Gluing tiny parts

What types of material are you gluing?  You can use a toothpick or a sewing needle with the eye filed half off to pick up small dabs of glue and apply it to the parts. My bottle of that stuff has a little brush on the lid that works for everything I've come across that I use that glue for.

That extra thin glue is more of a styrene melter.  It's best used on joints like seams where you touch the applicator to the part and let capillary action pull it into the gap.  I don't use it on PE or clear parts.

I also use the Glue Looper, it allows me to get the glue farther into some seams before capillary action takes place.

I'm talking about tiny styrene parts (i.e., turret handles).

I've used many things with small pointed tips like toothpicks, straight pins, pencils, etc.

Since I've gone to using the Testors Model Master Liquid Cement Glue in a black bottle I've not needed these things. It comes with a pretty small metal tube.

I have found using gel CA it is easier to put on just the right amount of glue than with the regular thin stuff. For several reasons (including slower set time allowing more careful placing of part) I ordinarily use gel (slow CA), resorting to the thin stuff only when I need a really quick bond or the wicking action.

"I'm talking about tiny styrene parts (i.e., turret handles)."

In cases like that I usually put a drop of CA or liquid cement on a disposable card and grab the part with some tweezers and dip the ends in the CA.  I avoid the Tamiya stuff on parts like that since it's so easy to turn it into goo.

Chris I've used a lot of different things but my go to set up is to use CA gel that I put on a piece of playing card stock, then use a toothpick or I have a this piece of pointed metal to dab the cement to the part. A long sewing needle with the eyelet either cut in half works great. Its just one of those hazards we deal with and move on, my biggest concern is dropping the part or worse yet breaking it.

Chris my main adhesive is Tamiya Extra Thin, I agree with CN Spots that almost always I can get away with it but if a little more comes off the brush, I use the tip of a paper towel to wick away the excess that leaves just the right amount and hardly ever a mess.

Its a pain no matter what the method, there very small fragile parts usually in an awkward area.

Hope it helps some. Terry

This election season the campaigns around here seem to be sending out flyers with coated card stock.  That stuff is great for putting drops of thin CA on- it doesn't wick into cardboard like with uncoated card stock.  I have cut them up and figure I have a couple of years worth of the stuff now!