George's Figure Pinning Tips

If you've ever gotten a figure that is in pieces and you've glued them together but they keep falling apart ... this is for you! This is the best way that I've found to keep figure parts together.

• a hand drill, called a pin vice. A few styles are pictured below. My personal preference is the ball handle. Good pin vices come with multiple chucks to enable you to use various sized drill bits. The parts are
  • the handle,
  • the collet, and
  • the chuck.
  

• a drill bit the size of the hole you want to drill. I prefer to have various sizes available and packs of bits sized from 60 to 80 are relatively inexpensive.
  

• a brass wire rod sized slightly smaller than the drill bit. I keep a supply of various sizes on hand.
  

• wire cutters.
  

• a small metal file.
  

Now to the task of pinning the pieces together.

First I examine the pieces that I want to assemble. Looking at the pieces, I determine where I want to drill my holes and put my pins. Often times, the manufacturers make a nub on one piece and an indention on the other piece. Sometimes they choose the wrong piece to put the indention on and this makes pinning the piece VERY difficult or forces you to dirll through the piece to pin it.

For the small figure manufaturers (25-35 mm scale), Please TAKE NOTE!
The indention should ALWAYS be on the larger piece and the nub on the smaller piece.

Then I choose the pin size based on the available material in each piece. Too large and the pin weakens the piece. Too small the pin doesn't support the piece. I've made both of those mistakes. I try to use a pin that is less than 1/4th the size of the smallest area. That means that if I have a 1/8 (0.125) inch diameter nub, I try to use a 1/32 (0.03125) inch pin or smaller.

Then choose the drill bit size. It should be at least the size of the pin, preferably slightly larger. For the 1/32 (0.03125) inch pin, I'd probably choose a 0.035 inch drill bit. For the 1/16 (0.0625) inch pin I'd try to use a 0.065 drill bit.

Secure the bit in the hand drill and carefully start your holes. I will drill the smallest piece first because it is most difficult to get in the right position. After that is drilled, I can adjust the hole position, if necessary, in the larger piece.

Once the hole is started, I can switch the bit to an electric drilling tool, like a Dremel.

This is not necessary but it can save some hand cramping if your bit is not sharp. I prefer to drill the hole at least 1/8th of an inch into the piece, more for a larger pin. I like at least 8 pin diameters insertion into the piece. Example: for a 1/32 inch pin I want 1/4 inch insertion; for a 1/8 inch pin I want 1 inch insertion, etc. Your hole should be at least that deep. In general, the deeper the better but try not to drill through the other side of a piece, if possible.

Now for the pin. I use brass rods for stiffness. A flimsy pin will make a flimsy joint. Steel rusts and is too strong. Using the files I file the end of the brass rod so that there are no burrs (sharp edges or protrusions) and so that it is nice and smooth. Any protrusions or burrs could not allow the pin to insert all the way. Insert the pin into the hole. It should fit neatly but not so that you have to force it. The best fit is when the pin goes in easily but is not so loose that it has lots of play.

With the pin in place, I will estimate how much of the pin I want into the other piece (usually at least 8 pin diameters) and cut the brass rod with the wire cutters. I tend to leave it a little longer than necessary just because it is easier to cut it shorter than to make it longer.

With the pin still in the one piece, and before filing the pin end that was just cut, I put the piece to the other part to see how things line up when the part is in the position it should be in. If everything looks good, I push the pinned piece into the other piece a little bit. Because the end is still sharp from cutting, it will mark where I should drill the mating hole of the other part. If I want to mark in another way, I can put a small dab of paint on the end of the pin and when I touch it to the other part, the paint leaves a paint mark where I should drill the mating hole.

With the place marked, I start again with the drill bit in the pin vice, drill the initial hole, and then go to the dremel, if necessary. On softer materials (like plastics or resins), I often don't even switch to the dremel.

Now remove the pin from the first piece and file the cut end smooth before putting it back in. You can also leave the pin in the piece if it is strong enough. Also, you could use locking tweezers or pliers to hold the pin while filing.

Now put the pin in the one part and test fit the parts together. If they fit well, use some Zap-A-Gap or other cyanoacrilic (superglue) to secure the parts together. If they don't fit nicely, or are loose, you can use a 2-part epoxy that has more filling capabilities.

Special topics in pinning.

So you have that great piece and you pull it out of the box and the manufacturer did not follow the primary rule -
The indention should ALWAYS be on the larger piece and the nub on the smaller piece.
Yes, the nub is on the body and the tiny little arm has an indentation ... making the arm have very little meat to put a pin in. :-( Here is how I handle that.

I start by choosing the pin and drill sizes as described above.

Instead of drilling straight into that little arm (and then drilling straight through it), I drill into the arm as parallel to it as I can within the center of the indentation. This gives me more material to pin to but it now puts the part at an odd angle.

I mark and drill the mating part the same as before except that I know the part will be at an odd angle if something is not done.

Glue the pin into the part.

Bend the pin with pliers to close to the angle that it needs to be to fit properly into the other part.

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All stories and photographs of miniatures are property of George Harpster
Stories and photographs are not to be used without written permission.

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