Techniques
Care, mod and rebuild
Care, mod and rebuild covers life after the build: storing and moving models safely, fixing breakages, cleaning, and for brick builds, taking sets apart for something new.
Kits and minis
Repairs follow the same glue rules as the build: plastic cement for plastic-to-plastic breaks, super glue for resin and metal, and a pin through a break on any part that will be handled. A pinned repair on a metal or resin limb is far stronger than glue on its own.
Keep a super glue debonder on the bench. It dissolves cyanoacrylate, so a part glued in the wrong place, or glue on your fingers, can be undone without forcing the joint apart.
Common bench practice for transport: foam-lined cases with cut-outs for each figure for miniatures, and for a kit, a sturdy box with the model fixed to a base so it cannot roll about.
Common bench practice: mods and conversions use the build-stage tools: a pin vice, wire, putty and spare parts. Plan any conversion before priming, as cutting through paint is messier than cutting bare plastic.
Bench tip. Common bench practice: keep the spare sprue and leftover parts from every kit. They are the quickest source of replacement parts and conversion bits.
Brick builds
Clean bricks by hand. LEGO recommends water no hotter than 40°C, a soft cloth or sponge, and a mild detergent rinsed off with clear water. It specifically warns against the washing machine, dishwasher, oven, microwave, hair dryer or leaving bricks in direct sun to dry, because heat can change their shape.
Parts with electronics or metal should not be soaked. LEGO advises wiping them with a cloth moistened with water and a mild detergent with no perfume or oil.
Missing or broken a piece? LEGO runs a replacement parts service on its website for missing and broken pieces from its sets, which is worth checking before you buy a substitute elsewhere.
To rebuild, sort before you start. LEGO notes most fans sort by colour, set, size or type, and suggests clear boxes, drawer systems and bags. Common bench practice is to bag a set by its original instruction steps, so it is easy to rebuild or sell on complete.
Bench tip. Common bench practice: if you plan to sell a set on, keep the instructions flat and dry; a complete set with its instructions is easier to sell than loose bricks.
Sources
- Reaper Miniatures Craft Section: Part 2, For Minis Requiring Assembly (Ron Vutpakdi) . Confirms: Pinning for shear strength; super glue debonder dissolves super glue; pin vice, wire and putty . Checked 31 Oct 2026.
- LEGO Help Topics: Cleaning your LEGO bricks . Confirms: Hand wash at no more than 40°C, mild detergent, no machines or heat drying, electronic and metal parts wiped only . Checked 31 Oct 2026.
- LEGO: Replacement pieces . Confirms: LEGO service for missing and broken pieces . Checked 31 Oct 2026.
- LEGO Help Topics: Sorting and storing your LEGO bricks . Confirms: Common sorting methods and storage options . Checked 31 Oct 2026.