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.

Due to eBay purchases, clumsy glueing, etc, an unfortunate number of my models that need flying bases have had the tip glued in and snapped off. Does anyone have tips on how to get that stuff out? All I can think of is a small electric drill, which I don't own, so I'm open to any suggestions.

I would say use a small hand drill. You can get them on ebay or you can get the GW one if you want.

The peg end is normally around the 3mm mark (which is typically the upper limit for most hand drills). Note that many of them (eps the silver metal ones) often have the end cap which unscrews to reveal a second double ended adaptor that can be used to hold larger sized drill bits.


The bonus of a hand drill is that since plastics and resins and even the metals we work with are soft; the hand drill lets you go slow at your own pace. Powered tools can work well, but often as not you'll want them on some kind of pillar stand so that the drill is held firm and you can clamp or otherwise secure the model as well. Free holding a drill for this kind of work could be done, but its a bit risky as its easy to slip on a small modle and the next thing that the drill hits is your hand (at worst - at best it will dance over the outside of the model and damage it)

A pin vice drill followed by an xacto where needed. Depending on the model, you're probably better off simply drilling a new hole near the original.

And by hand drill I do mean pin vice drill (forgot its proper name)

On the off chance the models you're working with are unpainted and metal you can put them in acetone which you can get from most pharmacists (After a quick grilling with them asking what the hell you need it for) which will dissolve the glue and probably melt the peg.

Fair warning acetone will remove paint and melt plastic but I have no idea what it'll do to resin.

On some small holes for pinning and such, I have even used just the drill bit, spun in my fingers. The drill bits with the speed connects are excellent: https://www.amazon.com/21-pc-Drill-Bit-Set/dp/B0187VO0WC

Heck, you can even just buy only the size you need at any hardware store.

This way you don't have to use a drill at all. The plastic being so soft the drill spins in fairly easily. I just make a start hole with the spinning the point of my x-acto blade.