There is often the ability to choose the same Plastruct parts in either styrene or ABS. What makes you choose one material over the other?
I am currently designing some cooling towers that will have caged ladders. I can buy them in both materials and they are dimensionally the same. I will need to use three sections to get the height I want. Is one material better suited for this than the other?
Rick
I prefer Styrene because it is softer and easier to glue. You need special glue for ABS, and you seldom get a good bond. I often resort to super-glue for ABS, and that can be both messy and brittle.
Using your caged ladders example, there will likely be small brackets that attatch the lader or cage to a vertical surface. With such a small surface area for gluing, you are much more likely to get a good bond with Styrene.
Your milage may vary.
https://nscale4by8.github.io/nscale4x8/
You will have noted that a sizable percentage of ABS copolymer is, in fact, styrene. Another ingredient, butadiene, is an 'elastomer' (fancy word for synthetic rubber) which lends its characteristics to the plastic.
ABS can be somewhat persnickety to bond (although nowhere near the fun with low-surface-active acetal/Delrin) and some of the effective solvent cement constituents are stinky and hazardous to your health. Look at the SDS for effective products to get an idea which ingredients are most effective.
For ladders I would tentatively recommend ABS because of its better anticipated shock resistance and bending tolerance.
ABS is an engineering plastic. Styrene is not. Making ABS more Dorable for small frequently handled or delicate parts as well as physical strength (Such as larger bridge construction with longer span. Doesnt flex as much)
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Although there are exceptions, my general experience is that ABS plastic structural shapes seem just a bit more precise with more exact 90 degree angles, such as for an "H" beam or "L" beam than their styrene counterparts. It is no surprises why Plastruct ABS got its start for building architectural models and the like because of the precision of the parts.
ABS gives you more choices of paints as well without the crazing that styrene sometimes suffers from.
From a scratchbuilding perspective however the quickness with which styrene melds into styrene is such a great feature, as is the "score and snap" feature on sheet styrene, that the choice between the two seems obvious to me. It just seems like more of a chore to use ABS.
Dave Nelson
Having had trouble bonding ABS I prefer styrene. Plastruct ladders, stairs, railings are 1/100th, a tad chunky in HO, even if sturdy and not so noticeable. While the Tichy products are more delicate I like their appearance.
The vertical tank on the left has a Tichy safety ladder, platform and railings, while the twin tanks on the right have Plastruct railings and spiral modified stairway.
Regards, Peter
For practical purposes, styrene is easier to work with and works with most all glues. As mentioned ABS takes special cements. (Talk to your local plumber as an example. If they're using ABS pipe for a job, it requires special cement. Regular PVC cement can be purchased at your local box store.)
Thanks for all of the replies.
In my current application I will be attaching the ladders to PVC pipe. Which material, styrene or ABS, will be best at getting a good bond?
NScale4x8I prefer Styrene because it is softer and easier to glue.
I have 100% the same answer.
dknelsonABS gives you more choices of paints as well without the crazing that styrene sometimes suffers from.
I have never had this crazing when using styrene structural shapes. I have only had crazing problems when painting model kits like 1/25 cars or battleship hulls.
Has anyone else had this problem?
HO-Velo While the Tichy products are more delicate I like their appearance.
Me too. Tichy makes A+ stuff. I love it.
hbgatsfIn my current application I will be attaching the ladders to PVC pipe. Which material, styrene or ABS, will be best at getting a good bond?
OK... here is what I do when gluing to PVC pipe for modeling...
I do not glue direcrtly to the PVC pipe. I finsh the PVC pipe first. I use Zinsser 1-2-3 primer, and sand the PVC pipe first with 400 grit paper. Zinsse 1-2-3 is the only primer I have found that bonds well the PVC pipe.
Then I paint the PVC as normal. I use super-glue to attach other details to the painted surface.
-Kevin
Living the dream.
I did an experiment and attached scrap pieces of styrene and ABS to a PVC pipe using Plastruct Plastic Weld (orange label.) Both resulted in a satisfactory bond although I believe the ABS made the stronger of the two.
SeeYou190 OK... here is what I do when gluing to PVC pipe for modeling... I do not glue direcrtly to the PVC pipe. I finsh the PVC pipe first. I use Zinsser 1-2-3 primer, and sand the PVC pipe first with 400 grit paper. Zinsse 1-2-3 is the only primer I have found that bonds well the PVC pipe. Then I paint the PVC as normal. I use super-glue to attach other details to the painted surface. -Kevin
I was not aware that CA could be used to attach to painted surfaces. That method would make painting much easier as I had some concern about painting the safety cages and ladders after they were attached. I would think it would be easier and that the result would be better coverage on both items if they were painted first and then the ladders attached to the painted PVC pipe. Once set in place there won't be any chance of the parts being knocked off. I may try that.