Head & Arms: ST Nunchuck
Torso: Chap Mei Dino Hunter
Waist & Legs: VvV Gung-Ho

Feathers & Loincloth: Chap Mei Dino Hunter


After my first feeble attempt at a Spirit custom, I was hesitant to try the character again for a long while.

Recently, after some LBC army building, I made a Spirit that I really liked. When I happened upon the Chap Mei figure that was sporting the native adornments, I was still so fully keyed up on my second Spirit's goodness that I was certain that I could make the torso conversion so that I could have a Spirit figure gone tribal.

For those customizers out there who also find the Chap Mei torsos to be of value, I would briefly extrapolate upon the conversion process I used here, fully hoping that most folk will find a better way to perform it, upon contemplation of the one I am about to offer.

After disassembling the figure by way of its two screws, I carefully cut the lower end of the torso (with pruning clippers) 1/8" below where I wanted the waist to begin. Using a candle, I briefly held up the cut off end of the reassembled (& re-screwed) torso to the candle's flame, making several 2-3 second passes.

After the plastic warmed up (it doesn't take much heat) I pressed the assembled torso down into the Joe waist piece I had pre-selected, gently turning the torso as downward pressure was applied.

The next step was to fix the shoulder joints, & this is done in a fashion similar to what has already been described, with one exception. Because of the large Chap Mei shoulder joint holes, it was necessary to flatten the shoulder pegs of the joe arms also by way of candle heat. After allowing the peg to heat up, I used the pad of my thumb to force the weaker outer edge of the post back into it self, so that it looks like a mushroom with an even bottom edge.

Now for the head.

The Chap Mei upper screw (which should be the only one left by now on the torso) is set higher up than their Joe counterparts. The two things to bear in mind for this conversion is that you will need to use a longer o-ring than normal (I just used one that was already stretched out) & that the neck ball has to be cut down in order to fit the tight space left over after the o-ring is secured.

After opening up the neck hole in the torso (I used a dremel) & estimating where I wanted the head to end up on the completed figure, I cut the neck ball & subjected the bottom of the neck to the candle & thumb treatment earlier mentioned.

Poof & Presto, you've got your self a torso conversion.

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