# stupid questions about using subassemblies



## mahavira (Jan 10, 2010)

To date I have rarely painted models (I'm a fairly enthusiastic assembler and even kitbasher, painting not so much), so the issue of doing complex models in subassemblies has been a moot one for me (if I did models in subassembly and left them until they were painted, I'd have no army to speak of), particularly since I'm not a great painter and thus it's not like the quality of the paint job was going to change much whether I did it or not. Partly as a bid to slow down my acquisition of plasticrack, partly because circumstances have changed such that I'll have less opportunity to play for the foreseeable future, and partly because there have been a number of gorgeous new models I'd actually like to do a good job on, I find myself needing to know how to deal with subassemblies. Specifically:

1) Since many sub assemblies won't naturally "stand", how do you prime them? Just lie them flat, prime, allow to dry, turn over, and prime again?
2) having painted the subassemblies, how do you attach them to the other parts of the model? I'm guessing the paint job prevents plastic glue from working, so do you have to use superglue? How do you prevent excess glue from ruining other parts of the paint job (yes yes control how much you apply, I'm talking if that fails)?
3) do you have to use pins to make sure the positioning of the model will be correct (and limit the need for glue) once you're done painting?


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## ntaw (Jul 20, 2012)

I'll preface this by saying I paint everything fully assembled, but since I feel like typing anyway:



mahavira said:


> 1) Since many sub assemblies won't naturally "stand", how do you prime them? Just lie them flat, prime, allow to dry, turn over, and prime again?


Drill a pin into a part and stick it on a cork. If you don't have any corks, I suggest knocking back a case of wine (alternately, ask some friends who like wine). When I base models they're fully assembled but I find myself laying them down on either side so I can get all the nooks and crannies. So long as I move them from the spot I primed them in it's all good, otherwise they stick to wherever they were left.



mahavira said:


> 2) having painted the subassemblies, how do you attach them to the other parts of the model? I'm guessing the paint job prevents plastic glue from working, so do you have to use superglue? How do you prevent excess glue from ruining other parts of the paint job (yes yes control how much you apply, I'm talking if that fails)?


Put a tiny spot of sticky tac over the spots to be glued during priming/painting and peel it off when you're done. Fresh plastic to glue. It's my experience that if you get glue on a painted model you're boned, so be damn careful or glue them together beforehand and don't worry about the paint that no one can see that isn't there :laugh:



mahavira said:


> 3) do you have to use pins to make sure the positioning of the model will be correct (and limit the need for glue) once you're done painting?


I pin just about everything regardless. I find it massively easier to assemble any fiddly bits, particularly those with a small amount of surface area to glue. It also means I can put glue on the pin as opposed to the part itself when the bits are extra fiddly.

Hope this helps a bit :drinks:


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## mahavira (Jan 10, 2010)

ntaw said:


> I'll preface this by saying I paint everything fully assembled, but since I feel like typing anyway:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Thank you for the quick reply - these tips look quite helpful. I wouldn't fuss over sub assemblies but the Triumvirate models, particularly the archmagos and Saint Celestine, look difficult to do a good job on if you paint when they're already together (maybe if I had mechandrites but my province's medicare doesn't cover augmetics).


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## ntaw (Jul 20, 2012)

No worries pal, glad it was of use. Cawl I could see being a god damned nightmare to paint with all those details, but Celestine is at least all spread out in her pose and might not be quite as ridiculous. 

As for provincial medicare, if a person with a marijuana prescription can get a vaporizer covered by their health care plan I'm sure we can figure out how to get your mechandrites taken care of :laugh:


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