Marcus Brutus | 22 Jul 2015 3:17 p.m. PST |
Nothing I hate more than re-gluing spears back on to figures. I wish companies would follow Old Glory and make their figures with clenched fists. This requires one to drill through the fist to create a space for the spear to be set into. An extra step but the beauty is that with a dab of crazy glue they almost never come out. I am wondering about taking pliers and squeezing the hands closer together and then filling them in with some material and drilling the hands out to create the fist effect. Does anyone know of a product or material that would allow me to do this? Green stuff doesn't work very well. Grey stuff? Something else? Thanks for responses. |
timurilank | 22 Jul 2015 3:39 p.m. PST |
I use needle nose pliers and squeeze lightly, but repeatedly, and make a palm from the fist. I then glue the spear to the palm with epoxy glue and roll the fingers around the spear. If these are pikemen holding their weapon upright a touch of glue to the bottom of the pike and base will secure the bond. |
Bobgnar | 22 Jul 2015 3:51 p.m. PST |
I have used contact cement. Put a little bit in the hand put a dab on the spear wait 10 minutes. Put the spear into the hand matching the spots of glue twist so that the spear is encircled and glue in the hand. Using small pliers you can close the hand or just leave it because the contact cement fills in the space. I recently found the world's strongest glue. rapid-fix.com It's so strong when I accidentally glued my fingers together I had to basically soak them in fingernail polish remover for about 15 minutes to get it off. It's fast and it's powerful. It comes with a little powder to give you extra strength, put on the glued to the hand. Put in the spear. Sprinkle on some of the powder and you have concrete holding power. |
Bandolier | 22 Jul 2015 4:29 p.m. PST |
Gently file the palm and the contact point of the spear before gluing. It gives the glue better 'grip'. I also spray primer over that. Doesn't always work but I now just assume spears falling off will happen from time to time. |
William Warner | 22 Jul 2015 4:35 p.m. PST |
I take a miniature rat tail file and thin-out the inside of the hand, then super glue the spear and crimp the fingers around it with a needle nose pliers. Better yet, I have a special pliers that I found in the jewelry section of a craft story that has soft plastic jaws which helps prevent crushing the hand. |
The Beast Rampant | 22 Jul 2015 5:51 p.m. PST |
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Henry Martini | 22 Jul 2015 9:40 p.m. PST |
I've been thinking lately that, despite their tendency to bend, when it comes to bond durability cast spears are superior to wire ones because you can cut some cross-hatching into the bonding surface and, by applying the same treatment to the figure's palm, better secure the join. |
wrgmr1 | 22 Jul 2015 10:25 p.m. PST |
5 minute two part epoxy seems to work pretty well for me. |
MajorB | 22 Jul 2015 10:31 p.m. PST |
I just glue 'em with UHU. |
IUsedToBeSomeone | 23 Jul 2015 1:59 a.m. PST |
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Frederick | 23 Jul 2015 5:16 a.m. PST |
Great suggestions – this is a pet peeve for me and I will try them out! |
TBeyer | 23 Jul 2015 5:43 a.m. PST |
Any tips for drilling out the Old Glory spear hands? I have about 120 hands to drill out and they have been sitting on my workbench for a year while I try to psych myself into all that drilling and gluing. I have a pin vice but am thinking about getting a dremel, any other suggestions? Thanks in advance! |
Gary Flack | 23 Jul 2015 7:42 a.m. PST |
TBeyer I just drilled a mass of old glory to take spears used a dremel and a mini drill bit BUT – the dremel needed a collar adaptor to let me use the really fine drill bits needed Just mentioned in case you need to acquire the adaptor and save yourself two trips to the shop [I was lucky and the shop's only the other side of town – couple of miles – and I got the last adaptor they had in stock!] Other than that I'd suggest taking your time and letting the drill do the work rather than use brute force and ignorance to "speed" it up [the time I did that the figure slipped from my hand and ended up being whirled around the room until it snapped the bit with the torque! – cue naughty words on my part :-(] Good luck Gary |
Marcus Brutus | 23 Jul 2015 8:05 a.m. PST |
Thanks for the advice. Can't see how soldering would work. The iron would melt the hand as well as the solder. I am going to pick up some Rapid Fix. Seems interesting. I've tried epoxy and contact cement and wasn't totally impressed with the result. Is there not some kind of compound that I could "glue" into the hands and when it set it was as hard as the metal and could be drilled out? |
Bobgnar | 23 Jul 2015 11:23 a.m. PST |
Marcus, Rapid Fix is that "some kind of compound" you want. Wet with the liquid and add the powder. The liquid by itself is sufficient to hold anything, but with the powder forms a very hard solid. Also, consider Lab Metal link Regarding drilling, I too use Dremel with small bit from Micro Mart. I also have asked my dentist to give me used drills that are great. Not good for tooth enamel but great for "lead" figures. I make a little nick in the hand to be drilled with an xacto blade as a starter for the drill bit. Ditto to Gary's advice and experience with the spinning figure! I usually hold the figure with my hand, but a locking pliers is safer. Goggles or shatter proof glass are a must. |
IUsedToBeSomeone | 23 Jul 2015 1:29 p.m. PST |
I use low melt solder with a temperature controlled iron – solder melts at 70 degrees c…. Mike |
wrgmr1 | 23 Jul 2015 4:41 p.m. PST |
I drilled 200 OG Hoplite hands a few years ago. Here's some basics I learned. Some are repeats of suggestions above. Good light. Very small drill bits. Small tap or exacto point starter hole. The figure gets hot so a glove if you hold it or a cloth on the vice grips. Drill over a plastic tray, there are lots of small bits falling off. Eye protection. Noise protection. I found holding the drill and figure the most accurate hole, rather than putting the drill in a holder. |
Henry Martini | 23 Jul 2015 6:49 p.m. PST |
I've managed fine drilling out OG hands with a pin vice, with the centre of the hole pre-indented with a pin. It only takes a minute or so per figure. If you're preparing and painting one unit at a time it won't take that long. |
Marcus Brutus | 23 Jul 2015 9:44 p.m. PST |
Picked up some Rapid Fix and I am very impressed. Very strong bond. I am intrigued by the idea of low temperature soldering Black Hat. Since the melting temperature of lead/tin is about 300C (depending on the mix of course) does the lower temperature solder and iron not effect the figure? |
IUsedToBeSomeone | 24 Jul 2015 1:50 a.m. PST |
Hi Marcus, No, no effect on the figure. I use a temperature controlled iron at 150C, flux the joint and then put a small amount of solder onto the joint. The flux helps the metal flow. The figure acts as a huge heat sink so you have to get the joint quite hot before it will melt the figure anyway – a lot of people use a normal iron (but they have had a lot of practise). It is something I am only just starting to do as I have started soldering white metal 54mm Toy Soldiers together and realised that I could solder on spears as well. The solder melts at 70C (its Carrs low melt) which does mean you could drop it into boiling water to undo the joint as well (not tried that yet). Mike |
Tarantella | 24 Jul 2015 5:00 a.m. PST |
Another alternative which works well with 15mm figures especially high tin content ones with only a little 'webbing' betwixt thumb and fingers (unsafe to drill) is to open out the hand using the edge of one of these 3/4 inch jewelers diamond coated grinding wheels. auction I've done 500 plus figures with just one of these attachments and it's still doing the job.
Apart from freshening the metal it increases the point of contact with the spear and done carefully enough will allow fingers and thumb to be carefully closed around the spear before gluing. Steady hands and full goggle protection as usual here! |
freecloud | 24 Jul 2015 8:34 a.m. PST |
OG approach is the best but I know what you mean re psyching up to drill 'em out… Apart rom that…epoxy is your best friend. (I find superglues to brittle/don't make a decently big bond area |