# Bucky + extreme heat = bad



## BRAinDead (Jan 12, 2007)

I always store my more durable Halloween props in my attic, which is unfinished and gets pretty hot in the summer. This year I cleaned up the attic and hung one of my Bucky skeletons on a rafter beam using a thick piece of wire placed through his ribs.

A few days ago I retrieved him and, to my horror, discovered that he was all warped out of shape. Where his weight had been borne by the wire, his ribs were all squashed and his jaw was even spread apart by the force of the springs that hold it shut. 

Apparently the heat in the attic caused the Bucky to slowly "melt".

On a side note, using a propane torch to quickly return a Bucky to his previous shape DOES NOT work well, unless you like your Buckies black and crispy. 

The bright side is that I was debating which Bucky to corpsify this year, and the dysmorphic one just volunteered.


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## Frighteners Entertainment (Jan 24, 2006)

You can use your oven to get the heat you need without burn your bones.

though, I going to assume, ventilation is going to be important!


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## ruafraid (Jan 3, 2006)

A Heat Gun from Harbor Freight is your answer to re-form your Bucky.


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## dflowers2 (Mar 5, 2007)

I second the heat gun, using your oven can be dangerous.


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## NecroBones (Feb 10, 2006)

ACC I think had always recommended soaking in hot water, for reshaping the jaws at least. For the ribcage, the heat-gun sounds like a great thing to try.


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## Spookie (Aug 26, 2008)

At first I thought I read blucky but then realized he was one of the expensive buckys and really felt bad for you. If he can't be reshaped, use his misshapened form to your advantage. After all he is a halloween prop who might have had a bad experience with an acid bath that melted off most of his skin and affected his bones...Throw in an distorted eyeball, patches of hair, a little skin on his form and he'll probably fit right in with the rest of your displays. Maybe pose him holding an eyeball dangling from its optic nerve... and tilt his head so he looks inquisitive....mouth open...


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## Doomsday Cult Leader (Mar 21, 2007)

A decent hair drier will do the trick also.


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## beelce (Jul 21, 2007)

That's kinda funny...an accidental prop


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## Spooky1 (Aug 25, 2008)

You should post a pic. I'm curious to see how badly he melted.


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## Systematic Chaos (Sep 7, 2008)

I second the pic. lol Maybe we're just demented.


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## bignick (Sep 25, 2008)

Be careful not to rough house the bucky either. Last night i broke one of my buckys pelvis's. I was able to make a temporary fix to hold it correctly to the body but still be careful.


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## BRAinDead (Jan 12, 2007)

Heat gun would be perfect, if I had one.

I'll try to get a photo on Monday when I have some time to drag him back out.


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## Lady Nyxie (Aug 30, 2006)

Well, I guess that just proves that Bucky is not happy being stuck in the stinkin' hot attic... he prefers to be in a cool, dark closet. If that option is not available he will take one for the team and either sleep in your bed (next to your wife) or sit at the table patiently awaiting his dinner (even dead guys know that it is rude to pound silverware on the table demanding to be fed).


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## Dark Lord (Jul 25, 2007)

bignick said:


> Be careful not to rough house the bucky either. Last night i broke one of my buckys pelvis's.


Now why does that just sound wrong.....LOL ,No details please.


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## pixiescandles (Oct 18, 2007)

Dark Lord said:


> Now why does that just sound wrong.....LOL ,No details please.


laughing here.....I thought the same thing but didnt want to be the 1st to say it...LMAO


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## TNBrad (Sep 10, 2007)

Dr. Ghastly said:


> Heat gun would be perfect, if I had one.
> 
> I'll try to get a photo on Monday when I have some time to drag him back out.


Here is a link for the BUCKY BONEYARD repair of there Skeletons.
http://www.anatomical.com/barticle.asp?ai=32

You say to use boiling or hot water.

*Skeleton Repair*​
*Ailments**A 4th quality skeleton or skull may be imperfect, discolored, unfinished, or have missing hardware. These skeletons are lower in price than our 1st class skeletons and skulls and are primarily used for decorative purposes - not for teaching purposes.*

*Information in this section is from some of our customers who have found ways to repair Bucky and even perform some "cosmetic surgery." We especially wish to thank Michael Bauman for his valuable advice. *

*Disclaimer: Performance of the "surgery" is at your own risk. The Anatomical Chart Company will not be responsible for any damage to yourself or the skulls, skeletons or bones while attempting these "cures".*

*Cosmetic Surgery**For that old "dug up" look, use Minwax Gel stains. The Mahogany 605 color is one of our customer's favorites. You apply it by wiping it on, waiting a minute and lightly wiping it off. After applying it, while it's still damp, sprinkle on a bit of potting soil. It really adds to the effect. If your bones are an off color, a base coat of Krylon brand exterior spray primer works quite well. *

*For making your skulls and skeletons a uniform white, use ivory gloss spray paint made by Pittsburg Paint...it looks great and if you don't like gloss they have it in satin and flat. *

*Tremclad's "Recreational White" works well for the base color of the bones. This is a nearly bone color used for (among other stuff) propane tanks, and it comes in brush-on or spray.*

*Striking a Pose**Lay a sheet of wax paper under the knee and hip joints and fill in the spaces where the bones come together with hot glue. Hold the Bucky or brace the legs in the position you want them to be in when the glue sets. A huge PLUS is that the glue is forgiving, so if you decide later to use the Bucky in another prop you can remove the glue with no damage to the Bucky. The glue dries clear and can easily be trimmed. There is no need to match the color to the bones as with putties, and you don't end up with what looks like bones that were melted together at the joints. You can use this same idea to beef up the top front of the Bucky's neck bones so that it would tilt his head up, raising his head a little. *

*Ribcage DeformitiesTake a heat gun and slightly heat the ribs. When the ribs are hot enough, You are able to reshape the chest. It then needs to be braced until the plastic cools into shape.*

*Unwanted Holes or GapsOne of the best all round fillers is Bondo. It's an auto body dent/hole filler and can be found at most Do-it-yourself type stores or auto parts places. It comes in a two component kit, like epoxy. After it has cured, it can be sanded, drilled, painted, and stained. It takes stain similarly to the thermoplastic the "Bucky" parts are composed of. *

*Warped Skull Caps and Jawbones For easy repair of warped skull caps and jaw bones place Bucky or Thrifty skull in a sink of hot water for about 10 minutes. Remove the skull from the water and gently bend the skull cap or jaw bone into place. While holding the item in place run the skull under cold water until it is completely cold again. This sets the plastic so it won't just warp right out of shape again. This method can be used to reshape any of ACC's regular type bones (however, clear or glow in the dark items have not been tested). Items too large for the sink can be done in the bathtub.*

*Skull Orthodontics







Sooo.. you got your fourth class Bucky skulls, and *gasp*, that poor slob has got the single worst overbite you've ever seen. Fear not! It is common, and easy to fix. The material that Bucky is made of a fairly pliable thermoplastic, that will retain a bend after they cool. Here's how you fix him:*

*







As you can see, the lower jawbone is massively bent out. The jaw was immovable because the mismatch was so bad, and as you can see, the teeth do not line up at all. This needs fixing!*


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## TNBrad (Sep 10, 2007)

*







First: we need to make sure the bones will bend in the way we want. Rubber bands do an excellent job! *

*Here you can see two important things: 

1) The rubber band that will hold the jawbone in place as it cools, and...
*


*2) the socket that the jawbone is supposed to be in. Use a standard "newspaper" rubber band, doubled up. *
*You do want to be sure to not over-tension the thing.*

*







Second: Of course, we now need to warm up Bucky's jaw. Hairdryers will work, but you will have better control using water, and the heat transfer is much better. Bring the water temp to about 190 degrees Farenheit (bringing it to a boil, then let it sit for a few minutes before Bucky goes swimming).*

*Here you can see Bucky simmering away. The water level is just high enough to cover the lower jaw, without heating much of the main skull.*

*







Third: Leave him there for about 3-5 minutes, until you feel a fair amount of give in the jaw. Then bent the jaw in, so that the bone set properly in the sockets. Try to do an even bend, unless you want a pointy jawed Bucky.*

*







Lastly: Note that you can probably twist the joint a little to get a better match to the socket. And then let him cool overnight before removing the rubber bands. Failing to do so is similar to forgetting to wear your retainer: you get to do the job over again.*


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## TNBrad (Sep 10, 2007)

*Here are our friends again: in a before and after shot:

*
BEFORE AFTER


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## TNBrad (Sep 10, 2007)

Hope This Helps


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