What is a good adhesive for attaching styrene to wood (card, paper, etc)? I'm looking for a reasonably strong permanent glue for use with scenery. Styrene cement is obviously out, and I'm not sure about white glue, since styrene is so smooth.
CA? - Might get expensive very quickly.
Epoxy? - Long setting time (I don't want to stand there holding it forever).
Hot glue? - might it melt the styrene?
Other?
My immediate need is to fix plastic girder bridge trusses to the underside of an existing wooden trackbed bridge, but it's a more general question too.
What's the accepted wisdom, if there is one?
Thanks,
Paul.
I use Amazing Goop for a lot of things. It adheres to almost any material. It’s setup time is about 45 minutes to an hour, fully dry 24 hours. It isn’t for everyone, it can be quite messy (stringy) strong as nails but can be removed with a little bit of elbow grease . . . . usually without any damage.I’ve been using Goop for installing can motors in locomotive for about 8 years. It is a silicone type of glue and absorbs vibration and sound very good. All the motors in the picture are glued in using Goop.The motors are very secure but with a bit of twisting they can be removed and the Goop can also be removed with a bit of work.Mel My Model Railroad http://melvineperry.blogspot.com/ Bakersfield, California I'm beginning to realize that aging is not for wimps.
For your particular example I would reach for the tube of Walther's GOO.
Use it sparingly. Practice on a few scraps first and don't allow too much to get on to the styrene itself. Applied in too-thick of a bead and it may deform thinner sections of styrene.
Good Luck, Ed
I have had fairly good success with attaching wood (balsa) to styrene using ACC
CA is cheap, you can get it at the $ store.
Yes, use GOO... but I recommend that you thin it substantially and not string it on as it comes out of the tube. That is particularly true for impermeable materials like styrene or ABS. Thin it and let it nearly dry when you apply it sparingly, like thinned contact cement, and you will see very little seam; let it dry to the touch and, using a separator sheet of something like baking parchment, heat and press with a low iron to bond with no seam at all.
I only use CA for wood to styrene bonds.
I have greatly reduce my adhesive selection. I am down to:
White Glue
Wood (Yellow) Glue
CA (Loctite Gel Control Super Glue)
Canopy Glue
Testor's Liquid Cement for Plastic Models
Kneadatite Blue/Yellow Epoxy
I also keep some Gorilla Glue on hand in the garage. I have never used it for model railroading.
That is all, I think. CA has gotten so good, that it is my go-to adhesive. All the others are pretty much the "specific uses" glues.
You say this is for scenery, what are you using styrene for in scenery?
-Kevin
Living the dream.
The only way CA gets expensive these days is when you buy the giant bottle thinking it is cheaper, only to have over half of it harden in the bottle. Unless building something alrge in a realtively short time, I prefer to buy a package that is a bunch of small bottles. Maybe not the cheapest way, but opening just one small bottle at a time, I generally get every last drop out of each one. The rest stay sealed up until the previous one is empty. I found this in Lowes, it's a Locktite product. I've only seen it as the very thin type, whereas when wood is involved, a slightly thicker variation is probably better - the thin stuff gets soaked into the wood, sometimes before it can actually form a bond. Some people 'paint' the wood in the area to be bonded, let that dry, then add the plastic part with additional glue.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
I've had good luck with DAP Weldwood contact cement, both water-soluble and regular, for attaching styrene sheet to wood or paper (Homasote). For smaller items, like styrene sidewalks, I've also used Powergrab and similar adhesive caulk. Unlike Goo, these adhesives will not react with styrene over time to deform it.
Rob Spangler
There is a trick to eliminating the 'strings' that usually form when you are trying to remove the tube of goo after applying the cement. When you want to remove the tube, pull it an inch or so away from the surface to which the glue was applied and then pause for a second or two. The string will harden in that time so that when you finally pull the tube away quickly the string will break instead of stretching.
Works for me.
Dave
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
I find that gelled contact cement makes a good bond between most materials, without the stringiness of regular contact cement.Where styrene is one of the components, you'll get a better bond if it's first prepped with an application of lacquer thinner or MEK - this prevents the styrene from drawing the solvent component out of the contact cement. To ensure a permanent bond, coat both mating surfaces with the contact cement and let them sit for at least the time speciified in the instructions on the can, before bringing the parts together.
If accurate alignment of the parts is crucial, place a sheet of waxed paper between the two items to be joined, with a very slight portion at one edge not covered by the waxed paper. Once everything is properly situated, carefully begin sliding the waxed paper from between the two items, applying pressure to the areas that are exposed as the paper is removed.
Wayne
rrebellCA is cheap, you can get it at the $ store.
The local Dollar Tree sometimes has 5 packs of tiny tubes of super glue for $1.00, and they are so handy to have on hand when needed.
One use, and toss it away. 20 cents!
Harbor Freight sells Super Glue in 0.1 ounce tubes as well as Super Glue Gel. I’ve been using it for what seems like forever. Like Kevin said, “use one, and toss it away. 20 cents!”I buy the ten packs.https://www.harborfreight.com/10-piece-high-strength-super-glue-68345.htmlhttps://www.harborfreight.com/10-piece-super-glue-gel-68349.htmlI found that CA/Super Glues only last for about a month after opening so the only loss when using a tiny tube after a month is about 25¢.Mel My Model Railroad http://melvineperry.blogspot.com/ Bakersfield, California I'm beginning to realize that aging is not for wimps.
I'm also a fan of CA for wood-to-plastic bonding. I use balsa strips on the inside corners of plastic structure kits, and with CA on those corners I. Get a strong, light-proof bond.
Practice good glue hygiene. Wipe the nozzle thoroughly before replacing the cap.
I also read somewhere that you should refrigerate containers of CA to improve their life. I usually get small hobby shop bottles, and have never noticed that helped any.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
Thanks, everyone, lots of good discussion and choices there - I will pick one and go with it depending on what I can easily get (no hobby shop in my area, so choices become more limited).
On the subject of keeping opened superglue pacakges, I have had good luck with recaaping tightly, putting in a ziplok bag and storing it in the fridge. 3 years so far and still going strong.
MisterBeasleyI also read somewhere that you should refrigerate containers of CA to improve their life.
We have pretty tough rules about that in our household: the model railroader says no food in the layout room, and the wife says no glues and paints in the fridge! Jokes aside, I've had 5 minute epoxy sitting on my workbench for years, the kind with two-tubes connected to two pistons. Bought it at the dollar store. It still works - I used it again today.
Simon