If you have any great embarrassing stories, please make sure you share them in comments!
Inline with my series of painting tips from an average painter, I wanted to share some of the FOW/TY hobby related glue tips I have picked up over the years. If you can add any, please make sure you do!
1. Use the right glue for the right job. Don't be tempted to just use any glue for any job. It may not work.
2. No matter the glue, keep the stopper tight. Glue is expensive and always seems to run out when you need it most. Look after it and it will last longer.
3. PVA glue is great for adding flock, rocks and other basing materials to bases. I find I don't ever have a situation where I need to water it down. It flows white but dries clear. Remember this is actually wood glue so perfect for scratch building anything made from wood or card such as buildings, bridges or fences.
4. Superglue is a great all rounder. It will glue just about anything. My advise is to buy a quality brand and use it sparingly. The cheaper brands tend to end up with a white mess around the glue as it dries. The same can occur if you use too much. Be careful to keep if off your hands, eyes and genitals. Remember the Emergency department conference power point.
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5. Plastic glue is for... Well plastic. This is a tip I picked up recently. I have always used super glue for plastic but plastic glue seems to work better. I am no chemist but I understand there is a sort of melting that occurs as part of the bond. Whatever happens, the stuff glues plastic well. You will need superglue for gluing plastic to metal or resin (i.e the current iteration of flames resin vehicles).
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6. Epoxy - for when you have to glue everything in the room, accept no substitutes. This is the business when it comes to the strongest bond. Beware, it smells bad. You need to equally mix two parts and apply quickly but once done, that bond wont be undone quickly. I only really use it for those hard to stick situations and infantry figures that break at the ankle.
7. Always glue in a well ventilated place. Yes some of this stuff is toxic. Read instructions and follow them.
8. There is Super glue and there us Super glue. There are a few varieties now ranging from rapid set, shock proof, slow set and a gel. I tend to just use the standard product and the gel. The gel is thicker and dries slower. I find this is great for when you want to keep the cap off for a while and glue several items (for example a platoon of tanks). The normal stuff is best for a quick glue and set.
9. If you want to save some money, shop at hardware/iron monger stores rather than hobby shops. These things were not invented for hobbyist and can be purchased more cheaply and in bulk in the real world.
10. I am trying not to use brand names and some of these glues may be called different things in different states. If you check out the pictures you will soon work out what I am referring to.
I hope this article has been useful. Remember, share those embarrassing stories.
My mom is a nurse, nearly all of her glue stories are about me glueing my fingers together with the strong superglue. Happened more often than I want to admit :D
ReplyDelete5. As for plastic glues like the one posted; It's not so much a glue as a solvent that melts and chemically welds polystyrene plastics together. The solvent evaporates leaving the two parts now part of a larger whole - and you can't separate them without physical means. It ONLY works on polystyrenes (like model kits or sheet stuff) and does not work on resins, metals, or other plastics (ABS or PVC).
ReplyDelete6. Epoxy's one weakness is heat: Some of the faster curing (5 minute) araldite products don't handle being locked in a car on a hot day, for example. Tended to make the bond go brittle so that it can be chipped off/out. Not likely to be an issue with the resin use for TY or FoW but is something to remember for metal models.