I’m looking for a product that is a liquid “glazing”. Instead of using clear plastic this liquid is spread on the edges of window openings and connected until it forms a complete pane of clear glass. Anybody know what it’s called and where to purchase it? Does Walthers carry it?
Microscale Crystal Clear
David B
You might also be interested in Canopy Cement. It’s basically a clear plastic glue, intended for model airplane canopies, hence the name.
I’ve used it in some multi-pane windows. It produces a thick, clear glazing. However, the window is very thick, and the surface is not flat, so you really can’t see “through” the window, although light from the inside will be visible on the outside. This isn’t what you want if you’ve put a lot of effort into detailing the interior, but it may be exactly what you want if you put no effort into detailing the interior. You can still put a light inside, without any worry of anyone noticing that it’s just an empty shell.
I’ve found something better than those. Plaid sells a product called Gallery Glass for stained glass art. It comes in colors and crystal clear. Works great. Real clear, real streong. It’s really thick so you can thin it out a bit till you like the results. Places like Hobby Lobby and Michaels sell it for around $2.
http://www.plaidonline.com/apGG.asp
I was in my local WalMart* just the other day and came across a new product (at least new to me) It is Elmers and it is Clear School Glue. It is clear in the bottle and it dries even clearer than the other white Elmers glues. I used it when gluing microscope slide cover glass in a Masonic Temple I am building. What little bit I got on the visible part of the glass is very clear. You can only see it if the window is reflecting something. I have not tried it to make window panes yet, but it does seem worth trying in the same manner you would use Microscale Krystal Klear, and it is much, much less expensive. The January 2009 issue of Railroad Model Craftsman (sorry MR, but I read them all) has an article about using real glass for windows. You may find it interesting.
Paul
Dayton and Mad River RR
There’s really no need to pay triple or quadruple the price just because it’s called a “hobby” item – go to your nearest hardware, lumber, or home products store and get a bottle of Weldbond glue.
When you see, feel, and smell this you’ll swear that it’s exactly the same thing as Micro-Glaze or similar products sold in hobby shops. And it works exactly the same.
MicroGlaze is another option. It is recommmended for window openings up to 1/4" square but I have found the results are iffy on windows that large. As often as not, the glaze will burst before setting up. I get excellent and reliable results on 1/8" window openings.