DML Broken Ankle Repair

[pzrwest]

If you have ever broken the ankle joint on a DML figure trying to put on boots, here is my solution to repairing the ankle joint.
1 carefully split the calf and remove it from the knee joint
2 hold the 2 halves together and take a 5/32" drill bit and dill out the hole as shown in the 1st pic
3 carefully drill out the end of the ankle with the 5/32 bit and insert a 1" section of plastic sprue or styrene rod into the ankle joint with proweld or other styrene glue, or if you are very carefull cyano.
4 make a disc of styrene and drill a 5/32" hole in the center and slide it over the 1" peg you made for the ankle.
5 lay the new ankle pin as we will now call it onto one half of the calf and slide the collar down as shown in pic 1.
6 carefully lift the ankle from the calf and glue the collar to the peg being carefull not to move the collar.
7 let the glue set completely
Pic1

Assembly
Now the new ankle peg is fully set(cured) lay it back into the calf half as shown in pic2.
Pic2

Then re-assemble the calf with the foot attached and caefully re-glue the calf seam clamp and alow the glue to set. Here is the leg re-assembled and clamped
Pic3

When the glue is set remove the clamp and now you have a figure with a fully function ankle joint again.Hope this is helpfull

[Saxondog]

Well Harold I must admit this is not a tutorial I saw coming,motorcycle,half-track,tanks,maybe but figure repair once again something unique.Sax

[grim_marmazet]

I have nearly broken a few trying to get corcoran jump boots onto my paratroopers feet. It is a major pain in the rear. I find the DiD feet a little easier to get the boots on.
The motorbike is excellent by the way. If your after some quality, but slightly expensive German gear, check out Newline Miniatures. I get my jump boots and M42's from them.

Cheers,
Rik

[STEINER]

Hey Harold, thats real innovative splinting on the broken tib and fib.

Have you ever thought of joining the EMS.

Good job.

STEINER

[pzrwest]

No I haven't thought about that. This was the first ankle joint I have broken, being on a fixed income I just can't afford to toss an otherwise good figure in the trash. So I figured I had nothing to loose and everything to gain, sat down and thought out how to fix it. One option was to glue the ankle joint permanently or come up with a better idea. As I have said many times necessity is the mother of invention