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Hi all
I was thinking about this guide yesterday night while assembling a Broadside Suit, I did a fast search on the forum and I had found nothing.
So, this is a guide based on my experience about the kinds of glue I normally use for assembling GW models: I think It wil be useful for beginners in order to prevent mistakes during the assembly phase.
Just a note: I linked amazon pages for reference of what kind of gue I'm talking about, but the links are from UK site; also while the type of glue linked is correct maybe you will find it in a different package.


Let's start:

When we talk about GW models we talk about plastic models, the sprues are full of small bits for customizing our models.
The glue I use more often is the Revell Contacta:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Revell-Contacta-Liquid-Professional-Applicator/dp/B000RMJ2H8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1499148941&sr=8-1&keywords=revell+glue

This kind of glue is made for plastics and works by melting two pieces together. The bottle has a needle for applying the glue.
This is the glue you should use everytime, but there is an exception: sometime you shall glue something with small details near the area where you should apply the glue; in this case I don't suggest to use this kind of glue because previously I said this glue works by melting plastic. In this situatione if you apply to much glue it may flow on the details melting them. You can do nothing because the plastic will soften in an instant and you can't remove the glue without damaging the details.
For this situation I suggest to use a gel super glue like this one:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/d/evq/Loctite-1885734-Super-Glue-Mini-Trio-Power/B00UTYAIHM/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&qid=1499148980&sr=8-10&keywords=loctite

with this you can apply it in small spot without the fear of damaging detail because it doesn't melt the plastic and you can sand it when dried; the details remain under the glue.

The third choice of glue is useful when you have sub assemblies of you model already painted and you need to make the final assembly

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Loctite-Precision-Super-Bottle-143033/dp/B00R37K6ZM/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1499148980&sr=8-6&keywords=loctite

This is a liquid super glue I use it to glue already painted plastic pieces. The precision version has a slower activation and this not always the best choice because you must keep the to part of the model together until the glue dries. Somethime is reccomended a fast activation glue.
Gluing painted part or the model together works only with plastics, for metal and resing kits I suggest to not paint over the area you are about to glue because the bond between the metal and the paint is not strong enought.

Plastic glue is always better because it creates a stron bond between plastics also in a very small area, but there are exception described above.

Last thing: while it's OK to drop the glue directly from the tube, this is true when the tube/drop bottle is new, I suggest to put a drop of glue on a flat surface and use a toothpick to apply the glue on you model: first make a dry (without glue) application of the pieces to be glued. Then the apply the glue only where you need to and you are able to prevent the glue flowing everywhere on the model.

Thanks for your attention

M

I've only used the CA super glue on mine, and with it, I must add, invest in some tiny drill bits and a pin vise. Especially for metal models where you can't get anything as strong as plastic cement, adding a pin(a bit of wire) to the glue joint really seems to help.

 Salabasama wrote:
I've only used the CA super glue on mine, and with it, I must add, invest in some tiny drill bits and a pin vise. Especially for metal models where you can't get anything as strong as plastic cement, adding a pin(a bit of wire) to the glue joint really seems to help.

Yeah anything you have to superglue needs a bit of support, as it cures rock hard so it makes it brittle. Which can be a good thing if you want to temporarily assemble to prime etc. But i find it useful when you can use plastic glue too just stick a little pin in there, means you need to use less glue however my experience is very limited maybe this is not necessary.

One thing that both speeds the set up and strengthens the bond is to scratch and score both surfaces (especially with metal and metal/plastic joins).

This dramatically increases surface area, and makes for a toothy geometry that turns the glue into a supercomplex hard stitch. As the scores and scratches take up the liquid glue, the glue sets and the bond rocks up, so even with lots of liquid superglue you can get a fast hold on two heavy metal pieces that lasts for a long time, almost unbreakable unless you drop for example an ogryn onto a concrete floor from 160cm or so... then the join will break.