Repairs

[gascan]

I recently bought some used planes on ebay, and some of them require repairs. On one the propeller came off, on another one the top wing came detached from all but one of the struts, and on several the landing gear have come off. I normally do modeling work on much larger 1/144 RC model battleships with functional BB guns for combat. Although they are the same scale, I spend much more effort making them functional and easy to maintain so I can take them into battle and not break down while under enemy fire, so the detail tends to be good from stand-off distance (at least 6 ft away). I am not used to doing fine detail repairs like this. Any advice for how to go about reattaching these? Thick super glue? Thin super glue? Can I use accelerant/kicker, or will that discolor or damage the paint and decals? 30-minute epoxy? E-6000? Should I try to replace the original prop with a clear plastic disc (I still have the original, it just isn't attached)?

[Baron Rolf]

I have also had the same experience Eric with some of my official aeroplanes. What I tend to do is use a very old paint brush or a cocktail stick. Apply some superglue to the cocktail stick and very carefully dab the glue where it needs to be. Then apply some gentle pressure to make sure both the wing and struts are staying put. I have never had any issues whilst doing this method. I have also replaced propellers with clear plastic that you get from blister packs from Warlord Games minis. I bought a punch from a craft store to make lots of spinners for when a propeller brakes off. I use a micro hobby drill to make a small hole in the centre. Then I cut down a dress makers pin, and then attach to the aeroplane. I hope this helps you Eric.

[predhead]

Super glue of either viscosity should work depending on how long you want to hold the pieces in place. I like Mark's idea of using a toothpick or cocktail stick.

[Flying Helmut]

What they said!

I always apply Superglue (Crazy Glue, CR glue, Gorlilla Glue) both Gel and Liquid formats, with a toothpick, to maximise control and minimise "splash"!

I find that clear prop discs are like rigging - once you have done a few, you really have to do them all!
I prefer to fix broken props, rather than replace them.