Resin prints, glue, and you!

Long gone are the days of lead-based metal models. In fact, pewter/white metal miniatures are also becoming an ever-rarer medium in most game systems. We are experiencing something of a golden age of injection-molded plastics.

These come with many benefits, both to the manufacturer and the hobbyist. They also come with some downsides, but those are a matter of opinion and hotly debated in hobby shops all around the world.

One thing that is fact, however, is – Different materials require different glues.

In the case of plastic models, many of us have found hobby cement or plastic glue to be the ideal choice. Widely available and effective, it “melts” plastic parts together to ensure a strong bond.

These do not work on anything other than plastics, however.

For resin prints, superglue is our preferred and recommended choice. Bonding rather fast, being ubiquitous, and ensuring a strong bond are all points in its favor. 

We have found that there are a couple of things you can do to make this process even easier. 

The first is to use superglue activators. These products are generally sold in aerosol cans or pump-bottles, and serve to speed up the curing time of superglue. By spraying one surface with this while the other is coated with a small amount of superglue, upon contact they should stick near-instantly. Of course, for this reason it is critical to dry-fit parts first.

The second is for joints bearing larger loads, or more prone to stress. Pinning is a technique many veterans will be familiar with, and involves using a hobby drill to bore into both surfaces in a spot where the holes will meet, and to insert a metal pin (usually a brass rod or paperclip cut to size) to reinforce the connection. We personally use this approach when attaching resin printed cavalry to resin printed bases for extra peace-of-mind.

Remember: Whenever drilling into resin, be it cast or 3d printed, ensure you take the proper safety precautions as hobby drills can create resin dust, which is harmful if inhaled.