Looking for the right glue

[mikesmowers]

   I would like to fasten some bass wood to styrene, what glue should I use?

                          Mike
 

[mls1621]

Mike,

For gluing different materials together, your best choices would be, either a gap filling CA or epoxy.

[jecorbett]

I recently had good success with a product named  Goop. It comes in a tube and is similar to contact cement. It is very tacky and can be a little messy so I wouldn't try it with any small parts but if you have large surfaces to bond, it will handle both wood and styrene well.

[selector]

Goop (several varieties) is a fairly good glue, but watch it on or near any foam products...not pretty.

I have used Gorilla Glue to good effect. A little goes a long way, and you are to very slightly wet each of the surfaces to set off the curing process.  If you use it like MEK on styrene models, you will have it foaming slightly outside the joint...hence my warning to use just a sheen of it.  You might be advised to score or rough up the styrene first, no matter what you use.  Only where you need to place the glue, of course.

[doctorwayne]

For wood to styrene, I like contact cement.  Follow the manufacturer's instructions (don't skimp on the drying time before assembly), and recoat the wood if too much of the first coat is absorbed.  You can either rough-up the styrene with sandpaper or prep it with a coat of lacquer thinner befor applying the contact cement.  The crane pictured below was built over 35 years ago, using styrene for the major components and basswood shapes for the handrails, bracing and reinforcing members, and the bonds are still solid today.  The crane runway is a recent addition, and is made from styrene shapes cemented together with lacquer thinner.

 

Wayne

[csmith9474]

Not to dismiss the above suggestions (this isn't one of those "my way is better than your way" things), but I have used CA in the past for this exact application with good results. I have never tried contact cement, but that sounds like a good way to go. I might just give that a shot in the future.

[mikesmowers]

   Thanks for the suggestions. I have some of the Super Glue Gel, is that the same as the gap filling stuff?             Mike

[on30francisco]

If the parts won't be under stress and the strength of the bond isn't that important, the gap-filling CA would work. If strength is important, use epoxy.

[modelmaker51]

The gel is too thick, I would not recommend it for the type of join you're trying to make. For a CA join you want the medium thickness or medium viscousity CA. While the gel type is gap-filling, it has too much filler in it for s good long term bong and becomes very brittle with age. I never use it for any model work.

The best adhesives for wood to plastic would be epoxy or Gorilla glue (which must be clamped). Contact cement can work, but can also attack the plastic if not applied right. Epoxy is probably the most forgiving.

[bogp40]

For the most flexable and lasting joint, I would use contact cement, Goo, or Pliobond. CA can become too brittle on dissimilar products. Unsealed wood may also absorb the thin CA on the first application and may not completely bond.