Adhesives?

[Covina Mike]

I'm hoping someone can refresh my memory about the best adhesive for gluing clear plastic windows. I recall a clear adhesive that won't frost or etch the windows, but for the life of me I can't remember what the name is or who makes it. Any ideas? Thanks.

Mike

[selector]

I don't see why carefuly applied Testor's model glue won't work. I have used it many times, and if I take the time to apply it so that it doesn't creep or squish out onto the visible 'glass', it works very well. I just put a very small dot at each corner of the frame and press the window into place. Cyano-acrylate would work, but it wicks a great deal and may leave a film over the glass.

If you are a really dedicated fella, you could acquire some balsam gum and try that. Opticians use it between lenses of crown and flint glass when making compound achromatic objective lenses for telescopes and microscopes. It acts like a glue, spaces the two types of glass with their different refractive indices, and has a refractive index of its own that is highly similar to those of the two glass-types. It should work well for your model windows.....but, boy, you'd be a real keener in my books!

[orsonroy]

White glue, applied sparingly with a toothpick.

[Anonymous]

Testors offers a glue designed specifically for clear plastic (although you still need to apply it sparingly). A possibly less permanent option is to apply Aleene's Tacky Glue sparingly.

[jfugate]

Agreed ... white glue used sparingly.

The nice thing about white glue is you can wipe it off with a damp Q-tip if it gets somewhere you don't want it. And if it oozes out somewhere and you don't notice it until it's dry you can often carefully chip it off. It also does not permanently craze the clear glass surface like plastic cement does.

[Covina Mike]

Thank you all. Sometimes the most obvious solution is the best e.g. white glue. I appreciate your responses and don't worry, Selector, I'm dedicated but not that compulsive! Thanks again.

MIke