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I just bought my first two model packages. A pack of Necron Warriors and a Doom Scythe. I opened the Doom Scythe first and put it right back into the package. I then opened the Warriors package. I was able to put together the scarabs with difficulty but when I tried to get one of the warriors to fit onto the base provided I broke it's leg.

*sigh* and thus went my first attempt at putting any type of model together in over 20 years.

Don't sweat it G. Honestly, the Necron legs are absolutely infamous for being too wide a stance for the standard bases. You just happened to pick a badly designed kit from the get-go.

Go back to the Scythe, it's actually a VERY easy kit to assemble, it's like a 3 on a scale of 10. Don't falter, friend!

Thanks. I was wondering if they legs were like that on just my purchase. I will work on the scythe and I just bought a tool that might help, a pair of tweezers (my scarab models kept sticking to my fingers). Painting will have to come when I have more money. Using these in conjunction with my paper proxies until I can actually buy and assemble all my units (though I will use the bases that I bought as proxies instead of paper where I can).

I am very new to modeling...is it normal to have to put lots of glue on the base and then let it dry for a bit before holding the object your gluing to it for a long period of time? Not a problem if it is, but I would like to know if there is a better way.

First off, if models are sticking to your fingers, this has to mean you're using super/krazy glue, right? Stop that.

Use cement glue for plastic models. You get WAY more in a tube for the same price, and it's a vastly superior hold. Not to mention it takes a few hours to dry, which means no sticking to skin, and there's plenty of time to adjust/remove the parts if you made an error of some kind/decide to adjust the model.

As for your second question, with any kind of glue (krazy or cement), you don't need large amounts for it to work. In fact, using too much saturates the area, and causes it to take FOREVER to take effect - I'm guessing that's why you need to hold it for so long. If you use glue correctly, you only need to hold it in place for like 10 - 15 seconds for it to be bonded enough to let go. Of course, this depends on the weight of the part and the angle of the model, etc.

I was using the plastic glue my game store recommended to me. And thank you for the advice with the gluing. I really have no clue what I am doing and was kinda lost when I opened those packages.


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also I tried to fix my necron warrior's broken leg (it broke at the hip and the foot) but I could not get it to stick at all. Should I just give it up for lost or is there a way to recover?

Okay so you're using cement glue. Good. Sorry to jump on you about using krazy, it just sounded like you were.

To use cement glue properly, you need to understand what it does. It essentially melts the plastic a little bit, then when you put the two pieces together, they dry and become as 'one'. Almost like welding two pieces of iron together, except it's plastic. To observe this at work and have a good handle on the concept, glue two pieces of trash sprue together, and after like two or three minutes, separate the pieces - you'll see the gooey melted mess the connection has become. That's how polystyrene cement behaves.

So, for that to work, you need to apply a bit of pressure for like 10 - 15 seconds for the melting to take effect.

To fix that leg, put a tiny amount on each point that needs to connect. Fit it together carefully, and when you do, apply some pressure to the parts - do it one part at a time if you must. Join the hip and the leg first, let it dry for a couple hours. Then join the leg to the foot, and carefully, because it will still not be fully dried from earlier and it might buckle again.

Ok thanks, I'll give that a try...if that doesn't work I'll take it to the more experienced modelers (than me) at my local shop and get help


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The glue I bought is called Plasti-zap and it says it is a Medium CA whatever that means.

Haha great! You should follow the instructions to start with, once you've warmed up again start doing crazy conversions.

If you are using GW's plastic cement, try a different make. The GW make is the worst in the world for sticking to hands and blobbing everywhere.

Get the Testors cement. It's really good.

http://www.testors.com/product/0/8872C/_/Liquid_Cement_For_Plastic

I would recommend superglue so you can undo mistakes (:

CA is superglue (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superglue).

For plastics I would always recommend a plastic cement (Revell or Testors), don't use any of the GW adhesives they're overpriced and watered down.
Superglue on plastics is okay but on fiddly kits such as any of the Necron infantry boxes you're gonna get more on your skin than on the models themselves which will lead to breakages as you try to prise the bits from your skin.

So try a plastic glue and see how that goes, I'm sure it'll help alleviate some of the issues you're having.

 Opera wrote:
I would recommend superglue so you can undo mistakes (:

I would recommend plastic cement like Revell or Testors rather than superglue so you're less likely to make a mistake in the first place. Plastic cement is worse if you mess up, but because you have more time to work with, it doesn't stick to fingers nearly as much and because of the way it welds plastic together, IMO you're less likely to mess up to begin with when it comes to fiddly things.

My first model was constantly applying plastic glue, the detail faded soon...

You need this model cement! It has the perfect steel tip!

 Kelly502 wrote:
You need this model cement! It has the perfect steel tip!

Just don't go near a hospital with it.
"nurse what was in that needle?"
"sir it was what you requested!"
"when?"
"when you were on the phone!"
"when I was calling the glue company?"

Models sticking to fingers sounds like too much glue. To avoid using too much glue I sometime use a toothpick to apply/spread the glue. It keeps your fingers away from the glue and let's you have better control over the amount you use.

What was happening with the models sticking to my fingers was I was taking the scarabs (there are 4 to a base, each with a mini-base) trying to apply a small bit of cement to the hole in the bottom of the scarab and then putting the mini base into the hole. Unfortunately afterwords the scarabs got very tacky, stuck to my fingers and to my desk. The second was unfortunate as well as I also had to spend some time getting the ripped off fake wood covering that is on my desk off of the scarabs where it had glued on. I then started laying the drying scarabs on quarters to avoid that, though I would still have to pop them off the quarters with an exacto knife.

I know this is making me look silly but like I said I haven't even touched a child's model in over 20 years so I am detailing what I doing, the mistakes and successes here for peer review, good and bad. I will have to take that warrior into the shop as I can't get that leg to bond at all and I don't want to lose it at that price.

At least I was successful putting the scarabs together even if my process wasn't very good.

I did not know that CA was superglue. I will have to go shopping. That explains a lot.

Use the glue that kelly502 recommended, the model master cement.

I use it almost exclusively on plastic models. It is by far the best plastic weld type cement I have ever used.

3 things (these are personal opinions)

1 - If your getting stuck to things your using too much glue. Try using glues with a decent applicator and only use a super small amount of glue, large amounts will only slow down the drying process causing things to stick to you rather than the model.

2 - I use superglue on plastic models due to the fact plastic cement bonds the plastic together partially melting the two areas together, this means once dry the only way to take the model apart is pretty much breaking it. With superglue you can buy solutions that will allow you to remove the parts for years to come (which is great in 10 years when you want to strip and repaint models etc)

3 - I collect Necrons and hate the way they stand off the edge of the base. I cut off the legs on every model and re position them so that they look like they are walking forward rather than standing legs wide apart taking a dump.

PS - When building kits patience is the key trying to glue parts whilst things are drying will lead to having a bad time.

Thanks all...I will be buying a better glue (with a better applicator) and I will detail how the next attempt goes.

Best of luck, was going to give some pointers but these guys hve it covered. That glue is the same i use for plastic models and I've been using it for about 10 years, works amazing.

Friends at the game store showed me how to repair that broken warrior so he is back on his feet again so to speak.

Necron Warriors rate up there with the must pain in the butt to assemble!

Yeah I'm noticing. New purchases for modeling: A modeling mat, clippers, tweezers, Testors liquid cement for plastic models, a file, sandpaper, a board to paint on, spray on primer, metallic black spray enamel, small bottle of neon green paint, small bottle of metallic paint and paint brushes.