Citadel Assembly Handle Review – So Much Easier

Welcome to my Citadel Assembly Handle Review. Now, this is a product that has been out for a while, but I never personally owned one. I have the Paint handle already and like it, but had yet to try the Citadel Assembly Handle. For those who don’t know, Games Workshop makes these products.

Let’s take a look at the product in this Citadel Assembly Handle Review.

Instructions

The instructions for the assembly handle are very simple and right on the box in picture format.

Overall, very simple – but how does it actually work?

How Well Does it Work?

I was not sure what to expect when I pulled this product out of the box. As soon as I unpacked it, I found the arms a little harder to use than I expected. They stay in place very well where you want them, but I found myself moving each connector individually to place the arms precisely where I want them.

Initially, I was a little disappointed as I played around with it, but then I gave it a try. Once I started working with it, I found that this assembly handle is a game changer. Oh, and that finickiness with the arms disappears as you use it. I am not sure if that is due to the arms becoming easier to move, or just because I got used to how they move. I think it is the latter of the two.

Originally, I would prop the parts of my miniatures up on glue tubes or any spare item that I found lying around as glue dried. If I could not do that, I would hold the pieces together and count to 30. That takes a lot of time when you are building an army. Once I started using the Citadel Assembly Handle, I realized it was much better than my old approach.

The Citadel Assembly Handle in Use

If Games Workshop actually reads this article, I do apologize that I am not using their handle yet with their products. That said, I did purchase the handle and these pictures show that product is also good for miniature hobbyists who play games by other companies.

This is a Game Changer!!!

Using this clip to hold down the shield is so much easier than my old approach. For the shields, I was placing the shields face down and then guessing where to place the arm on the shield. I would glue the arm and shield together, wait for it to dry. Once dry, I would glue the arm on the body and hope that it works the way I envisioned.

With this Citadel Assembly Handle I was able to glue the arm where I wanted it and then place the shield onto the model. The clip held the shield for me while the glue dried. I did not have to worry about the shield shifting in my hand, my finger prints getting into the model due to a plastic cement accident, or guess at how to place the shield. I placed the shield exactly how I wanted it.

The arms on these miniatures were not as finicky as the shields. I was able to glue them on without issue or the need to use the assembly arms.

For the most part, I used the assembly handle just to glue shields onto the models and what an improvement it was to my model building experience. For a couple of miniatures, I did use the second assembly arm to hold a second piece of the miniature in place while it dried.

Again, I would have achieved the same effect on the second piece by propping the part of the miniature up against something while the glue cured. That said, using this handle was just so much better.

My Take on the Citadel Assembly Handle

Normally I try not to share too much opinion in my reviews. Instead, I tend to describe the products in a way that my readers can us to make up their own minds and make the decision of whether to buy the products easier.

So far my Citadel Assembly Handle Review is very positive. Despite my very positive experience with the handle, I found some cons to the product too. As such, I will outline a pros and cons list below.

Now, I realize that what I consider a pro, others may consider a con and vice versa. I also realize that some of my pros and cons may not be prioritized in the same way for me as it is for my readers. With that out of the way, let’s get into it.

Pros

• Allows precise placement of parts on a miniature
• The assembly arms hold in place very well
• Securely holds model parts in place while glue dries
• Holds most standard sized miniatures bases – GW states that it works with round bases up to 40mm – also worked well with square bases when I tested with my collection (20mm and 25mm)
• Feels Durable
• Affordable

Cons

• Arms are finicky to use – it gets better as you use them
• The clamps are made of hard plastic – I might worry about damaging delicate parts on more detailed models
• The handle is top heavy – I tipped it over a couple of times – Consider keeping the foam packaging that comes with it to give it a wider base – or just be careful when setting it down on the table when a miniature is in it

Clarifications

Some of the cons, such as worrying about using it on delicate parts, may be unfounded. In fact, this device would likely make placing delicate parts on miniatures easy as it can hold them in place for you while the glue cures.

When testing the Citadel Assembly Handle, I built 28mm plastic miniatures. I do not know how well the handle will work with larger miniatures. I do know that it likely won’t work with models on round bases bigger than 40mm as GW specifically states it is for round models 40mm and under (plus oval bases up to 60mm).

Wrapping it up…

Thank you for joining me in this Citadel Assembly Handle Review. Hopefully you enjoyed learning about this product. If you have one, please feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section below. Do you agree with my evaluation of the product?

This product is part of my buying back into Warhammer 40,000 purchase.

Until next time, Happy Gaming Everyone!!!