All of us break things, but for miniatures there are some special issues you need to think about before you proceed with a repair. First make sure you gather up all the pieces! Handle the pieces as little as possible to make sure oils from your hands do not compromise the repairs. If you have the tiny tools and magnification needed you may be able to do some repairs. If not, consult a local club for help.
Resin
Resin based miniatures are tricky to repair. Many household glues for resin will yellow and eventually damage the miniature. If the piece is not valuable you may be successful with crazy glue or epoxy. Use as little as possible and check with a museum before using either of these gluing methods on your particular miniature.
Styrene Plastic
Most plastic model kits are made from polystyrene. Breaks in this material can be mended with cyanoacrylate (crazy glue)or model cement which are the glues generally used by modellers to assemble these models. The type of glue (gap filling, fast drying etc.) should be matched to the type of repair needed. The piece may need to be gently supported with tissue paper or plastercine in order to allow the glue bond to set properly. Follow safe practises when using these glues, work only in well ventilated areas. (Acetone/nail polish remover will unstick fingers glued by crazy glue.)
Thank you.
(materials from www.about.com)
Thank you.
(materials from www.about.com)
