My arm fell off!!!

[Eric C]

Okay, this is a question for D&D folks and those who otherwise work with pewter figurines. I have come up with a game based off of D&D but with my own stories as a backdrop (it's still evolving). I use it to have fun with the family and to try to teach the kids about moral issues. Well, I got out the paper today to draw up a map and my wife told me that one of the miniatures took a nosedive off of the chest-on-chest where they were keeping watch over our bedroom. It turns out it is the cleric, my character. His arm fell off. I'm not too fond of the glue that I got from the gamer store to glue the parts together. It never seems to bond too well. I am wondering if the epoxy I use for knife handles would work better. What has been your experience for gluing together pewter miniatures? BTW, the glue I have is Zap-A-Gap CA+.

[Eledhwen]

When it comes to pewter or lead I always, always use pinning. I use a pin vice and a small bit of wire..could be a cut piece of paperclip or what have you, along with Zap a Gap cyanoacrylate.

I play Warhammer, Warhammer 40K, D&D, Traveller, and Historicals of all sorts...many of them pewter or lead although these days mostly plastic.

Still, I found that pinning was the only way to keep the bits from falling off reliably. I also use it to convert miniatures.

Hope that helps.

Siani

[Eric C]

Okay. I've got a piece of paper clip maybe 3/16" long cut off. I've filed one end of it. Maybe I need to file it to a point. But I am having a hard time forcing it into the pewter. Of course I would probably protest if somebody tried to force a steel pin into my armpit too.

So, any tips on pinning? Or should it be self-explanitory?

[Eledhwen]

LOL

That's what the pin vise is for. Drill a hole the same diameter as the bit of metal in both pieces to be joined. Glue the pin in one end, test fit the other, trim pin to length if necessary, glue other bit on.

Pin vises are for modeling and take very small bits. Micromark has them, as do many other hobby shops.

Siani