Thank You Steven,
Although it was not so clean when I started......I built it for My younger Son (It is a RC 1/14 scale kit) back in 94' who is 38 now. He asked Me if I would rebuild it for one of His Son's.......of course I couldn't say no. LOL...
A pic' of how it looked completely dis-assembled with paint stripped off, ready for primer.......
After running it a few times....He built a Plexiglass case for it with trailer attached and sits on a shelf in His two Son's bedroom......only to be used when Dad is home.......He's learning Boyo! LOL.
Take Care!
Frank
PS: Didn't mean to hi-jack Your thread TOM.....
Hey Frank, nice big rig. Sooo clean!!!
Steven
Ole' Friend Paul,
Those clamps along with c-clamps are usually holding other project pieces.....LOL.
I normally have all kinds of projects going on at the same time. I'm never bored with nothing to do.......ask My 8 Grandkids.....with 6 of them boys and into RC Trucks/cars and Grandpa, can fix/paint anything....LOL,LOL
Frank & Steve - I've said elsewhere here how useful I find DeWalt 4-1/2" trigger clamps to be. When I open a bottle of paint or Plastruct solvent cement, I FIRST squeeze a clamp on its base so it's nearly impossible to kock it over. Take it from your ol' friend Paul, those things can be some of your very best friends.
Steve,
I did that many yrs. ago.....but learned from My mistake. For many moons now...I have little blocks of wood 2'' square and 3'' square 1'' thick with a hole in the center that the bottle fits into (1 5/8'' for Plastruct bottles) never tipped over another of anything. Cut on My drill press.
Yes constantly closing the bottle of Plastruct glue was a pain and one time while wearing reading glasses I accidently knocked the bottle over and glue almost got all over a subassembly set aside. That was the reason for looking for another glue. A bottle that Mr.Clumsy here won't tip it over !
Steve
Frank, see my PM.
Rich
Alton Junction
Rich,
When should I start building more of these?..........LOL
Frank, I responded on that thread with some info about the chemical properties of the resin. Check it out if you haven't done so.
I also responded on one of my threads that CA did finally work after I bought a fresh bottle of Thin CA and applied it sparingly to only one side of the wall sections to be bonded together.
And as long as You are here......In Your other thread about the resins. I had a feeling You were going to say the resin was Polyurethane resin and it has been My experience with working with that type of resin....is that it is brittle..meaning that it will break before it bends and using the resin to resin for adhesive is an iffy at best, to produce a strong bond...it will break at the seam. I was thinking that possibly You were using Fiberglass resin, which can be bonded with same and a lot stronger than what You are using. Also using epoxy or ca is about the only choice for gluing what You are using. All those Sylvan trucks I make are Polyurethane resin and the ony thing I use for adhesive is Zap-A-Gap Medium CA+ which still flows easy, but is thicker than most CA's. I can also bond most metals to the resin parts using it and produces a very strong bond.
Frank, I have to believe that he meant that it evaporates quickly in an unsealed bottle. If he did mean that, the solution, of course, is to close the bottle between each application of the glue. That takes a bit more time and effort, but it's worth it. The last thing you want is to knock over an open bottle.
By the way, Frank, you recommended Plastic Weld to me when I was scratch building that Coors Family Mansion, and it is now my adhesive of choice.
Steve McDonoughStopped using it recently becuse it evaporates so quickly in the sealed bottle;
I don't understand this part......I have used probably......certain that I have used over 15 bottles of Plastruct Plastic Weld orange bottle and never had any evaporate in the bottle. I never go below a half a bottle at a time. When I get to that point (1/2 bottle) I fill it with a new bottle and keep the half filled bottle in My desk drawer and use it to repeat the process. Sometimes that half filled bottle sits in My desk drawer for over a yr. and it is still a half bottle.
As far as using a Micro-brush for applying...it's only a one shot deal, can't be used again for applying the cement. I cut the brush head off and use the handle for applying CA to detail parts on models or even stick a mini alligator clip on the handle and use it for holding small parts to be painted with air-brush/ brush....sometimes multiple parts in many different holders. I stick the handle in a hole drilled in a piece of white pine to dry or paint. When I get to the point of too much paint on the brass alligator clip, I soak it in lacquer thinner, paint comes right off. I really never found a need to use a needle applicator for applying adhesive to anything I have built over the past 67yrs. started in HO in 1950 when I was 8yrs. old. That includes wood ship building.
For finer work if you don't have Microbrushes handy clip the Plastruct brush at a steep angle so you don't pour on the glue into areas you don't want glue to be seen.Stopped using it recently becuse it evaporates so quickly in the sealed bottle;thanks goodness for the Faller glue!
Just some info......Faller cement contains Acetone 20%, a little more than you would find in Lacquer thinner......that's really where the welding comes from. Plastruct Plastic Weld main ingredient is MEK, which is also found in Lacquer thinner, not as agressive as full strength Acetone. Both of which you will find in Automotive Lacquer thinner, not the big box store kind. Prohibitted in California and Canada, probably some other states, that I am not aware of.....things change fast, in chemical dispersement to the general public.
Would have taken Me forever to build My bridge with that adhesive......
Steve McDonough I have been using Faller Super-Expert styrene glue I got at Southside Trains at Trainfest. ... Faller has a cleanable hollow metal tip that allows more precise control of the glue.
I have been using Faller Super-Expert styrene glue I got at Southside Trains
at Trainfest. ... Faller has a cleanable hollow metal tip that allows more precise control of the glue.
I second Steve's recommendation for the Faller product, which I first saw used in a Miles Hale instructional DVD video about building a DPM structure kit, but it was also strongly endorsed by Tom at South Side Trains here in Milwaukee. From time to time the narrow steel tube gunks up (shaking the bottle sometimes helps) but I find that touching a match to it ever so briefly (after removing it from the bottle itself, of course, and note that the threads are reversed from normal American practice when you do so) it's as good as new again. I am a total convert to Faller.
Dave Nelson
Re control issues: I used to have that problem until I went into my local CVS and bought a few hypodermic needles for 25 cents a piece. Problem solved. Because they're air tight, glue doesn't foul the barrel of the needle. I squirt the rest back into the Plastruct bottle, draw some alcohol into the needle a few times, rinse with water . . . good as new.
Tom,
As long as You gave an update......I thought I would fix the pic's.....even added one. Like I said above Plastruct Plastic weld is very strong when used correctly and for even stronger joints..lightly sand both pieces to be joined. I would not have even attempted doing the scratched bridge project with Testers.
UPDATE: Since I originally posted this thread I've had a chance to try and experiment with the Plastruct Plastic Weld. While it is more aggressive, I've found that the Plastruct does hold better (and more quickly) than the Tester's. I find that I can also achieve some fairly fine adhesive application using just the brush that comes with the bottle; mainly because the brush bristles in the Plastruct bottle don't curve and splay out like they do in the Testor's bottle.
So, while I will continue to use Testor's liquid adhesive for some applications, I'll definitely continue to use the Plastruct for a number of other applications.
Tom
https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling
Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.
at Trainfest. I have used Plasticweld in the past but have had control issues
using the large brush in the cap.Faller has a cleanable hollow metal tip that allows more precise control of the glue.I have built several Walthers buildings and a scratch-built firehouse with superb results. I'm sold on the stuff and no evaporation issues since the bottle is self contained .
Paul D . . . he says it shrinks/evaporates once the bottle is opened. Sure enough, I checked when I got home and found that I had less than I recalled in the bottle I had.
. . . he says it shrinks/evaporates once the bottle is opened. Sure enough, I checked when I got home and found that I had less than I recalled in the bottle I had.
Once opened, the content does shrink. And with use, it gets a little cloudy, or even a lot cloudy. Bits of the structure dissolve on the wet brush and get deposited back into the bottle. Like getting peanut butter in the jelly jar.
Robert
LINK to SNSR Blog
Another reason Tenax cement isn't stocked is because it isn't available. As in: it's a collector's item, now.
Ed
Not clear to me why Plastruct makes Bondene when PlasticWeld can be used on similar or dissimilar product. I get great results with it. Always liked Tanax but my LHS doesn't stock it because he says it shrinks/evaporates once the bottle is opened. Sure enough, I checked when I got home and found that I had less than I recalled in the bottle I had.
zstripe richhotrain Just yesterday, I started a project using DPM Modulars. On these smaller surfaces, Plastiweld did not work so well, making it difficult to hold pieces together. However, I do find Plastiweld useful in its capillary action as it soaks into connecting surfaces, forming a tighter bond. Rich, It has been My experience when working with plastic's such as DPM, is to lightly sand both contact surfaces with 180 grit sand paper, then join together, even using the capillary action. The sanded surface opens up the shiney surface of the plastic and gives the adhesive a head start on the weld/melt. Done that way, it produces an even stronger bond. A lot of people don't want to take the time to do that, but it only takes a few seconds to lightly sand it.
richhotrain Just yesterday, I started a project using DPM Modulars. On these smaller surfaces, Plastiweld did not work so well, making it difficult to hold pieces together. However, I do find Plastiweld useful in its capillary action as it soaks into connecting surfaces, forming a tighter bond.
It has been My experience when working with plastic's such as DPM, is to lightly sand both contact surfaces with 180 grit sand paper, then join together, even using the capillary action. The sanded surface opens up the shiney surface of the plastic and gives the adhesive a head start on the weld/melt. Done that way, it produces an even stronger bond. A lot of people don't want to take the time to do that, but it only takes a few seconds to lightly sand it.
tstage I appreciate the responses, fellas. The brush I used was natural hair. It seemed that something on the brush handle was not MEK compatible and smeared onto the bristles on the brush; leaving them useless. The brush that comes with the bottle works fine. It's just too large for fine work. Tom
I appreciate the responses, fellas. The brush I used was natural hair. It seemed that something on the brush handle was not MEK compatible and smeared onto the bristles on the brush; leaving them useless.
The brush that comes with the bottle works fine. It's just too large for fine work.
I don't put the handle of my brush into the MEK, just the bristles and, usually, the ferrule.
I wonder if there could be some sort of glue that the manufacturer of the brush used to keep the bristles in the ferrule. It's my impression that "real" brushes are built such that the ferrule uses mechanical pressure to hold the bristles, not glue.
The one I use I bought years ago for brush painting. It's a Grumbacher 626-R. Made in Ireland by leprechauns. There's one on Amazon currently for sale for $8.
richhotrainJust yesterday, I started a project using DPM Modulars. On these smaller surfaces, Plastiweld did not work so well, making it difficult to hold pieces together. However, I do find Plastiweld useful in its capillary action as it soaks into connecting surfaces, forming a tighter bond.
It has been My experience when working with plastic's such as DPM, is to lightly sand both contact surfaces with 180 grit sand paper, then join together, even using the capillary action. The sanded surface opens up the shiney surface of the plastic and gives the adhesive a head start on the weld/melt. Done that way, it produces an even stronger bond. A lot of people don't want to take the time to do that, but it only takes a few seconds to lightly sand it. Testers glue is more of a surface adhesive, not a weld. It will in some cases appear to work better.......but I guarantee it is not as strong. I started out many years ago using Testers tube glue, it was messy and I guess ok for the time...Then started using DOPE, paint & glue...was great! But very aggressive etc. They took it off the market due to hazards to Your health which is true, also got You high. Not long after Testers came out with liquid glue...which was also very good for building models and no mess.......but......almost all the models that I used it on, cars, trucks, airplanes, in time, parts would come off from handling.....it did not weld like others adhesive's do and that is what I don't like about using it. It's more of a young modelers cement that gotta get it done now use than a Fine Scale Modelers use. There are so many adhesives and specialty products out there basically with the same ingrediants, that many will do the job...with some patience and experience with using them.....there's the key!
SeeYou190 There was a rumor that Testors was going to change their formula, and I bought over 50 bottles of it in a panic. I hope it has a long shelf life. -Kevin
There was a rumor that Testors was going to change their formula, and I bought over 50 bottles of it in a panic. I hope it has a long shelf life.
-Kevin
You're stuck with them now, Kevin...
A little over a year ago, I used Plastruct Plastiweld to scratch build a large structure. The project involved bonding 0.020" styrene brick sheet to 0.040" styrene brick sheet. Plastiweld worked like a charm, performing like contact cement, but I had to work fast because Plastiweld dries fast. At times, I had to overcoat the surfaced to be bonded. But, overall, I was satisfied. However, on small surfaces such as gluing windows and doors, I found that Plastiweld did not hold well, so I reverted to Testors Liquid Cement in the oddly shaped black plastic bottle with the needle nose applicator.
Just yesterday, I started a project using DPM Modulars. On these smaller surfaces, Plastiweld did not work so well, making it difficult to hold pieces together. However, I do find Plastiweld useful in its capillary action as it soaks into connecting surfaces, forming a tighter bond.
My conclusion about Plastruct Plastiweld is that it has its place, but it is not the answer to every gluing problem. It seems to work best in bonding large surfaces together and in filling spaces of connecting pieces through its capillary action.
doctorwayneI switched to MEK, which works well, but evapourates too quickly when used on large surface areas, even when applied with a 2" brush.
Wayne,
When I want to glue a large area......I scuff both surfaces and apply adhesive also to both surfaces.....even when slightly dried the Plastruct/MEK will still stick together......but just like contact cement, You only have one shot to position the pieces.
Here in the US....they sell Lacquer thinner in many of the big box stores, some of which is the mild solution. Automotive paint/body supply outfits still sell( and always will sell, I was told) the real lacquer thinner. I use it for many things so I buy the 5 gal size which is 34.00 US. A one gallon can of the same..is 17.00. Figure that one out. The 5gal size has a double wall type can though to minimize evap....I'm just about out, after 6yrs. I checked the price and it went up 2 dollars. The kind I use is prohibited for sale in California and Canada.
zstripe ...buying the MEK in quarts, but You can get lacquer thinner to do the same thing...
I was a big proponent for lacquer thinner as a cement for styrene, but the bastardised version now being sold in Canada will not work at all as a cement for styrene.I switched to MEK, which works well, but evapourates too quickly when used on large surface areas, even when applied with a 2" brush. At $40.00 a gallon (and a puny U.S. gallon at that), it's about twice as much as I was paying for lacquer thinner, back in the days when it still worked as a cement for styrene. It's still cheaper than buying styrene cement meant for modelling, though.
Wayne