Desolation of Smaug - minature release speculation

Azog · **Posted:** Mon May 20, 2013 5:17 pm

My metal balrog - still in it's Fellowship Box :oops:

has plastic wings. I hope to assemble and paint it someday. :oops:

Bilbo · **Posted:** Mon May 20, 2013 6:13 pm

I made mine up years ago and pinned the plastic wings with copper rods. My local GW still had there original with metal wings that came off every time it got used!

Dead Marsh Spectre · **Posted:** Mon May 20, 2013 6:41 pm

I have the metal winged version tho its still in its box. For those of you who are familiar with the DMS versus Metal Gulavhar story you can imagine the metal winged balrog will be paying a visit to a certain Mr Fredericks before i even think about painting it lol.

Bilbo · **Posted:** Mon May 20, 2013 6:53 pm

My metal Gulaver seems to creak and crack every time its used. Its annoying when a gaming miniature constantly requires restoration.

Oldman Willow · **Posted:** Mon May 20, 2013 8:11 pm

Quote:

My metal Gulaver seems to creak and crack every time its used. Its annoying when a gaming miniature constantly requires restoration

Try two part epoxy instead of super glue with metal figures. Super glue won't stand up to stress.

Azog · **Posted:** Mon May 20, 2013 8:21 pm

Do people still drill and pin ? I seem to remember people pinning metal parts to strengthen the bonds to some extent. Something like solder pillars used on circuit boards for example to help hold things together ?

Bilbo · **Posted:** Mon May 20, 2013 8:45 pm

I have to say that it works very well. Epoxy glues on a small tend to add to much mass and always looks unsightly to have any meaningful strength. Arms etc will stay on when pinned where glues have failed me before.

Dead Marsh Spectre · **Posted:** Mon May 20, 2013 9:38 pm

Azog wrote:

Do people still drill and pin ? I seem to remember people pinning metal parts to strengthen the bonds to some extent. Something like solder pillars used on circuit boards for example to help hold things together ?

I drill and pin on every model. Drill and pin any arms etc even on 25mm models. I also cut every models base tag off and drill and pin to the base too.

Oldman Willow · **Posted:** Mon May 20, 2013 9:42 pm

Quote:

Epoxy glues on a small tend to add to much mass and always looks unsightly to have any meaningful strength.

Epoxy glue and epoxy putty are not the same thing. Epoxy glue has no more mass and is no more unsightly than super glue. It is far stronger.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epoxy

Epoxy adhesives are a major part of the class of adhesives called "structural adhesives" or "engineering adhesives" (that includes polyurethane, acrylic, cyanoacrylate, and other chemistries.) These high-performance adhesives are used in the construction of aircraft, automobiles, bicycles, boats, golf clubs, skis, snowboards, and other applications where high strength bonds are required

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyanoacrylate

Cyanoacrylate glue has a low shearing strength, which has also led to its use as a temporary adhesive in cases where the piece can easily be sheared off at a later time.

sheared off at a later time
This is why super glue will not work well.

Bilbo · **Posted:** Mon May 20, 2013 10:45 pm

Wow there Buddy! I have to say that I was a bit concerned there! Particularly as I assumed your suggestion of "epoxy" meant glue (a two part epoxy adhesive) which is commonly referred to in the U.K. as "epoxy" or also by its most popular trade name as "Araldite". It has been miss used on miniatures for as long as I have been gaming. I think we might have encountered a bit of what Oscar Wilde described as "Being divided by a common language".

I am naturally aware and have benefited from the use of modelling putty, particularly GW's green stuff, which coincidentally I have never pinned a miniature without.

Oldman Willow · **Posted:** Tue May 21, 2013 12:45 am

Quote:

Being divided by a common language".

green stuff aka Duro two part ribbon epoxy
Elmer's glue aka PVA
super glue aka Cyanoacrylate glue
"5-minute" epoxy AKA? :roll:

Dr Grant · **Joined:** Fri Aug 03, 2012 1:50 pm **Posts:** 1339

I'm gonna chuck my lot in with plastic, the advantage of metal was that they were always better quality and now, with the new Hobbit figures, I think GW have finally got to the point where the plastic is almost as good (those EFGT character models are just superb).

I remember many frustrating hours over 15 years ago trying to put together Prince Imrik's Dragon (what an awesome model that was at the time), I nearly went mad trying to glue those heavy metal wings into that tiny join. They held when I finally got it right though, they're still stuck on to this day

I'd want Smaug in plastic over metal every day of the week and I can't see how it won't pan out that way to be honest.

GothmogtheWerewolf · **Posted:** Thu May 23, 2013 4:20 pm

Ah, can you imagine a metal Smaug? I remember talking to friend years ago about the possibility of a metal Mumak (this was before FC) and remember saying how glad I was it was in plastic. Not wanting to pick the thing up, or assemble it.

PS I'm assuming this counts as relevant to the discussion judging by the above posts and as explained by Old Man.

Desolation of Smaug - minature release speculation

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