Once your figure has a base coat of paint, and any extra pieces have been constructed it is time to assemble it. If you plan to keep the figure in a homemade card back or don't want to play with it an inarticulate figure is best and the head, arms and legs can be glued back on.

Try to use tweezers when gluing to avoid contact with skin. Some glues can cause nasty rashes, allergies or even dermatitis if contact is prolonged. Wash your hands immediately once you've finished gluing.

Step 1

Once your figure is painted, dry fit the torso together to see exactly where the front and back halves come in contact.

Step 2

Being careful not to scrape any surface feature, file all contact points until you have exposed and slightly roughened the styrene.

Step 3

Coat both sides of the seam lightly but thoroughly with PVC cement. Avoid cement running onto painted surfaces, as it will likely strip the paint.

Step 4

If you have a figure with a rotating waist nest the pelvic stem into the chest. Make sure no cement comes into contact with the stem or you'll lose articulation. Quickly press the two halves of the torso together. Hold them until they set (usually 5 minutes) You can use a rubber band to hold a drying torso together, but be careful that the band doesn't pull the halves out of alignment.

Step 5

After all the glue is dried cut small V notches into each of the leg and arm pins. This will make squeezing them into their torso holes easier.

Step 6

Place the torso and an arm or leg into a simmering pan of hot water again and time them for 20 seconds. Keep a careful eye on the paint work since acrylics, and some enamels, can start to soften under medium temperatures.

Step 7

Take the torso and arm/leg pieces out and start assembling by forcing the pin into the hole (the V you cut earlier will give the pin space to compress). It is not always possible to force them in straight away, so have a small screwdriver, dental pick, chemistry probe or thin knife ready to force the edges in. Once it has popped back in place rotate the arm/leg smoothly to work out any plastic caught up in the socket. Repeat for each limb.

Step 8

Heads go on simply by forcing them straight into the neck hole, but don't use to much force or the neck pin may tear or snap.