Help with Body Assembly

[Miatatom]

I'm building a McLaren and have a small gap on both sides. If I press down on each side, the gap closes. My question is, how do you glue these parts together without sitting there for 10 minutes till the glue dries?

[Ace-Garageguy]

Eliminate whatever's causing the panel to sit too high.

[Lucius Molchany]

It perhaps a small clamp,just pad it so that it does not damage the paint Is ut the Accurate Minatures kit? 

[espo]

Try doing what Ace has suggested. While clamping the body together to wait for glue to dry may be an option, even with a microfiber towel for protection there is a very good chance that the imprint of the cloth may appear in the paint and no guarantee how long the glue will hold. Don't ask me how I know of this.  

[jaymcminn]

Bill is on the money here about looking for interference first. The challenge is obviously that you're in the final stages of the build which limits your options at this point, but if you're gluing those halves together against tension that joint could open back up. If you can't find and fix the fitment issue I would recommend using 5-minute epoxy and Tamiya tape to hold the join together while the epoxy cures. I'd give the epoxy 10-15 minutes for a stronger bond. You might even want to attach some styrene "tabs" to the inside of the body shell to increase the surface area of the bond. 

[Plowboy]

I would tape it together with Tamiya tape and wick some future floor polish into the joint with a small paint brush. Allow it dry well and remove the tape. 

[Miatatom]

On 12/12/2022 at 8:23 AM, Lucius Molchany said:

It perhaps a small clamp,just pad it so that it does not damage the paint Is ut the Accurate Minatures kit? 

No, it's a MPC. I've trimmed some places down but still have a small gap.

On 12/12/2022 at 11:53 AM, jaymcminn said:

 If you can't find and fix the fitment issue I would recommend using 5-minute epoxy and Tamiya tape to hold the join together while the epoxy cures. I'd give the epoxy 10-15 minutes for a stronger bond. You might even want to attach some styrene "tabs" to the inside of the body shell to increase the surface area of the bond. 

I'll probably go with the epoxy and tape method. I've just about trimmed everywhere that I can see any interference and the gap is smaller. There isn't any place to attach tabs that I can see.

[Chris in Berwyn]

BTW there are many times I have sat and held parts together for 10 minutes while the glue cures!

[Miatatom]

I've trimmed all the areas that seem to be interfering and went with the epoxy and Tamiya tape. I'm going to let it dry for several hours before I remove the tape.