"Best method of attaching 28mm shields" Topic

Hi,

Any advice on the best method of attaching shields to Foundry/BTD/GB ancients (Imperial Roman and enemies) would be appreciated.

Thanks

Peter

If they are metal, scour out the inside of the boss with a file and file down a bit of the fist so that you have bare metal to bare metal bonding when you use superglue.

I agree with Alte Fritz, bare metal, but I use 5 minute, two part epoxy. Set up a small jig so you can set the figure up with the shield in place while it cures. Holds well after 5 minutes, cures pretty solid after 10, if you get the mix right, equal parts.

(I pin them :"] )

Scouring the contact areas so that it's clean metal is good.

An extension of that is to score the metal, or roughen it any which way you like. Really rough steel wool is good.
Glue sticks much better to areas that aren't smooth.

If at all possible you should pin them. Some have shields with a sort of pinhole already, and a kind of "pin" cast on to the hand. Short of this, some shields will come off during action.

I used a nail gun and 6" nails.

The good thing was that none of the remaining debris ever came loose after the first, um, attempt at attachment.

Howard: I hope that you were wearing eye protection when you tried that.

It depends how much patience I have.

The BEST method:

1) As noted above, scrape the arm and shield back down to the bare metal. Make up a thin ribbon of epoxy putty (Kneadatite / green stuff or equivalent) and lay it along the figure's arm. Press the shield against it. During this process you can remove the shield and reposition it until it's perfect, even re-shaping the putty. Let harden.

2) Pop the shield off (you can of course wait and use the figure in games until the shield pops off during play). You've now got a relatively large solid surface custom molded to fit the underside of the shield in exactly the position you want. Mix up some epoxy -- I use 15-minute cure but as noted above others get good results with 5-minute cure.

2a) Apply sparingly to the hardened ribbon of putty. Fit and press the shield back into place, and let cure (overnight or over several nights is best). Now, pop the shield off again (you can again wait and play games with the figure until it pops off during play) -- the putty bond that was NOT epoxied will pop off this time. Again, apply sparingly to the (new side of) the hardened ribbon of putty. Fit and press the shield back into place and let cure.

2b) Alternatively, apply a bead of epoxy heavily so it overflows the hardened ribbon of putty; let cure. This should hold almost as well as 2a above but is quicker. It may require some touchup though.

Or … when I'm not so patient,

Quicker and sloppier is just to put a thick bead of epoxy along the arm and press the shield on. Make sure it doesn't slide off while it cures. The slopped epoxy paints up fine after it cures.

I've also been known to hot-glue my shields on. That is messier than the thick epoxy bead method and the dried hot glue is a little harder to paint. It however is easier to remove and reattach if the shield slides askew while the glue hardens.

Alternatively you can use superglue. Superglue is great stuff. It sticks your shields on, and after they pop off during play, can be used to stick them back on again. Then when they pop off again during play, it can be used to stick them back on one more time. Then, when they pop off again … :)

Wow,

Thanks guys. Really appreciate the suggestions.

Peter

Pinning is good (and my preferred method), but it can be a little tricky if the shields are thin.

One simple method is to take a small bit of epoxy putty and apply it to the inside of the shield boss, and then superglue the shield to the figure's arm while the figure is still soft. Superglue gives a very strong bond if the fit between the parts is tight, so shields popping off is rarely a problem. It's best to use a putty that's firm enough to hold the shield in place while it cures.

I've always used CA to bond them together BEFORE any paint was applied. The only time they've come off is when I inadvertently let a large number a Greeks spend the winter in my storage shed. Of course, everything came off with that lot, but that's another story…..

I use "Gorilla Glue" straight from the bottle. It drys like plastic metal and indestructable.