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Tips for applying etched brass accurately?


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Am I the only person who thinks applying brass etch icons to their minis is the greatest bane of their existence?

 

I shape the piece to fit the surface as much as possible, I lay out some sort of witness marks on the mini to try and ensure proper alignment, I use tweezers to place the thing, but basically as soon as I put super glue on the brass and drop it on the mini, it's stuck fast.  I have essentially no time to reposition.  So I've got oodles of slightly misaligned symbols, which drives me nuts and which are impossible to correct.

 

Any hints for applying?  I've tried using the slower setting super glue, but it's so thick it often doesn't give a good hold or it oozes way too much or it holds the brass too far off the surface.

 

HELP!

As odd as it sounds, I've been told to use PVA (Elmer's) glue. Scratch a cross-hatch pattern on the back of the brass and the surface it goes on or rub it with a file/sandpaper, apply a good dot of PVA, and then stick them together. The PVA is supposed to provide a solid enough bond that it will hold, and the primer and paint you apply on top will only reinforce that.

Position the brass part first, without glue, and then use the tip of a sharpened toothpick, a needle, or something similar to apply a drop of glue to its edge. Capillary action will draw the glue underneath the brass and glue it to the model. You can add more glue if it doesn’t seem to be glued all around its edge later.

I saw a video on youtube that suggested using a paint brush handle to help curve it around surfaces first. As for gluing the way I do it is put a bit of super glue in the middle of the brass and place it exactly where you want it to go and then add little drops of glue down the sides and hold it. It's not perfect but I did that for my Imperial Fist standard and it's now set right in the middle and the edges are all pretty much stuck to the banner.

Another, slightly longer method, is to apply a coat of gloss varnish to the area where the brass etch is to be placed (proper gloss varnish ie spirit based, not the wishy washy water soluble stuff). Leave to dry for a few minutes until it's tacky and then place the brass etch in position. You can reposition if necessary as the varnish won't have dried properly. Once satisfied it's in the proper position, let the varnish dry thoroughly and then apply another, thin, coat of varnish over the whole area. Let this dry and then paint as normal.

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