How to glue a broken Anime figure?
If you've been an avid collector of anime figures for years, chances are you've had to repair a broken anime figure. If you haven't had this experience yet, good for you. If you're here for tips on how to glue a broken figurine, read on.
My APEX Klee figure broke
A broken anime figure - it's a nightmare. You may have taken a figurine out of hiding for a while, but your cat knocks it over and it falls to the floor. It breaks into a few pieces, but it is not beyond repair. This is exactly what happened to me recently. The unfortunate accident happened to the Klee figurine from APEX for which I did an unboxing.
Klee was on display in the bedroom where my cats didn't have access, but I took it down one day and placed it on my desk. I let it sit on top of the printer, next to my PC. I figured it must be relatively safe here. Even if the cat jumped on the table and onto the printer, the figure is unlikely to fall because it is quite heavy. I let it happen all day and forgot about it. It was dawn and I was working on my PC. I was tired and lay on the sofa for a while. I was about to fall asleep when....crash. A few feet from where I was lying, Klee was now on the floor in 4 separate pieces and my black cat was running towards the kitchen.
What happened next was a deafening silence. I sat there for a good 30 seconds staring at the Klee figurine on the floor. The Klee figurine had a few pieces that could be attached to it. I'm like, "I think it's going to be okay. I hope it's okay. It wasn't.
I get up to pick up the pieces from the floor. Two of the pieces that attach to the main figure have come loose. It wasn't a problem. I just put them back in place. Then I saw another broken piece. This bomb called Jumpty-Dumpty took the brunt of the fall and the part holding it together broke in a tricky spot. I looked at it and I was devastated. I wasn't sure it would stick properly. And if I manage to glue it correctly, I'm not sure it will last long. Since it broke into a very small part, I can't put much glue to hold it firmly. And the weight on top is much heavier, which will damage the glued part.
It was such a painful experience that I didn't even bother to photograph the broken parts. At the time, I didn't have any superglue at home. This depressed me for a while and I simply hid the figure in a cabinet with the broken parts. A few days passed until I finally got the urge to try and fix it.
This wasn't the first time I had to glue an anime figure, but it was the most problematic. Luckily it was glued correctly and looks like it could hold the weight. I hope the repair lasts. Only time will tell. So far it's only been a week and the glue is holding up.
When I think about it today, it's still fortunate that, given the number of protruding parts of this figurine and the height of its fall, the damage remained minimal. Other than the single piece that broke, there were no other broken parts. It did not suffer any paint chips or scratches from the fall. It's almost like new.
What type of glue should I use for animated figurines?
I have already tried several types of glue to repair animated figures. For quick repairs, your most reliable friend is super glue. It is available in most homes and even if you don't have one at home, a quick trip to the local store will do. However, you need to be very careful when using super glue.
Advantages and disadvantages of superglue for repairing animated figures.
There are pros and cons to using superglue to repair anime figures.
Benefits:
- It dries quickly. As I said above, super glue is great for quick repairs.
- It sticks well.
- You only need a small amount of glue to repair a broken figurine.
Against:
- It dries quickly. Too fast. If you make a mistake, it may already be too late.
- Super glue can cause paint to melt and peel off.
- When you open the tube of super glue, you probably won't be able to use it anymore. No matter how you seal it or even if you put it in the freezer as recommended, it dries out for some reason. It is best to buy superglue available in single-use tubes.
How to glue an animated figurine?
There are steps to follow to make sure you don't mess up repairing your anime figure with superglue.
Plan ahead. Simulate how you will hold the figure in place while you fix the broken part. Even though super glue dries quickly, you need to hold it firmly in place for about 30 seconds for the two parts to bond securely. You need to find a comfortable position where you can hold both parts together for 30 seconds. If you don't plan ahead, the super glue could dry before you know how to make the attachment you want. Additionally, some animated figures may have fragile parts. If you don't plan and apply pressure in the wrong place, you could end up breaking another part of the figure.
Use an applicator. Do not spread glue directly from the nozzle. You can put a little glue on a piece of cardboard or plastic then use a toothpick or cotton swab as an applicator.
Apply just the right amount of glue. When you hold the two parts you are trying to glue together, excess glue will spill out the sides when you press them together and this could leave a nasty mark. Even manufacturers make this mistake, as you can sometimes get figures that have glue stains.
Quickly hold the two parts you are trying to glue together. Apply pressure for approximately 30 seconds to ensure a solid bond.
Do not exert any pressure on the glued parts for at least 24 hours. While the superglue only takes a few seconds to stick the items together, it takes about 24 hours for the glue to fully harden. If necessary, let the figurine lie flat on a surface or place a support on the glued part.
mighty bond holds 2 tons
What brand of superglue can you use?
You can use any brand of superglue available, but I would avoid very cheap brands. Superglue isn't that expensive, so don't be stingy. Don't buy "bargain bin" brand super glue. I tried using it before and it caused some paint to disappear on the figure I was trying to repair. The one I normally use is the most popular brand of super glue available to me and it claims to hold up to two tons. I'm sure that's an exaggeration.
Zap-a-Gap and Gorilla Super Glue seem to be popular choices.
What about other types of glue?
There are many types and brands of glue and knowing which one to use for your figurine is very helpful. Some glues can strip paint, so be careful with these.
Five Minute Epoxy
5 Minute Epoxy comes in two tubes that you combine to create a powerful adhesive. It is much stronger than super glue. It is not as liquid as super glue. However, it takes a while to dry. It's actually called "5 minute epoxy" because it dries in 5 minutes. Compare it to super glue which dries in seconds. This can be a good or bad thing, depending on the type of repair you need.
You will need to go to a hardware store to find 5 minute epoxy. I haven't tried using it on a figure but I've heard some people say it's promising. Maybe I'll try it next time I have a broken figure. Frankly, I'd rather not have to do it. I've tried using regular epoxy to glue other household items and it sure sticks much stronger than super glue.
What's really great about epoxy is that it has a very long shelf life. This is because epoxy only sticks or dries after mixing the resin and hardener.
Contact cement
Contact cement
Contact cement is useful for bonding most materials except polystyrene. Polystyrene melts when it comes into contact with contact cement. I have tried this method several times on figures and it does not melt the PVC or peel off the paint. The problem with contact cement is that it takes a long time to dry and adhere. Depending on which break you're trying to stick, this could be good or bad.
When using contact cement, even if you make a mistake, you can simply rub the contact cement on the figure and it will come off without leaving any residue. Additionally, you can only use contact cement when the area you are trying to glue has a significant point of contact.
To use contact cement, you can apply it generously to both contact points and then let it sit for about 20 minutes. You actually need to let it dry a bit. After waiting, press the contact points firmly and let them sit for 24 hours. If contact cement leaks down the sides, you can simply rub it off with your fingers.
Tamiya extra-fine cement glue
This glue seems to be the ideal glue for attaching animated figures. I don't have direct experience with this product, so I'm going by what I've found. Apparently it only works well on styrene, which is the material used for models. I'm not sure how well it works on PVC plastic and ABS, which are the main materials used for anime figures, but I've heard some collectors recommend it.
This type of glue uses capillary action to spread across the surface and between the cracks of the parts you want to glue. It comes with a special applicator that allows you to apply the glue with extreme precision. This will be useful for gluing really small pieces.
tamiya glue
Apparently this glue melts the top layer of the piece you are trying to attach so that it sticks together as one piece. It dries quickly and leaves no residue. It can be considered a specialized super glue for DIY enthusiasts. There are several variations, including regular Tamiya glue, Extra-Thin glue, and Extra-Thin quick-setting glue which dries much faster.
Hot glue
I've seen some people in the forums mention using hot glue to attach the figures. However, it's not something I would recommend mainly because hot glue is, well, hot. If it doesn't work, it could distort the contact point of the figure that you need to repair. Additionally, any figurine lover knows that it is not good to expose figurines to heat.
hot glue
Craft glue
I think craft glue would be suitable for minor repairs where gravity isn't working against you. If you had to fit a broken piece into a premade slot, adding a little craft glue to reinforce it wouldn't hurt. Even if you mess up, you can just wipe off the craft glue. However, if you're working against gravity, craft glue isn't your best option.
white glue craft glue
I hope this article helps you. If you have any suggestions or experience using other types of glue to repair anime figures, you can let me know in the comments and I will add them to the list.
