White Glue Meets Plastic Figures… and much hilarity ensues.

[The Traveling Turk]

For longer than I can remember, my painting method has been to use white glue to mount unpainted figures on large "popsicle stick" or "tongue depressors" and then to paint them, pop them off, and mount them permanently on bases using epoxy.

But recently I've acquired some Warlord plastic figures and they're falling of the popsicle sticks if I just look at them funny.  The white glue has no adhesive power at all with the plastic.  I need another method.

Can anyone recommend a way to temporarily glue plastic figures onto sticks for painting?  I don't want anything too strong, obviously, since I want minimum trouble getting them off when I'm done.

[Sangennaru]

Superglue, just a very small drop in one position. Cyanacrilic is fine.

otherwise, you can look for the patafix-like sticky putties.

[Westfalia Chris]

For longer than I can remember, my painting method has been to use white glue to mount unpainted figures on large "popsicle stick" or "tongue depressors" and then to paint them, pop them off, and mount them permanently on bases using epoxy.

But recently I've acquired some Warlord plastic figures and they're falling of the popsicle sticks if I just look at them funny.  The white glue has no adhesive power at all with the plastic.  I need another method.

Can anyone recommend a way to temporarily glue plastic figures onto sticks for painting?  I don't want anything too strong, obviously, since I want minimum trouble getting them off when I'm done.

I exclusively use double-sided adhesive tape - specifically, the strong variety used to affix carpet to floors, and in particular the Tesa brand. I've tried numerous other brands over the years, but those were all too weak to hold anything heavier than plastic. Tesa's holds metal figures up to a certain weight, depending on the size of the contact area - I've found that figures mounted on slottabases are held very securely if ca. 60% of the base rim have contact with the tape.

For smaller figures (e.g. 15mm metals and plastics) I've used the tape on popsicle sticks, too. Works like a charm.

[warburton]

Hot glue gun.

[Major_Gilbear]

For longer than I can remember, my painting method has been to use white glue to mount unpainted figures on large "popsicle stick" or "tongue depressors" and then to paint them, pop them off, and mount them permanently on bases using epoxy.

But recently I've acquired some Warlord plastic figures and they're falling of the popsicle sticks if I just look at them funny.  The white glue has no adhesive power at all with the plastic.  I need another method.

Can anyone recommend a way to temporarily glue plastic figures onto sticks for painting?  I don't want anything too strong, obviously, since I want minimum trouble getting them off when I'm done.

Scuff the bottom of the bases on a bit of fine sandpaper first. The white glue should stick better that way. 

[Cypher226]

Hot glue gun.

This. I build and base the minis and then hot glue them to the end of a 4 inch nail. I have a bit of 2x4 with holes drilled in to stand the nails in. Works a charm with metals, resin and plastics. I've also mounted the minis on brass rod into one foot, stuck that into blocks of balsa and then snipped the rod off before basing/used it to pin them to their final bases.

[Vermis]

But recently I've acquired some Warlord plastic figures and they're falling of the popsicle sticks if I just look at them funny.

Yeah... I've noticed that with some of their ECW plastics and PVA. I've tried hot glue but I dunno, doesn't seem to stay liquid long enough to get a good bond. Maybe my gaff's just too cold. I've followed Sangennaru's example and started using a spot of superglue. Seems to work okay so far.

[Emir of Askaristan]

Blue tac works well for me....usually to a coin, old plastic base or green plastic milk bottle op. Very occasionally it gets a bit loose during painting. But slipping the paint brush end between the feet of the figure and pressing down usually firms it back up.  Then it's easy to peel back, remove the fig and roll the now paint covered blue tack back into a ball, this breaking up the skin of primer and other paint that formed.

My figs are secured to their mdf bases by PVA (Hobbycraft "tacky glue" at the moment).  This works for me on plastic and metal, horse or foot. Occasionally a dab of superglue to the base of a figure before plaing on the pva blob is needed is the base is uneven. But that hardly happens on well sculpted figs unless I've failed to file the base and remove any flash properly.

[Marauderman]

I second Blue tac, works great for me.

[Eric the Shed]

I glue my figure to there steel washer base first and then use one of these magnet things..



http://shedwars.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/a-painting-useful-tool.html

[zemjw]

I used to use Copydex Glue, which was strong enough to hold 54mm metal figures, and peeled off without any problem.

I now use three small blobs of blu-tac, which works even just gripping the edges of slotta bases.

Do not try tacky glues. These are stickier than PVA, but do not peel. I did one set of figures with Eileen's Tacky glue and had to sand the bottom of the slotta bases afterwards to remove it. Several years later there are still parts of the bases that are tacky . However, tacky glue is great with mdf and for things like attaching plastic to metal washers.

[emosbur]

I use bluetack for 15mm figurines. On 28mm ones, if they are already fixed on a metal washer, I use a magnet to hold the washer.