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?? gluing styrene window "glass" to styrene window frames

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  • Member since
    January 2005
  • From: Winnipeg Canada
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?? gluing styrene window "glass" to styrene window frames
Posted by Blind Bruce on Monday, October 12, 2015 10:42 AM

Walthers cornerstone "Reliable warehouse and storage" kit has many windows as do other kits I would think. The frames sit in the wall and are easy to cement in place. But the clear "glass" doesn't have a channel to locate it on the back of the frame. If I position the glass on the frame, there isn't a lot of wiggle room to apply the cement. So, how do you glue these windows to the back of the frame?

73

Bruce in the Peg

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Posted by CNCharlie on Monday, October 12, 2015 11:37 AM

Bruce,

I just put a very thin amount of cement on the frame and then carefully place the 'glass' on top.  As it is inside the building, it doesn't matter if it isn't very neat as long as you don't use so much cement that it bleeds out onto the glass you see from the outside of the building.

Send me a PM if you like with your phone number and I can give you a call to discuss in more detail.  We are in the same city.

CN Charlie

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Posted by dstarr on Monday, October 12, 2015 11:43 AM

Well, first, I don't install glass until AFTER I paint the structure. 

   Assuming I am ready to glaze the windows, I can just lay the acrylic "glass" flat on the inside of the window frames, and just touch a small brush with "plastic welder" cement to the very edge of the "glass".  Capillary action will suck just the right amount of cement inbetween the "glass" and the window frame.  You may want to press down on the "glass" with a tooth pick or a dental pick or a scriber for a little while to hold the "glass" in place til the cement evaporates.

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Posted by DSchmitt on Monday, October 12, 2015 12:10 PM

I tried to sell my two cents worth, but no one would give me a plug nickel for it.

I don't have a leg to stand on.

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Posted by wp8thsub on Monday, October 12, 2015 12:12 PM

I also use solvent type cement and allow capillary action to distribute it between the window frame and the "glass."  I don't paint the back sides of the frames so there won't be anything to interfere with the bond.

Rob Spangler

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Posted by MisterBeasley on Monday, October 12, 2015 12:31 PM

Canopy glue for me, too.

It goes on white and dries clear.  After it dries, I use a toothpick to remove any excess.

Another trick I've used is to apply it to multi-paned windows as window glazing itself - no plastic.  It hardens clear, but with a lot of curvature like old colonial-era "bullet glass."  This leaves me with clear glass windows so I can illuminate the inside, but the curvature won't let you focus on the inside so you don't need to build an interior.

It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse. 

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Posted by zstripe on Monday, October 12, 2015 7:09 PM

Bruce,

For all types of window glazing, styrene,acetate,acrylic, glass and many other use's...I use GS Hypo precision cement,set's in ten minutes, goes on crystal clear and dries crystal clear. I like it a lot better than canopy glue, which I have used before. This cement will stick to most anything, including painted surfaces and You don't need a lot. It is a Jewelers type cement, for setting precious stones in jewelry:

http://www.artbeads.com/gs-hypo.html?cmp=googlebase&gclid=Cj0KEQjwtO2wBRCu0d2dkvjVi5cBEiQAMEIVGc8GgNoTttYquik48OGEXe6ag-SZ5Ll4h_pMmPm5qh8aAgoh8P8HAQ

In this pic' of a kit bash I am working on, the large windows..clear styrene is held in place with it and the painted window is glued right on top of it, with just a drop in each corner, sets in ten minutes, cures in about an hour and You have to break it to get it apart.

In Your other thread which I did not post in...I would recommend Plastruct Plastic Weld for Your kit. Good for ABS, Styrene, Butyrate and Acrylic plastic's extremely strong bond, it contains MEK, it is also stronger than Ambroid Pro-Weld, which I also use. Tester's cement would not hold a candle to it.

Take Care, have fun! Big Smile

Frank

 

 

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Posted by maxman on Monday, October 12, 2015 8:54 PM

In the latest (November) issue of MR Cody suggests using Woodland Scenics scenic accent glue to attach glazing to windows.  This is a pressure-sensitive adhesive.

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Posted by hornblower on Thursday, October 15, 2015 2:07 PM

As Maxman pointed out, try Woodland Scenics Accent Glue or Micro- Mark's Liquid PSA.  Apply a little to the backside of the window frames and/or structure walls surrounding the window opening and allow to dry. These types of glues will remain tacky after drying. Once dry, position the clear glazing over the window opening and press into place.  Because the glue is already dry, it will not ooze or allow the glazing to slide around.  If you goof while positioning the glazing, just peel it back up, clean it off, then try again.  I have used both products and both work quite well.

Hornblower

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Posted by doctorwayne on Thursday, October 15, 2015 3:45 PM

Lots of good suggestions, but may I offer a couple of comments?

If you're going to paint the doors and windows, do it while they're still on the sprues.  In most cases, they're arranged there in an orderly manner and it's easy to apply pre-trimmed strips of masking tape to ensure that the gluing surfaces remain paint-free.

A sprue of dark green window castings masked and airbrushed with grey primer:

...and after a coat of white paint and removal of the tape:

The "glass" was then cemented to the rear of the window frames, and, after masking the rear of some of them in order to add painted-on window shades, the completed window assemblies were cemented into the built- and already-painted structure.

When cementing the glass to the frames, doing it with the window face-down on your work surface allows you to accurately position the parts, then apply firm pressure during the time you are applying liguid solvent-type cement to the perimeter of the assembly.  Usually, you need only touch the applicator brush to the joint at each corner, then hold firmly for a few seconds while the joint sets and the excess evapourates.  This will keep the cement from marring the visible window area.

While Accent glue will hold the windows and glass in place for some time, it eventually dries out and the bond will eventually fail - not a good thing if the structure has been fastened in place and has finished scenery around it.  Use a proper cement for long-lasting results.

In my opinion, ca of any type is not suitable for styrene-to-styrene joints.  I have bought many used structures and plastic rolling stock (often only partially completed, and not too well at that) that the previous owner had attempted to assemble using ca.  Unless the parts have mating surfaces (protrusion of one piece inserted in a corresponding indentation in the other), the bonds are usually very easy to break and the break is usually clean.  The unfortunate part of this is that the ca residue must be scraped or sanded away in order for solvent-type cement to be used.  The key to getting permanent joints between styrene parts is a good fit and a proper solvent - in most cases, the surrounding plastic will break before the joint will fail.

Wayne

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Posted by kasskaboose on Friday, October 16, 2015 2:11 PM

Great posts.  The way I model windows is from reading and trying what Jeff WIlson suggested.  He mentioned clear plastic sheets that were used for transparencies (remember those?!).  You can find the paper at office supply stores such as Staples: http://www.staples.com/Apollo-Plain-Paper-Copier-Transparency-Film-Clear-8-1-2-W-x-11-H/product_APOPP100C.  I cut them out larger than the window frame and glue them to the frame secured w/ either Plastruct plastic cement or Testors clear cement.    

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