I ordered some Microscale Kristal Klear from my LHS but when I went to use it for the first time (ever), I found it to be the consistency of thick marshmallow creme. It wouldn’t exactly stick to the brush, either. And so far, it’s not exactly ‘invisible’ on the work, as claimed.
Should it be thinner? Which thinner would I use, acrylic or solvent?
Well, it IS a glue… it is meant to make small windows and then it has to be on the thick side.
It’s a PVA glue, similar to Elmer’s white glue. It is milky white when applied, but when it dries it will be clear - in the amounts you would typically use to either form a small window or glue clear window glazing in place. A huge blob of it won’t be clear, and would also take a long time to dry because the inside of said blob wouldn’t be directly exposed to air. So if you are basing your judgement on taking a blob of it and putting it on a piece of paper and then waiting to see if it turns clear, you may be in for a long wait for something that may not happen. When used as intended, it does dry clear. “Crystal” like putting a piece of glass over the opening, no. Maybe that’s why they spell it ‘Krystal’. Also why buildings where microscope slide cover glass is used int he windows instead of clear plastic look odd next to all the buildings with plastic - the glass is that much more transparent compared to the clear plastic.
–Randy
I use a lot of Elmer’s white glue, but this stuff is thicker than that by several degrees; it would make more sense if it was the consistency of Elmer’s.
And - when I said it doesn’t dry ‘clear’, I meant that a tiny bit that had escaped my notice on the glass I was installing, dried in a manner not unlike getting plastic cement on a bit of clear plastic - a smudge that will be there forever. (I couldn’t clean it off as it was unreachable, being ‘sandwiched’ between two pieces of cardstock.) The instructions on the bottle also give directions on using it to create lenses, by putting a ‘blob’ on a piece of waxed paper & letting it dry - so it will, in time.
I also experimented with it to create small windows & it does this quite well. There won’t be any difference in glass & plastic windows on my layout as I have replaced all the plastic with Sierra scale glass, as I prefer the look.
It does clean up with water; so I’m going to thin a bit with some acrylic thinner & see what I get - life is for learning, after all…
Hmm, I used some straight fromt he bottle to glue in a stubborn cab window that kept popping out in one of my locos, no glue marks evident. Though mine wasn;t that thick, definitely thicker than Elmer’s but not so bad I couldn;t pick some out of the bottole on a microbrush. Though I haven’t looked at it lately - once the seal is broken and air gets in, who knows how long it will last, even when the cab is screwed back on tightly.
–Randy
Where do you find this product?
I’ve been doing some more experimenting; a little water on the smear on the glass resoftens the glue & some careful cleaning with a bamboo skewer & a dry brush & all is good once again. And acrylic thinner does the trick, although I suspect water would also work. However, you would want to leave it thick to fill gaps.
I’ve used a lot of Krystal Klear, and it is supposed to be a lot thinner that that. Think consistancy of Elmer’s glue. I would not try thinning it since I don’t know what kind of acrylic thinner was originally used, and re-thinning it would likely weaken the glue bonds, and your Krystal Klear windows.
Since you got the bottle that way, you might want to see if you can get a refund or a replacement bottle.
S&S
That makes sense; it really seems almost ‘grainy’, like it had been frozen & thawed or something.
With the insanely cold weather across the country, that’s entirely possible. If it were part of an order on a truck that got stuck in some of the blizzards, it may very well have frozen. Likely all at the place you bought it from has that problem.
–Randy
Too much of a pain in the keister to take it back (the LHS is in the next town & I have to get a ride from a long-suffering friend), so I’ll get a chance to use my new Irwin Mini Vise!
I’ll secure the bottle & try remixing it with a suitable bit on my drill. (Unless I can find my 1/16" paint paddle…)
Second & third ideas, paint paddle not so far fetched - maybe a quick look in the spare parts box (yeah, as if there’s only one.…) to see if there’s anything that might function the same…hmmm…
Just to finish this up - I remixed it in the bottle using a 1/4" bit in my drill, in pulses; and now it’s behaving like thick Elmer’s.
Thanks for all your help.
Paul
FWIW- Weldbond glue is pretty much the exact same stuff. I’ve used it for many of the same applications I used Krystal Kleer for and got the exact same results … and it’s cheaper !
Mark.