Aleene's tacky glue (standard gold bottle) is basically the best there is for this kind of work. I used to build some very intricate and involved papercraft models, and at least for precise and detailed work, tacky glue (and in particular Aleene's!) has a lot of desirable properties. Very strong bonds once dried, quick drying time, but with plenty of time to adjust, easy to work with, and can be applied very tactically/precisely.
That last point is super important - basic approach is to make a small glob/reservoir of glue on some scrap paper, and keep a box of toothpicks handy to use as applicators to transfer the glue onto the the tabs. When the dried glue builds up on a toothpick end (making it bulky/less precise) just toss it and use a new one. If your goal is to build clean, tidy models with no trace glue or smudging, this is the way :)
The only other glue I occasionally use, and only then very sparingly, is some kind of cyanoacrylate adhesive. Typically "Krazy Glue", in the tubes with the fine/precision tips, though I'm sure any brand will do. I reserve this for bonding together joints of a model that bear a lot of weight (think like, long, freestanding structures attached to the core of the model at a single point; see [0] for an example with structures like this!)
Echoing this. I’ve used so many different glues for papercraft over the years and Aleene’s is the best currently available in North America that I’ve tried. There are several glues from the company but the gold label “acid-free tacky glue” is the most versatile.
Edit to add: Wow, that Deep Striker model is incredible!
Glue gun. I've made probably a dozen paper masks in this style, patterns purchased from Etsy shops and printed on heavy bonded paper.
I like hot glue for this type of work because it gives you a _little_ bit of leeway to make mistakes while it's still warm, so you can slide the pieces around to get them just so. Then it cools and hardens quickly so you don't have to wait a long time before moving on to the next piece.
Aleene's tacky glue (standard gold bottle) is basically the best there is for this kind of work. I used to build some very intricate and involved papercraft models, and at least for precise and detailed work, tacky glue (and in particular Aleene's!) has a lot of desirable properties. Very strong bonds once dried, quick drying time, but with plenty of time to adjust, easy to work with, and can be applied very tactically/precisely.
That last point is super important - basic approach is to make a small glob/reservoir of glue on some scrap paper, and keep a box of toothpicks handy to use as applicators to transfer the glue onto the the tabs. When the dried glue builds up on a toothpick end (making it bulky/less precise) just toss it and use a new one. If your goal is to build clean, tidy models with no trace glue or smudging, this is the way :)
The only other glue I occasionally use, and only then very sparingly, is some kind of cyanoacrylate adhesive. Typically "Krazy Glue", in the tubes with the fine/precision tips, though I'm sure any brand will do. I reserve this for bonding together joints of a model that bear a lot of weight (think like, long, freestanding structures attached to the core of the model at a single point; see [0] for an example with structures like this!)
[0]: https://imgur.com/a/papercraft-deep-striker-25kEi
Echoing this. I’ve used so many different glues for papercraft over the years and Aleene’s is the best currently available in North America that I’ve tried. There are several glues from the company but the gold label “acid-free tacky glue” is the most versatile.
Edit to add: Wow, that Deep Striker model is incredible!
Glue gun. I've made probably a dozen paper masks in this style, patterns purchased from Etsy shops and printed on heavy bonded paper.
I like hot glue for this type of work because it gives you a _little_ bit of leeway to make mistakes while it's still warm, so you can slide the pieces around to get them just so. Then it cools and hardens quickly so you don't have to wait a long time before moving on to the next piece.
Nice, thank you!