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.

Hey folks. I've just picked up a couple of infinity starter boxes, because I found the models to be stunning (Aleph and Tohaa).

Just wondering if it's me or the models, but the first one I assembled (Aleph Deva) kept falling to bits, so I eventually pinned every single join. That was probably some of the fiddliest modelling I've ever done, but worthwhile, because after some careful greenstuff, the model is probably the nicest looking thing I've ever put together. I hope I can do it justice painting it.

So, do folks pin all the joins of their infinity mini's as standard? Do they just fall to bits and reglue them regularly, or have I just been unlucky?

I think you've just been unlucky. I haven't had any problems on my end.

In my (admittedly limited) experience it hasn't been necessary, although getting the arms to sit properly on a couple of models has taken a bit of knife work or green stuff.

A lot a people seem to pin every Infinity minis and I had issues with bits falling but now that I am using Lepage Super Glue Liquid Pro, that problem has been solved =)

I haven't pinned a single thing yet, and haven't had a model fall apart yet. Don't use them as a football, transport them properly in secure foam, and you won't have problems.

Did none of what you said, and a leg kept falling off every time I looked at it. I was using fairly old superglue though. Having said that, now she's pinned, she's pretty much bulletproof.

None of my devas needed pinning.

A small amount of greenstuff (NOT liquid) and superglue and they held fine.

Some might have needed sockets made deeper with the aid of a pin vice and drill bit, but that's it.

I've dropped them (accidentally fallen from table) and they have stayed intact. The GS seems to act as an extra buffering shock absorber.

Cheers for the replies folks. I think I'm going to pin everything anyway. I enjoyed the challenge of pinning stuff so small and fiddly. Brought back some memories of the good old days of massive metal GW models not staying together without pins!

Generally speaking I haven't had to pin - it's funny you mention the old GW models, because in many ways the old principles that applied to those miniatures still holds true - if something is 'load bearing', then it can pay to pin, otherwise you probably need a better superglue! Regarding the latter I always use a medium or thicker consistency glue from the likes of someone like Zzap or Rocket - the thinner stuff just runs off the metal surfaces, and if you're using GW brand or the stuff you get from pound shops you're better off using the glue off the back of a stamp.. !

I've pinned miniatures to their resin bases (simply because of the small contact patch) and a TAG, otherwise glue and as Chromedog has pointed out sometimes some greenstuff has been sufficient.

Although great if you do have the patience to pin everything - certainly there is no harm in it, especially for that occasion when a stray shirt sleeve sends your trooper diving off the side of an apartment block!

From the starter set I got, I really did not have to pin most of my models only. The small parts on some of the models were annoying, although I think I could have used Green stuff to save me the frustration of that.

I've just got into Infinity and I'm pinning everything, I don't want to have to deal with weak joints and the repainting if something breaks. Pinning also makes it nice and easy to dry fit everything to make sure poses are perfect and allows all the parts to be easily painted separately.

IMHO, you need to use some really good glue that sets in seconds and is gap-filling. I personally use armskeepers super glue super gold+ and it works well for me.

Zap a Gap! this stuff makes any stuff stick to any stuff for ever and does it super well.

Seriously find it and learn to love it, Other than that or even coupled with that you can put a ball of putty in the joint and press in the other piece of the model (say an arm) then trim off the extra putty and remove the arm. After that you will have a socket with a putty skin in it, take out the skin and put glue in the joint and the putty skin back in the joint and let it dry. When the putty is dried and stuck to the socket you can glue the arm in with ease.

In all honesty though just get some Zap a Gap that stuff is amazing, even comes in multiple kinds of viscosity! Just be careful it REALLLLLY dries fast and its a REALLLLY solid bound after it does especially with plastics.

 Pacific wrote:
and if you're using GW brand or the stuff you get from pound shops you're better off using the glue off the back of a stamp.. !

I use cheap super glue (10 tubes for $2au is nice) and don't have any of these problems.

Yes but.. did you include the tears of frustration that you have to add as an accelerator with that glue?

Never needed any form of accelerator. Maybe we just have better cheap superglue in Australia?

The only problem with it is the caps don't fit well, and the tube will dry out about a week after opening it. So basically, 1 tube per purchase. Build it all, throw the tube out.

Likewise.

Cheap stuff, BSI, Zap, you name it, I've tried it all and most of it has been fine (GW stuff was crap, but that was a one-off and it was the only games/model store open on that day in the area.

Blowing on it is about as close to needing accelerant as I get.

I'll use my halogen desk lamp if I need to boost the glue to go off (whilst it IS an exothermic adhesive, it will usually benefit from additional ambient heat to kick start the reaction).

Well, I still haven't glued a single Infinity model but I felt it's worthy to share a quick-tip I learnt recently at MiniWarGaming: Scouring the model. Kris even used an Infinity miniature for this.

He uses his hobby knife and scours (?) the shoulder joints or other joints the model may have. Not deep gashes, he just glances the hobby knife over the model all around the joint. According to him, he does this so that the Super Glue has something to hold on to instead of a flat surface.

Scoring works because superglue (cyanoacrylate) has a low bonding strength with smooth surfaces. Scoring surfaces is an old trick.

The issue I have with with scoring Infinity models is contact points are ususally ludicrously small.

Because the joins are so small, I've developed a new pinning technique to get them lined up accurately - I drill right through the part, and into the body, so the pin lines up exactly, then backfill the hole with green stuff. Seems to be working perfectly, and giving an excellent join. I can do a tutorial if there's interest?

I use the rough side of an emery board to score the surface of parts to be bonded.

Give it a clean and wipe, then apply glue.

You only have to take the shine off it, micro-scars are fine.

As noted, superglue likes some texture to bond to - smooth surfaces give a pretty weak bond.