a forgotten toy. I had one in the bottom of the box of parts that I abandoned years ago. Today I just installed my new flags and put it on display!
Love these restoration videos. Reminds me of watching Blue Peter as a kid, seeing Anthea Turner make Tracy Island out of a couple of toilet rolls and some glue.
Michaels microphone picks up that fragile hasbro plastic sound so perfectly. All the kenner star wars restoration videos inspired me to pull out all my childhood survivors and restore them... all went well.... I then attempted some of my hasbro GI Joe vehicle restorations lol... lets just say for me if it requires more than a good cleaning or replacing missing missiles or stickers I run the risk of breaking the whole toy. You can also tell when Michael does a kenner restore there are very few edits or cuts when attaching things... hasbro GI Joe.... edit city. You are far more patient and better at this than I will ever be!!
Glad you were able to restore this beauty back to her former glory. I always thought it was a cool vehicle. Like you said, it was definitely one of the last truly good ones we got before things got….weird. Thank you for another awesome share, Michael. Cheers!👍
From what I’ve seen from Toy Polloi, yeah, plastic weld doesn’t work with all types of plastics. When he restored a Whirlwind he didn’t think it would work with the plastics of most Joe toys, so he just used superglue with LEGO. And I guess he’s right.
Yep. It's not going to work for every kind of plastics. Hasbro used cheaper quality plastics, and it doesn't seem to work all that well with a lot of them. It works better on the harder plastics.
AS others have said Plasticweld is more for styrene, the plastic used by Hasbro was more brittle and lower quality. I have found that plastic Weld is one of the best out there, but it is very limited on what it is good at. Cool video!
Very nicely done. I also restored an old broken down STUN that was an eBay find a few months ago. I put a set of the curved Warlends flags on mine and I can’t recommend them enough, but I had to replace the labels as well.
I've got the Cobra STUN too. Great condition. My flags broke and vanished long ago. Recently, I saw a lot of GI Joe 3D printed parts show up on Ebay. Not all of us can get original parts. Not all of the original parts they sell out there are worth the asking price. If you can't get original parts, it should be noted (to all restoration fans) that you can get 3D printed parts and printed flags that look great for the STUN. They don't always bend (plastic used for 3D printing can be all over the map in quality), but they do look nice, and your vehicle looks complete on the shelf. Do check that out as an option if you need to. If you're already doing the 3D printing thing yourself, do us a favor and scan those parts into computer files, so we can make them too! YO JOE!
Of all the types of videos you do, these are my favorite, Michael. Keep resurrecting these toys! Edit: Try Plastruct Bondene next time…it works on many more types of plastic than the standard Plastruct cement does, including ABS!
I love all the care and attention you use when you do the repairs. The Stun was one of my favorite Cobra vehicles(that I never had), and while like you I also preferred the more militaristic based vehicles but something about the Stun just spoke to me lol. Great video Michael!
I had the same exact experience with the welder on 3 different objects. If it doesn't like the specific kind of plastic, it's like pure water. After using it 3 times, I noticed the bottle content went down by half, even with the safety cap (probably a leak and the product is very volatile). It went in the bin and I went back to superglue.
I have the Python Patrol version, and interestingly, I didn’t have a problem with the flags or machine gun, but two of the hubcaps broke. I wonder if the color of the plastic mattered.
If you check an old GI Joburg video, they're 3D printing replacement parts, such as the rear firearm and the flags. That's what you seem to be doing, but I wanted to share this.
Fantastic as always sir! Plastruct - been using it a lot on the Dino Riders with great results. However, just recently tried to fix a blue plastic chair... nothing! It must only be effective for certain plastics. I need to break out the o'l testers to try again. If I could, I would watch toy repair videos all day only to take a break to fix toys.
as a Wee Lil Papallion i remember making my own flags when mine broke - i used coffee stirrers i stole from the donut table at church and i used nail polish the make them red i mad flags from a Lucky Charms box, and WAAAAAY too much hot glue to hold it in place it worked and as a kid i didnt care it was ugly - i had made something! my dad later took the hot glue off, im not sure how he got the flag base off, but he super glued the new flags in place and drew a Cobra logo on the flag
Thanks Michael! Too bad Warlends doesn't make other parts. My second-hand STUN also has broken engine cover tabs and wheel covers. That red plastic did not hold up well.
Great video! When you put that water glue on the barrel you could see the moment when you lined it up perfectly. Sad it didn't work. Now If only I can find some repo parts for my skystriker
Plastruct Plastic Weld, I was told, works best if you shake it thoroughly before using it. For that gun damage, though, I would get a tiny drill, hollow both ends, and glue a tiny metal or plastic rod/wire with superglue. If you can drill a hole small enough for the barrel part.
One other area that I'd say is a potential break point is the post for the front wheel. I bought a Python Stun second hand and it had that wheel post breken. Wouldn't surprise me if the back wheel posts aren't the same way.
Good day Michael Thank you for the video. I’ve always enjoyed these restorations you do. I’m curious about this plastic weld. Toy Poloi uses it and makes it look so great. I’ve been thinking of using it cause I hate super glue. Peace
I have had limited success with plastic weld on GI Joe. One I know didn't work was the red cage on the Cobra Fang. I suspect the red plastic is a no go for plastic weld.
I painted python stun flags red about 15 years Ago lol. I could swear though that even then the red flags weren't quite as brittle as they are now. I remember it being kind of over night the red plastic becoming so brittle on stuns, I mean back in 99 when I got back into hardcore collecting of Gi-joe again sure flags were broken like all antennas could be but the red plastic was still good
I also never had any luck with that plastic weld stuff. I know Toy Polloi says it works better on certain plastics, but it still seemed pretty useless to me.
Pehaps you can use thin steelwire (about 1 mm thick) and "melt" into the core of the plastic rod of the flags (use a soldering iron to heat the steel wire) and then while the steel wire is still hot push the other plastic rod onto the steel wire?
What about a combination of glue and red heat-shrink wire insulator tubing for repairing the flags? Make a sleeve or cast for the plastic bits. The repro's look great, but this might be a new solution that keeps you from waking in the middle of the night with cold sweat panics of defeat.
you could have made needle sized hole in both the gun and gun barrel. gluing in a small piece of a needle with some super glue. that plastic weld only works on hard plastics.
Plastic Weld requires styrene based plastics. ABS plastic is immune to it and all solvent glues. So yes “you may as well be brushing water on ABS parts”. For ABS you have to use CA glues. Aka Super glue or “The Kraggle”. The trick for repairing gun barrels is a little more involved then simply gluing it. Invest in a Pin Vise. A small screw driver like hand drill with teeny tiny almost detail sized drill bits. You drill a small hole in each broken face of the barrel pieces. Insert a tiny bit of brass wire inside, then glue.
I wonder if the plastic weld toy polloi uses is different? I looked to buy the stuff he uses and it's not sold in the USA and the Plastic weld here is the alternative recommended and it didnt work for me either.
The plastruct weld is meant for styrene plastic, but in my experience is dodgy even working on that. Also don't be surprised if the contents of that whole bottle has completely evaporated within a month no matter how tight you put the cap on. I bought it once and will never buy it again.
According to YoJoe Database, the original retail price for 1986 Cobra STUN was $6.69 US. Unfortunately, that information is n/a for 1989 Python Patrol STUN. Does anyone happen to own boxes featuring vintage price stickers? Of course, the latter vehicle didn't include a Motor-Viper. Did it really cost the exact same amount 3 years later?
I didn't realize the original came with red flags like that the ones I'm familiar with where a flag post with a paper flag I've got a second or third generation Stone which has yellow flag post and if I remember correctly the flags on the poster paper.It's the snakeskin version read and scale coloured
One of my hobbies is assembling and painting miniatures, the optimum way to fix the rear machine gun would be "pinning". Before applying your adhesive of choice use your pin vise to drill out a centered hole/channel in both the barrel and the mount and use a thin metal pin to reinforce the joint. The barrel length will remain the same as the original length, but it will be much stronger.
I used to do that on some of my Ral Partha Battletech miniatures. Putting the small rod in between the chest and legs to allow them to twist at the waist.
The Cobra STUN is one of my biggest GI Joe nostalgia pieces. I remember my grandparents giving it to me as a birthday present and have cherished that vehicle ever since 😁
Cool
You know something is gonna get repaired af when the yellow towel makes an appearance. I love that towel. The towel of happiness 😃
Forgive me if this has been said already, but Plastruct Plastic Weld (or anything advertised as "plastic cement") is almost always intended for use on *polystyrene* plastic (like plastic model kits and the styrene plastic components that Plastruct specializes in). It melts and fuses polystyrene permanently, but won't bond anything else. Plastic toys are made from a different kinds of plastic, and that flexible-but-still-fragile "glossy" plastic is definitely not polystyrene. Cyanoacrylate (super glue) is a better bet, but even that can't get a bite into the plastic sometimes and results in a fragile bond. Cyanoacrylate glue works GREAT as a permanent bond for PVC plastic, though!
Awesome build, I love your restoration videos!
The care and attention that Michael affords his toy repairs / restorations, really is impressive.
Yes!!! I'm so addicted to retroblasting restoration videos!
Starting a rainy Saturday morning with a Retroblasting restoration, perfect!
I have that same brand of plastic weld and one thing Amazon reviews pointed out was to shake it vigorously before use. It works maybe 50% of the time I've tried it, but, as others have stated, it really depends on the type of plastic.
I love retroblasting so much, this channel has been my favorite content produced made by some of my favorite creators
Cool video! I sometimes think Cobra had some of the better vehicles. The hydrofoil was one of my favorites!
That was one of the few big vehicles I had & I loved it as well. I might have had the Whale as well, but many of Cobra's vehicles were awesome!
Indeed cobra had cool vehicles
Great restoration Video. I still have my original STUN. I definitely be ordering some flags. I just need to find some access panels as both have fallen apart.
Great fix Michael. So many things that can break on the Stun. Might get those flags too for my Stun. The result in the end looks just fantastic. Cobra will be pleased.
Love your repair videos. Hope to see more in the future. Thanks for the content. Brings back memories.
Thanks for getting me interested in a forgotten toy. I had one in the bottom of the box of parts that I abandoned years ago. Today I just installed my new flags and put it on display!
I enjoy taking restoration breaks along with Michael, away from the 'tuber drama stuff - they've always been my favorite videos of his.
Love the restoration, repair videos. Your videos like this is what got me back in displaying and collecting vintage Star Wars!
Love these restoration videos. Reminds me of watching Blue Peter as a kid, seeing Anthea Turner make Tracy Island out of a couple of toilet rolls and some glue.
So nice to see you doing a restoration video again. That what I first started watching your channel for back in the day
Nice that you were able to make your childhood stun display worthy. I love a good restoration video. The flags look great too, very well made.
Love the wind swept flags! Good restoration.
Once again, thank you for your time and effort to this cause.
Michaels microphone picks up that fragile hasbro plastic sound so perfectly. All the kenner star wars restoration videos inspired me to pull out all my childhood survivors and restore them... all went well.... I then attempted some of my hasbro GI Joe vehicle restorations lol... lets just say for me if it requires more than a good cleaning or replacing missing missiles or stickers I run the risk of breaking the whole toy. You can also tell when Michael does a kenner restore there are very few edits or cuts when attaching things... hasbro GI Joe.... edit city. You are far more patient and better at this than I will ever be!!
Hey!!! Thank you sooo much! I hope to be able to drop by your panel at JoeFest Saturday morning. Love your channel.
Your ingenuity never ceases to amaze me.
Another really cool repair video, can’t wait for the next one. I love Retroblasting.
Glad you were able to restore this beauty back to her former glory. I always thought it was a cool vehicle. Like you said, it was definitely one of the last truly good ones we got before things got….weird. Thank you for another awesome share, Michael. Cheers!👍
Another STUNning restoration! (ducks thrown Battle Ball)
The color match on the new flags is absolutely spot on. Great video!
I love the Stun. Picked one up complete but those flags definitely make me nervous. Thanks for sharing Warlends.
Honestly Michael I just took pliers and pulled the broken poles out. And it went very smoothly.
From what I’ve seen from Toy Polloi, yeah, plastic weld doesn’t work with all types of plastics. When he restored a Whirlwind he didn’t think it would work with the plastics of most Joe toys, so he just used superglue with LEGO. And I guess he’s right.
Yep. It's not going to work for every kind of plastics. Hasbro used cheaper quality plastics, and it doesn't seem to work all that well with a lot of them. It works better on the harder plastics.
Cool repair. It's amazing that you kept all the parts.
AS others have said Plasticweld is more for styrene, the plastic used by Hasbro was more brittle and lower quality. I have found that plastic Weld is one of the best out there, but it is very limited on what it is good at. Cool video!
Another awesome video, Michael! Thank you for all the repair tips.👍
Very nicely done. I also restored an old broken down STUN that was an eBay find a few months ago. I put a set of the curved Warlends flags on mine and I can’t recommend them enough, but I had to replace the labels as well.
Those flags came in for me today from the same seller and they look amazing. I always thought the Stun was a very cool design. Keep up the great work!
Thank you :)
Oh man those repo flags look nice! I enjoy all your content but the repair videos are my favorite .keep up the great work retroblasters
I've got the Cobra STUN too. Great condition. My flags broke and vanished long ago. Recently, I saw a lot of GI Joe 3D printed parts show up on Ebay. Not all of us can get original parts. Not all of the original parts they sell out there are worth the asking price. If you can't get original parts, it should be noted (to all restoration fans) that you can get 3D printed parts and printed flags that look great for the STUN. They don't always bend (plastic used for 3D printing can be all over the map in quality), but they do look nice, and your vehicle looks complete on the shelf. Do check that out as an option if you need to. If you're already doing the 3D printing thing yourself, do us a favor and scan those parts into computer files, so we can make them too! YO JOE!
19:55 Great job, Michael 👍 Looks fantastic.
Nice video. I always wanted one of these but those darn flags. Now there is hope for this Cobra Vehicle. Thanks to repro parts.
Cobra stun one of my favorite ground attack vehicles
I love watching these!
Whenever I see that yellow towel, I know that I’m in for a great restoration video! Love the curved flags!
It looks so much better in it's original red and black than the Python Patrol version. Nice work
Of all the types of videos you do, these are my favorite, Michael. Keep resurrecting these toys!
Edit: Try Plastruct Bondene next time…it works on many more types of plastic than the standard Plastruct cement does, including ABS!
Fantastic video Michael! Believe it or not, my flags & gun survived.
I love all the care and attention you use when you do the repairs. The Stun was one of my favorite Cobra vehicles(that I never had), and while like you I also preferred the more militaristic based vehicles but something about the Stun just spoke to me lol.
Great video Michael!
Awesome! thanks for the info on those repro parts.
Awesome restoration !
I miss the repair videos
I had the same exact experience with the welder on 3 different objects. If it doesn't like the specific kind of plastic, it's like pure water. After using it 3 times, I noticed the bottle content went down by half, even with the safety cap (probably a leak and the product is very volatile). It went in the bin and I went back to superglue.
I have the Python Patrol version, and interestingly, I didn’t have a problem with the flags or machine gun, but two of the hubcaps broke. I wonder if the color of the plastic mattered.
It really can. Especially if it's gold plastic (the worst).
If you check an old GI Joburg video, they're 3D printing replacement parts, such as the rear firearm and the flags. That's what you seem to be doing, but I wanted to share this.
Great video and project
Fantastic as always sir! Plastruct - been using it a lot on the Dino Riders with great results. However, just recently tried to fix a blue plastic chair... nothing! It must only be effective for certain plastics. I need to break out the o'l testers to try again. If I could, I would watch toy repair videos all day only to take a break to fix toys.
as a Wee Lil Papallion i remember making my own flags when mine broke - i used coffee stirrers i stole from the donut table at church and i used nail polish the make them red
i mad flags from a Lucky Charms box, and WAAAAAY too much hot glue to hold it in place
it worked and as a kid i didnt care it was ugly - i had made something!
my dad later took the hot glue off, im not sure how he got the flag base off, but he super glued the new flags in place and drew a Cobra logo on the flag
Thanks Michael! Too bad Warlends doesn't make other parts. My second-hand STUN also has broken engine cover tabs and wheel covers. That red plastic did not hold up well.
I had one of these. Got it for Christmas from my grandparents. I never put the flags on it though or the stickers.
thanks for the video, fantastic as always
Another great video!
I always liked how this vehicle could carry four figures.
My favorite was the shuttle. I played the hell out of mine.
Great video! When you put that water glue on the barrel you could see the moment when you lined it up perfectly. Sad it didn't work. Now If only I can find some repo parts for my skystriker
Someone PLEASE make reproduction flags !!!! I will buy them !
Ok.Now I see you discovered a company that makes them.
I never had that one. Still a good video.
I love G.I. Joe
Plastruct Plastic Weld, I was told, works best if you shake it thoroughly before using it. For that gun damage, though, I would get a tiny drill, hollow both ends, and glue a tiny metal or plastic rod/wire with superglue. If you can drill a hole small enough for the barrel part.
One other area that I'd say is a potential break point is the post for the front wheel. I bought a Python Stun second hand and it had that wheel post breken. Wouldn't surprise me if the back wheel posts aren't the same way.
Make more vintage toy reviews like transformers,G.I joe,he-man,dollar store military toys,or Kenner Star Wars.😸
I'm super happy I got one with both flags I'm fixing the back Is turret gun
Good day Michael
Thank you for the video. I’ve always enjoyed these restorations you do.
I’m curious about this plastic weld. Toy Poloi uses it and makes it look so great. I’ve been thinking of using it cause I hate super glue.
Peace
And now the Motor-Viper in his preferred position, that of easy to hit target.
Love a repair video
I have had limited success with plastic weld on GI Joe. One I know didn't work was the red cage on the Cobra Fang. I suspect the red plastic is a no go for plastic weld.
Don't forget to bring the Towel. I'm just soo stoned...
I painted python stun flags red about 15 years Ago lol. I could swear though that even then the red flags weren't quite as brittle as they are now. I remember it being kind of over night the red plastic becoming so brittle on stuns, I mean back in 99 when I got back into hardcore collecting of Gi-joe again sure flags were broken like all antennas could be but the red plastic was still good
I also never had any luck with that plastic weld stuff. I know Toy Polloi says it works better on certain plastics, but it still seemed pretty useless to me.
Its meant for modelling plastics. Toy plastic is too differant chemically to work with it so your better off gorillia glue or plastic cement.
Pehaps you can use thin steelwire (about 1 mm thick) and "melt" into the core of the plastic rod of the flags (use a soldering iron to heat the steel wire) and then while the steel wire is still hot push the other plastic rod onto the steel wire?
Surprised you didn't tighten up the loose front pods, but on display it doesn't matter. The bent flags are so much better looking.
The cobra stone was first introduced in season two episode one right
This was one of favorite vehicles as a kid. Did it make sense? No. Did I care? Also no.
What about a combination of glue and red heat-shrink wire insulator tubing for repairing the flags? Make a sleeve or cast for the plastic bits. The repro's look great, but this might be a new solution that keeps you from waking in the middle of the night with cold sweat panics of defeat.
you could have made needle sized hole in both the gun and gun barrel. gluing in a small piece of a needle with some super glue. that plastic weld only works on hard plastics.
I finally realized
Why it looks so familiar
Isn't it the same vehicle
As part of python patrol?
It's much easier to pop the front tab on the turret pods. It falls right apart.
GI Joe/Transformers crossover toyline which has this turn into a robot.
My front wheel of my stun broke off, what would you recommend to repair it, glue, plastic weld?
Personally I prefer the sleeker look of the STUN without the flags anyway.
Plastic Weld requires styrene based plastics. ABS plastic is immune to it and all solvent glues. So yes “you may as well be brushing water on ABS parts”. For ABS you have to use CA glues. Aka Super glue or “The Kraggle”. The trick for repairing gun barrels is a little more involved then simply gluing it. Invest in a Pin Vise. A small screw driver like hand drill with teeny tiny almost detail sized drill bits. You drill a small hole in each broken face of the barrel pieces. Insert a tiny bit of brass wire inside, then glue.
I wonder if the plastic weld toy polloi uses is different? I looked to buy the stuff he uses and it's not sold in the USA and the Plastic weld here is the alternative recommended and it didnt work for me either.
I found one at the flea market missing the cobra symbols in the wheel got it for 10$ wish I could complete it
Is it just me or is there a Christopher Nolan Batman vehicle vibe to this STUN? 🤔
Do you ever do any pinning of plastic pieces before gluing them together?
I would have gone with curved flags cool! They look cool. Plastic weld only works with certain pl!stics I've discovered.
Loctite seems to work the best for me get it at your automotive store lose that plastic back together immediately for a quicker result add baking soda
The plastruct weld is meant for styrene plastic, but in my experience is dodgy even working on that. Also don't be surprised if the contents of that whole bottle has completely evaporated within a month no matter how tight you put the cap on. I bought it once and will never buy it again.
According to YoJoe Database, the original retail price for 1986 Cobra STUN was $6.69 US. Unfortunately, that information is n/a for 1989 Python Patrol STUN. Does anyone happen to own boxes featuring vintage price stickers? Of course, the latter vehicle didn't include a Motor-Viper. Did it really cost the exact same amount 3 years later?
I'm surprised you didn't 3D print the flags and the rear blaster. It's what alot of people are doing now.
Don't have a 3-D printer and don't know how to create the 3-D files needed to print.
As others note, that cement is wrong for this type of plastic. What I would try is MEK (Methyl Ethyl Ketone).
I didn't realize the original came with red flags like that the ones I'm familiar with where a flag post with a paper flag I've got a second or third generation Stone which has yellow flag post and if I remember correctly the flags on the poster paper.It's the snakeskin version read and scale coloured