What Glue Should I Use for My Miniatures?

A guide to picking the right glue for plastic, resin, and PLA miniatures.

Injection-Molded Plastic Miniatures

Anything that comes on sprues, e.g. most Games Workshop, Wargames Atlantic, Trench Crusade Prussians...

Plastic cement is ideal for plastic miniatures. It can enter small gaps and chemically melt the plastic, creating a strong bond between parts.

If you don't have plastic cement, you can use superglue.

Resin Miniatures

Anything that comes out of an SLA 3D printer or resin mold, e.g. Trench Crusader Kickstarter miniatures, Forge World, many smaller miniature printers...

Resin miniatures (such as those printed on SLA 3D printers or cast from resin molds) are not chemically compatible with plastic cement. Use superglue.

PLA Miniatures

Anything that comes out of an FDM 3D printer - most commonly, 3D printed bases and terrain...

Miniatures 3D printed in PLA (i.e. on an FDM 3D printer) are not chemically compatible with plastic cement. Use superglue.

What Glues Are Good?

Superglue (Cyanoacrylate, "CA Glue")

Thicker gel superglue is best for miniatures. The gel helps hold parts in place while you adjust their position, and offers better control of where the glue goes.

Loctite Gel Super Glue and Gorilla Super Glue Gel are both widely available at hardware stores, but come in tiny bottles. My favorite is Starbond Medium which comes in a large bottle with many applicator tips at a good price.

Plastic Cement

Tamiya Extra Thin Cement is a great brush-on plastic cement. When the bottle runs out, refill it with Tamiya Airbrush Cleaner - it's almost chemically identical and costs less per milliliter.

Revel Contacta Professional Glue comes in a very useful needle applicator bottle. If the needle ever clogs, you can clear the clog with heat.