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“The left shoulder joint is a key point in the articulation of the figure. The moving parts are separated by friction discs which protect the pieces and keep the shoulder movement smooth.”

This issue is exactly the same as Issue 10, just with the Left Arm parts of the model.

Contents

Parts

Materials: All of these parts are plastic, but the Friction Discs are a type of self-adhesive wax paper.

Magazine

• The History of Iron Man – Iron Man: The Man Behind the Armor
• Step by Step – Model Instructions
• In the Comics – Extremis: An Iron Man for the 21st Century

Build

The Left Shoulder Joint (1)

Stage 1 – Assembly of the Joint Friction Discs

Step 1

Peel one of the Friction Discs from the backing paper and apply it to this flat circular location of the Shoulder Joint, as shown.

There are pre-cut center holes in the Friction Discs that should be removed as they are installed. Here, I removed the hole before installation:

Step 2

Apply another Friction Disc to the opposite side of the Shoulder Joint, as shown:

Step 3

Apply a third and fourth Friction Disc to the smooth sides of both Joint Washers, as shown:

Step 4

Fit a Joint Washer to the inside of each Joint Cover so the tabs on the backs of the Joint Washers rest against these surfaces, preventing the Joint Washers from rotating.

The tabs of the Joint Washers should be fit into these locations inside the Joint Covers (yellow lines in the picture below):

If done correctly the center holes of the Joint Washers and Joint Covers will line up perfectly and the Joint Washers will not be able to rotate:

Stage 2 – Assembling the Joint

Step 1

Fit the Shoulder Joint onto the post of Joint Cover (L1).

This Shoulder Joint can be installed backwards, so make sure it is fitted onto the post of Joint Cover (L1) exactly as shown:

Step 2

Fit Joint Cover (L2) to the opposite side of the Shoulder Joint, aligning the two Joint Covers together as shown.

These parts should fit tightly together with no gaps:

Step 3

While holding this assembly together, place a FM nut into the hexagonal recess of Joint Cover (L1):

Keep the FM nut in place with a finger, then drive one (1) FM bolt through the Shoulder Joint assembly to secure everything together.

This bolt controls how stiff the movement of the Shoulder Joint will be. The Friction Discs should provide some resistance, but be sure to adjust the tightness of this joint so it can support the weight of the entire arm:

Thoughts

As with the previous shoulder joint, make sure this assembly is not installed backwards.

Next Up

Issue 21 – Left Shoulder Joint 2