Priming and gluing plastic 1/72 figures - any help appreciated

[vtsaogames]

I just purchased a bag of 1/72 WWII figures to help resuscitate my moribund East Front Crossfire project. It has lain fallow for a decade or so and I have managed to forget many of the basics.

How should I prime these guys? I intend to use drybrush and wash techniques. I spray prime metal in grey, drybrush white.

And for the few that need assembly (like Degtyaryov guns), what glue do you suggest?

Thanks in advance.

[Cubs]

If these are soft plastic 1/72 dudes, of the Airifx type, I thoroughly recommend brushing them with (very) slightly diluted PVA/woodglue either before priming or before final varnish. It dries clear and forms a flexible shield to help prevent paint flaking off when delicate bits bend. For primer I tend to use a brush-on - my personal fave is Vallejo black primer which is fairly cheap and comes in a big bottle, not the usual little Vallejo dropper bottles. For glue I use Humbrol poly cement, which with the brushed-on PVA/woodglue forms a decent enough bond.

[Fitz]

There's a product put out by Selleys here in NZ and Australia called "All Plastics". It's a two-stage process, with each surface primed with a felt pen (don't know what's in it) and then bonded with something like cyanoacrylate gel (again, don't know exactly what it is).

I've done head-swaps and other conversions with all sorts of soft plastic figures using this stuff, and it hasn't let me down yet. I can wave a figure around, holding on to it's newly-glued head, and it won't let go.

I expect the same thing is available elsewhere in the world, though probably under another name.

As for priming soft minis, I've had good results from Rustoleum aerosol primers — there's one that specifically states on the label that it's intended for plastics as well as metal.

[SteveBurt]

I’ve found that artist acrylic paint, straight from the tube, makes a great primer for soft plastic figures. Like PVA, it forms a flexible layer which is a good base for further paint. I usually use a mid brown (Liquitex Bronze Yellow) but whatever colour fits with your painting technique is good