The Art of Pinning: Keeping Your Warhammer Models from Falling Apart Like Games Workshop’s PR Strategy

If you’ve been in the Warhammer hobby long enough, you’ve probably had that heartbreaking moment where a prized model takes a tumble and shatters like your hopes of affordable Forge World pricing. Maybe it’s a spindly Eldar Wraithknight that snapped at the ankle or a chunky metal Dreadnought whose arm just refuses to stay in place, no matter how much glue you drown it in.

Enter pinning: the ancient, arcane art of drilling tiny holes into plastic, resin, or metal (yes, even metal!) models and reinforcing them with sturdy pins – because sometimes, super glue alone has the structural integrity of a Primaris Marine’s backstory.
So, let’s go over the basics of pinning: why you need it, how to do it, and what you need to avoid.

Why Pinning Matters (Or: Why You Shouldn’t Trust Just Glue)

Super glue is great for small, low-stress joints, but it has one major weakness: sheer force. If you apply sideways pressure to a glued joint – say, when you ‘accidentally’ knock over your model during an intense game of Horus Heresy – it’s more likely to snap than a Games Workshop exec avoiding a pricing discussion. Pinning adds a metal rod inside the joint, reinforcing it and drastically reducing the chance of breakage.

Pinning is especially useful for:

• Large, heavy models (metal Daemon Princes, old-school Tyranid Warriors, etc.).
• Long, thin joints (Dark Eldar Scourge wings, Tyranid Scything Talons).
• Awkward resin kits (Forge Wor … uh, sorry … Expert … Kits, we’re looking at you).
• Any piece that keeps breaking no matter how much glue you use.

What You Need (Or: The Arcane Tools of the Pinning Adept)

To start pinning like a pro, you’ll need:

• A Pin Vise (Hand Drill) – The main tool for drilling precise, small holes. Avoid power drills unless you want to turn your model into Swiss cheese.
• A Needle File – You’ll need the sharp pointy end … trust me! … for pilot holes.
• Paperclips or Brass Rods – Your reinforcement material. Paperclips work for small jobs, but brass rods (typically 0.5mm-1mm thick) are stronger and more reliable. Don’t use your rod to make pilot holes … remember, the flesh is weak.
• Side Cutters – For trimming rods to size. Not your fancy clippers – brass rods can chew them up.
• Super Glue (Cyanoacrylate) – Because even though glue alone isn’t enough, you still need it to hold things in place.
• Hobby Knife and Sandpaper – For cleaning up or microteething joints before gluing.
• Bonus tools include tweezers for handling small bits and accelerator spray if you have the patience of an Ork Mek who wants things done now. Don’t let your tweezers and superglue meet … ever … or it’s ‘crossing streams’ time!

How to Pin Your Model (Or: Performing Surgery on Tiny Plastic Soldiers)

1. Drill Matching Holes

Take the parts you want to pin, hold them in place, and lightly mark where the pin should go. Then, using your Needle File (or other sharp pointy metal thing!) press firmly into your plastic part to make a pilot hole – this will stop your drill spit spinning off like a top! Then, using your pin vise, drill a hole deep enough to fit a small length of brass rod. Repeat on the second piece, making sure both holes line up.

Pro Tip: Starting with a small pilot hole before drilling deeper may seem like over-engineering – but this helps keep the drill bit from slipping. If you drill too deep and go through the other side, congratulations! Your model is now a pincushion.

2. Cut and Test-Fit the Pin

Cut a section of brass rod slightly shorter than the combined depth of your drilled holes. Dry-fit the pin into one hole to check the alignment before committing with glue.

Pro Tip: If your pin is slightly loose in the hole, rough it up with sandpaper to microteeth it or make tiny bends to improve grip.

3. Glue Everything Together

It seems obvious, but apply a small amount of super glue into the hole, insert the pin, then add more glue to the pin before pressing the pieces together. Hold firmly until set (see our blogpost on finding your inner zen whilst gluing – you can thank us later … with money).

Pro Tip: If you’re pinning a particularly heavy piece, consider using epoxy glue for extra strength (just be ready for a longer drying time).

What NOT to Do (Or: Avoiding Rookie Mistakes)

Don’t drill too shallow. A 1mm deep pin isn’t doing much—you want at least 3-5mm of depth per side.

Don’t cut your pin too long. Balancing a plastic part on the end of the ‘too long’ pin is no better than just gluing the parts together. Dry fit, cut to length, and start the pin again if you need to!

Don’t use too much glue. Overflowing super glue can make a mess and cause you to stick to the parts, or just weaken the bond.

Don’t use soft pins. Paperclips work in a pinch, but if the fit of pin to hole is snug ( … ) then the pin could bend if you are required to push it into the pin hole as weak metal bends easily. Brass rods are better.

Don’t forget to align the holes. If they don’t line up, your model will end up with a weirdly angled limb (unless you’re making a Nurgle mutant, in which case, happy accident?).

Conclusion: Become the Master of Model Stability

Pinning might seem tedious at first, but it’s an essential skill that’ll save your models – and your sanity – in the long run. Whether you’re reinforcing a Forge World (damn!) … Expert Kit resin monstrosity or just fixing that one uncooperative sword arm that won’t stay put, a little extra effort goes a long way.

Now go forth and pin your models like the Emperor intended—or at least, like a slightly obsessive hobbyist who doesn’t want to deal with constant breakages. And remember: a pinned model is a happy model… until it meets the floor at just the right angle. Then all bets are off.