Rewiring & Repainting Your Major Matt Mason Figure

A Visual Guide to Repairing Your Figure
by Randall Landers
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Some general guidelines: Please do not do this with a figure in good condition needing only one or two wires. In general, we purchase figures at a lower cost that are in absolutely terrible condition to begin with, either through a complete lack of paint or a complete lack of wiring, but generally the figures we purchase are in terrible condition.

Our method of rewiring is drastic, but not as drastic as others posted.

Step 1: Examination

Take a good look at your figure and determine what its needs are. This figure was a repainted Major Matt Mason with a Sergeant Storm head. The paint however adhered to the plastic packaging wrap when it was mailed, and what you see here is exactly how it looked when it was finally freed from the plastic wrap.

Note that you can still see the Matt Mason white on the right hip. The painting itself was fairly decent, but it had never dried. An examination showed that both hip joints, one elbow joint and one knee joint were broken. We quickly determined that it was necessary to strip the paint and rewire the joints.

Step 2: Stripping

We soak our figures in Lyson Bathtub Cleaner (the "Scrubbing Bubbles" kind) and then brush them firmly with a well-used soft-bristled toothbrush. Usually, this results in an excellent, if partially painted figure suitable for painting. In this case, however, it was necessary to remove ALL the paint because it was still tacky to the touch. The kids did this while watching television, rubbing the paint off and then brushing it again and again. Normally, we don't remove all the paint; only the loose paint which is brushed off. After this step, we allow the figures to dry overnight. Again, do not strip off the existing paint unless absolutely necessary. It saves on the number of coats to have a good, solid base on which new paint can be applied. Note: The figure must dry overnight at a minimum.

Step 3: Measurements

Using a pair of wire snips, cut appropriate lengths of 14 gauge steel wire for use in the wire replacement procedure. You might choose a different gauge (12, 16, or 18), depending on your preferences. We purchased several gauges of wire and played with them a bit to see which would hold up to the best wear-and-tear (remember, our figures are played with by my children). I recommend steel wire over the others. I've heard that copper wire reacts with the rubber in a deleterious manner, so I've avoid it, and our tests with stainless were not satisfactory. It seems to break more easily. Note: Rewiring your figures will result in some irreparable damage. Proceed at your own figure's risk.

Step 4: Heating the Wire

Another advantage steel has is that it is a good conductor of heat. The wire you use will need to withstand adequate heating. A good, steady heat source is required. It's got to be stable. We use kerosene lamps that usually adorn our fireplace mantle for this purpose. The flame can be controlled by adjusting the wick. Smokiness can be kept to a minimum, and the heat is constant (as opposed to a candle) and relatively low (as compared to say an acetylene torch). The wire must be held in the flame until it glows red. Do not use your fingers to hold the wire from the end. You need to grasp it with a good pair of needle nose pliers which you will use for the next step as well.

 Step 5: Elbow Repair

I recommend repairing elbow joints first. They are relatively easy to do, and it will give you some idea of the damage you will do your figure. Holding the figure with one hand, making sure the arm is straight, bend the hand open with the palm being the target.

Using a red hot wire cut to appropriate size and held in a pair of needle nose pliers, approach the figure slowly.

Note: It is important that the arm be straight, that the wire approach it in that same straight line, and that the hand be secure. Damage to the palm will occur at insertion, but it will be minimized if the arm and the wire are straight.

Step 6: Wire Insertion into the Arm

Insert the hot wire into the arm holding the wire firmly. The area behind the hand is a plastic plug that will be the most difficult section to penetrate. Once the plug is penetrated, the material of the arm itself will seem spongy. Maintain a steady pressure and speed. It is imperative that the arm remain straight and that the wire does as well. The passage through the bellows of the elbow will be the easiest, but also the most easy section to ruin with the hot wire. You want to go down the center of the palm and forearm, so that the wire continues going straight through the center of the bellows. After the bellows, the wire will have lost some heat, and penetrating the upper arm can be difficult. Once penetrated, the upper arm is spongy and when the wire is well embedded, the elbow is repaired.

If you've measured the length of the wire properly, only a small portion of the wire will extend from the palm or wrist. Using a pair of wire snips, carefully push the hand up into the forearm (causing even more wire to be visible) and snip the excess wire. Release the hand, and the wire will not be visible as it recedes into the forearm.

Step 7: Shoulder Repair

I have been unsuccessful in managing to heat a wire hot enough to penetrate the hand, forearm, bellows, upper arm, shoulder bellows and shoulder itself. The wire is then too hot, and damage to the palm and elbow bellows is excessive. Instead, I bend the arm at the elbow bellows and follow the same procedure using the back of the elbow bellows instead of the palm as an entry point. This results in minor damage to the back of the elbow bellows, but will restore the shoulder. I normally rewire the shoulder bellows first, then the elbow bellows, but I recommend beginners try to repair an elbow bellows first. Note: The temperature of the wire, the path of insertion, and a straight course through the arm are the most important aspects to a successful shoulder rewire.

Step 8: Hip Repair

My kids call this "butt wiring" because it involves the same procedures as above with the wires being inserted into the upper buttocks through the hip bellows into the thighs of the figure. This is the repair which can result in 'back and fanny damage' which can be unsightly, or it can be completely successful leaving only two nodules of rubber to indicate what has been done. I rewire hips before I rewire knees.

To begin, you need to bend the figure's legs so that you have the figure bent at roughly a 45° angle. You'll need to do this with one hand, and it will take some practice.

Step 9: Wire Insertion into the Upper Leg

Again heating the wire and holding it with a pair of needle nose pliers, insert the hot wire into the buttock above the hip joint bellows you wish to repair. (Note the smoke rising in the picture. It can set off a smoke detector, so you need to do this in a well-ventilated area.)

I've noted that there is about a 30% chance you will encounter the broken wire when inserting the repair wire. If that happens, extract the repair wire  immediately. Trying to maneuver it around the other wire can result in damage, especially if the hot repair wire bends and causes back or fanny damage. 

You will note in the picture that back damage occured on the right side of this figure, while the left hip joint was repaired with minimal damage.

Hip and back damage are going to happen. Do not attempt this and expect excellent results the first few times. I've been rewiring them for a few months now, and I'm still occasionally disappointed. One such disappointment occurred the Friday night before Thanksgiving when I encountered a broken wire during insertion every time, including the right shoulder, left elbow, left hip, right hip and both knees! The figure was basically ruined, having suffered extreme "battle damage." I remained calm, but my son (whose figure it was) was not pleased with the results, and I ended up replacing it with a different figure which thankfully arrived Saturday afternoon. As luck would have it, the figure on Saturday required even more rewiring (only one elbow was intact), but the repair procedure went perfectly with virtually no visible damage to the figure.

Step 10: Trimming the Leg Wires

Using your wire snips, push into the hips and trim as much wire as you can. I usually leave the small rubber nodules that are caused by the insertion into the rubber, but my daughter trims those off her figures with fingernail clippers before painting them. I will occasionally melt a drop of hot-glue gun glue and drip it into any cavity created, but I'm not convinced how permanent it will be. Be sure and trim the wire below the level of the surface (that means pressing the wire snippers into the buttocks, as seen in the photograph to the right), otherwise moving the legs will result in exposed wire.

Step 11: Rewiring the Knees

Rewiring the knees uses the same basic techniques except for the following differences: 1) Twist the boot off from beneath the knee to be rewired. You will see an exposed wire coming from the boot plug. 2) Trim that exposed wire, then heat a wire of adequate size for insertion into the leg to repair the knee. 3) Heat the wire and insert it up into the hole left by the missing boot, making sure it goes in the center of the lower leg, knee bellows and thigh. Again, don't try to rewire the hip from this point. You cannot succeed unless the wire is extremely hot, and then damage to the knees bellows will occur. 4) Trim the repair wire to slightly above the cuff. 5) Using your open flame, heat and soften/melt the boot plug (the area above the visible boot). Do not let it ignite! Soften it and when extremely soft, insert the boot into the leg socket, making sure it's turned correctly and that the wire gets imbedded into the boot plug. Once it cools and resolidifies, this repair is invisible and will last quite a while. If you are unsuccessful in reattaching the boot, use a hot glue gun to reapply it.

Step 12: Re-Examination

Re-examine your figure to make sure there are no exposed wire ends. If there are, you'll need to trim them. I've found a tendency for the broken hip wires to stick through the side of the thigh. Do not extract them. Just press the wire snips into the thigh and trim the wire below the surface of the rubber. Some folks have told me you should extract the broken wires in the figure, but that would require major surgery which I am unwilling to do on a figure. I also check to make sure all the joints I repaired are capable of holding a pose. You may notice some "creakiness" where the old broken wires rub against each other. I've basically decided to live with that.

Step 13: Prime Your Figure

Using acrylic paint of the same color you intend to paint the figure, quickly brush on a very light coat of paint over the areas to be painted. You can mask the bellows if you prefer, but I find that unnecessarily tedious, and prefer to paint by freehand. Some individuals choose to use an airbrush to paint their figures, but I like painting by hand. The quick thin coat of paint will act as a primer for the figure. I let this coat dry for at least two days before proceeding. I simply want to make sure the paint is dry. If it's not, the paint will peel from the figure.

Step 14: Painting Your Figure

Again, you must use acrylic paint. I am unconvinced that any other paint will be as durable or suitable, and I prefer to paint the figures by hand. The figure that I rewired above was meant to replace a Doug Davis body that I needed to strip the paint from (again, it was sticky to the touch), so I simply painted this figure in Doug's color scheme and placed the Doug head on top.

I didn't like the color of yellow acrylic paint I found, and added a dash of red to it to make it a more goldenrod color like that of the Doug Davis I had as a child. And yes, I painted that American flag by hand, along with the silver strap buckles, black straps, white zipper, silver air intake valve and everything else on the figure.

You might note the "back and fanny damage" on the back view of the figure. The butt damage usually is that nodule shaped pimple on the middle of the left cheek, but the back damage on the right occured when I encountered a broken wire in the upper thigh while inserting the hot wire. The replacement wire bent and melted the back slightly.

The other replacement methods usually leave a v-shaped slit on the back, but I consider my method a lot easier if slightly more unsightly.

Well, that about covers everything. We hope this has given you some insight in what techniques we use to rewire and repaint figures, and we hope you'll share any comments or suggestions or techniques you may have with us in return.

Page created November 18th 2001.