Painting before assembly question

[jdhog]

I'm building the AMT 1950 Chevy pickup.  I decided that I could get a better paint job by painting all the body pieces (especially the bed and fender) prior to assembly.  I've had problems in the past getting good coverage in nooks and crannies around fenders on old truck models.

Everything is painted and the clear is curing.  Now I am wondering what is the safest way to assemble the pieces.  I'm afraid scraping and using Plastruct will be a disaster.  I'm thinking about assembling carefully with white glue.

What's everyone's opinion on this?

Here's a pic of some of the parts.  I'm proud of the way the paint came out.  ?

Edited June 16, 2020 by jdhog
Typo

[gman]

The paint looks great. 

I am afraid white glue won't hold parts together securely. For adhesive, you have lots of options- where you have joints that won't show, 5 minute epoxy (where you need a little time to get things into position before setting) is a good choice. You can use a drop of super glue in some locations, with the understanding that large amounts will fog paint and windows. Zap A Gap CA + or CA ++ works particularly well, and is thick enough not to run into places you don't want it to go. For some parts, small amounts of liquid cement will work- consider something like a Touch N Flow applicator on the back of your joints (where accessible) to avoid getting more glue than you bargained for onto your parts. I like Tenax 7R for a fast setting glue.

[jdhog]

9 minutes ago, gman said:

The paint looks great. 

I am afraid white glue won't hold parts together securely. For adhesive, you have lots of options- where you have joints that won't show, 5 minute epoxy (where you need a little time to get things into position before setting) is a good choice. You can use a drop of super glue in some locations, with the understanding that large amounts will fog paint and windows. Zap A Gap CA + or CA ++ works particularly well, and is thick enough not to run into places you don't want it to go. For some parts, small amounts of liquid cement will work- consider something like a Touch N Flow applicator on the back of your joints (where accessible) to avoid getting more glue than you bargained for onto your parts. I like Tenax 7R for a fast setting glue.

Great info.  Thank you very much.  I have some epoxy.

[gman]

Use care with epoxy- you can end up with strings of dried glue where you don't want it if you have to reposition your parts. Thankfully, they can be removed after the glue sets. A little goes a long way.

[Dave G.]

I just use plain old Testors orange tube, always have. Or super glue, the gel version or at least the thick. I also like thick formula Kiss super glue ( what the ladies use on their nails).  I've also always painted body parts unassembled, it just goes all the way back to my childhood in around 1960.

Nice paint congrats !!

[espo]

This is the manor in which I have always built a models body anyway. Many good adhesives out there that will not discolor the paint finish as long as it's only where the two parts make contact. My go to is MM Liquid Cement. I like the applicator for getting into the hard to reach places. There are many others that will give similar results. 

[crazyjim]

I use Testors in the red/orange tube for gluing just about everything on model kits.

[Ctmodeler]

Always used to use testors orange tube only . Tried tamiya cement . Omg what a difference should have tried this stuff a long time ago.

[Straightliner59]

I'm amazed at the number of builders, some, very accomplished, who use Testors' tube glue.  I don't think I have had one of those, since about 1975! Nothing against it, I just never saw a reason for it, once I discovered liquid cement, super glue, and epoxy.