Repairing a Model/Assembly

So, *sigh*, as I mentioned in the last post, I had a few legs break on the bonejacks while I was stripping the paint off. This was not due to the actual act of getting the paint off, it was from taking the mini on and off of it's base. When this happens it can send a wave of terror through your body. I mean this shit is expensive, and to have it break or fuck up for any reason is rough. But I have learned that most things can be fixed, and where there is a will, there is a way. You may also encounter times where you get something in the mail and it is damaged due to shipping, or it was just all around damaged when you bought it. So what do you do besides cry?
Get those paper clips out and get to repairing, Tech Marine style!

Tools Needed:

Paper clips: These can be used as pins or even replacement parts.
Model Snips/Wire cutters: Use the modeling snips (black handle) for cutting off bits that come in the model kits, use the wire cutters (red handle) to cut the paperclips. *DO NOT use model snips to cut paper clips, they will get damaged.
Super glue:Any kind, I prefer thick super glue gel for metal models. As long as the first material listed on the glue is metal, you should be all good.
Pin Vice/hand drill: This is a screwdriver that has a swivel so you can apply pressure with the palm of your hand and drill using your fingers. You can get them at GW stores, and Maritime Hobby, or online.
Files: I bought a 6 pack of files from Canadian Tire for less than 10 dollars, any narrow file would work, but I do not recommend using the tiny files you can get from GW, or elsewhere for this type of work, use the small ones only for removing mold lines and imperfections from models, not filing down large pieces or sections.


Pinning:

Pinning a model means literally that, sticking a pin into your model to support or strengthen a glued piece at it's point of contact. When looking at the bonejack legs and where they broke you can see two little hydraulic arms sculpted on the model that connect the leg and the foot. Now that they are broken I am going to use the pinning method but just leave the pin exposed to substitute as the hydraulic. Once this is primed you won't know the difference! This method can be applied to all models. If a piece breaks off or seems too heavy for the glue bond to support, you can pin these pieces together.

  As you can see in this pic the legs have snapped clean off, and if you look at the bottom leg you will see the little hydraulic arm I was talking about. It connects from the knee joint of the robot and it's foot, so we are going to start here. Start by filing away the broken piece, in the case of this mini, I'm going to file both arms right down to the knee joint.

Once this is gone, grab your pin vice and drill into the spots where you are going to place your pins, make sure the drill bit you use is the same width as the paperclip. I use the ones that come with the pin vice.

Only drill in till the tip starts to disappear, and when working with metal be careful not to apply too much pressure as you drill because you can push the drill bit right through the metal and right into your hand. Once you have your holes started, grab a paperclip and straighten it out. You only want to use the part of the paper clip that is naturally straight, not the parts that are rounded.

Grab your wire cutters and snip off a piece that is roughly the length you think it needs to be. If you look closely at the paper clip it has little notches in it, once you find the desired length , you can count the notches and match that up to other pins that are the desired length. place the paper clip into the holes you drilled and carefully use the wire cutters to twist it into place, leave them in and grab the other piece you want to attach to exposed pin.

Place that piece into position and figure out how much space you will need, and then cut the pins down to that length. Once this is done place a dab or red paint on the end of the paperclip where you just cut it off. Now place the second piece to be attached to the pins right where it's supposed to be, pressing the piece against the paint. This will show you where the pins are to enter. The paint makes it easier to pin because you don't have to eye out where you think the pin needs to go, the paint dab will show you. Once the paint dries, grab your pin vise and drill holes into the center of the paint circle you just created.

Drill in slowly and keep checking the fit, keep drilling in as deep as you need to, but a good rule of thumb is not to go deeper than half the length of the bits being pinned. Also keep in mind that you only drilled into the first piece till the drill bits tip disappeared. So you may, in most cases, only have to drill  a quarter or the way in. Grab the wire cutters and back the pin out of where you first started drilling, and drill slowly in till you get the piece into position and feeling strong.

Now that the holes are drilled, the pin is the right length, and in the correct position, take the pin out of both pieces, and grab your glue. Put a dab one one end, twist it into one piece with the wire cutters and then glue the other end and slide the second piece on. Once the glue dries you should have a clean seam and a strong reinforcement. I dropped "Dante" from the Blood Angels down a flight of cement stairs by accident after pinning the axe and taking it outside to prime, and it didn't even bend the axe!

Assembly:  Grab some glue, slap it on the piece, stick it into where you want it to be and hold it in place till the glue starts to dry! For larger pieces, pin the joints or glue points that you can, and once the glue is put on and the part is in position you can use elastic bands to hold the pieces together.

Well that's all for now! Next up: Priming models. I am going to try and post entries on Tue-Thur-Sun, and maybe start something on random days that is just discussions, shout outs, works in progress and such. Let you all know where I'm coming from in terms of wargaming!