which adhesive is best?

[ratdogsoo]

hi group. just getting into the kits. which is the best glue to use? i heard ACC is good. also which sunshade is correct for a GP30 [Proto2000].  A-line? Details West? thank you, michael.

[ricktrains4824]

Really depends on the kit/material for the glue. I have used everything from styrene cement, testers model cement, plain old superglue, and hobby-style CA (thinner superglue.) If anything is not quite the same material superglue/CA is my go-to choice, model kits I am starting to prefer styrene cement, but have used others on styrene kits.

I will have to research the sunshades, unless someone beats me to the answer.... 

 Edit: A-line has brass, part number 29210, Walthers has listed as currently out of stock, detail associates has plastic or brass, plastic part number 1301, brass 10131, brass in stock at Walthers, plastic oos currently, Cannon company styrene sets, number 1551, could also be made to work, but designed to fit their cab models, oos currently at Walthers.

Note: these match photos I have found for AT&SF, and DRG&W. If you model a different road, they maybe different style. Detail associates lists it as GP/SD unit sunshades, but some roads have their own standards.

[G Paine]

ricktrains4824

Really depends on the kit/material for the glue

For wood Elmers or similar brands of white or yellow glue. Even silicone sealer in some places. 5 Minute Epoxy for some metal or resin kits where CA is too thin to work. I must have a dozen types of glue for different surfaces and conditions.

[mlehman]

Best would be something that stays flexible if glueing the actual shade itself to the cab roof. Not sure anything like that (Aleene's, silicone, etc) really works with as little to grab onto as the edge of a shade though

I have seen shades that consist of a channel and the shade slides into it. The channel is bonded down and the shade slides into it. The advantage is that the channel allows the shade to move, so it's less likely to be damaged.

[dstarr]

Best glue?  Depends upon what you are glueing.  There are quite a few adhesives useful in model railroading.  Styrene welder cement, Elmer's Glueall, expoxy, superglue/ACC, acrylic caulking compound, Duco cement, silicone bathtub caulk...

To glue a brass sunshade to a plastic diesel shell I would go with superglue.  Clean the surfaces.  Hold the shell upside down and hold the sunshade in place with a finger.  Apply a TINY bean of superglue to the underside of the sunshade.  You can speed up the hardening of the superglue by breathing heavily upon it. 

  I always made my sunshields from scratch from thin sheet brass.

 

[bogp40]

I always like having the sunshades on all my EMD. Most of my roster is Atlas, the sunshades are about the best in detail for one kit supplied. Proto 2000's came w/ the shades in the separate details pack. They fit well, however, are way too wide. I sand them narrower. It is a never ending deal of always having to glue them back from rough handling at the club. After reinstalling a few times the cab side starts to get mucked up from reglueing. I will now replace these broken/ lost shades w/ the A-line brass. They have 2 small brass pins that are glued into the cab. They will bend long before breaking off. The paint parting line may just need touch up after resetting to the desired angle. BTW, I install them w/ CA

[dknelson]

Someone sent me this link on adhesives for plastics - we already know that there are many fine adhesives for styrene which is easily melded when solvents are used, but many other plastice are not so readily friendly to adhesives.  

http://info.craftechind.com/blog/bid/323475/Stick-to-it-A-Guide-to-the-Best-Glue-for-Plastic

Dave Nelson

[zstripe]

Michael,

I would recommend, Zap-Gap-Gap medium CA+ for the sunshades. Very strong CA and thicker than most, but flows easy for capillary attraction, metal,brass,plastic, wood and Pewter, sets quick, dries exstremely strong. I use it a lot for white metal kits and pewter kits. In the pic' the orange truck, combo of metal, plastic and brass. Fork lift truck is a Pewter kit. Trk on left, mirrors are etched stainless, metal cab glued to plastic frame, all held together with Zap-A-Gap. Even the tiny ''Bulldog'', LOL.

For Styrene kits, I use Ambroid Pro-weld, Plastruct Plastic weld, good for ABS and sometimes lacquer thinner. Plastic to wood, Original contact cement.

Take Care! 

Frank

 

[Howard Zane]

Just about everything I build be it a structure or piece of rolling stock, I have been using GOO. Walthers took it over from Hobso years back and of course made changes...mainly less GOO in tube, higher price, but still as a contact glue, it is the very best.

Why would anyone use this seemingly impossible product to use....ACC, white Glue, epoxy, and every other type of glue is great for permanance, but I'm not perfect and GOO takes at least 12 hours to form a permanent bond and still even after that items can be unglued, be it heat or with solvent. GOO can be thinned if needed and applied rather carefully with a tooth pick or similar item.

Bottom line..........I love the flexibility as I am only a people and prone to mistakes.

HZ

[maxman]

Howard Zane

GOO can be thinned if needed

Ah, I've heard that before.  But I've forgotten what to use as a thinner.  Could you remind me, please?

Thanks

[riogrande5761]

dstarr

Best glue?  Depends upon what you are glueing.

Since the OP started out with the following comments:

"hi group. just getting into the kits."  ... just a guess here but we could quickly narrow the "it depends" down to typical model train plastic/styrene kits (e.g. Branchline, Walthers, Athearn, MDC, Accurail, Proto2000, Intermountain, etc.)

That being the case, I've used CA (super glue) in the past on most of my kits, and it's worked well enough although I'm kind of ham handed with glue so I have to be careful or I sometimes mar the finish with little accidents here and there.  I've also found CA can "frost" where it is applied on some plastic kits, which is not very nice.  I've been told by super glue experts at train shows that result is from inferior super glues.  Testors is often mentioned, which dries a lot slower of course.  That being the case, I haven't been entirely happy with CA.

I have used Zap-A-Gap "goo" for some applications like the side panels for my autoracks or weights, because it is more flexible.  That version was recommended to me years ago over Walthers Goo, and you got a lot more of it in the tube for the price.  My supply ran out and I am looking for a place were I can get a replacement tube.

I am a bit like Mr. Zane and make my share of mistakes so having something forgiving is a good thing.  (tie in to why I like to lay track with nails or spikes rather than adhesives btw, and make it permanent later when balasting).

[delray1967]

Personally, I try to use plastic cement for styrene to styrene joints (don't forget to scrape the paint off so the glue can melt the plastic and form a good weld). Either the watery-thin stuff or the slightly thicker stuff in the black squarish bottle (the thicker stuff might make a stronger joint because it forms a fillet between the parts but if the joint is visible, it might look a little sloppy if you're not careful). Lacquer Thinner (the stuff in a big metal can from Home Depot or wherever else) also works...I've heard MEK works but I haven't used it. Lacquer Thinner cleans my airbrush too...even dried paint (Polly Scale, Floquil, ink...etc) comes off easily so be careful not to spill it on anything.

I use CA but don't like it because it's brittle and parts seem to break off more often, it is good for joining dissimilar materials. Breathing on it makes it cure quicker because the moisture that condensate on the area; I've heard rubbing alcohol has a similar effect (use 70%, the 91% may remove some kinds of paint). I tried the CA Accelerator (apply with a small brush so the stuff doesn't get everywhere if you use the pump spray), it works a little quicker than breathing on it and might not cause the frosting though I'm not 100% sure.

Goo is good for gluing steel weights to plastic and many other joints but it can forms strings of glue (the stuff is called Goo for a reason.lol). It stays flexible and is good for other household uses too.

...and for adding weights to a boxcar or other, 'closed' car...pennies work well and are pretty cheap (one penny is about 2.5g or 0.085oz).

Happy kit building!

[NP2626]

Wow, what a diverse topic.  First of all, there is no one best glue and as others have said, the type of glue to use depends on the material being glued together. 

  

For styrene: I prefer the old testers in the bottle with a small brush.  I even cut the brush down, so I only carry a little more than a drop to the glue joint.  I also have Testors in the tube, which gets used irregularly, generally where the joint will not be seen, as it is difficult to control how much will come out of the tube at any given moment.

 

For wood, I use many different types of glues:  For general purposes, I like Zap-A-Gap CA.  I also have plain Zap, where that glue will work best.  I still use Ambroid, for when I might want to be able to reposition the joint and if I have a relatively large joint I will use carpenter's glue. 

 

For gluing metal weights into cars, I will use some type of contact cement like Goo and have used Gorilla glue for this purpose, also.

Other irregularly used glues I have on hand are scenic cements, essentially watered down Elmer's Glue.  I also have canopy glue for instances where this is the best choice.  I’ve also used hot glues when I need to.  I probably have more glues I can’t think of right now.