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I have just now started to build my first Privater Press Hordes models, my previous experience is only with warhammer and similar models. First I learned I need to use super glue for the PP PVA plastic models, the glue for styrene models no longer works.

Also, the large models are heavier than I am used to with styrene models, which leads me to investigate the ways how to make the joint stronger and durable. I have noticed a mention about "putty and glue" method, but I did not find any detailed description of the method. This is just my interpretation and I wonder whether it's correct:

Should I put a drop of super glue on both joints and blob of green stuff between them, i.e. in layers like shoulder-glue-green stuff-glue-arm?

Or what is the way to use the putty for gluing?

I understand the green stuff coming out the joint can be immediately used to smooth the joint, but I don't want to ruin my model by doing something wrong.

nazdar kamo.

It really dpends on the models. Some models fit together like a dream, while other models fit together like a nightmare. I bought steelhead halberdiers which were just a terrible nightmare to build, as are most of the old metal warjacks.

If the models are metal, you're best off pinning everything together. you might need some putty to fill some gaps, but, not very much.

Really, there are two glues to use in making miniatures:
Plastic cement (which bonds plastic and styrene together by melting them)
Cyanoacrylate aka superglue (which bonds things together, like, well, glue, by mating the surfaces together)
In most cases, you should be fine. you might need some gap filler, but if you carefully clean the parts up before gluing (cutting all of the flash, and filing everything smooth), then you should have a pretty snug fit between most parts. The type of glue you want to use depends on the material you have, and what kind of bond you need, etc. Then the brand of glue also decides the quality. GW has terrible glues. Absolutely useless stuff.

I'm assuming you've got metal models, so you will want to pin everything. A paper-clip will do for the pin, you'll just need to find a vise of the same size.

I learned about this from 'Ebob' at Ebob Miniatures. He explained that the thinnest possible layer of superglue forms the strongest bond, and the thinnest possible layer is between two parts that are as flush as possible. The flush fit is what the putty forms, as it moulds itself to the joint surfaces of the two parts.

So after cleaning up joint surfaces, the method is pretty much as you think, with the exception that he uses milliput (most types of putty should do) and glues one surface at a time. Once glue and putty are cured, break the joint apart again, which should be at the unglued side, and glue that. He swears by it as almost unbreakable, and after trying it myself, I have to say it's not too bad.

If we're talking about plastic models, 99% of the time, plastic cement is the way to go. It slightly melts the plastic so even if the joint isn't perfect they parts will just melt together and you'll be good. Don't use GW plastic glue though, use a decent brand like revell or testors.

If it's not a plastic model, or for some reason there's a huuuuge gap, I use green stuff + superglue. I try and tune the size of the greenstuff before applying any superglue, so figure out the correct amount of greenstuff for the joint you are doing (remembering the superglue itself will fill some space itself). Roll that amount of greenstuff up in to a ball, apply a bit of superglue to one side of the join, place the ball of greenstuff in the center of the join (or wherever appropriate if it's an odd join), apply a bit of superglue to either the other side of the join or simply to the ball of greenstuff. Squish the two parts together.

Superglue dries damned near instantly when there's no gap... which is what the greenstuff ball creates (no gaps), so the superglue will start drying almost immediately and hold the join together. However, the greenstuff will take longer to cure, this gives you a little bit of time to position the joint correctly.

Once it dries, bam, super strong joint.

Excellent, the way you describe it Vermis makes perfect sense! I am going to give it a try tonight when building a Ravagore.

Thank you both for the advice!

Minor correction to the OP: The models are PVC. PVA is white/wood glue.

As for your question, your interpretation is correct. Whether it would be the best method, though, is more complicated. Using greenstuff in a joint does two things, mainly: First, at adds a thin "cushion" of a slightly flexible material than can help otherwise brittle CA glues resist light shocks. Second, it fills any irregularities in the adjoining surfaces, ensuring full contact across the entire face of both mating surfaces. This lets the glue work to its fullest ability. There are other minor benefits, such as hiding joints by smoothing the excess that squished out of the seams (just be careful that no superglue has oozed out with it! It's a real pain to clean CA+GS off of your sculpting tools...), but that doesn't really affect strength and can be achieved equally well by adding putty from the outside. The second point is what really helps, in this case, but it's not strictly necessary - if a joint already has the proper shape to ensure good contact, you aren't gaining all that much (in my opinion, at least) from adding in the epoxy putty.

Just as in woodworking, if you really want a strong joint, you use glue to supplement a mechanical joint (e.g. a glued mortise and tenon is far stronger than two boards simply glued edge to edge). For miniatures, that means pinning. Again, two nice, flat surfaces that mate cleanly and with good contact don't require the addition of putty, but using it is a good idea if that is not the case. At the very least, it's not going to make the joint any weaker.

I wonder how much strength you'd gain if, instead of pinning with a metal rod, you just drilled 2 decent sized holes and put some superglue in them before filling with greenstuff.

Obviously it'll be less strength than a metal pin, but I so very much hate pinning things I might try it on my next awkward model (though with resin these days I don't find myself pinning all that often anyway).

I don't imagine that would do terribly much, Skink. Much like an overly shallow pinning job, all that would resist is the two surfaces sliding against each other. Rarely are we as worried about shearing at joints as we are about torquing. GS nubs in holes could help a magnetized limb stop spinning, for example, but if I were attaching a long, heavy projection, I'd only trust a metal pin to really support the weight. Might work out with sufficiently large holes, though.

If its a plastic model and you can actually find a stockist, I would recommend EMA plastic weld. That's the stuff most plastic manufacturers use for bonding large items together.
I use it myself and I have to say. It makes the other poly cements I've used look like post it note glue. It also works on ALL plastics not just polystyrene based ones.