I finally decided to jump in and start magnetizing my ships. I followed the instructions found here and got the magnets recommended. I decided I should do a test run on a ship I was OK messing up. Thanks to my need for Crack Shot I had "extra" Kihraxz ships so they were first on the block. See image below and excuse the focus.

Now to my question - what do you use to glue the ball to the post? Is there a more "gel like" super glue than regular super glue? I found it really thin and super hard to keep it on the post. Maybe another technique to get and keep it on? The washer on the base was no problem, but I definitely glued my fingers together more than twice holding the ball in place while it dried.

Do you have a two part epoxy? It's thick, like hair gel and comes in a dual barrel syringe. Look for one that dries clear. Sets in 5 minutes.

Do you have a two part epoxy? It's thick, like hair gel and comes in a dual barrel syringe. Look for one that dries clear. Sets in 5 minutes.

I was just using standard clear thin super glue. Is that Gorilla Glue people talk about an epoxy?

Gorilla Glue is a brand. They do carry an epoxy and pretty much any other type of adhesive you can think of.

In a pinch you can use a hot glue gun. As long as you're not rough with your ships & stands that should work just fine.

I used a Dremel to add a small curve at the top of the pegs after snipping the attachment pieces off. It gave the glue and the ball bearing something to cradle in while it set

The washer on the base was no problem, but I definitely glued my fingers together more than twice holding the ball in place while it dried.

Maybe I am reading more into this than needed, but wouldn't gravity do that? If you put the peg on a stand, put glue on the top of the peg, and then set the ball on top. Seems like it should just... stay there? If you're holding the peg instead of putting it in a stand, then I can see where you would need to hold it.

The washer on the base was no problem, but I definitely glued my fingers together more than twice holding the ball in place while it dried.

Maybe I am reading more into this than needed, but wouldn't gravity do that? If you put the peg on a stand, put glue on the top of the peg, and then set the ball on top. Seems like it should just... stay there? If you're holding the peg instead of putting it in a stand, then I can see where you would need to hold it.

I tried that but a round ball on the flat peg top equaled a ball rolling off. I was hoping a thicker gel like glue would prevent the roll. I guess I could try adding a divot to keep it in place. Maybe my table is 100% level.

You use a Dremel to create a small cup on the peg for the ball to sit into, put a drop of glue in there, drop the bearing and wait!

I held the ball in a pliers then heated it up with a lighter.

Once its hella hot... smoosh a peg on it and the plastic will melt itself into a perfect cup.

I held the ball in a pliers then heated it up with a lighter.

Once its hella hot... smoosh a peg on it and the plastic will melt itself into a perfect cup.

That's a really good idea. Is the peg plastic that soft? I found a comparable size drill bit and drilled a small well to sit it in. I think the heat would be easier, probably a bitter fit as well. Maybe not as quick though. I will try thay on the rest of the TIE fleet tonight.

The other option for the top of the peg is a dome-cap nut. There's a size (M4 IIRC) that will screw straight on to the small pegs once the mating part is clipped away.

I've been using Gorilla brand Super Glue Gel .

It's thick enough that for the small posts I was able to get the ball to sit well enough when the peg is cut flat. I also like that it gives a little extra substance for the magnet to sit in on some of the ships where there isn't an ideal flat spot where the magnet needs to go.

For the large ship pegs, I've been using a hobby file to add grooves to give the top of the peg some texture to hold the larger ball while the glue sets.

FYI, the R622CS-N magnets are not strong enough to support the Decimator. I followed the same post as you and ordered a bunch of magnets from that website, and after paying the $13 in shipping (which is crazy expensive imho) I was pretty upset to find that the magnet was undersized.

I ordered a set of ND038-42NM-6 from CMS Magnetics on ebay and am currently awaiting their arrival (estimated Monday). They are an 1/8" larger and thicker, but also have a #6 hole which should fit the 3/8" BB better. I'll let you know how it goes, but I really hope it works to resurrect my Decimator! :-(

Also, for what it is worth, I used R422CS-N magnets and 1/4" BBs (NSB4) on my "large" small base ships (ARC, K-Wing, Punisher) and it works really well to hold those ships at an angle while not appearing obtrusive. If I did it again i would have tried to bore a hole in the bottom of the Punisher for the magnet, but it worked out well enough.

Also, on the glue thing, I really prefer gel super glue, and I normally use Loctite Ultra Gel Control for my models. However, as others have said, it's a good idea to countersink a small hole in the end of the cut off peg to seat the ball in prior to gluing. I also have been standing the peg up in an extra base then adding glue and the BB to let gravity hold it on there while it dries. After it has dried I've been applying more glue to the seam and using a tooth pick to spread it up the ball and down the peg a little to give the super glue more surface area to hold onto as the nickle plating on the balls and magnets is difficult for anything to adhere to.

Hope this helps! Good luck!

I held the ball in a pliers then heated it up with a lighter.

Once its hella hot... smoosh a peg on it and the plastic will melt itself into a perfect cup.

Now I have this overwhelming urge to magnetize stuff, thanks guys.

FYI, the R622CS-N magnets are not strong enough to support the Decimator. I followed the same post as you and ordered a bunch of magnets from that website, and after paying the $13 in shipping (which is crazy expensive imho) I was pretty upset to find that the magnet was undersized.

Did you leave the ball bearing all shiny and pretty? You should really rough it up to help the big ships stay still. A small layer of glue, sandpaper, or any other method to make it less slippery works wonders.

Sure, if you shake it it'll still tilt, but once deshined it's really not so bad.

FYI, the R622CS-N magnets are not strong enough to support the Decimator. I followed the same post as you and ordered a bunch of magnets from that website, and after paying the $13 in shipping (which is crazy expensive imho) I was pretty upset to find that the magnet was undersized.

Did you leave the ball bearing all shiny and pretty? You should really rough it up to help the big ships stay still. A small layer of glue, sandpaper, or any other method to make it less slippery works wonders.

Sure, if you shake it it'll still tilt, but once deshined it's really not so bad.

Would that help with K-wings? Those are the only small base ships I'm having fits with. Any suggestions? What about larger ring magnets and ball bearings?

K-wings, ARCs, Mist Hunters, and punishers cannot run on the small magnets. I haven't switched my k-wings yet because they're still manageable, but really wobbly. Using the large ships' magnet, even with a small peg with a small bearing works. With a large bearing, it works better, but doesn't look as good.

You can easily countersink the magnet on the ARC and Mist Hunter (see the thread for picture). I've yet to do the other two, I'm busy scrolling template holders for my son's birthday.

What is the large ship's magnet size? I use K&J Magnetics to get the N42 ring magnets and bearings, but I'm not sure what size to buy for the large magnets.

I used the ones in the thread linked above .