"Best method to assemble Plastics." Topic

What do you find works best for gluing and assembling platic miniatures? Do you modify it for different plastics or use the same method for all?

Most importantly, invest in proper despruing cutting tweezers.

And remember that plastic cement works by melting the surface of the plastic so that the two surfaces can weld together, so be patient.

An assembly line approach is probably best, ie apply cement to half a dozen heads and necks, by which time the first head and neck can probably be attached….

What Sparker said.

It will vary a little depending on the miniature design, but for standing figures (i.e. not vehicles etc), I've learned the hard way that the most important thing is making sure they do stand up. So I glue the part containing the feet to the base first and get that set up good and solid. This is especially important when the figures have to rank up into a unit. Afterwards I add the rest on piece by piece.

It's usually a bad idea to glue on 2 pieces at once; or even a second piece too soon after the first. One of the bonds always gets disturbed and comes apart. The best way to force myself to do this properly is to have two tables. One the left on a tray I am assembling up 6 or 10 miniatures from the base up. On the right I am painting 6 or 10. I glue a piece on each on the left, push their tray back, then paint 1 or 2 colors on the right, then return to the left to glue another piece. Etc.

As above,then hurl on floor in anger and stomp them.
Regard
Russ Dunaway

I usually assemble them a sprue at a time. I find that by the time I've glued the first two pieces together on all of the figs then they are ready for the next piece.

I was assembling some hoplites from two different manufacturers the other day. Some were plastic some were metal.

The metal ones required me to drill out the shoulder to put the arm with shield in, then drill out the hand to put the spear in then drill out the spear tip to glue that to the top of the spear shaft.

I also had to drill some of the eyes out of the helmets as the mold was pretty old.

Then I could start gluing it all together with glue that bonds to my fingers better than it bonds to the metal.

The plastic figures were a cinch to assemble by comparisson. I clipped the body and sword off then glued them together.

Then clipped the shield arm off and glued that on. Then the spear arm and finally the head.

No drilling required. It took far less time.

Good one Russ. You made me laugh. By the way your customer service is superb. Maybe if you sold more plastic stuff you could overcome your plastiphobia. As an old glory army member I would buy it.

i use plastic weld by Plastruct. It usually gives you a few seconds for positioning. Gluing one piece at a time is good advice. I do glue two at a time if they are arms holding a weapon and have to be lined up.

I was just joking -- kind of --I really have nothing against plastic other then --
1. Personally I hate assembing things --period. I can handle glueing a sheild on and putting a simple spear in a hand --thats about it --and that only with ancients,etc. spear and pike guys (exceptions and not the norm) thus leaving the vast amount of metal figures with no assembly
2. The $40,000 USD + cost per box before production runs just to hear people complain about my box art?
3. The time involved -- I can release range upon range in
the time it take to release half a dozen boxs.
good luch either way
4. I can purchase metal figures as cheap as I can plastic ones.
Either way good luck and thanks for taking it as was mostly meant.
Regards
Russ Dunaway

Get a pair of flush cutters or some good quality hobby scissors and a sharp hobby knife to trim the pieces.

Use dedicated plastic model glue (cement or liquid with a brush), don't bother with super glue as it will break sooner or later. I went trough a phase where I did everything with super glue and I've come to regret it many times.

I've found that a dull hobby knife works better. Plastics are easy enough to clean mold lines from with a dull knife and you are much less likely to cut yourself.

I use toenail clippers to smooth off the sprue bits from the parts.