What kind of glue?

[Anonymous]

I don't seem to be purchasing the right kind of glue for plastic kits. Is thinner or thicker the best. I used to use a kind made by Vollmer but can't find it anymore and I don't seem to have any success with the CA types. When I use it it just pours and runs. What are the options?

[Javern]

i use the liquid Testors cement, with the brush. Available anywhere and great to get high on BWAHAHAHAHAHHA

[Anonymous]

I've always preferred the 'runny' liquid type, carefully applied between two held-together pieces. For styrene (which I believe 90% of plastic model kits are made of), I use Plastruct's PlasticWeld brush-on cement. This is good for joining styrene with some other type of plastic (such as butyrate, which a lot of Plastruct tubing is made of). I also like it because it is NON-flammable (maybe the others are nowadays too, but I wouldn't know since I've been using PlasticWeld exclusively for over 10 years.)

Resin kits - that's another story; I'll let somebody with more experience explain that one...!

BTW, may I also suggest: http://www.evergreenscalemodels.com/Book.htm

[CBQ_Guy]

The idea of how the plastic cement is supposed to work is that it actually dissolves the plastic on both pieces so that the melted plastic from both pieces joins together and then re-hardens, essentially making the two separate pieces now a single piece of plastic. You have basically "welded" the two materials together. At least this is how it's "supposed" to work. Sounds pretty basic but this basic concept helped me a lot once I learned this. I used to think that somehow the glue was just sticking the two pieces together.

For resin kits, I've read and have therefore used, CA (super) glue.

Now as an aside, CA glue was originally designed for gluing NON-POROUS materials together. A little of it goes a long way. I recall reading years ago that you only need a drop to glue together a one inch area. In the past I have actually used too much to the point where it won't stick. In those cases I've had to sand or file off the hardened glue and start over, making sure, of course, that I didn't use too much CA the second time. Anyway, I recently bought a new tube of CA and the label mentioned all the materials it would bond, INCLUDING WOOD. Whazzat all about, or is the label mistaken? Anyone know for sure?

Finally, should mention that white glue (ala Elmer's) is the type to use for wood or porous material.

Hope some of this blathering is helpful to someone!

[cwclark]

it depends on the application...if i need a quick reliable joint that dries super fast then i'll use the thin C/A (cynoacrylate) glue like ZAP..if I can take my time and want a good solid bond then using a model glue like Testors or Hobby Lobby model glue will work fine...I apply it very thinly at the edge of the plastic joint with a toothpick before meshing the two plastic parts together...i also like to have a plastic "filler putty" on hand..it's great for sealing up any gaps that may form if the plastic doesn't mesh properly..once it dries and a light sanding is done, it's ready for painting...Chuck

[CBQ_Guy]

QUOTE: Originally posted by cwclark

it depends on the application...if i need a quick reliable joint that dries super fast then i'll use the thin C/A (cynoacrylate) glue like ZAP..if I can take my time and want a good solid bond then using a model glue like Testors or Hobby Lobby model glue will work fine...I apply it very thinly at the edge of the plastic joint with a toothpick before meshing the two plastic parts together...i also like to have a plastic "filler putty" on hand..it's great for sealing up any gaps that may form if the plastic doesn't mesh properly..once it dries and a light sanding is done, it's ready for painting...Chuck

I forgot to mention that many times on a plastic structure I'll use a little C/A to tack a couple walls together, then later apply liquid styrene cement to the entire joint allowing it to wick in and (hopefully) give a more stronger, permanent bond. This works especially well on LARGE structure walls.

[IRONROOSTER]

I have had good luck with Tester's liquid cement.

Enjoy
Paul

[rexhea]

I really like the results of Plastruct PlasticWeld with styrene and acrylics, but I use an applicator bottle with needles of various size to apply it.

CA is great when metal is involved, stubborn spots, or when you need a quick fixit.
But, as already stated, don't use too much or it will take forever to dry.
REX

[orsonroy]

Liquid plastic cement is the best adhesive for plastic-to-plastic bonds. It will literally melt the plastic together into a single piece, creating a VERY strong joint. There are different strengths on the market, the three most common being Tenax, Ambroid Proweld, and Testors. Of the three, I prefer Ambroid for all general bonding uses. It doesnm't evaporate nearly as fast as Tenax, but isn't as aggressive as Testors. All LPC's are MEK-based, and I just picked up a quart of straight MEK for $5, to see if it works as well or better than the $3 a bottle hobby glues. (I use a LOT of LPC)

Superglues (ACC) work best for bonding resin kits. Make sure the area to be bonded is clean (no finger oils, etc) and lightly rough up the bonding surfaces with fine grit sandpaper. The REALLY cheap, thin, runny ACCs are generally the best on the market, since they don't contain any fillers. Fillers add tricky performance to the adhesive (gap-filling, fast-drying, slow-drying, etc), but the fillers reduce the performance of the bond.

Always use the right glue for the job, and you'll always end up with good results!

[n2mopac]

Try Ambroid Pro Weld. It works great for styrene nd ABS plastics, but keep the lid on it when not in use, don't spill any on anything you like (especially a wood table top, and don't ask me how I know), and use it in a well ventilated room.

Ron

[Anonymous]

When it comes to bonding styrene, a LHS owner told me about a great trick that solved an annoying problem with liquid cement such as Testors. When gluing a large area or long joint, the liquid cement tends to evaporate too fast. Now, airplane glue (the thick stuff that comes in tubes) won't do that, but is really messy and takes a lot longer to dry.
The solution? Buy a bottle of liquid cement ( I like Plastruct Bondene the most for this) and a tube of airplane glue. Dump half the liquid cement in an empty bottle and squeeze half the airplane glue in each of the two bottles and shake well. You'll have a strong cement that dries quickly, but doesn't evaporate instantly.

[Ibflattop]

Testors non-sniffable glue for me! (HEHEHEHEHEHE) I gets high on the orange smell! Just kidding, I use Testors liquid cement, CA, Tenex-7, rob the kids glue, Elmers White glue. it just depends on what I am working with and how fast I want it together. Kevin

[mondotrains]

I've been real happy with Model Master Liquid Plastic Cement for Models, expecially because it has a 1" long needle built into the bottle which makes it real easy to put a very small amount of glue exactly where you want it. The glues that require brushed are a little more difficult but also work fine.

Hope this helps.
Mondo

[Virginian]

Don't rule out two part epoxys like Elmer's. Oftentimes when nothing else seems to work, they will, and with dissimilar materials or not real good mating surfaces, I don't think they can be beat. With these, the strength is in the glue itself. Get a pack of 3 x 5 cards to mix on, and apply sparingly with a toothpick or straight pin. They last forever because they don't react until mixed.
Not needed of course on simple plastic joints.

[Anonymous]

Check this:http://www.trains.com/Content/Dynamic/Articles/000/000/001/159ywqif.asp

[Anonymous]

Yep, CA glue bonds wood. This is the glue used to assemble most of the structure of an R/C airplane, with epoxy for the heavy stress areas.

Put thin CA onto 1" balsa, and it will wick straight through to the other side!

Allan Lees