Help Re-Assembling a MOTUC buck!!

Posted in Custom Workstation

I am at my wits end doing a very basic task: heat and pop on MOTUC parts!!

I disassembled a He-Ro II and painted it up with intent to reassemble. But for the life of me, the thighs will NOT go back onto the hip pegs. I have done heat-n-pop until my hands were blistered. I have taken my dremel to the hip pegs to clean off the paint residue. I have taken a rotary bit and tried to clean out the thigh sockets to make sure residue didn't get in there either. But nothing works!

Every time I take my heat gun to the thigh and attempt to pop the peg into the socket, it refuses to go in. The peg compresses and sticks for a moment, but then pushes the thigh piece right back off. I have been stuck at this step for 2 weeks and it just makes no sense, because these are the very same parts that were assembled prior to painting.

If any of you are aware of fixes for this, whether compatible lubricants for assembling soft pvc parts, or know about specifics for later MOTUC bucks, please let me know.