Encore Fortress Maximus: Help?

[LBD "Nytetrayn"]

Actually, I may not need that. I found a better screwdriver, and Cerebros' (yeah, I know he's technically "Fortress," w/e) hand and leg are now working to my satisfaction.

Only problem left now is the one waist gun, and as it happens, the whole tower half connected to it, are loose, much more than the other. There are several screws here, but I'm not sure which -- if any -- to tighten.

After that, I just need to sand Cog's arms a bit, apply stickers...

Oh! And does anyone know a good place to stow Cerebros' Master Sword while in city mode, since the compartments are all opened up now?

 

[Platypus Prime]

I honestly throw mine in the 'prison' cell area, since the gate can come down separate from the stairs. Not a perfect solution (and things do fall out the top when you transform it) but it works.

 

[LBD "Nytetrayn"]

Well, damaged him already. I think,

Just noticed earlier that there are these... stress marks? ...on the front of the helipad in city mode. The red part, that is.

I'm not sure if it came that way or if I did it somehow and didn't notice.

Is that a common thing on these?

 

[Platypus Prime]

I am not sure but if that's really what it is, often you can get those to fade out with a hair dryer. I doubt you did it, that part is pretty solid, so more likely it's just the color of the plastic itself. The pegs alone are thicker than most figures ARMS but it also means that the whole casting is much thicker than normal, and so 'swirls' can show up. I have that inside the leg bay with the large steps, and there aren't any moving parts there.

On a weird note, the Toyhax upgrade set I got years ago for my Encore Max to give it the windows and such has gone up a bit, I just looked and it's over a hundred. I never expected that for a sticker set, and now I'm going to be a bit more careful about lifting and replacing them if I take anything apart.

Edit: On area I HAVE put stress marks in oddly was Cerebros's hands. They seemed ever so slightly too small for the 5mm pegs. I wound up having to warm them up a bit and then sand the insides lightly (chainsaw sharpener dremel bit worked great) as I was afraid I was going to crack something.

 

[LBD "Nytetrayn"]

I don't suppose there are any Brave Maximus reprolables out there, are there?

I know there's some for G1 that gives him the glass windows, but I'm more interested in something like the yellow ones from BMax (even if they were originally painted on, I believe).

On another note: My god, the base mode is so much cooler here than in TR. I love TR for what it is, but what it isn't is a true replacement for the fun the G1 toy provides.

 

[Sciflyer]

Yeah, the TR version is a very nice-looking, well-articulated, modern super robot. But IMO, the OG Max is an excellent all-around playset. It does everything that it sets out to do, and does it extremely well. It is solid, sturdy, and most importantly, fun! I still mess around with my version at least once a month; I just can't let him stand there in my display!

 

[Platypus Prime]

I've seen them side by side since a friend has the TR and I had the Encore, the TR Maximus DOES have vastly superior detailing. Without stickers, it resembles a stack of cinder blocks.

With them though, it did really come alive. I also got the TFSS Double Pretender Megatron, one of the only TFSS things I had that survived the financial disaster last year. I always wondered if they deliberately used the grey/black/red/yellow/white to match up with Encore Maximus since it fits better with him than a Megatron homage.

 

[Sabrblade]

I always wondered if they deliberately used the grey/black/red/yellow/white to match up with Encore Maximus since it fits better with him than a Megatron homage.

You would be correct on that assumption.

 

[LBD "Nytetrayn"]

So, that Pretender shell was a stealth "turn Fortress Maximus into Grand Maximus, but not" release?

Dunno if I agree with superior detailing, so much as different. At least in some parts.

The head, for instance? Definitely better on TR. I kinda wish it would fit on Encore.

Speaking of fits, I was wondering: Since only the smallest Transformers really work with the elevator gimmick, which ones during the '87 year really worked with it? I've tried some of my small ones from today, like Hot Rod from Legacy, and they fit, but the launcher doesn't necessarily work. The Throttlebots were a fair bit bigger. Micromasters wouldn't be available for another year or two. Even Gasket doesn't fit, just Grommet.

Who was this thing for?

 

[Sciflyer]

It was to lock up Spike when he was insolent!

 

[Sabrblade]

It was to lock up Spike when he was insolent!

Strange choice locking him up inside an elevator instead of the jail cell.

 

[Sciflyer]

Hey, I don't make the rules! Spike can break out of that jail cell too easily. It's elevator or nothing!

 

[Haywire]

Weren't the Scramble City limbs still in stores at that point? Those would be around the right size for Fort Max, wouldn't they?

 

[Platypus Prime]

I always wondered about the wisdom of putting an organic in a robot head anyway:

Fortress Maximus: "I used to hear voices, they kept saying things like 'Help! Help! There's no air holes!' but eventually they stopped...what IS that smell...?"

And the colors of the shell now make sense, then. Here's my repro-label upgraded Cerebros, I always figured the two plastics were too close for coincidence. You can see it in the city-pic too though the resemblance is more obvious in robot mode.

 

[LBD "Nytetrayn"]

Dang, I wish I could get that shell now.

A little surprised Cerebros has to go in all folded up like that, seeing as his arms can basically fold in front of him just like Landmine's do. I thought for years that's how he fit in there!

 

[Platypus Prime]

He goes in with his legs to the side and tilted, like above, with his arms swung forwards. It's why the shell has such a massive backpack. I don't get it either, since they could have easily made it work 'normal' Pretender style, maybe because his feet are so large and don't fold, to avoid giant shell legs? I do use the hollows of the legs as-is to store his weapons sometimes.

One myth though is that you have to take Cerebro's head off first, you don't, it fits in there attached just fine.

 

[LBD "Nytetrayn"]

So, I was fiddling around a little with mine earlier, and I've got a question that's bothered me since I first transformed him:

How worried do I need to be about the ramps snapping off?

Because the hinges there are TIGHT, and while they seem to fold up easily enough, unfolding them -- particularly to reach ground level -- is really tough, and I'm really worried about something snapping there whenever I try.

I even try to fold the long part down before the middle hinge, but even that is really tough.

Is it sturdier than I'm used to? Or do I need to tread cautiously whenever I transform that part?

 

[Platypus Prime]

I tend to bend the ramps one joint at a time, but I also added some plastic-safe silicon lube at those joints to prevent binding, as they ARE plastic pegs.

Here's my setup now, a mix of generations.

And here's also 'modern' Gasket and Grommet, with the original versions in the foot-slots. The new ones are larger then the old ones and can't fit at all.

 

[unluckiness]

yeah shock oil’s good. I’d personally recommend a syringe for precise application into small areas.

 

[LBD "Nytetrayn"]

Can I get any recommendations on brand or where to get the right kind of oil?