My Balrog is hurting

[Balrog]

My Weta's standing Balrog with the flaming sword is injured.
He has a broken tail.
The break is about 2 inches below where the wing joins the body.
The crack is substantial, about a 1/4 inch at its's widest and it is all around.
The tail is still connected to the main body by it's central wire.
I've tried to join it by pushing the ends together but not really forcefully as I didn't want to damage it more.
By the way, I didn't do it, it's how it arrived. I got it for a much reduced price, knew there was some damage but didn't realize how extensive until it arrived.
The rest of the statue looks great.
I'm wondering if any of you talented folks could suggest ways to restore him to his former glory.
Thanks in advance.

[crazytrain]

Sorry to hear that - picture(s) might help so we know exactly what you're dealing with

[Idril]

Hi

you need to get super glue with a fine nozzle so you can try to inject the glue into the crack and then push it together till the glue dries. I’d also suggest painters tape over the crack first and then use something to cut the painters tape to reveal just the crack before injecting the glue. This should reduce the glue spillage. Afterwards, if the paint has been affected, try dry brushing it with acrylic paint. Take your time, don’t panic and it should be ok.

[Balrog]

crazytrain I wish I were able to supply photos, but I truly don't know how. I'm afraid you're dealing with a 74 year old who doesn't own a cell phone and sadly doesn't have a 6 year old grandson/daughter to guide him through all this computer stuff.
I know you'd all like to help and it's frustrating for me not to be able to properly provide you with that which is needed.

Idril Thanks for the suggestion and, especially, the encouragement.

[crazytrain]

crazytrain I wish I were able to supply photos, but I truly don't know how. I'm afraid you're dealing with a 74 year old who doesn't own a cell phone and sadly doesn't have a 6 year old grandson/daughter to guide him through all this computer stuff.
I know you'd all like to help and it's frustrating for me not to be able to properly provide you with that which is needed.

No problem Depending on the size of the gap(s) you might need to fill in with something like milliput too - if so, try and keep the patterning with whatever small implement you have to hand (if there is any, sorry I'm not familiar with the piece you're talking about). You then might need a car spray paint undercoat (usually grey, spray it into the lid and use a small brush to apply to cover the milliput) before using acrylic to paint over.

Hope that helps and good luck

[DD]

Sounds like you got some good advice Balrog. Good luck, sir.

I'm fortunate to own the Balrog myself. Fantastic statue. I hope you get it fixed to your satisfaction.

[Valar]

Good luck Balrog , hope it goes well and your Balrog heals up nicely!

I can also recommend Milliput for a larger crack, especially if it's as large as 1/4 inch as you say. With the central wire still present to hold everything in place structurally, the Milliput should work really well to glue/hold everything together, you just need to smooth and sculpt the surface to match the existing texture/pattern on the tail, as crazytrain mentioned.

crazytrain I've never tried the car primer spray paint method before, sounds like a good technique! I normally just use a standard acrylic paint undercoat (from the pot or dropper bottle) applied straight onto the Milliput by brush (usually black or dark grey acrylic). Is there an advantage in using the car primer spray instead?

[Plat]

That sounds really bad, that the tail is lowered is normal but such a break is already extreme, I hope you get that with the help of the friends here in order.
Good luck.

[crazytrain]

crazytrain I've never tried the car primer spray paint method before, sounds like a good technique! I normally just use a standard acrylic paint undercoat (from the pot or dropper bottle) applied straight onto the Milliput by brush (usually black or dark grey acrylic). Is there an advantage in using the car primer spray instead?

I just find that the car primer sticks to the milliput better than acrylic so forms a better base coat

[Celaglar]

Oh no, good luck with the fix! I am moving houses soon and I already fear the moving of this beast. I actually think I cannot get it of the base anymore, it seems to be stuck.

[Valar]

I just find that the car primer sticks to the milliput better than acrylic so forms a better base coat

Interesting! Thanks for the tip crazytrain !

[Starcaller]

Hello everyone,

i just received my balrog yesterday,
and from my understanding, i have had the exact same problem as the gentleman OP,

what i do not understand is how can we have such a gap after the breakout?
at first, i thought that the gap was because of some resin shard missing that i would find at the bottom of the box, but it was empty, i took a moment to understand that the break was clear…
it's as if the metal rod has grown just after the break!
i have also tried to apply pressure to make ends meet, but i am also afraid of damaging it more…

i really hope i will find a way to repair it.

[Stig]

i just received my balrog yesterday,
and from my understanding, i have had the exact same problem as the gentleman OP,

what i do not understand is how can we have such a gap after the breakout?
at first, i thought that the gap was because of some resin shard missing that i would find at the bottom of the box, but it was empty, i took a moment to understand that the break was clear…
it's as if the metal rod has grown just after the break!
i have also tried to apply pressure to make ends meet, but i am also afraid of damaging it more…

i really hope i will find a way to repair it.

If the gap is too big to use the superglue method Idril mentioned, how about some sculpting to fill the gap. You would need to do some light modelling work to have the putty match the the tail all around, and then paint it.

[Starcaller]

If the gap is too big to use the superglue method Idril mentioned, how about some sculpting to fill the gap. You would need to do some light modelling work to have the putty match the the tail all around, and then paint it.

yes, thank you, i will try both method,
but what i do not understand is this gap,
how can it get so wide without any material being removed?????

by the way, my picture is the thinnest gap i could get????

[Stig]

The old SSW Balrog is known to have a sagging tail. I guess the weight of the tail is too much for what the inner support actually manage. The polystone is hard and without any give, so it will break/crack if the tension gets too high.

And welcome to the forum, Starcaller

[Dr.Malcolm]

yes, thank you, i will try both method,
but what i do not understand is this gap,
how can it get so wide without any material being removed?????

by the way, my picture is the thinnest gap i could get????

It is because of the rod inside. Any break in a statue where there is a steel armature inside will be impossible to get back to its original place without getting rid of the exposed metal. So just fill the gap

[Starcaller]

And welcome to the forum, Starcaller

thank you!

I just reconnected to the amazing world of tolkien after years of oblivion thanks to the amazon series (I guess it must not be unanimous here????)

I have to say that with this balrog thing,
As a first collector's purchase, I have a bittersweet taste,
i need to fix asap????????

[Stig]

thank you!

I just reconnected to the amazing world of Tolkien after years of oblivion thanks to the amazon series (I guess it must not be unanimous here)

I have to say that with this balrog thing,
As a first collector's purchase, I have a bittersweet taste,
i need to fix asap

I have never tried my hand on any fixing outside of the old superglue trick, but I guess that alone will not do here.
Did you know about the damage when you bought it, or was it a surprise when you opened the box?

Where in the world are you situated, Starcaller. Maybe a forum member here in the same country/area can direct you to some actual products to use in your repair work.