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I ALWAYS pin metal models. Depending on the join i might even use multiple pins so there is no chance the jopint can rotate and break the glue.

BaronIveagh wrote:I mix up about 50/50 superglue and greenstuff. Holds like a champ. Just be sure to trim the excess before the glue dries.

ok, I'm going to have to step in here.. using any sort of glue with greenstuff is a really terrible bond. It may stay at first.. but it wont last.


Here's a tip for superglue; If you take a hard, sharp tool like a scribe you can basically scratch a crosshatch into both sides to be glued. Give both sides a quick clean up with some wet and dry, sand paper or wire wool so that it's nice and shiny and they apply your glue. Just a small bit to one side.. If you drown it it won't bond.

The hatching increases the surface area and give the glue something to 'bite' into. Beatiful bond often stronger than the metal if you do it right.

I really think it depends on how careful you are with your models. I am careful and I am lazy, therefore I use just Superglue (Gel). Yes, you have to hold it FOREVER before it dries enough to hold, then you have to leave it for 24 hours before moving to the next step, but this is not a problem for me since I always have plenty of other models to work on while I wait.

So just Superglue - fine!

So if you think it's a good idea to mix glue or crosshatch the surfaces or mix in greenstuff or whatever, well, if you are going to go to all that extra work, why not just drill and pin?

I also have to say that if you are clumsy (or if you have clumsy friends who like touching your models) drilling and pinning is the way to do it.

As for me, like I said, I am pretty careful and have broken very little (a spot of glue fixes all) over ten years of gaming. So superglue is fine for me.

However, I do drill and pin rarely for some of those really wild pieces. At some point, the model just weighs too much for simple glue to handle!

Kryppers wrote:

BaronIveagh wrote:I mix up about 50/50 superglue and greenstuff. Holds like a champ. Just be sure to trim the excess before the glue dries.

ok, I'm going to have to step in here.. using any sort of glue with greenstuff is a really terrible bond. It may stay at first.. but it wont last.


Here's a tip for superglue; If you take a hard, sharp tool like a scribe you can basically scratch a crosshatch into both sides to be glued. Give both sides a quick clean up with some wet and dry, sand paper or wire wool so that it's nice and shiny and they apply your glue. Just a small bit to one side.. If you drown it it won't bond.

The hatching increases the surface area and give the glue something to 'bite' into. Beatiful bond often stronger than the metal if you do it right.

This guy has it right.

It took a hammer and chisel to break the superglue/greenstuff bond on one of my unpinned minis. I'd call that a good bond.

BaronIveagh wrote:It took a hammer and chisel to break the superglue/greenstuff bond on one of my unpinned minis. I'd call that a good bond.

Quite unbelievable

The reason why Green Stuff + Superglue works is partly because Green Stuff is very sticky itself. It's basically a thick sort of epoxy cement.

Tony the guardsman wrote:

BaronIveagh wrote:It took a hammer and chisel to break the superglue/greenstuff bond on one of my unpinned minis. I'd call that a good bond.

Quite unbelievable

You didn't see how much of both was involved.

I try to pin whenever I can, but when I have to superglue (either because I messed up the pin hole or the model has a thin wrist,etc) I do as others have said and cross-hatch/scratch the metal area to be glued and then apply the superglue. I've tried the superglue gel and it seems easier to get to hold, but it doesn't seem to be as strong as using normal super glue and rubber-banding/holding for a min or so.

I think if more people had dremels or could find non-shoddy hand drills pinning would be more popular, but as it is I think super gluing can be the faster/easier way to success and if careful it will hold indefinitely. Even if you do have to reglue something it doesnt take very long at all.

There also seem to be a lot of the posts in here that are more about being insulting/elitist than either trying to help the OP or being on topic. You can disagree with someone without breaking dakka rule #1.

Halsfield wrote:
There also seem to be a lot of the posts in here that are more about being insulting/elitist than either trying to help the OP or being on topic. You can disagree with someone without being an ass about it.

Yeah, guys, this isn't Whineseer!

(going for the irony, there.)

I just use my lasers and melt the contact surfaces down and fuse them together...


not but really

Gorilla Glue...never look back.

Tony the guardsman wrote:

chromedog wrote:It's "Voila" (not 'wala') with the accents all over the place like is common for that backwater mispronounced provincial latin dialect.

Cool,thanks

lol you are Canadian dude come on lol

IG_urban wrote:I just use my lasers and melt the contact surfaces down and fuse them together...


not but really

Gorilla Glue...never look back.

Gorilla Glue is AMAZING. I use it on large pieces. Holds like a champ. Main problem is that it expands as it dries, so you really have to make sure the bond is held in place for 24 hours or else the expansion will drive the pieces apart.

That said, it holds like a champ. Don't use too much, just a dot is usually plenty. And read all instructions. This stuff is not to be messed with, much like a real gorilla.

Gorilla superglue however, does not expand, but remains slightly flexible. This allows for a less brittle bond. Highly recommended for very small pieces. For 99% of metal to metal joints, I ALWAYS pin and 5 minute epoxy. Never had one of those joints come loose!

Pinning metal models is not difficult, nor does it take a great deal of time, I usualy just pin them. I know there are ways around it, but why bother? The stronger joint is going to be one that is pinned, seems like a lot of trouble and chemistry to experiment with different glue combinations instead of just going with the safest bet.

I usually just super glue my metal mini's the only time they have ever broken is from a high fall and well damn I would expect them to break.

metal models doesn't take skills,but time

Tony the guardsman wrote:metal models doesn't take skills,but time

I completely disagree. There is a certain amount of skill needed to make a metal model look good.

A normal metal model you have to file so it fits right, then glue and pin it properly, then green/grey stuff the unavoidable gaps/flaws, then sculpt and file some more....

To make a model look decent, especially when sculpting does take a certain amount of talent...