Yeah, for small jobs, Pliobond works great. I had some older cars (mid-'50s) on which the Kadee K-type couplers in metal draught gear boxes had been cemented to the underbody with Pliobond. When upgrading those cars with Magnematics, the bonds were still strong even after 40 years. As for the gelled contact cement which I mentioned previously, it seems to be somewhat difficult to find lately, although I did locate the LePages stuff yesterday at Lowes - twenty bucks for a quart. It's really only worthwhile getting it if you need a large quantity, although the shelf-life is pretty good. I've gone through at least 2 or 3 gallons of the stuff, but much of that was used for veneering kitchen cabinets and some furniture. It's excellent for putting printed paper backdrop buildings, such as those from Kingmill, on styrene or plywood, as it won't make the ink run.
Wayne
Hi Wayne:
Thanks for the suggestion about using brass nuts soldered to a larger surface. Good idea for future use! For now the nuts seem to be solid enough. They won't be under much force when the screws go into them. Where the force was required was when I was trying to clean the excess epoxy out of the threads with a tap.
Dave
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
Figgered out what I'm gonna do. I have several rolls of SUPER sticky double-stick tape that flooring installers use to join things like indoor-outdoor carpet; thicker than window film tape but even more grab. I can stick the 2 items on their respective walls, then clamp 'em with a trigger clamp. That should give me the hold I want without any mixing or set time.
Thanks to all for your responses. Don't know why I didn't think of it sooner.
hon30critter.....Would contact cement have withstood the twisting any better?
I don't know, Dave. The contact cement would certainly stick to the resin body shell, but it's difficult to say if it would resist the torquing action with the small contact area offered by the nut. If the nuts are brass, you could solder them to a somewhat larger flat brass washer which would afford a larger contact area. In that form, I'd think the bond would hold for sure.
What has worked well for me is "Weldbond". It is non-toxic and odor free. It also dries clear. Drying time is 1 hour for non porous surfaces, curing time 24 hrs. The name describes the results
Just my Worth
Bob
Don't Ever Give Up
Hobbez I would suggest Barge cement. It's a contact rubber cement that is exceptionally strong and it stays flexible. I was pointed to it about a year ago and it is now my go to glue for anything that needs flex. The con with it is that it has crazy bad fumes but a bonus is that it can be thinned to any consistancy down to water like with Xylene but still retains its grip and flex. Ive used it for tons of stuff, from bonding rails to ties and tie plates to repairing cracks in lexan r/c car bodies to adding metal braces to overly flexible braces.
I would suggest Barge cement. It's a contact rubber cement that is exceptionally strong and it stays flexible. I was pointed to it about a year ago and it is now my go to glue for anything that needs flex. The con with it is that it has crazy bad fumes but a bonus is that it can be thinned to any consistancy down to water like with Xylene but still retains its grip and flex. Ive used it for tons of stuff, from bonding rails to ties and tie plates to repairing cracks in lexan r/c car bodies to adding metal braces to overly flexible braces.
Pliobond (rubber cement) may be a better altenative to the "Barge" cement. It has an extremely stong hold, the "fresh" product will apply evenly w/ no or less stringyness and very little solvent fumes applied properly. Was recommended to me by vacuum clearer service/ repair tech, (replacement hoses are bonded w/ it- talk about abuse and flexibility of a glued joint). I have used the Pliobong for attachment of CV tie strips, ME bridge flex and various other bonds where a stong yet flexible bond is nec.
I used to use Formica brand "solvent", was the greatest contact cement, VOC regs have affected the sale/ use of the original version. Weldbond as Wayne suggests is a perfect replacement of the product.
Modeling B&O- Chessie Bob K. www.ssmrc.org
Thanks Wayne:
If I can ask another question, how rigid is the contact cement joint? The reason I am asking is because I had a heck of a time securing the mounting nuts to the shell of my McKeen Motor Car. The nuts are mounted on small styrene plates which are epoxied into the ends of the shell. I tried both CA and epoxy, but both got into the threads of the nuts and when I tried to clean the threads with a tap the nuts popped loose. I finally ended up making a small dam around the nuts so I could get as much epoxy in place as I could, and I roughed up the styrene mounting plates before applying the epoxy. It seems to be reasonably solid now, but I would ask if I could have used contact cement to solve the problem? The nuts won't be under any stress when the screws are being installed but where the stress did come in is when I was using the tap to clean the threads. Would contact cement have withstood the twisting any better IYHO?
hon30critter Am I correct in assuming that you are using the normal contact cement procedure of applying glue to both surfaces, letting it dry, and then mounting the piece in place?....
Am I correct in assuming that you are using the normal contact cement procedure of applying glue to both surfaces, letting it dry, and then mounting the piece in place?....
Yeah. I've seen far too many cases where a modeller uses contact cement improperly - f'rinstance gluing the metal weight in an Athearn boxcar by applying a heavy coat of cement to the weight and to the car's floor, then immediately pressing the two pieces together, then installing it in the body shell. A year or two later, when I buy it off the "used" table at my LHS, the floor is absolutely destroyed by the solvents in the glue, which continue to "work" because they weren't allowed to evapourate as per the directions. The bond, as expected, is therefore poor.
I prefer LePages or Dap/Weldwood gelled formula contact cement - it's less prone to stringiness and easier to apply. The only drawback is that it's available only in quarts or gallons, but it seems to have a good shelf life and it's also useful around the house.
> are using the normal contact cement procedure of applying glue to both surfaces, letting it dry, and then mounting the piece in place?
Good question, Dave . . . Hadn't thought about contact cement . . . lemme t'ink about that . . .
Wayne:
Am I correct in assuming that you are using the normal contact cement procedure of applying glue to both surfaces, letting it dry, and then mounting the piece in place?
May be a stupid question, but I can see a definate advantage over epoxy if the item doesn't have to held in place forever while the glue sets.
Paul D Well, when there's consensus it leaves little doubt. Thanks men!
Well, when there's consensus it leaves little doubt. Thanks men!
Sorry to be the Spaniard in the works, but I'd suggest contact cement as a better choice. JB Weld is an excellent epoxy, but it doesn't bond well to styrene unless you also provide a mechanical connection, such as a mounting pin or mating surfaces with interlocking faces. When I mix JB Weld, it's always done on a sheet of .060" styrene, because I know that when the residue has cured, it can be peeled off easily.Do read the instructions on your contact cement of choice, though, as you'll get poor results when it's used improperly.
I had a detached retina which my have been caused by odorless fumes from a glue I had never used before. Has anyone else had a detached retina or other retina issues? Thanks
I agree with Modelmaker that epoxy is a good choice, be sure to mix it well.
George In Midcoast Maine, 'bout halfway up the Rockland branch
JB Kwik (5 minute setting time) or JB Weld epoxies. Gel type CAs don't have much shear strength, so if your object is going to be handled I would go with epoxy.JB is available in most hardware stores.
Jay
C-415 Build: https://imageshack.com/a/tShC/1
Other builds: https://imageshack.com/my/albums