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I have been working on a couple of test models prior to starting my eldar, and I have a couple of questions with regards to gluing and assembly. First: when gluing, should Ijjust put glue between the two pieces I'm gluing and press together or, should I also outline the edges where the two parts meet with glue to create a seamless single piece? And secondly, what should I do about the gaps between two pieces of plastic (I guess this is sort of answered in my first question :-P)?

I tried Googleing but I couldn't find the specific answers I was looking for, so I'd be really great if someone can help me out.

I tend to do a bit of both to make sure there is a solid bond. Justbe careful putting glue close to the edge because you might get it on your fingers and then transfer it to some detail on the model.

Small gaps shouldn't matter too much, but larger gaps would be best filled with green stuff or equivalent.

Do you mean after the pieces are stuck together, running a bead of glue around the edge? If so, no, I wouldn't do that, it'll just obscure detail.

If you mean put glue around the edge where the parts press together, then, yes, I usually apply just enough glue so that either none or the tiniest amount of glue squeezes out of the join (which I can carefully wipe away without damaging details). If it squirts out in droplets, then removing those droplets will damage the model.

Now, I said all that thinking about plastics. If you're gluing plastics using plastic cement, you have to remember that it slightly melts the plastic, so if any gets on exposed parts of the model it'll melt the detail and if you wipe it away, you'll be wiping away the detail as well. If you're talking about resin/metal models and using some other type of glue (plastic cement won't work) then that may change your technique.

Annoying gaps are best filled with greenstuff usually (depends on the model, keep in mind greenstuff doesn't sand well). Small seams can be minimised by careful gluing, but larger ones greenstuff is good.

Sir,

I use SuperGlue Gel (or the equivalent). When using this glue it automatically fills small gaps for you without the need for Green Stuff. It works wonders on the standard plastic models. I can't speak for its effectiveness on Finecast. On metal Superglue can be made to work - but it is probably no substitute for drilling and pinning.

I've used liquid CA to fill tiny seams, on rare occasion. The difficult part is not overdoing it. When application is that finicky, I'll actually apply a drop onto the tip of a thumbtack so that I can direct the glue to flow right along the seam.

With other glues, it may not even be necessary - CA gels are also called "gap filling" superglues and plastic cement results in local liquification, with the melted plastic oozing out slightly under pressure to fill in the seam. Even ignoring the type of adhesive used, proper prep of a join will reduce gapping to negligible levels.

Honestly, though, minor seams tend to disappear after painting. Outside of extreme poses and conversion work, few kits fit poorly enough to require filling in the seams, unless they fit so poorly that you need to break out the putty, instead, to tackle the gap.

Awesome. Thanks everyone for the great tips and insight.

If you want to apply glue on the edges, it'd be best to use Tamiya extra thin plastic cement, since it slips into the gaps and bonds nicely.