I bought some half inch plastic leters to make a sign on the roof of a building similar to the way some old newspapers had signe on their guildings' roofs. The letters aren't polystyrene but I don't know what they are. I plan to put them on some Evergreen Styrene strips then mount them. Any idea what type of cement might work best in this kind of application?
I note that Locktite makes a combo etchant & CA pack. I also see that Plasttuct(?) has three different types of liquid cement for plastics but I don't have any experience with them.
I'm looking for suggestions; thank you in advance.
dlm
Plastruct in the bottle with the orange label. Works like a charm in such situations.
Rich
Alton Junction
richhotrainPlastruct in the bottle with the orange label.
Second vote for the Plastiweld. I buy mine from Hobbylinc:
https://www.hobbylinc.com/plastruct-plastiweld-1-plastic-model-cement-00002
The letters are probably ABS which is what some Plastruct shapes are made of. I keep a bottle of Bondene around, too.
https://www.hobbylinc.com/plastruct-bondene-cement-plastic-model-cement-00003
What exactly is the difference? I have no idea. Anyone?
From a model car site:
Plastic Weld is MEK-based (methyl ethyl ketone) and is a more universal solvent, a little "hotter", than Bondene (dichloromethane based).
Bondene sets quicker and is used more for bonding styrene to styrene, ABS to ABS, etc.
From Plastruct: (scroll down)
https://plastruct.myshopify.com/pages/technical-info-msds-sheets
Good Luck, Ed
You could try Aileen's Tacky Glue. It is a simple adhesive that does not really bond, but it holds very well. It won't hold a lot of weight, but for something light like letters or figures it's terrific. I use it for my little people because it will hold them securely but with a bit of a nudge they come off with no damage, no lost little feet.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
Canopy glue.
gmpullman richhotrain Plastruct in the bottle with the orange label. Second vote for the Plastiweld. I buy mine from Hobbylinc: https://www.hobbylinc.com/plastruct-plastiweld-1-plastic-model-cement-00002 The letters are probably ABS which is what some Plastruct shapes are made of. I keep a bottle of Bondene around, too. https://www.hobbylinc.com/plastruct-bondene-cement-plastic-model-cement-00003 What exactly is the difference? I have no idea. Anyone?
richhotrain Plastruct in the bottle with the orange label.
PLASTIC WELD SOLVENT CEMENT
The leading general purpose solvent cement for fast, permanent bonding of most dissimilar plastics. Immediately tacky. Sets in minutes. Permanently bonds ABS to Butyrate, ABS to Styrene, ABS to Acrylic and more. Actually dissolves a thin film of the surfaces to be joined, creating a bond as strong as the surrounding areas. Also works as a liquid filler. Full coverage attained by capillary action. Comes with applicator brush in cap.
BONDENE SOLVENT CEMENT
A specially formulated solvent cement for fast, permanent bonding of most similar plastics, including Styrene. Quickly bonds ABS to ABS, Styrene to Styrene, Butyrate to Butyrate and Acrylic to Acrylic. Actually melts the surfaces together, creating a bond as strong as the surrounding areas. Full coverage attained by capillary action. Comes with applicator brush in cap.
I've tried all but the Tacky Glue with NO real success. I bought the Locktite product and it didn't work either. I guess Tacky Glue is next but I can't believe that somewhere out there, there isn't a glue specific to this plastic.
Rubber Cement or caulk. You can peel it off if it doesn't hold.
Brent
"All of the world's problems are the result of the difference between how we think and how the world works."
Glues with MEK (Methyl Ethyl Keytone) aren't going to do the job. They are meant for polystyrene really. While they work with other plastics, it doesn't work as well. And to be honest I'm moving away from MEK as joints brittle with time. (Breaks easier when handled.)
CA will bond just about anything. But if you are worried, just go over the bonding surface once or twice with 60 grit sand paper and then wash it off. It's possible your plastic letters are covered in some sort of release agent to make them easy to remove from the mold. Letting them soak in soapy water may help.
Don - Specializing in layout DC->DCC conversions
Modeling C&O transition era and steel industries There's Nothing Like Big Steam!
Did you buy exactly what you need or do you have extras? If you only have what you need be careful of melting the letters with the hot solvents.
Another idea along the lines of rubber/contact cement is Walthers Goo.
Rick
hbgatsf...do you have extras?
I have plenty. The letters I bought came in two sets per package with many and multiple duplicates.
I like Wilhold, which is very similar to the canopy glue mentioned earlier. Dries absolutely clear on plastic and the joint can be broken almost all of the time (in case of mistakes, etc.) without breaking the plastic.
OKAY, good news! I purchased and tried the Locktite special cement for plastics and it worked pretty well. There are two parts; one appears to be some kind of etchant and the other is more like a traditional CA. The etchant is applied with a tip that looks like a Magic Marker, you wait a minute or so then use the liquid cement. The letters have been in place for about an hour. I picked at them a little and they are stil where I put them.
I'm told that this also works with delrin plastic but I've not tried that yet.
Since I have plenty of extra letters, I may add a few to a blank piece of plastic then test the bond. But for now, the Locktite product seems to work pretty well. :)
Loctite makes lots of products with similar names. Are you referring to Loctite Plastics Bonding System?
richhotrainAre you referring to Loctite Plastics Bonding System?
Yes. The first time I tried it, I must have done something wrong because the results weren't good. Second time's a charm I guess. :)