Gluing suggestions

[trapper]

Hey guys, Just a quick question, I have noticed all the great builds on this sight and I wish I was on the same level as some people here. Does any body have tips or suggestions on gluing parts for a neat apperence? I always seem to mess up the paint or it just looks bad. Any help would be great.

[Foxer]

One thing, which I haven't mastered yet, would to apply the absolute minimum glue required to the part and mount it in one, swift, accurate move .. then walk away!

[afx]

This topic should help.

[fseva]

Hey guys, Just a quick question, I have noticed all the great builds on this sight and I wish I was on the same level as some people here. Does any body have tips or suggestions on gluing parts for a neat apperence? I always seem to mess up the paint or it just looks bad. Any help would be great.

First of all, buy a glue that has a nice small applicator at the end. My current fav is Model Master, which has a metal needle (Testors also has one, but it offers a plastic needle instead). Even though it's very small, this applicator can still apply too much glue if you happen to press too hard on the sides just at the time you're going to apply the glue to a part. If you do, just wipe off the excess with a q-tip. I regularly use this glue for paint to paint applications - somehow, it seems to melt the paint right into the glue joint. However, this is not the preferred way, and it's not recommended, especially to someone who is unfamiliar with gluing. In your case, it would be best to use a little "poster tack" putty to keep the parts that are to be glued masked during painting. Then you will be gluing plastic to plastic and it should result in a very tight joint. Hope this helps, and if you need anything I've said clarified, I'd be more than willing to explain myself.

[fog cutter]

practice

[Ace-Garageguy]

If you're trying to glue parts like exterior mirrors or handles to painted surfaces, you may want to consider pinning them before you paint your model.

Pinning allows precise location of the part during final assembly, and allows a water-soluble glue (PVA) to do the job...easily cleaned off the area with no damage.

[Erik Smith]

Pinning parts is great advice. 

What type of glue are you using? I use CA glue 90% of the time - you only need a small amount, it dries fast, and can fill small gaps on joints, etc. I use the medium viscosity type - thin runs too much for my preference. I also regularly use a "kicker" to instantly dry the glue - just make sure you have things lined up correctly. 

For "glass", tape the parts in place and then use a clear glue around the edges - glue, like Testors clear parts glue, is pretty thin, so it wicks between parts well, and dries clear.

Try to find a spot to glue that won't be readily visible. Paint and touch up after gluing is important. All modelers make mistakes - fixing those mistakes makes you a better modeler.

[trapper]

Thanks for all the input guys!!