metal models - very discouraged

[lovelight15]

I'm in the process of sawing, filing, bending to fit, and (attempting) to glue together my first metal models, 3 kroxigors, and it is NOT going well. I absolutely hate it. Tried pinning and it was so difficult I'm regretting even attempting and buying the handdrill.

Does anyone else hate this part? Any tips to make it go better?

 

[Arli]

I generally use a small amount of greenstuff along with super glue to hold together joints on metal models. Pinning will help, but I usually do not do that.

 

[brokbrok]

Yeah, combo pinning/green stuff/ and glue is supposed to be the best. I've had very little issue skipping the whole thing though, I treat my models fairly decent so I've had little need for the added strength that pinning is there for.

So, if you're not dropping your models, just get some super glue a glue activator like zip kicker and it it will instant bond the metals. Sometimes this takes two tries cause the glue will dry but not bond. Then you take some green stuff or other epoxy and fill in the gaps that metal models always have, this helps with the bonding too slightly.

If possible, you don't want to use the zip kicker as the bond is more fragile than if the glue is allowed to dry naturally. Not a big deal though.

So yeah, if you don't think you'll be dropping your models often, it's possible to just glue them together.

 

[T`hinker`er]

Agree with Arli, I often add a small ball of green to the joint just to make sure that all surfaces within the join are covered. Aside from that, be sure to remove any flash and test fit before you use any glue. I haven't found it necessary to use any pins in putting my metal krox together. The tails are long, but thin enough to not be very heavy. Are you using good super glue? You want the somewhat thicker CA+ (gap filling) variety (green label). Here's a link http://www.supergluecorp.com/zap/zap-glues/zap-gap Avoid the pink label - use that only in situations where you need the glue to be very thin and runny.

 

[brokbrok]

I've always used the pink stuff, so thanks for that tip. I'll have to keep an eye out for some green label.

 

[Lord Tsunami]

you can make pinning easy like this:

1) clean off any crap from the model
2) take one of the parts you want to pin, and drill the hole in that.
3) put a lump(maybe like a quarter of the size of a warhammer head) of blu tak (or whatever you call that putty you use to put up posters) and put it roughly where you want the hole in the OTHER part. make sure it sticks properly to the metal.
4) spit on the blu tak (yes, i am serios)
5) press the two parts together as you would like to have them pinned.
6) pull them apart carefully. the blu tak will now be shaped like the pin should be.
7) now you just drill where the blu tak "pin" is, and in the same angle.
8) put in your pin and glue it on to one side (wipe away the spit and blu tak first ofc)
9) cut the pin to the right length and glue on the arm or whatever it was you were trying to pin.
10) TADAAA!

this method really revolutionized pinning for me. its no hassle now
But i do agree: metal models SUCK.