Boil-n-Pop. It's only trademarked though, not patented.
What *I* do is:
- Get all tools ready. Saucepan of water, salad tongs, towel, figures to be disassembled, glass of tap-water, needle-nose pliers (as backup)
- Remove all accessories (belt, head, gun, vest, etc) from figs that can be removed.
- Heat water in saucepan to a rolling boil then reduce heat to "half" ("medium" on my electric stovetop).
- Pick up first victi- erm, "subject" in tongs.
- Hold him under for about a minute. (maniacal laughter at this point is optional, but entertaining)
- Put figure on towel and use it as "gloves" so I'm not in bare skin contact with hot plastic.
- Holding torso in my off hand, I take hold of the shoulder or hip in my strong hand and gently pull.
- If you meet with fierce resistance, he's not hot/soft enough yet. Grab the tongs and re-immerse for another minute, then repeat the pulling.
- You want a towel, because you have boiling water everywhere. The towel will soak it up. A warm, wet towel is far better than blistered skin!
- Repeat until all parts are removed.
This has served me well and is very simple and straightforward. The legs are held in by mushroom-shaped pegs and the arms have ... "arrowheads" is the best way I can think of to describe it. I have not *yet* separated elbows and knees, but I think that may be happening soon.
Now, reassembly.
- If you had two fig's in disassembly, the parts may cool and stiffen before you get to work with them. Be ready to re-boil.
- Limbs go in easier if you put them in the glass of tap-water after removal so that they cool and stiffen.
- Re-boil torso, holding it in the tongs.
- Hold torso in towel and insert peg of limb into hole of torso.
- With a hot, soft torso and a cold, rigid limb-peg, things should pop together fairly easily. Legs might not always be accomodating.
- If leg is stubborn, use pliers to gently pinch mushroom of peg so it fits into hole.
- Steady pressure, careful attention to what is working where, and frequent movement of limb should pop the peg into place.
This is really easy, I promise. If you need, I'll try and take pics next time I do one.
