Miniature gluing

[Darius101]

I have tried pinning and used Zap-A-Gap.

I discovered that if you want a reall really good strong glue try Epoxy (2 part) But epoxy can snap off (at least it has on mine in the past)
I now use JB Quick Weld. It takes 6 hours to dry but the bond is like cement and after you put the two parts together all ya need is a nice warm wet towel to wipe away the excess. I highly recommend this stuff for those ofton used pieces.

Darius

 

[megamania]

Let us know what works for you SamariY

 

[SamuraiY]

On a related note...

How can I get the dryed glue off of the minis that have broken. Vinegar? Nail polish remover? How long should I soak them?

 

[Kesh]

If you're having trouble keeping the mini together after gluing, it may be a similar problem to what I had: too much glue!

When using regular superglue, metal minis just won't bond well if there's too much glue between the pieces. Try to use the least amount of glue possible when putting the pieces together.

 

[Drawmack]

Re: On a related note...

How can I get the dryed glue off of the minis that have broken. Vinegar? Nail polish remover? How long should I soak them?

If it is metal and the glue is basic (i.e. carzy glue, etc.) then any acid wash should work to emulsify the glue. Vinegar works fairly well as it is about the strongest acid you can use without having to take precautions to protect yourself, except maybe a cheap paper nose and mouth cover for the smell.

If it is painted then anything that will emulsify the glue will most likely also emulsify the paint. Deal with it.

It you are using plastic minis then I do not know anyway of safely removing the glue.

 

[Drawmack]

If you're having trouble keeping the mini together after gluing, it may be a similar problem to what I had: too much glue!

When using regular superglue, metal minis just won't bond well if there's too much glue between the pieces. Try to use the least amount of glue possible when putting the pieces together.

This is excellent advice. I remember when I first starting putting minis togther (I was 12 forgive me for forgetting) I had this problem.

A good fix is to put the glue on the paper then dab the piece and touch them together. Though if you're working with super glue be quick.

 

[Michael Morris]

I have quite a few minis that I would really like to paint, but, unfortunately, they are in pieces. I cannot seem to glue the together either. Whenever I try, they just fall apart again. I have tried crazy glue, model glue, even elmers, but they keep falling apart again. They are mosty from the old 2E silver medallion (or whatever it was) series. Anyone know whats up with this?

First clean the whole surface to be glued. Then test the fit. If the pieces will fit flush to each other super-glue works best - but if they don't it's darn near useless.

If they won't fit flush use epoxy putty to put the things together. Use it generously enough to make sure there are no air gaps in the joint and you'll need to be patient enough to hold them together for about 5 minutes while it sets up. After it dries take a trimming knife to cut away the excess.

You can also use putty to add features to a mini like scarfs, extra clothing, even the grain of a beard if your patient.

Hope that helps.

 

[mmu1]

Okay, so its not the glue. By modeling glue I meant Zap-A-Gap. I'll try the vineger thing.

Keep in mind that there needs to be a decent contact surface between the pieces - preferably as flat as possible. A lot of minis are molded in such a way that the surfaces which are supposed to go together are not a remotely good fit, which means you'll never be able to glue them together with super-glue or Zap (without accelerator) unless you first use a file to smooth out the areas that will be in contact.

Also, before you start glueing, it's a good idea to fiddle with the pieces a bit, and see in what exact position they fit together the most snugly... Sometimes, if you don't feel like doing a lot of filing/pinning/gap filling you need to compromise between putting the piece in exactly the position you want it in and just attaching it in a way that'll hold.

 

[Maerdwyn]

Another trick I've used, depending on the mini -

If the glue won't bond the metal-to-metal well, prime the individual pieces lightly first. The glue will bond to the paint. This works best on smaller minis though rather than giants/vehicles, etc.

 

[alsih2o]

go to an auto parts store and ask for "jbweld" it is the metal to metal glue god