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Hey Guys,

I have a techmarine who has a pesky servo harness that never fails to fall apart whenever he's in transit (I am buying a case, however).

A staff member at my GW store told me I should try "pinning"; I assume this is introducing a foreign object (a pin?) into the glue between the two parts of the model to help better secure it?

What exactly is it? How is it done?

Easily done

Youll need a mini drill (the drill GW supply is good)
Some smallish wire

Drill a hole into the part of the model where the join is and glue a small bit of wire into the hole.

I put a small bit of black paint on the end of the bit of wire at the point and quickly poke it at the other part of the join.

Drill again into where the paint marked the model

Glue the wire and then the actual join and hold together.

Take care to not have too much wire in the join. And seal any gaps with abit of GS if needed.

~Toxic

Okay thanks, that was very nice and concise

I'll bookmark this for next time the Tecchie decides to fall apart on me... probably very soon ;<

You are right. What you typically do is drill small holes into each piece with a small drill bit (size depends on what you are drilling) with a pen drill ( your hobby shop should have). Then take a paper clip snip a piece that fits and dry fit together (size of paper clip also depends on size of drill bit). Then just glue together. Instead of paper clips people also use brass rods.

Is a very easy, but very useful technique.

If youve got a model with a long arm like one of the older generation ork warbosses with the squig on the end . . . it doesnt like to stay on.

And if it does fall apart, this way youve got something to line it up again with

~Toxic

Mr toxichazard says it best!

Toxic's advice is spot on. There are also a few other things that might help you repair your guy and pin models in the future.

The tool you are looking for is also called a "pin vice". Any hobby shop worth its salt should sell them, and probably a lot cheaper than one you'd find at GW. At a good hobby supply store you can usually get a pack of about 6 or so different sized bits. Paper clips of different gauges are usually very good for pinning, but you have to take into consideration the weight of the part and how deep to bore the holes as well.

Hope this helps keeping your Techie together.

Vindicator#9 wrote:Mr toxichazard says it best!

Toxic says it as it is really

Well mr toxic i have to thank you for the paint on each part to center the pin that is very helpful.

Toxic has just about summed it all up very well indeed
Just a quick note here to add on:

When pinning large metal parts (carnosaurs, greater damons, that size) it may be worth using up to 3 pins in certain parts, as a single pin may not take the weight.


also, if your very careful you can do what i did and use no-nails to put a thirsters wings on
Actually snapped the metal trying to take them off a year later lol.

One thing to watch out for is that when you start drilling the drill-bit will tend to wander if you're not careful. This is especially true on rounded surfaces like the ball joints on some model's arms (Lictor, I'm looking at you). If you get something sharp, metal and pointy (awl, icepick, pin) and make a small shallow hole, more of a dent really, before you start drilling you'll help keep the drill bit on that nice paint mark.

When you're using small drill bits be careful of how much pressure you exert. Not enough and the bit won't bite into the material, too much and the bit will either bend (if it's cheap steel) or break (if it's not). Bending is irritating, but snapping can launch small metal splinters and leaves you with a sharp broken drill bit in your pin vice, which is usually at this point plunging towards the hand holding the model. You, of course, don't notice this, because A: it happens really quickly and B: one of those aforementioned metal splinters is in your EYE.

Wear your goggles!

Yes, I'm speaking from experience.

I like to use a paper clip, which come in two standard sizes; regular small ones and the larger about 2" ones which are thicker/stronger.

Then as advised by others you need a mini drill with bits that match the size, or some prefer a hair larger.

Note; I also am found of steel coat hangers and I have a drill that matches the size as well.

Just remember to use Dykes to cut the material, as "sprue" cutters will get destroyed...

These are all cheap and readily accessible items...

Unistrut wrote:This is especially true on rounded surfaces like the ball joints on some model's arms (Lictor, I'm looking at you). If you get something sharp, metal and pointy (awl, icepick, pin) and make a small shallow hole, more of a dent really, before you start drilling you'll help keep the drill bit on that nice paint mark.

edited to attempt to get my part out of the quote >.<

I've yet to attempt pinning, but with rounded surfaces on the arm, I've found toenail clippers works wonders to make a flatter surface

http://www.totalmodel.com/workshop/pages/workshop_324.shtml

I like to use differing sizes of bits and paperclips when I pin models. My most recent pictures of a wraithlord conversion shows a few shots of a pin in process. You can see them here:

http://www.thehogsofwar.com/2009/09/eldar-wraith-lord-conversion-2.html

There's also a guide on the GW web-site -
http://www.games-workshop.com/gws/content/article.jsp?aId=2000055a

All good advice from everybody, also be very careful if you intend to drill out Bolters etc... or other holes in plastic, I managed to drill right through a plastic bolter and into my finger! hurt like hell so be careful!