Best way to handle small parts

[Donny]

I'm just at the ends of my first build in fifty odd years, and have found I have lost/forgotten a lot of the skills I learned back then. Putting this model together, I ran into a mountain of trouble with glueing small parts, well not so much the glueing, but the holding and putting them in place and glueing. So can I get some advice on the procedure you use, and the right way to apply it. My methods don't work very well, I finish up with bits glued to my fingers and tweezers, and places I don't want them. Advice from you experienced guys, would be most welcome. Thanks in advance.

Don  

[johnyrotten]

With things like door mirrors I pin them. A small locating hole in the body, and I bend the wire over and glue or epoxy on the back. No risk of wrecking the paint.

[Chris V]

Nothing surpasses pinning the parts with piano wire for precise positioning and alignment. 
 

Whenever possible I slightly bevel the edge of the hole with a small mill bit to create a small deposit for the glue so it doesn’t ooze onto the surrounding areas when the parts are joined.

[Rich Chernosky]

Get some bamboo sticks and poster tack.  Wrap some poster tack around the end of the stick and use that to hold the tiny parts.  The glue you use is important too. Waterbase glues like craft glue are easily removed when you get exrtra on but have enough adhesion to hold small parts.  A dot of glue on each surface and let it tack up.  If you mess up the glue  is easily removed  and you can start over.  This eliminates the heartbreak of hearing that small snip as the tiny part you are trying to hold in tweezers flies off to never, never land.  Keep a clutter free work area too. Really helps when you are trying to find that small part. 

[sidcharles]

another thought: glue on part or glue on destination?

if you have a part with a hole, by putting glue into the hole, excess is kept in the hole/ not seen.

if you put adhesive on the pin, the excess is squeezed out of the hole and possibly onto the finished surface.

[sidcharles]

2 minutes ago, Rich Chernosky said:

. . . the heartbreak of hearing that small snip as the tiny part you are trying to hold in tweezers flies off . . . 

aka: the dreaded Ping!

[johnyrotten]

Another thought I just remembered, my wife does diamond art, she has these small, sticky ended tools to pick up the jewels. I've used them from time to time. No clue what they are called 

[Chris V]

56 minutes ago, johnyrotten said:

Another thought I just remembered, my wife does diamond art, she has these small, sticky ended tools to pick up the jewels. I've used them from time to time. No clue what they are called 

There’s a hobby product called “Grabit Stix” for this very purpose.

[johnyrotten]

14 minutes ago, Chris V said:

There’s a hobby product called “Grabit Stix” for this very purpose.

Those are the things. Thanks

[NOBLNG]

I also like to pin tiny parts. Even large parts like bumpers and seats. You can use any relatively rigid wire for pins. I like to use 0.020” brass. It cuts easily with my cheap nippers. For tinier pins I have some 0.010” and 0.015” Phosphor-bronze wire that I got at a model railroad shop.

[Swamp Dog]

for holding small parts to glue the part on i use a Rhinestone Picker up Tool. works great. get it from Amazon. 

Edited yesterday at 06:55 PM by Swamp Dog

[Donny]

8 hours ago, Rich Chernosky said:

Get some bamboo sticks and poster tack.  Wrap some poster tack around the end of the stick and use that to hold the tiny parts.  The glue you use is important too. Waterbase glues like craft glue are easily removed when you get exrtra on but have enough adhesion to hold small parts.  A dot of glue on each surface and let it tack up.  If you mess up the glue  is easily removed  and you can start over.  This eliminates the heartbreak of hearing that small snip as the tiny part you are trying to hold in tweezers flies off to never, never land.  Keep a clutter free work area too. Really helps when you are trying to find that small part. 

Been there, done that three times on the floor, torch, hands and knees - ah, got 'em, lucky. The '40 exterior door handles are so tiny and the tweezers don't hold them, might try the bamboo sticks today, thanks Rich. 

Don

[Donny]

11 hours ago, johnyrotten said:

With things like door mirrors I pin them. A small locating hole in the body, and I bend the wire over and glue or epoxy on the back. No risk of wrecking the paint.

Thanks John. The door handles on the '40 are so small it would be impossible to pin them - well for me, I'm not that talented, and at my age the hands are a bit shaky, not too bad, but enough to be a pain.

Don

[R. Thorne]

I like a toothpick with the sharp end cut off with some fun tac molded on to apply windows and small stuff.  You can shape the funtac to fit the part.

Edited yesterday at 10:00 PM by R. Thorne

[NOBLNG]

These are handy and I use them occasionally.

[Donny]

Thanks guys, for all the suggestions, really appreciate the help. In coming builds, I think I'll be trying them all out. 

Don

[bobss396]

I use .020" brass wire and picked up some 1/32" stainless steel pins from McMaster Carr. In 1/8", 3/16" and 1/4" lengths. They used to carry brass pins some years ago.