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 know that this will be a noob question, but I gotta ask. Up until now, I'll been painting the snap n fit models and I wanna go to the "normal" ones. Thing is they're in a million pieces. Am I correct to understand that if I decide to paint some parts before putting them together, it's better to leave the areas that will be glued I painted? Or does it really matter?

if you are working with plastic models and CA (plastic glue) than you want to have no paint between the pieces being glued together.

If we are talking metals than I would pin the models and paint as you like.

Also be careful with the glue as you don't want a blob of it seeping out and ruining your paint job.

Hope that helps.

Plastic cement needs plastic on both surfaces exposed. If it's resin or metal, you'll want to score the surfaces and/or pin as needed and use superglue.

CA glue is superglue, not plastic cement. It stands for cyanoacrylate:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyanoacrylate

No paint on the two parts to be joined = best.

So if you are joining an arm to the chest, don't paint the two little areas at the "shoulder". Chest to legs....don't paint the "waist" area.

I have the Citadel plastic glue - thin.
What I wanted to do was paint the model but for example leave the Bolter and the back packs off - easier chest eagle access etc

It also works to scrape the paint off the areas that will join very carefully if you accidentally get paint on them.

The secret with glue is to use very little, just a tiny drop. If you get in good glueing habits you'll appreciate it later when you want to do an arm or weapon swap!

Plastic glue works only on a plastic-plastic join

Super glue works on everything (including your fingers)

remember, less is more!! Use only tiny amounts and you'll be fine.

Thanks guys. Less is more and plastic - plastic joint. Got it

The first thing you should do is bin the citadel glue. It's rubbish, you can get much better plastic glue from most model shops for a lot less than the gw stuff. Personally I use humbrol's liquid poly. It's about £2 a bottle, which is enough to glue together about 500 models.

tomcat31 wrote:
The first thing you should do is bin the citadel glue. It's rubbish, you can get much better plastic glue from most model shops for a lot less than the gw stuff. Personally I use humbrol's liquid poly. It's about £2 a bottle, which is enough to glue together about 500 models.

Yep, and it should be rather telling when folks who work for GW dont even use their own junk...

If you look in the corner of the pictures of the new SM flyer that Forge World is doing (check the US Gamesday thread...I know I saw it there)...you will see a bright blue bottle of Revell Conacta cement.

Beyond that, it is fairly common to do as you are wanting to...glue backpacks and guns after painting. Be sure to let them cure fully, a day or two at least. Most plastic cements are also pretty good paint strippers, and while cured acrylic paints can put up with a bit...if it is just dry to the touch, you may see you paint job running like mascara at a beauty pageant.

 darefsky wrote:
if you are working with plastic models and CA (plastic glue) than you want to have no paint between the pieces being glued together.

If we are talking metals than I would pin the models and paint as you like.

Also be careful with the glue as you don't want a blob of it seeping out and ruining your paint job.

Hope that helps.

Not hugely relevant to the thread, but worth pointing out as you're new and it might become so,

CA is cyanoacrylate (sp?) which is actually superglue. Plastic glue is polystyrene cement, and while CA adheres the two surfaces together, poly cement actually melts and welds the two surfaces together, making for a much stronger, more durable, bond. It only works on certain types of plastic though (all GW kits are fine, Privateer Press, for example, use a different type) and anything else (resin, metal, Finecast) needs superglue.

Thanks. I used the GW stuff (plastic glue - thin) and after the paint dried properly, it glued pretty well. No running and a pretty good hold. I mean come on, it's not like I'm gonna be throwing them around the room or anything