Well last night I took a huge risk and decided it was time to attempt to retore my Rednok (Red Baroness) from the Funskool/Complan Commando Force. When I first picked up the figure, she looked like she was beat with an ugly stick, so because Rednok and Funskool Baroness have an identical head I found one to swap out with. The first, problem or minor issue was coming to grips with opening up a MOC Funskool Baroness, but I got over that pretty quickly as Rednok is much more rare.
The real issue came when I attempted to unscrew the back screw… It was completely rusted out. It just crumbled when I put my precision screwdriver into it. At this point I was stuck between a rock and a hard place. I had an incredibly rare and expensive figure that sooner or later would have an O-ring shape and then I would be left with pieces of an incredibly rare and expensive figure. So, after going back and forth on the issue for awhile I decided to get out my Dremel and drill the screw-head off so I could open up the figure.
The nightmare scenario would have been drilling into the screw and pushing it right out her chest, effectively destroying the figure. After deciding I would live with the results I slowly and carefully drilled the screw-head off. Once that was accomplished her body came apart like any normal figure and I too the remaining part of the screw out with some pliers. Then I popped off the old head that had definitely seen better days and put on a mint as can be, fresh off the card head. I think it turned out great and was well worth the gamble. Rednok got the plastic surgery she always wanted and looks like a million bucks now on display!
Rednok Before
Rednok After
Leaky Suit Brigade 
January 23, 2014 at 1:24 pm
Looks fantastic great job!
January 27, 2014 at 8:33 am
Looks great, the headswap makes a huge difference! Hey, btw, if you don’t need the leftover body I have a loose funskool baroness that is a little grimier than I’d like, if you don’t need her, maybe we can work something out.
April 16, 2014 at 11:19 pm
Nice job. Something else you might consider instead of using a Dremel to grind off the head of a screw, is to use a screw extractor. You can get a set at a hardware store (e.g., Home Depot). You’ll get several in a set and what they are is basically an auger that you drill (very carefully) into the rusty screw, creating a hole. Then you reverse the bit and the other end has a threaded end that you drill (in reverse) into the hole you just created and hopefully it will extract the screw, head, shaft and all. It’s just as dicey and you want to use a variable speed drill that has a low ‘n slow speed while you’re drilling for nice control, but it can get the whole rusty mess out in one piece. Well, usually. If it doesn’t work, then you’ve basically drilled the top off the screw anyway.