Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

I have started Necrons and I purchased a Monolith. When I was buying it, my buddie said I was going to have fun with that model. Didn't think to ask him what he was talking about.

So, when I get home and open the box, I see what he was talking about. The side panels for the main body were warped. The three side I was able to work with, but this last one is just so frustrating.

My main question: Is there anything I can do to "tame" the warping?

Thanks in advance.

I don't recall mine being particularly warped, but if yours is, try this:

First off, you should be assembling it with liquid plastic cement. If you're not, you're making it way harder on yourself.

I'm not sure if you have access to the interior (I think you should if I recall the kit) of the model at this point, but if you do, just do it one inch at a time. Get an inch of joint to mate up nicely, wick some liquid cement in, then apply super glue to the inside of that joint, and hit it with some kicker to cure it.

If you keep moving down the joint with this technique, first getting as much of a nice join as you can, putting in liquid cement, then anchoring it from the inside with super glue, you'll get a good seam, and take the warp out of it gradually.

The trick here is that if you can hide it inside the model, you can put a lot of sloppy glue in there, and it'll never be seen.

If you don't have access to the interior, you can still do something similar, but it'll take much longer. The premise is the same, use liquid cement to glue as much as you can cleanly, but then you'll have to wait on that to dry before you can proceed.

The thing about warped parts, is that they're the right size, they'll fit fine if they're bent exactly right. It's very hard to freehand that, so you have to use the kit itself to get it back into shape. The only way it will all mate up correctly is if it's no longer warped, so your problem is also your solution.

I just built a monolith a couple of weeks ago, and the warping really got to me too. The sad thing is that I don't even play necrons!
I just got it because I had never built one, and it "looked like a fun model to build". My mistake!

I finally got it together using twice as much glue as usual, and rubber bands. After the glue dried, I was able to go back with some very very fine grit sandpaper and smooth out the glue marks. Assembly was such a trial that it's now just sitting on my desk, I can't make myself pick the dang thing up and paint it...

Definitely though... inch by inch, lots of glue, rubber bands, and some tivo'd episodes of "My Name is Earl". That will get you through.

Jim

bluetablepainting wrote:

I finally got it together using twice as much glue as usual, and rubber bands. After the glue dried, I was able to go back with some very very fine grit sandpaper and smooth out the glue marks. Assembly was such a trial that it's now just sitting on my desk, I can't make myself pick the dang thing up and paint it...

I built 3 Monoliths along the way, and each time, I glued the inside of the joint with plastic cement and placed rubber bands around the outside of the model to provide tension. It worked like a charm for me, even if the plastic was slightly warped.

It is probably too late in the year for this, but put the warped piece on a metal cookie sheet, park your car in the sun, and set the cookie sheet on the dashboard. Come back in about two or three hours, and the warp should have relaxed. Take it inside and leave it on the cookie sheet until it is cool.

Alternatively, warm your oven to about 200 degrees F, turn it off, and put the cookie sheet in there for a bit. Do NOT forget about it, and start preheating the oven to 450 to bake a pizza.

then apply super glue to the inside of that joint, and hit it with some kicker to cure it.

This is the only thing that anyone's said that i disagree with... and I disagree vehemently.

Don't use kicker.

Don't EVER use kicker.

It's a subpar quick fix that you will likely end up regretting.


Kicker does a GREAT job of drying the glue fast. The problem with that is that it does not dry NATURALLY. It's a chemical reaction.

Where your typical usage of superglue gives the glue time to dry and harden naturally, creating a stronger bond, this stuff just makes it dry up fast.
Your glue becomes lumpy and unforgiving, and the adhesion is "poo-poo."

I'm the only one in my gaming group who refuses to use it. I'm also the only one who is not always repairing models that have come apart.

If you had any idea how often I hear the phrase "I lost a backpack. Someone pass me the glue and kicker."

They just never learn (not to mention that the fit becomes worse with each re-glue, since the hardened glue takes up a LOT of room).


Eric

If they don't think to remove the previous glue crud from the seam before applying a new batch, the use of kicker isn't their biggest handicap, IMO.