broken rifles

[brisko32312]

Hello all,

I just found some time going back to my FPW project. I have quite an issue with broken-off rifles (most of them on half/unpaited french i bought on ebay).
What do you guys do with them? Any chance for repairs?
If yes, whats best?
Thank you in advance.
Stay healthy, Brisko

[jimduncanuk]

If you have the broken bits then superglue them back on.

If not bin the figures and buy some more direct from the manufacturer.

10mm figures are not exactly expensive.

[Leman]

I have endless problems with bayonets. I know that the Prussians operated with bayonets permanently fixed. However, they're my toys, so I snip the things off. Broken rifles ceases to be a problem.'BYW Old Glory 15mm are even more of a problem. All my 15mm FPW gone to new homes.

[Leon]

If they've broken at a convenient point then you can glue them as Jim suggests.  If they've broken closer to the bayonet/barrel end then it's a lot more fiddly.  How many broken ones have you got?

[mmcv]

I find with broken off bits like that superglue can be a bit brittle to form a good seal and be prone to breaking again, so a little bit of resin works well to give a stronger hold. However, it does take a while to dry so you may need something to hold them all in place, and can risk being a little blobby if you're not careful. I have managed to save the odd sword or spear this way on an already painted figure.

If it's a particularly fiddly repair on an unbased figure, I would tend to convert the figure into a casualty instead.

[Orcs]

If they are unpainted I would not bother. They will never be as strong as new ones and I would be really peed off if I "fixed a figure" and it broke just after I painted it

fixing 10mm is very fiddly and as Jim says they are hardly expensive

[brisko32312]

Thank you all for your replies and the good advice.

I think, I will just try to fix it once - just for the sake of it and because they are mostly broken directly over the holding/supporting hand.
The advice to convert them into casualties is very appealing.

@Leon there are just two on my painting table right now. Since I just returned to the project after years of absence, I did not review the whole collection, and I remember there were a couple more in one of the bags. Never mind, I will have to buy more minis anyway ;-D

[Leon]

@Leon there are just two on my painting table right now. Since I just returned to the project after years of absence, I did not review the whole collection, and I remember there were a couple more in one of the bags. Never mind, I will have to buy more minis anyway ;-D

Chuck me an email and we'll get you some extra figures sent out, no worries.

[John Cook]

If the musket and bayonet are beyond repair, and you really want to save the figure, and you have no spare figures from which to 'harvest' a replacement, I remove what is left and replace it with a pin.  Snip off the head and with a small pair of pliers bend the point into a bayonet.  Use super glue to attach it.

[Big Insect]

I have used small (very small) strips of cling film to form a 'bandage' to hold the broken piece in place whilst it is being glued using superglue.
Once it is dry I use a small fine file to just file of the extra (blobby) bits of glue & clingfilm. It seems to work well on 15mm - as long as you don't have too many to do or it will drive you mad!

But I'd take up Leon's kind offer of a few replacements and convert the damaged ones to casualties