In all my Model-kit building live, never before I've met something so remarkable and as useful as this, this is absolutely Magic! Mind you, I'm not sponsored nor in a business relationship with the product owner or with their seller (but I welcome any sponsor if interested hehe). but I have to tell you this: if you want to mods your model kit, you got to have this.
What is
Blu Tack? according to Wikipedia:
Blu Tack is a reusable putty-like pressure-sensitive adhesive produced by Bostik, commonly used to attach lightweight objects (such as posters or sheets of paper) to walls, doors or other dry surfaces. Traditionally blue, it is also available in other colors.
The composition of Blu Tack is a manufacturing secret but is described as a synthetic rubber compound without hazardous properties under normal conditions. It can be swallowed without harm and is noncarcinogenic. It is non-soluble and is denser than water. The material is not flammable, but emits carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide when exposed to fire or high temperatures.
In my country, Blu tack is available in some big bookstores and stationeries such as Gramedia, Paperclip, and many others. They come in many colors and names like Faber castell's "Tack-it", UHU's "Patafix", "Poster Putty", "White-tac", Pritt's "Sticky Tac" but they all the same and serve the same purpose with the price ranging from 20K - 50K rupiah (about 3-4 dollars)
Why so much fuss about this glue thingy that you have to put it on a blog? Well, let me enlighten you, boys...
1. Difficult parts holder: Ever want to spray paint a thruster nozzle but it has no dangling parts to clip on the paint grip? you can put it on the ground, but when you spray it. swoosh! it'll be gone in a second. Now just put a little tack on a tip of a stick and stick the parts you want to paint there.
Voila!
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| took the pic from gaijingunpla.blogspot.com so you got the point. |
2. Two color thruster masking tools: Want to color your thruster silver with red inner parts? Simple! first, color the interior of your thruster red and let it dry, it doesn't matter if you got the outer part messy. Now, make a ball from Blu-Tack the size of the thruster hole and shove it there. You can spray paint the exterior with ease without fear the paint will slipping inside since Blu-tack act as a masking.
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| pic from blog.naver.com |
3. Lazy first aid kit: Oh no! I broke the Geara Doga Neck! Well, their neck not so visible either and I'm not going to play it a lot, so I might glue it shut. But I need the neck to be able to move in the photo session. Let's Tack it. Problem solved.
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| GAAHHH! |
4. Custom rack holder: This missile launcher will look great on Zaku III waist on the photo session, but there's no peg hole to hold it, should I drill a new hole? or should I just glue it shut there? hell NO! I'm not going to ruin a perfect paint job with a drill, also the F2 need their missile pod back later. Solution: let's Tack it.
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| if you look hard enough, you'll see it too. |
5: Display base balancer: Me: (Looking at EWAC Zack) There is no way this can stand on its own during the photo session..." Blu Tack God: " I beg to differ" (put Blu Tack on the feet)
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| Stand firmly |
6: Organic pattern masking: When its come to an organic pattern (like camouflage pattern) it's a pain to trace cutting the masking tape into curves. Instead, use Blu Tack to cover it. I haven't made any camouflage pattern, yet. but when I do, I'll totally going to use this.
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| pic from thosegundamguys.org/sticky-tack-camouflage-masking/ |
7. Peg Paint protection: Usually we cover the peg with masking tape when we spray paints the parts. But covering a dozen pegs with masking tape is taking time and irritating. Just makes little balls from Blu tack, then stick the pegs and the peg holes with it, And we're good to go.
8. Firmer Weapon Grip: Custom weapon is cool but different weapons sometimes didn't fit with the size of the model hand, especially when it's coming from different production era (example: Raketen bazooka from 1999 Domtropen mold to the hand of 2015 Zaku IIC mold) put some Tack between the palm and the weapon grip to make it hold sturdier.
9. Extra Parts Holder: In the middle of the photo session "where did I put the left open palm hand? I swear I put it in the box!" No more! makes a block base from Blu tack on the side of the photo booth and stick the extra parts there. Now you can always find that left open hand or severed GM head there.
10. It leaves no stain: Usually putty contains oil so it'll stain the surface when stays in contact. But Blu tack didn't. it leaves no stain even when placed on top of a paper for days.
11. It won't dried and get hard: Blu Tack didn't dry even if left for days. It might get a bit stiff, but if you squash it a few times, it'll become soft and ready to go.
12. It's easy to clean: Sometimes a bit of tack left on the model when you remove it. To clean it, just press it with another tack a few times until the leftover tack sticks to another Blu Tack.
13. You can eat it: Really? yes! It's not poisonous nor a carcinogenic (things that cause cancer) and can be swallowed without harm. But it tastes awful and will stick to your teeth. so the real question is "Should I?"
14. Reusable: You can use it over and over again. it might get dirty, but it still does the job.
Of course, there is the limitation for using Blu Tack, for example: mind the weight limit. You can't expect Blu Tack to be able to hold a full body of HG kit in mid-air to the palm of Perfect Zeong, but you can stick a Zaku bazooka to the back skirt of a Dom. Do not stick the tack to a wet surface. trust me, it won't stick. Also, do not assume Blu Tack as permanent glue. There is the time limitation for the tack to be able holding something against gravity. Because, let's face it. Nothing last forever.
