Don’t use rubber bands

It's an easy fix:

Tuck a toothpick, paintbrush handle or clipped section of sprue under the band, just enough to raise it away from the seam. Most times one will do, but some curves will require a segment on each side of the seam to clear it properly.

Or just wait to put the rubber band on after the adhesive has been applied.

Cheers

gregbale

It's an easy fix:

Tuck a toothpick, paintbrush handle or clipped section of sprue under the band, just enough to raise it away from the seam. Most times one will do, but some curves will require a segment on each side of the seam to clear it properly.

Or just wait to put the rubber band on after the adhesive has been applied.

Cheers

 

With liquid cement it will still leak for quite awhile after application of glue.  The toothpick tool does work.

gregbale

Tuck a toothpick, paintbrush handle or clipped section of sprue under the band, just enough to raise it away from the seam. Most times one will do, but some curves will require a segment on each side of the seam to clear it properly.

Great tip, Greg.

I screwed up my first seam with rubber bands as a kid, haven't used one since. But this idea should solve the problem.

Thanks.

JMorgan

When gluing, don't make the mistake I did. If going over seams, the glue will seep out and onto adjacent detail, effectively ruining the model completely. 

 

I’ve  used rubber bands on models for many many years. On the few occasions where liquid cement has seeped out and tracked out along the rubber bands, clean up was not difficult at all. Just a bit of extra sanding during seam clean up. No models were ever ruined. I find rubber bands to be much more effective than clamps in applying even pressure where needed.

stikpusher

I find rubber bands to be much more effective than clamps in applying even pressure where needed.

Plus one to that. Though I have a lovely collection of miniature clamps, aside from the extremely rare modeling need of glueing two flat and parellet objects together, they are useless and a source of frustration.

I'm fired up to try the rubber band wedge trick.

Don Stauffer

 gregbale

It's an easy fix:

Tuck a toothpick, paintbrush handle or clipped section of sprue under the band, just enough to raise it away from the seam. Most times one will do, but some curves will require a segment on each side of the seam to clear it properly.

Or just wait to put the rubber band on after the adhesive has been applied.

Cheers

With 4 round (round ones don't flex as much) toothpicks this works perfectly when installing the fuselage/cockpit sectioning of the 1/48 Hawker Typhoon MK 1B.

Didn't need a bit of putty.

Hi;

 I have used Bands for years. The toothpicks I use though are the flat ones. That way I have more control on the tension. Look at a flat toothpick carefully from the side, it is wedge shaped!

JMorgan

When gluing, don't make the mistake I did. If going over seams, the glue will seep out and onto adjacent detail, effectively ruining the model completely. 

Yeah, it's happened to me, too.

But the advantage of applying uniform pressure with a rubber band far outweighs the occasional inconvenience of having to clean up where liquid glue may have leaked out and made contact with the band.  I'll...stick, with them (pun intended).

Another way around is to leave a gap in your glue on either side of the band, move them when dry and wick glue in the gaps.

Some hints on clamps.  I have four different types of clamps.  One type does not fill all clamping requirements.  I have a set of those cheap plastic spring clamps- they are fine for wing halves,  or relatively flat pieces that need to be sandwitched, but do not work on rounded surfaces well.  I also have two sizes of clothespins, regular wooden ones and miniature modelers versions, also wood (got them from Model Expo but seen them at several places.

For the real difficult clamping problems I love those plastic and metal six inch bar clamps.  They are micro-adjustible, so you can get the exact pressure you need.  The good ones I have are by Irwin, but Harbor Freight has okay ones frequently on sale for a buck each.  They frequently work on fuselage halves when none of the other kind will.  They have a trigger for tightening rather than turning a handle.  So you just adjust with the finger pressure you want.

gregbale

It's an easy fix:

Tuck a toothpick, paintbrush handle or clipped section of sprue under the band, just enough to raise it away from the seam. Most times one will do, but some curves will require a segment on each side of the seam to clear it properly.

Or just wait to put the rubber band on after the adhesive has been applied.

Cheers

 

I had the same thing happen to me when using rubber bands. In my case it didn't ruin the model but it was a wake up call.

Good tip Greg. I have to remember that one.

goldhammer

Another way around is to leave a gap in your glue on either side of the band, move them when dry and wick glue in the gaps.

 

goldhammer

Another way around is to leave a gap in your glue on either side of the band, move them when dry and wick glue in the gaps.

gregbale

Or just wait to put the rubber band on after the adhesive has been applied.

I know this sounds like basic advice, but why would you apply glue after the rubber bands? The capillary action in the seam to be glued will be reduced, and yes, the glue would naturally be forced to flow along things like the rubber bands... I am talking using liquid cements of course, but for those who use the thicker cements such as tube glue or the stuff with the needle barrels, those need to be applied before joining the parts.