An Unexpected Speed Bump

 So for the past little while there, I'd like to think I had been trucking along pretty good. I'd been posting works-in-progress, managed to post a few articles that have literally been years in the making, and generally been feeling good and mentally motivated about models and painting in general.

 And then at the end of last month, just after the holiday weekend, I started a new job where I've been working the past few years. Technically a "promotion," everything went fine for the first week or so - until we had one full-time staff member resign and the lead social worker go out on medical in the space of a few weeks. For the past two weeks and change, I've been asked to "cover" for missing staff. If this had meant simply "helping out," that would be one thing - instead, I'm essentially trying to juggle filling in for two different full time staff as well as trying to do the new position I had actually accepted.

 I'm not going to gripe too much, because it is what it is, but the bottom line is that by the time I get home from work I have only about 4 hours of family (not so much "free") time to take care of things at home before I have to go to bed and repeat playing catch-up the next day again. I'm so mentally exhausted by the time I get home most days that even if I had the time, energy, or motivation to do anything hobby-wise, I'm forced to pack it in and go to bed early just to try and stay afloat the next day.

 While I have/had plans for several models for Gen Con coming up, or even just finishing one of my two Malifaux crews on the workbench, it's all indefinitely delayed, I think. *sigh*

Better Check Your Glue!

 So I ran into some trouble last night trying to assemble a resin model with CA (cyanoacrylate AKA 'Super') glue. I use a number of different glues, this one happens to be CA glue from the (Privateer Press) P3 range, and I've had the bottle for well over a year now (maybe even several?). I haven't had any problems with it so far, really, but it's a reasonably large bottle and I don't use it all that often.

 I did, however, run into a problem last night: I was trying to prep a resin figure as one of my entries for Gen Con coming up at the end of July and noticed the figure's ankle had broken while still attached by sprues. Oh well - just get some CA glue, dab it on, and done! Yeah, not so much... While I've used the glue a bunch of times for small odds and ends-type stuff, I've not used it for gluing anything intensive in at least half a year. I forgot there's a shelf life for glue!

 While it's worked fine for smaller stuff - porous clay cat litter glued to bases as rocks, or pinned plastic figures sunk into bases by a good 1/8" and not inclined to move anyway - something requiring solid and quick bonding needs glue that is relatively fresh. The same glue I've used for at least a year to reasonably good effect on small stuff not only wouldn't firm up quickly on this resin figure, it also wouldn't bond at all!

 Long story short: unless you use it often or in large amounts, there really is no reason to buy an over-large bottle of CA glue because it does lose effectiveness over time, especially if the bottle no longer seals completely airtight due to buildup on the spout. CA glue works by absorbing moisture to complete its chemical bond.


 Before doing any time-intensive project where you absolutely need your materials to be at the top of your game, make sure you're using fresh glue, if nothing else!