Tricky Glue Jobs For Old Farts

[mandoman]

I don't know if this is a good question, but from my point of view it is becoming a very valid question. I have been struggling with shaky hands, which make fine glue jobs, like radar arrays, very complicated, especially if you break them after successfully getting them in place the first time. It's easier the first time, for some reason. Are there any methods I could try to help steady the aircraft model, so I can use both hands to do the gluing?

 

[Wurger]

The easiest way is to buy a kind of a holder with vices. There are offered a such tools like the one in the pic below. The holder is equipped with magnifying glass additionally.

 

[Airframes]

There are also larger clamps, to hold the whole model. See the thread in this section entitled 'Support'.
It should be fairly easy to make one of these from wood and 'wing' nuts.

 

[mandoman]

That clamp looks incredible, have to get one. I'll check out the clamp building in Support too. Thanks for the help, guys.

 

[Airframes]

The one Wojtek showed is normally know as 'Helping hands', and is designed for small parts. I've had one for years, and don't know what I'd do without it!

 

[Wurger]

As I know there are offered bigger ones that can hold whole model too. It is just a matter of finding a such tool of a correct size. Just use Google.

 

[mandoman]

Guys, anything that holds the model still while I'm trying to glue, decal, or paint is a plus for me. I wish I could get the things to just hover solidly in midair, so I could see it, and work on it from all angles without having to touch it with my hands.

 

[N4521U]

One simple fix I have for my shaky hands are yogurt cups, and glue tac. The little individual 6 pack of yogurt. For painting, and gluing I stick the parts to the top (bottom) of the cup. The bottom (top flange of the cup) is wide enough to be pretty stable not to topple over when working on them. I use them for spray painting as well because I can rotate them in my hand to any position. I even hold the whole plane on them for painting. Just another arrow in the quiver!

 

[Wurger]

Yep..this is one of solutions.

 

[Lucky13]

A case where size do matter.....

 

[mikewint]

N4521, excellent thought, i usually just use my hands and walk around with cammo hands for a day or so