How do you buy plastic cement?

[Anonymous]

Be careful with MEK. I used to work with it in the aviation industry. It must be used in a well ventalated area due to the fumes which are defentetly not good for you. (I have heard that it's a carcegen but I can't confirm it) Open the window in your workspace and make sure the room is well 'aired-out' before closing the window after you've finished and capped the bottle. Uncap the bottle only when using the solvent and don't leave a bottle open on your workbench. These all might seem to be 'common-sense' rules but I don't like to take chances with my health

[bogp40]

QUOTE: Originally posted by cmrproducts

M. E. K. is the only glue/solvent I use any more. This is the fastest stuff as there are no additives to slow down the action that the hobby manufacturers put in their bottles.

I have even made my own gel type by putting bits of styrene in a bottle and then mixl it with MEK!

I dries as slowly as the Testors Red Tube glue does.

BOB H - Clarion, PA

Great idea bob. Would this also work to use as a putty/ filler by adding more styrene?

[cmrproducts]

M. E. K. is the only glue/solvent I use any more. This is the fastest stuff as there are no additives to slow down the action that the hobby manufacturers put in their bottles.

I have even made my own gel type by putting bits of styrene in a bottle and then mixl it with MEK!

I dries as slowly as the Testors Red Tube glue does.

BOB H - Clarion, PA

[bogp40]

One thing to keep in mind, Plastic cement is not like caulking. You seem to be using way too much glue for the joint. I don't like liquid Testor's for larger surface joints- dries too fast- maybe that has been your experience and why you're turned off about using it. Try Testor's Model master or Faller Expert.These have a small needle applicator and a little bit goes a long way. Do try to get away from that tube junk, there's plenty of better stuff out there.
Bob K.

[Anonymous]

WATCH THE FUMES / YOUR HEALTH WITH SOLVENTS!!!

To get a good square former CAREFULLY make a triangle block with sides 3/4/5 long... that's what builders do... then again... look at what they do... so...out-of-true is just like weathering...

[Anonymous]

Well my gusset idea comes from experience with other hobbies (model rocketry, r/c planes, and some minor welding experience), where strength was a necessity. I agree it may be overkill, but it makes for a darn near unbreakable building. My experience with the liquid plastic cements wasn't very good. I don't have any kind of right angle building aids (vises, magnets, etc) and the Testors gel plastic cement seems to set up a temporary bond faster than the liquid cement, in my experience. With the liquid, I would add just enough to make the bond, hold it for nearly ten minutes, and it would barely bond well enough to hold the joint together. With the gel, hold it for a minute or less and the joint is practically set. I start with a thin bead of the gel, bond the parts, then go back with a small gusset bead on the right angle joints inside the building on the exterior walls. I don't gusset everything, just the main structural points that look like they could use some reinforcing.

Right now I'm still moving my buildings around alot, because I'm still building the layout (the benchwork is done, still need to lay track and start the scenery) so the extra strength is more or less peace of mind right now. Plus, I've never been big on plastic models until I really started getting back into model railroading this summer, so my building techniques are probably a little unrefined. As I get better, I'm sure I'll wind up using less glue for each kit. I guess I'll just stick with the gel type Testors, which works best for me right now. I'll check out Wal-mart this week and see what kind of prices they have compared to my LHS.

[ac4400fan]

i use crazy glue on alot of my kits bonds well and you dont use alot at all ,to me it goes a long way ,just need to becarful with it

[Roadtrp]

In many places plastic cement has become very difficulty to buy because of kids using it to get high. I know some places won't sell it to anyone under 18. Most of them well sell it to anyone, but sell it in such small tubes that it would be more difficult for people to huff it.

[jimrice4449]

I used to buy mine by the gallon but now do it by the quart. As per above, MEK anywhere paints and solvents are sold.. Works great! For dispensers get some A West 1 oz plastic bottles w/ the smallest size needle(they're in the Walthers catalog). If you spread the MEK w/ the dispenser in contact w/ the surface being glued, shoot a small stream of MEK off to the side to clear any plastic that migrated into the hole in the needle....saves a really tedious chore of clearing the hole after the gunk sets up. There's nothing wrong w/ your gusset idea but it makes for a much neater looking job to assemble the two walls w/ a right angle weld and then reinforce it w/ a piece of 1/8 " or so square styrene.

[MisterBeasley]

I have a bottle of the liquid stuff. It comes with a small brush applicator. It works great, and as long as you remember to put the cover back on the bottle tightly, it will last a long time and not dry out like the tube stuff. The brush applicator gives me very good control over where the glue goes, too. Nothing like squeezing the tube, and suddenly getting a shower of glue all over the place.

[modelmaker51]

All that gusseting doesn't make for a stronger joint - it's way overkill. If the 2 surfaces fit properly, then a liquid "cement" will give an equal if not better joint, with a lot less mess (and cheaper too). And if you don't have a good fit, then you should file and sand untill you do. Filling up a joint with all than glue is not the way to improve model building skills - no shortcuts. JMHO.

The liquid cements are not actually glues, they are solvents and they actually "weld" the joints together. It is really important though that that you have a tight physical fit first no matter which type you use.

If a joint does need re-enforcing, then using square strip styrene is a better choice, than loading up with more glue. Strip styrene will give a stronger and stiffer re-enforcement. It takes the solvent in the tube glues much longer to evaporate and you run into the danger of softening the whole surrounding area of the joint, which can cause shrinkage and distortion.

I use Ambroid's ProWeld (professional plastic welder) which is similar to Tenax (very fast), but you get twice as much for the same money and it can also join a wider variety of plastics including Styrene, Butyrate, ABS (Kato Bodies), & Acylic (Lucite or Plexiglas) - all in one bottle. You should be able to find at your LHS, if they don't carry it, they can find it in the Walthers catalog and order it. It's the best and most economical that I've used in 40 years of model building. I also still use Testor's liquid plastic "cement" for joints when I need some adjustment time. I haven't used a plastic tube cement since I was 15.

[orsonroy]

Use the liquid plastic cement; it works MUCH better than the tube glue junk.

If you need a lot, use plain old MEK (methyl-ethyl keytone), ayailable by the pint and quart at any store that sells paint. Keep a few of the empty hobby glue jars handy for keeping a ready supply at your workbench.

[Rotorranch]

Testors has two different sizes of the plastic cement. #3512, 7/8 oz tube, and #3501 or #3516x, both 5/8 oz tubes. Ask your LHS if they would stock the larger size.

Rotor

[Anonymous]

Could try plastic instead of money... could get sticky though...

[cacole]

Go to Wal-mart instead of your local hobby shop and you can probably find the Testors glue in larger tubes for much less money.

[Anonymous]

Money... now there's an idea. LOL

[Anonymous]

I buy the liquid stuff only, as I didn't like the string effect.

My favorite brands are TENAX-7R and Model Master made by Testors, I use TENAX to reinforce seams and it bonds pretty darn well.

[Anonymous]

I use money. It works real good.

[Anonymous]

My LHS is where I get most of my Testors plastic cement for building structures, but I'm finding the single red tubes work out to about 1 1/2 average sized kits per tube. I'd like to try to find a bigger tube or larger supply of glue so I wouldn't have to keep running to the hobby shop every week when a new kit comes in from ebay. I think my LHS has the small (regular sized I guess) tubes of Testors for about $2 each (might be higher, I can't remember) but I've gone through 4 tubes of cement in about two weeks time on three kits. Is there a cheaper alternative in bulk? Or am I better off buying a bunch of small tubes all at once?

Also, it seems the tubes of Testors have alot of air in them, and sometimes not much glue. Anybody else noticed this?

Just FYI, I try to build my structures fairly strongly, and go back and gusset every joint I can reach (mainly on walls and major structural points) with a full bead of glue down the length of the seam, thus my need for so much glue. I know you can get larger bottles of the liquid plastic cement, but I never have liked the results, thus my need for the regular gel stuff.

Thanks!