There were two ways I thought of tackling this build. One was constructing the model by section: kabuto, do, kusazuri etc, the other was to work on the construction according to build method: adhesive, sewing, chain-mail, etc.

I decided to proceed by construction method beginning with the menpo (face mask). I originally attached the ears with all purpose contact adhesive (something I had available). I did a light sand of the contact points before gluing them on.

The adhesive didn't seem to be holding so I resorted to super glue. I was worried about fume markings. I kept the parts in the open to prevent any of the white build up.

I kept a close eye on the a parts for any visible fuming.

I attached the rings for the bottom of the hachi (helmet crown) using super glue. I let the rings air dry for at least a half hour and eventually taped the rings together and set them aside to all the glue to fully cure.

Hi stevie_o.

Thanks for following my build and thanks for the tip. I agree, I was planning on two part epoxy for the majority of the build. I used super glue for the smaller parts.

If the bond gives out, I'll probably reattach them with epoxy.

-Russ

On the subject of adhesive, I've never really trusted the cuirass joints, initially I used superglue (with the joining surfaces scraped back to bare metal), but when a couple of these came apart I redid them with epoxy, but I still felt they were brittle. As I posted elsewhere, they didn't survive a trip to the floor - I know that's an extreme test.

As I had a spare front cuirass plate pack due to paint issues, I've done an experiment using Sikaflex 291 marine adhesive/sealant. Results look hopeful, after 24hrs curing there's no movement under quite firm thumb pressure.
I'll probably attempt to repair it using this when I get round to it, although it will need careful masking to avoid it oozing onto places it shouldn't go.

Looking Good and nice work.

Another tip:- when you get to doing the beard take less than you think you will need and pull the hair through the holes by wrapping fishing line around the hair and have a dowel handle fixed to the fishing line at the other end to help with pulling it through the holes.

Hi arpurchase - Thanks for looking in on my build and the tip. Your build diary was one of the first diary's I read and, one that I referenced several times as I was preparing to start my build.

Markwarren - Thanks for following my build diary.

So continuing on. No fume marks on the rings of the hachi (helmet crown)...or so I thought. After taking off the tape holding the rings together, I noticed fume marks formed under the tape.

The fumes adhered to fingerprints I left on the parts. It looked a little like a forensic team had been looking for fingerprints at a crime scene.

Lesson learned, I should have used clamps. I had some lying around too.

I was able to remove the fume marks using acetone, specifically, nail polish remover. I did a test spot to see if the chemicals would damage the finish. The gloss black seems to be durable enough to survive the acetone.

Hi Tom-

Thank you for your input on the CA and debonder. I've been using CA gel. It ends up being more convenient than epoxy for the smaller parts like the menpo ears and posts.

I've never used CA debonder before. Is there a big difference between using it vs. acetone or nail polish remover?

BTW, I enjoyed reading through your build diary. Your diary was one of those that I browsed through a few times to get an idea of what was coming up. The Yoroi Bitsu (armor storage box) you built turned out great.

Continuing with my build, I super glued the posts for the kabuto tie and the hooks for the nose piece to the menpo (face mask). Followed the instructions and no surprises.

There is a bit of play once you hook the nose piece on to the menpo. I was worried about paint rub so I sprayed the inside of the nose piece with Plasti Dip to create a rubber buffer. The inside of the menpo is usually red. I may coat the inside with red Plasti Dip later.

As I opened the different stages, I began to notice many of the pieces had noticeable blemishes. I contacted DeAgostini customer service who'll be replacing the parts.

Spent some time inspecting all the parts to see how many have blemishes. There are at least two rows of kusazuri (tassets) including a number of other parts. I've included pics of some of the parts.

Russ,

I am not able to answer you directly on the CA debonder vs acetone question. The debonder bottle does not list ingredient and it is a squirt bottle so I could not get a whiff to compare. I did not try acetone on the model. What I liked about it was it didn't hurt the finish. Perhaps someone here has chemical knowledge.

Thanks for your comments on my build. The storage box did turn out well but with Date on it it is mostly hidden! Funny how much you learn when it is all over!

Tom

I received my replacement parts. Kudo's to DeAgostini customer service for the quick turn around on sending the parts. There were several parts that I requested replacements for, 42 in all.

A few parts are backordered but enough of the parts arrived to continue the build.

Back to the helmet. I attached the visor and maedate (crest) mount. The visor had a bit of play after being attached with just the rivets.

Initially, I had thought of using small pieces of felt to keep the visor from moving. The felt proved to be too thick and threw off the alignment of the rivets. In the end, I used a bit of epoxy to hold the visor in place.

Nice clean work and all looking good.....

Regards

Alan

Looks great Russ. You will LOVE the neck guard lacing!

Tom