"Pinning" Topic

Hey all. A quick question. What do you recommend for pinning plastic miniatures? I have used various materials over the years but would love to hear what others use for pinning parts on their plastic minis.

#8 guitar string. Very strong. Very cheap. Cut with a wire cutter not a sprue cutter, it is stronger than the sprue cutter and will leave a divot in the blade. Stick the short end of the wire into a bit of clay when you make the cut so it won't fly across the room. Put a flag made out of blue tape on the other end of the wire so you can find the wire on your desk easier.
Bunkermeister

Steel 0.3mm "piano wire". Mike Bunkermeister is right- you'll need a good pair of wire cutters or side cutters. BluTack works as well as clay for holding the cut wire.

For equipment items, like swords, quivers, etc, I'll sometimes use 0.4mm or 0.25mm lacquered copper wire (you can get it at any electrical shop- ask for "winding wire"), which allows a little bit of play to position the item. Don't twist or move it too much, though- the 0.25mm wire breaks easily.

I use copper or steel floral wire. Make sure you have a drill bit handy that matches the wire. I use Aleene's flexible stretchable fabric glue to glue parts together (yes, takes a hours/a day to dry, but it is tenacious and it flexes) or two-part epoxy. Not being in a hurry is key… ;-)

Brass wire instead of piano wire. If your alignment wasn't perfect then it can be bent into shape a little.

John

I use dressmakers pins, cut down to size.

Thanks all!

Doesn't the plastic cement weld the two parts? I've never pinned plastic.

Louis, the "soft plastic" like many 1/72 figures does not glue with regular plastic glue, it doesn't melt.

Good tips. Thanks.

Blue pennant, clay/plasticine/blutac, piano wire or guitar string.

I know a few musicians that will smile when I tell them why I want their rubbish ;-)

All that's been said here is very good. I would only add that I recommend drilling holes in plastic (and metal figures too) with a hand or palm drill. If you use a high speed tool such as a dremel you will melt the plastic and gum up your bit.