While putting a good chunk of new Eldar together, I've realized that there is a simple tip to assembling metal models that I've yet to see covered or even talked about by anyone around the web. It's a simple technique I picked up way back in middle school and uses the tools you already have on hand for modeling.
The newer metal models are good about having sockets of some type for a good amount of support for joints and joins on the piece. But see how smooth those surfaces are? The contact surfaces aren't good anchor points for the glue to hold tight to. So break out that hobby knife and carve up the contacts a bit!
The above is post knifing and will be a much better attachment point than the previous smooth parts. The basic idea is that you're increasing the surface area of your join and giving the glue more spots to get into and hold tighter. You'll notice a significantly reduced hold time as well. I know I have far less issues with models I use this on than models I don't. Which makes me wonder why I don't do this with every metal model...
Just a quick spot of glue on either side and a quick moment held together should do it! You've got a much stronger join now with the extra effort of just a matter of seconds. Should you want a little more support to the join without the hassle of pinning, see the shavings? Sprinkle those on the wet glue, they'll add just a bit of a faster dry time as well as adding some more strength. Just be sure to use the finer stuff like the bottom right and not the bottom left!
There are a lot more ways to go about joining metal, if you've got a good idea, link or rundown, we would love to hear about it! If you give this a go, share your thoughts and results as well!
Yes, this is a good technique, though I typically reserve it for larger pieces. I'm very particular about getting strong builds on metal minis, so I:
ReplyDelete- _Always_ drill and pin.
- Score large joins.
- Use a 2-part epoxy for heavy parts.
It takes time, but I've never had to go back and repair work done like this. ;)
This is something I picked up from my Ceramic work while in Art School. Using the Gorilla Glue Super Glue with it's rubber content can create a very strong and robust connection. I suggest scoring all of the joints and connections for you minis. You don't have to do a lot but it will save you a bit of anguish. For vehicles and the like you can get a tiny wood rasp for cheap and gently score joints and such. As the article mentions, this can really reduce the time it takes to create a bond.
ReplyDeleteI use a half round hobby file that tapers to a point to do my scoring. I drag the file at a 45° angle so the teeth make parallel lines instead of filing off the metal. I then drag the file perpendicularly to get a crosshatch pattern. I dropped several Skorne models and the only thing that came off was Morghoul's arm probaly because I didn't start using the crosshatch technique till I was assembling the Warbeasts.
ReplyDelete