Fiddly, fiddly, fiddly

[Stevekir]

I am at the last stages with my 1/72 Lanc, adding the 8 little weight blobs to the moving tail elements. Compared to fingers they are microscopic. The 4 largest ones consist of a rod less than 1/3 mm diameter, about 2 mm long with a (streamlined!) blob at the end less than a mm in diameter. Consisting entirely of curved surfaces, tweezers have a knack of slipping and away skites the part to some hiding place. The slightest tremble in the hand prevents the glue setting properly.

So I stuck a small piece of Tamiya tape to the part in an appropriate orientation to make a handle. To avoid my hand sticking to the tape a short piece of paper was added. The tape and paper must be very small to avoid their weight dragging the part down as the glue sets. A blob of Polycement was put on the model (I felt that the thinner, which wicks into the joint, might not be strong enough). Then holding the assembly at the right angle, I put the part on the model and held it for a few minutes until the glue had stiffened, then gingerly removed my hand and adjusted the angle of the part. The tape and paper was supported by an old Fortnum and Mason anchovy relish (quality and class are everything!). After a couple of hours the tape and paper were easily released. After two of these I got a headache and had a drink.

The first pic shows the glue setting, the part is hidden behind the tape, and the second the result.

How do other Lanc etc. modellers tackle these minute parts?

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[CDW]

Any small parts are held lightly to a cocktail stick with an appropriate sized piece of fresh bluetac.

I have a smoked glass plate that I use for all modeling, I pour a small amount of super glue on the glass and lightly dip the part in it then attach to the model, only seconds are needed to enable it to stick. Just pull the cocktail stick away and bobs your uncle.

Any and all glue/paint residue is easily cleaned from the glass with a Stanley knife blade.

 

[Stevekir]

I have had some difficulty with superglue recently, but I will try it again in another area..

 

[Alan 45]

Colin's correct a small piece of Blu-tac on a cocktail stick or toothpick works best

I find using a gel superglue works better than plolycement as it drys faster but gives you time to adjust the part.

 

[CDW]

A little tip with superglue is to breath on the parts to be glued, the moisture activates the glueing properties, originally it was a quick way to close cuts and gashes without the need for stitches and so benefits from said moisture.

 

[Alan 45]

A little tip with superglue is to breath on the parts to be glued, the moisture activates the glueing properties, originally it was a quick way to close cuts and gashes without the need for stitches and so benefits from said moisture.

First came about in the Vietnam war , us medics used it to seal wounds on injured troops until they were lifted to safety

 

[monica]

hi, yes i herd that as well from some vets and had always wounder if it was true, and that the reason it glues your fingers so well,

Moni

 

[eddiesolo]

Well done Steve on attempting something so small, with my shaking hands when trying to handle something so small and then concentrate on holding and fitting the thing...ain't going to happen in a million years.

Si

 

[stona]

I use a sort of amalgam of the above. I wipe some accelerator on the model and apply a small amount of CA to the part which I grip in a pair of suitable tweezers. Put A + B together and hold for literally a few seconds and the job is done. I do the same for PE parts too.

I've got these bits and pieces coming up sometime soon, I've spent the last few days trying to beat the awful Hasegawa decals into something like acceptable shape on my Lanc

Cheers

Steve

 

[Bunkerbarge]

I made a small hand vice when I was in my last year at college and, as I finished it in the first week and I had two weeks to make it, I made a stand for it. I have found this an invaluable modelling tool ever since. What I do with tiny parts is either hold it in tweezers or with a spot of blue tack and then put the tweezers into the vice. I then manoeuvre the vice to locate the part exactly where I want it on the model dry and take my hands away. When I am happy with the location I simply spot the joint with liquid poly, which will seep into the joint and provide a strong bond. The vice and tweezers can be left as long as you want before being sure it is secure then you can remove it. Obviously not everyone has the means of making such a device but I would highly recommend that everyone has a small portable vice on their bench for tasks such as this. I also use it for holding parts for painting and a multitude of other tasks.

There are other small portable vices out there but they would probably benefit from being screwed to a piece of wood to keep it secure. Apologies for the quality of the pictures but hopefully you get the idea. The great advantage of using a vice this way is that you don't have to hold it steady by hand waiting for the glue to dry.

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[Stevekir]

That's a good idea. I have in fact a Rolson Helping Hand (it has a couple of crocodile clips adjustable at any angle). It also has a heavy cast iron base. I will try it next time.

 

[stona]

That's a good idea. I have in fact a Rolson Helping Hand (it has a couple of crocodile clips adjustable at any angle). It also has a heavy cast iron base. I will try it next time.

However many 'hands' you have, yours or otherwise, you'll always be one short

Cheers

Steve

 

[CDW]

That's a good idea. I have in fact a Rolson Helping Hand (it has a couple of crocodile clips adjustable at any angle). It also has a heavy cast iron base. I will try it next time.

These are invaluable in my opinion Steve, I use mine (dilapidated as it has got) almost every time I'm in my modeling cupboard.