Metal models

[Wootton]

hi,

i just put together my first metal model (empire engineer on mechanical steed) and at first i used standard gw metal glue, but i could\'t get it to stick even after 3 attempts and 24 hours, in the end i used gs and the standard plastic glue and thats worked really well.
Why didn\'t the glue work? please help?

Thanks

 

[matty1001]

Sometimes the parts are just to heavy, or don\'t have enough touching surface\'s to join properly.

Next time i would try pinning. Theres an article about it in a recent White Dwarf (if you get that mag)
But if not, it basically just drilling a very small hole in each part where they are going to join, then push a paer clip or piece of wire into each hole. The pin will provide more stability.
And if you do really large joins or heavy pieces try double pinning (iv done this on my Volgor mini) same concept, just two pins not one.

 

[Wootton]

thats why i\'m confused because it came with pins an holes already

 

[generulpoleaxe]

your first prblem was that gw\'s super glue is over priced poo.

the plugs that are already there are not always good enough to give a strong join, that is why pinning is often neccesary.

green stuff is better used for filling any gaps after the glue has set.
this also strengthens the join.

hope this helps.

there is lots of advice in the articles section on this site as well as gw\'s

 

[Wootton]

i also just got my first gs that day and i didn\'t put it in the join, instead i filled the gaps around the edge and now i can see that the green stuff has helped

p.s. thanks for the quick responses

 

[Trevor]

Plastic glue on metal will give you a really weak bond. Use a quality superglue. Also wash your models, they can have mould release which intereferes with the bond.

Of course it could be the pixies... I once had some warhamster models that just would not glue, and that was with quality superglue. :cussing:

 

[ZapotekE]

In my experience lesser amount of superglue is better than a lot... too much give the oposite effect, it never dries.

 

[Modderrhu]

Yep, the less superglue that is used, the better. Superglue makes a great bond, but; it\'s structure is very weak. So, make sure the surfaces fit closely, because; superglue is an exceptionally poor gap filler. For poor-fitting joins, I\'d use liquid epoxy or GS and pins. Epoxies have a very good structure, but don\'t adhere as well as superglue. Pinning might be a pain, but it\'s more than worth the extra effort.

The strongest joints ever, are made with a pin, superglue and epoxy. First set the pin without gluing it in. Then use GS/epoxy to stick the model together. Before the epoxy has completely cured, break the join. The epoxy will retain its shape, which will be absolutely flush with the metal. Now superglue the pin in, and superglue the epoxy to the mini. That way, you use the epoxy to build the structure, and the superglue does the sticking. It just doesn\'t come apart.

The plastic glue is unlikely to hold at all. It\'s great for plastics, because; it contains a solvent that melts the plastic, effectively creating a single piece of plastic out of the two pieces.

 

[matty1001]

Originally posted by Trevor
I once had some warhamster models ...

I gotta get me some of those! lol

 

[hakoMike]

Cyanoacrylate accelerator plus a pin = quick, moderately strong assembly.

EDIT: ... to be more specific, pin the joint (if you need to), hold the pieces together with superglue and then spray with accelerator. It\'s not as strong as the slower drying versions, but it really gets the job done fast.