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so im really trying to focus on modelling nowadays and im having a lot of trouble with detail work.
my hands are extremely shakey and my fingers even worse.
i was hoping for some tips on how to handle small bits.
by the time im done with them the bit is usually covered in glue and my fingers are usually glued to the bit.

any ideas for a modeling noob?

Rest your elbows firmly on something like your working desk? Use padded pliers or better a tweezers?

As for glueing use plastic cement with a needle applicator on small bitz. Or with super glue put it on a normal needle and apply it with the needle and not directly from the tube.

ive tried tweezers but the bit always seems to flip the wrong way while im doing it... maybe im using the wrong kind?

I use dressing or splinter forceps on mine.
They are larger tweezers with a 3mm (dressing forceps) rounded tip or a point (splinter ones), both with ridged insides for gripping bits.

Not as fiddly as smaller tweezer sets and gentle pressure is enough to hold stuff in them.

That and the liquid polystyrene cement with the fine nozzle.

My biggest problem is assembling models with two arms that hold one weapon. Getting the arms to line up properly with the hands on the weapon, etc... it's easy to mess it up on some models.

I'm dreading assembling the next box of Kroot I bought on the weekend XD So fiddly!

 Bewareofthephil wrote:
My biggest problem is assembling models with two arms that hold one weapon. Getting the arms to line up properly with the hands on the weapon, etc... it's easy to mess it up on some models.

I'm dreading assembling the next box of Kroot I bought on the weekend XD So fiddly!

For stuff like that i often use blue-tac on one arm so that it is held in place while i glue the other arm. Then after a short while i glue the blue-taced arm on. The first arm is still lightly moveable so even if the second arm doesn't fit perfectly i can move it gently until they line up. This is usefull especially on pieces that needs some greenstuff work at the shoulder after glueing due to parts not lineing up perfectly (yes, i look at you dreaded finecast noise weapons) or on reposed arms.
You can glue one arm while the bluetac allows the other to still be moved into position. And after the glue sets the bluetaced arm should fit - if done right - without much rework.

Just be carefull and only use tiny pieces of blue tac.

You can take the path of a clockmaker. These guys work at a very elevated desk and rest both their arms flat on the surface, right under their nose, so to speak.

And these guys handle bits even "fiddlier" than the regular miniature hobbyist.

 usernamesareannoying wrote:
ive tried tweezers but the bit always seems to flip the wrong way while im doing it... maybe im using the wrong kind?

If your parts are already painted, especially, it's important to avoid marring them while still getting a firm grip. Besides, applying more force usually makes the bit more likely to spin, fly out, etc. If you can't keep the necessary lightness of touch (rarely an easy task), try padding the jaws of pliers or the tips of tweezers with a bit of foam (the stiff, tight-grained neoprene type stuff, like what is sold for kids' crafts (cheap) or comes as padding on a mousepad (either free or prohibitively expensive)) or leather - it deforms enough the help grip oddly shaped parts while being stiff enough to keep them from deflecting or rotating whenever you apply a hint of force. I'll also echo the suggestion of avoiding applying glue directly, unless your bottle has a precision applicator already installed. For plastic glue, a toothpick works just fine. For superglue, I use a pushpin to transfer it (sewing needle might be preferable, but I don't need to do it frequently enough to warrant buying one when a pushpins and safety pins are handy - the smaller diameter doesn't actually hold a smaller drop, anyway).

thanks everyone.
i think my biggest problem might be that im using the wrong tweezers.
theyre actually hard to squeeze so i probably squeeze too hard to keep them closed and the tip is basically shaped like two spatulas instead of a fine point.

A friend of mine has nerve damage that periodically causes muscle spasms in his lower arm. Used to result in flinging things across the room. A couple things which he found helps out...

Rest your arms close to your hand. One of those squishy wrist supports are nice from what he says. Close to the hand is better because longer 'levers' created by the forearms amplify the movements...whereas short distances reduce the effect and help to prevent the movements.

The other thing is to switch to 'closed' tweezers.

http://www.widgetsupply.com/product/BBA39.html

They are normally closed as oppsed to open like regular tweezers. That allows you to just clamp the part in place and then you don't have to worry about them being squeezed shut while you work.

He also keeps a ball of blue tack to set the big stuff on his desk with or a pair of 'helper' hands depending on what he is working on. So, he sticks the body or whatever in the ball of tack or helpers. Grabs the arm in the clamping tweezers. Rests his wrists on the pad, and finally glues them.

The final bit is to use fast working liquid adhesives. A good quality plastic cement or super glue will set up in seconds. The faster he can get his hands off something...the better.

Reverse Action, Clamp, Closed tweezers ( all the same just different names )
I use a pair of the following with a bit of foam tape on the tips and a third hand for assembly
http://www.widgetsupply.com/product/WA17.html

http://www.widgetsupply.com/product/BCY58.html

One thing that can work better than tweezers for positioning really small parts, put some blutack on the end of a toothpick, or grab some blutack with tweezers and then use that to pick up the part instead of trying to pick up the part directly in the tweezers.

I was working on model planes for years and fighting with tweezers where you end up with the bit going flying across the table or trying to hold tiny bits in my finger tips and hoping the part is positioned correctly and my fingers aren't glued to the model (another reason I prefer plastic glue to superglue ) before someone suggested blutack on a toothpick. I was like "err, how did I not think of that". You just have to hold the part in place for a few seconds until the glue bond between the part and the model becomes stronger than blutack bond between the part and the toothpick.

In addition to the many good pieces of advice here (two hands has been super helpful to me, as well as bracing them on a level surface) I would toss out a few things that have helped me in the past.

1. If you have consistent problems with shaky hands, you may have mild blood sugar issue. Try eating a balanced meal, wait 30-60 minutes, and try again.
2. Don't paint when you're tired.
3. If you've just engaged in some strenuous physical activity (Crossfit, bedroom antics, what have you) then give yourself a cooldown period. I notice I'm always shakier after hard work.
4. Cut down on your caffeine if you are a habitual soda/coffee drinker. I guzzle Coke like it's being banned by law, and I've think that's given me the tremblies from time to time.
5. You may want to try a natural herbal supplement if you need a little bit of extra calm. Kava can provide that, although be warned that it stinks.

In any event, I hope that helps, and good luck!