I have a question: do you guys have any advice on assembling those minis that hold their guns with two hands..? I'm asking, as I have real trouble glueing them together. For example, I tried assembling the Grenzer from the IceStorm box... and I failed. Yes, I could glue on one of the arms with no problem... but when I glued on the other one, it just didn't connect with the first one. When I tried correcting the pose, the arms kept falling off... It was even after I enhanced the joints with greenstuff! A lot of Infinity minis are posed in such a way, so please tell: do you guys know some way of assembling them? I'd be grateful for some advice...
Sometimes the arms are bent and it becomes difficult to mount them. My advice is to use the putty of your choice, and/or two pair of pliers with some cloth (to avoid marking the miniature) to reposition one of the arms so it gets better. Also, gel-based glue.
Hmmm... I tried assembling Grenzer once again this evening. I used more putty, but still - I didn't work! I just can't get this accursed thing together... :( This is deeply frustrating! *groans*
I feel your pain. At one point, my Odalsiques almost made me quit the hobby (the box I had them in fell, and all those hard to glue parts got scattered all over the floor). What I do is prepare small dots of green stuff, and dab them with the glue. Then I wait a minute or two before applying preassure on the parts. It usually works well, but it took time and practice for me.
Hm. What I do is is similar (or is it?): I put small bits of greenstuff onto joints (usually into the grooves), put glue on both parts and press them together. It works well usually... as long as you don't need to reposition the limbs to fit into a complicated pose. Then, the madness starts: I try to make one arm reach the gun - and it falls out of the joint. Or, I succeed - but I end up messing up the other arm... After a few attempts, the joints are covered with glue and greestuff and it's impossible to assemble the mini anymore... Aaaagh!
Yeah, we do work in similar ways. But I noticed that if I waited a bit for the glue to get a bit stickier (dryer) it allows for manipulation a tad easier.
I pinned mine. It's possible, it just takes practice. I think I had to bend the arm a tad also, and GS was also involved at the shoulders to give me a flexible joint to allow me to line stuff up. Danger Rose's method with the little GS balls.
Best looking models but by far the worst to assemble and paint. I don't think I have gotten one since Aristeia! and the new method happened though.
And just when I thought I got better with assembling those minis, I got my hands on Djanbazan box which has a HMG guy who has his hands and a weapon as three separate pieces. Challenge accepted, I guess.
Something that really might help you out is a super-glue accellerant. There are lots out there... the best I've found is the Bob Smith Industries brand. It really will make your life a lot easier.
What I do, I go with no putty at all as I tend to place too much putty and f*ck up a joint. First, take no model glue or something like that, but super glue. Here in Poland i user 'Kropelka' which is cyano - akryl based. 1. Put glue on the arm with the gun, having all parts prepared. 2. Place the arm in the joint and gra the mini between thumb and index finger. Thumb shuold be on the shoulder plate and index finger on the head preferably. 3. Put glue on the arm joint and wrist joint on the model. 4. Place the second arm in place. Wiggle some if U have problem getting it just right. 5. If doesnt fit, bend both arma slightly, cena the excess glue and repeat whole peocedure till satisfied with the results. Thats how i do it :D Cheers and hop it helps!!! Varred
I blame the lead content in CB's pewter, it makes it softer and less brittle but sometimes it seems to get a little out of shape during packing/shipping. I use the aforementioned padded pliers method if I can't get it back into shape by hand.
Cyanoacrylate glue is what I use as well. One thing I learned is to apply it sparingly. I don't apply it to both surfaces anymore most of the time now as well. It starts solidifying pretty soon and begins at contact surface. Apply to both of them and be slow enough - and the joint wil not fit tightly. I've heard good things about gel glue though.
I also use "dressings forceps" to assemble bits (stops me getting cyano-acrylate adhesives on my fingers). They're like 5-6" long (13-15cm or so) tweezers, used for applying medical dressings (or removing them). You can get them at pharmacies, but sometimes a first aid kit will have them.
I use epoxy with rubber cement. Tends to work out for me, but make sure you dry-fit it first. May need to do additional work to clean away some the epoxy access but it is worth it.
The gel-based glue don't adhere to your fingers inmediately (I usually get one free pass on overspilled glue!)
The main reason I use the forceps is so that I can hold small parts that are way too big for my fingers. Antennae especially. It also reduces the transfer of skin oils to the surfaces, which is one of the factors that lead to bad paint adhesion. Glue sticking to fingers is only a problem if you use too much. With superglues, LESS is more. You don't usually need more than about a pinhead amount of glue per join. There are a variety of tools to allow precise application of glues. Modelmakers have used them for decades.
I put glue on the non gun arm joint, put it on, and then quickly dry fit the gun arm and adjust as necessary. Once it's dry I know the other arm will fit and add glue to it and assemble.
I'll add another voice in favour of gel glue... I started using 'gel control' superglue awhile back, and I dont know what sort of mess I'd be in without it, it seems to give enough time to position and adjust a little, key for those tiny shoulder-to-gun arm pieces, but then dries quickly enough I'm not stuck with fingers or tweezers in awkward positions waiting for the bond to set.
