I have several plastic kits to build and a couple of wood kits. I have not built and kits since I was a boy, so I am asking you guys what do you recommend for Plastic, and what do recommend for Wood. I also have one Resin kit, so what is best to use for Resins?
Thanks guys,
Nick
Testor’s makes both tube and liquid cement for plastic kits. I use both. The liquid cement is much neater than the tube cement but I find I get a stronger bond with the tube. When strength is important, I’ll go with the tube glue and try to be extra carefull when applying it. When assembling the walls of a structure and attaching them to the base, I usually use the tube glue. If the walls are the least bit warped, they will want to pull apart at the corners and I want something that will bond tightly in the least amount of time. For most everything else, I use the liquid although I have a rule that if something separates after using the liquid cement, I reattach it with tube glue. It is rare that the tube glue fails.
I use Testor’s tube glue for all my styrene models. I have a dickens of a time with CA, so I have given up on it. As for any wood, any at all, I use a white glue called Weld Bond that is touted as being much stronger than standard white or yellow glues. I used it recently to build a cedar stripwood trestle in HO scale, and it is tough stuff.
I mostly use Tenax on plastic, but it’s pretty much an instant bond, so if I need some tome to adjust I use Testor’s
–Randy
Ambroid ProWeld is similar to Tenex 7R. I use it on most plastic parts, even the clear ones. However, you have to be careful with it–it’ll fog the clear. Just a tiny drop along the edge is all you need for a good bond. Tamiya’s clear acrylic enamel can also be used to attach “glass” parts. If you get too much on the part, wash it off with water before it dries. To me, wooden parts bond well with white glue–it doesn’t seem to matter which variety (white vs. yellow). CA is the best stuff for resin and urethane parts.
All…What does CA stand for?
cyano-acrylate, or common “super glue”.
For plastic, just use acetone or MEK solvents. You can buy the stuff in quarts and gallons from most hardware stores for just a few dollars. It is a much better deal than Tenex. Tenex is just a blend of solvents anyway. Look on the Tenex bottle for a list if you want to match exactly.
If you need a plastic cement for a specific kit, then just use side cutters to trim up the plastic sprue into small chunks and dissolve them in a small pan of the solvent of your choice. Play with the ratio of solvent to plastic to get the consistency you want.
Thank you for all the excellent replies, this will greatly help me when I visit my LHS tomorrow…